Tech Curriculum

Now I am trying this as a new topic.

I am interested in investigating how to transform traditional Technology Education (Computer lab, typing lessons, Internet research) into a multi-stranded, self-paced technology exploration. I have a name for it already! HOT Lab for Hands-On Technology Lab. I will use the Math lab that I put together as a classroom teacher as a model but bring in strands that pertain to Tech. Things like taking stuff apart, programming, robotics, digital design, etc.

Hey Daniel - Great topic, and I like that you broke it off as its own things. What are some of the online resources you might be able to include in this? I am thinking of platforms like Scratch, but maybe also Codecademy and others.

Hi Dan,

I just want to pop on to ket you know I would be interested in exploring the hows in transforming Tech Ed as well. I am "Computer Lab Manager" in k-5 public school. That is my official title, but I never use it, It feels too confining and does not accurately describe what I am trying to accomplish there. I took over my position from a teacher who used the Computer Lab as a typing course. After 4 years, I have dramatically change the curriculum with little resistance from my administrators but also with little support or understanding on what and why of activities that now occur in my lab. I would be interested in hearing what challenges or obstacles you face and how you have worked through them.

I am a bit behind this week and have been unable to be as active as I would like , I am hoping after tomorrow night, I can refocus myself and catch up.

Sandy

@danbriles I love this! Particularly your focus on "hands-on" tinkering and physical objects. I know @1L2P asked you what online resources you were thinking of including, but I am really interested in what kinds of physical materials you have envisioned incorporating. Perhaps some things like MaKey-MaKey or littleBits?

Also, what age group are you targeting with this?

Dan-
I am really interested in this. I am an iLearn Specialist and we really are trying to envision transforming our learning and teaching to include current century skills.
Would your course be more technology driven or would you focus on the skills of communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking- bringing in tools to show how these 4Cs can be achieved? We think a lot in my district about focusing on the learning rather than the tool. Project-based learning, genius hour are good ways to meet these needs.
I love the coding idea too! What grade levels again?

Yes! I am really interested in this, especially as it aligns with what I am wanting to do within my organization, Siyavula. We are based in South Africa and produce openly licensed Science and Maths resources for Gr 4-12.

I am the coordinator for Gr 4-9 Natural Sciences and Technology. You can view the Gr 4-6 content here: www.thunderboltkids.co.za. (Gr 7-9 website still coming). The "technology" curriculum that we had to follow, set by the Department of Education, is quite outdated though and focuses mostly on building physical models, such as making a bridge or a water purification system, etc. I do perhaps understand why they might have approached it as such, as there are many different contexts and learning environments in South Africa, most of which are rural and under resourced. In these contexts, they can only hope to complete very basic technology projects with the resources that they have.

However, at Siyavula, we are still interested in developing a more engaging, relevant curriculum to implement in place of the existing one. I would like develop a curriculum that educators can follow in their Technology lessons which also supplements and integrates into the Science curriculum. And Art and Drama lessons can also be used to then communicate the project in some creative way. I think projects that span different subjects at school could be very meaningful and provide a more real world experience. Just like Dan said - multi-stranded. And also like Lindsay said - project-based learning and the 4Cs are NB.

I would like to look at the Gr 4-9 age group, specifically at how to scaffold different technology tools/programmes/etc through the years, so that they build on each other. I would then want to take this general scaffold/curriculum and see how to integrate it so that it relates to our South African Natural Sciences curriculum.

Sorry, this is a bit of a long post!

Perhaps we could start a Google Doc and start to sketch out a curriculum? Just general points at first with links to the types of projects/tools/programmes you would suggest for each year, and building on each other?

Great ideas!
What immediately grabbed my attention was the "taking stuff apart" concept.
- many inventors, scientists and computer geeks claim to have gotten their start with a curiosity that led them to dismantle clocks, radios and other technology items
- taking stuff apart appeals to the destructive glee that most of us can find within ourselves, especially if we think back to our kindergarten years
- this concept can be scaled to all age groups and many areas of interest - students could bring in an object in their area of interest that they especially want to dismantle
- this concept is available to all countries and groups with various levels of economic development
- this is very hands on
- learning this way will probably create some interesting surprises
- taking stuff apart naturally makes people think about good design techniques for intended use, repair, durability and recycling
- speaking of recycling, there are plenty of technology items available for dismantling
- speaking of recycling, the disassembled parts can be repurposed for robots and other new projects
- taking stuff apart can relate to all kinds of technology and science topics, including electronics and physics
- taking stuff apart can be done with software as well as tangible physical objects
- there are some potential issues: safety, fostering of a malevolent hacking impulse - but with some advanced planning, these issues should be minor

I have been developing a model for an elementary MakerSpace in a Chicago Public School that will feature both littleBits and the Makey Makey, so I would be glad to join the discussion.

Yes, this is where I am focusing. We are flipping the model as well. Facilitating and doing projects is an art form, and projects need parameters. And today while viewing the short documentary, Future Learning I hear a quote from Sugata Mitra, "Children can teach themselves almost anything if given the Internet, given the permission to interact with each other, and the absence of the teacher. The absence of the teacher, in the presence of the Internet, can become a pedagogical tool." He believes the three skills necessary for the new curriculum are: 1) Reading Comprehension, 2) Information Search and Retrieval skills (validity of source), 3) How do we teach them to believe? (arm the child against doctrine) So how to do the front load heavy lifting to let the play happen in real time? Or is this even a misperception? Here is what I posted to another forum last week:

This is a work in progress (and has been and will be indefinitely: beta - repeat) and I'm wondering if anyone else has worked on their own version as well. What I'm talking about here is a tech skill set assessment based generally on grade levels/age. It is more detailed/specific location based than the CSTA or ISTE standards (yet inclusive of them) and is inclusive of self directed learning within project based environments.

So, I am happy to join the Tech Curriculum group topic. Thank you Dan!

Another idea related to taking things apart:
This is an area where seniors, even those without technical experience, might like being part of the curriculum. They can contribute information about living with and working with a variety of technologies through their lifetimes -- how some things worked better than others, what fell apart first, etc.

Plus, here are some links to ideas for making taking stuff apart part of the tech curriculum:

a "party": http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr342.shtml

a project lab concept (compares taking stuff apart to artist study of Old Masters):
http://www.changemakers.com/stemeducation/entries/perfect-kids

a structure for preschool through first grade:
http://www.education.com/science-fair/article/wholes-parts-taking-things-apart/

making deconstructed objects into artwork:
http://thedeconstruction.org/in-the-deconstruction-zonetaking-things-apart-for-art/

I love the idea scratch community have been promoted about promote arts into kids and teens with technology. I'm planning to start an after school program and letting kids, with technology as a tool, develop abilities for today's and future's needs. I was thinking that a good way to grow into different courses is to create programs that will fit to different interests. For example I was thinking that some music concepts, like patterns, could be mixed up with computational thinking and develop a course where young people can develop music and technology skills. There are lots of projects in scratch site, in which they use pattern recognition through music. This is an example: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1068802/#editor

Let me know what you think.

I was thinking about math learning combined with 3D model making. Don't know whether your Math lab already uses this, but seems like kids who are otherwise not interested in math or science are often intrigued by colorful computer displays of math models and by tangible 3D models, especially when they can print them themselves. Have not yet tried these myself, but here are a couple of websites with information that looks interesting:

K3DSurf, a free downloadable program "to visualize and manipulate Mathematical models in three, four, five and six dimensions":
http://k3dsurf.sourceforge.net/

Rapid Prototyping designs, requires design credit when displaying models made with downloadable designs:
http://www.georgehart.com/rp/rp.html

Fun!

Art Yowza Summer Camp Here!
Also Love littleBits and the Makey Makey and 3-D printers.

Best wishes with your Chicago makerspace!

I'm co-building with children (ages 5-11)
a transmedia game layer on top of my art camp this summer.

We'll be growing our creative confidence through the heroes journey.
The emphasis is building social entrepreneurship skills.

Hopefully we'll be cooking with #conducttr (still in beta)
Until now, I've been a "messy art" camp --- now I'm getting tech

I started a peer discussion in the forum about #transmedia and #gamedesign here.....

Hands on learning by combining digital & physical worlds has been at the forefront of my recent developments at a new school in Switzerland. The ideas were born with Hackidemia in Berlin & further developed as part European code week. The most popular space was the deconstruct a mobile phone space, looking for useful bits especially the tiny motor. Would love to develop these ideas further. I posted a few ideas as they develop at
http://learningfreewheel.wordpress.com

Hi I like the 4c skills based approach as the tech continues to evolve. Trying to change the traditional mindset of ICT & IT teachers keeps me busy and helps keep discussions about learning.

This sounds like an exciting transformation. I'm interested to hear how your Math lab is working, and which aspects you are thinking would be similar or different?

I too like the concept of integrating the physical and digital worlds. I have taught classes for middle and high school students that integrate digital and physical artmaking. I liked to call it intermedia artmaking. I looked at the blog and the project look fantastic.

Thanks for the good wishes. So far, the curriculum has been evolving nicely. We have started conducting pop-up, drop-in ArtMakerSpaces at community centers for families and it has been exciting to see the reaction. We are looking to integrate Hummingbirds robotic kits into our curriculum next, really focusing on the integration of the robotic elements into sculptural pieces. Also, good luck on your summer camp. It sounds great. Can you explain a bit more about the transmedia layer you mentioned.