Week 10 Reflection

Aleta first talked about making kuspuks which is a very cultural connection bridging crafting and electronics. I was thinking kuspuks would be a great place to start as well. Our school's dance team is huge and to get all students involved in some aspect of it would be great for school spirit. This would be relatively simple because there are many who know how to make kuspuks so only the electronic part would be new territory for many. This week there were so many projects that blew my mind. Aleta talked about a soft piano you can make and connect to your computer. I play the piano a little bit and thinking about building my own soft piano would be so cool! To build something of your own that is useful in your own life seems like the biggest benefit, and that is a pretty big benefit. Students challenge their own creativity and learn new things along the way. I can't imagine a better way of learning.

Genevieve talked about Chibitronics. Since she has younger students I agree that Chibitronics would be a good place to start. I can see students getting into Chibitronics at all ages but it would be easier for older students to work on more advanced tech like the LilyPad. It would be hard to do many of the crafting and electronic projects with younger kids without adequate support. I love how Genevieve said this, "I know my kindergarteners and first graders would love to showcase their work, other classes would admire them and they would be proud to take them home." From my reading this was the biggest benefit I saw as well. Students create something of their own, and some of the more advanced projects can even be incorporated into their daily life. Students take ownership in a new way that they don't with traditional classroom activities.

Melissa and Camille both posted to my blog. Their posts both resonated with the main reason for doing this type of work in the classroom would be to get students to take ownership in a new way. Students could incorporate their work into their daily lives. They could create products that are meaningful and customized to their personality. The more I read the more I want a makerspace. A makerspace would allow crafters to craft. If you didn't want to craft you could work on whatever is your passion. This would allow students to learn through a medium that is meaningful to their life.