Constructionism and the Maker Movement is becoming ever more prevalent in classroom and the world today, focusing on the combination and physical and digital learning and exploration. Maker Education itself focuses on how learners approach tasks, their mindsets and integrating community into learning, and less about the tools used (Digital Promise,2021). This puts value into student-led learning and exploration, with teachers acting more of a support network, rather than a lecturer.
I am revisiting the technology of Micro:Bit today, as I have done in my first blog, but looking more towards how it can be translated into physical objects and engineering perspectives. Micro:Bit is a treasure trove of different coding capabilities, and alongside its circuit board, can be used to create working devices, such as small-scale windmills, moving puppets, interactive houses, or irrigation machines as will be shown in the example.
The application of Micro:Bit MakeCode and the circuit board, it a prototype for an automatic irrigation system, designed to detect soil hydration and then administer water when needed. This type of application could be seen in science subjects, geography, or agriculture, to look at the evolution of farming over time, and how modern systems can overtake from traditional.
Video of Irrigation System | Beate Mannes
Micro:Bit not only inspires students to create but provides the tools and space to really test the boundaries of what is possible. Wheeler et al. (2002) brings up that encouraging children to explore their own thinking, can foster their creativity and responsibility for their own learning, enhancing the learning experience and retention of knowledge.
When we look at pedagogical concerns in constructivism and the maker movement, it is hard to not focus on how enriching and brilliant it is. The maker movement really does support students, especially in areas of explicit instruction, modelling and open-ended inquiry, allowing students to take ownership of their learning. The concerns of focusing in this area, is largely to do with accessibility and confidence within teachers and students, showing that some technologies such as 3D printing, or internet connectivity and resources may be hard stretched (Bower et al., 2020). This is especially prevalent with such things as Micro:Bit, and while there are schools' sponsorships and materials, using the physical component may be inaccessible to some schools or students.
As a whole, blending digital and physical learning, especially in a Maker Movement style, can benefit students widely and in detail, allowing teachers to truly support their students own learning. Creating a sense of community where creativity is fostered through exploration and application.
References
Bower, Stevenson, M., Forbes, A., Falloon, G., & Hatzigianni, M. (2020). Makerspaces pedagogy - supports and constraints during 3D design and 3D printing activities in primary schools. Educational Media International, 57(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2020.1744845
Digital Promise. (2021). The State of Maker Learning Today. The Maker Education Initiative, https://digitalpromise.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/10-21_The_State_of_Maker_Learning_Today.pdf
Wheeler, Waite, S. J., & Bromfield, C. (2002). Promoting creative thinking through the use of ICT: Promoting creative thinking. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 18(3), 367–378. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0266-4909.2002.00247.x
Hi Beate,
Awesome blog post and engaging to read. The first-person perspective provided through the use of photos and videos enables the readers to truly grasp an understanding on how the Micro:bit works and the features that it provides. I also admire the use of hyperlinks throughout! A beneficial link to the NSW syllabus would have also been useful but it was great to see the versatility in subjects in which the Micro:bit can be utilised. Great paragraph on the limitations which are necessary for teachers to read about if they want to utilise Micro:bit within their classroom.
Eva Kostopoulos
Hello Beate,
I really enjoyed reading your blog as it was interesting and engaging. I appreciate the use of images and videos to illustrate how the micro:bit works and functions as this is useful for teachers who are interested in using this tool in their class. I really like how you linked the irrigation micro:bit creation which was made in the Educ3620 tutorial to different KLA's such as science, geography and agriculture however I would have liked to see specific Curriculum outcome links as this would be useful for creating lesson plans in the future. You have explained how the micro:bit functions well and I definitely do agree that this tool enhances student learning in a better manner than traditional…