This week my eyes were opened to the power of the Makey Makey. I think the awesomeness of this device lies in its accessibility. By allowing anyone with a computer to plug this USB cable in (wonder how that works, they wonder) and attaching wires to objects (and how might that work?) the Makey Makey provides for "organic" learning through play. "Be stoked." Get excited and go for it.
I "hacked" my computer to think that bananas were keys on my keyboard and played the drums. I learned: a little about rhythm, and how I don't have much; a little bit about computers, and they way they receive input to produce output; some about programming, and the way I can tell the computer exactly what I want it do when I give it some information; a little bit about debugging, because connecting the alligator clip to the brown tip of my banana stem did not allow my computer to recognize the input from that banana; and a little bit more about the potential for learning with well-designed, easily used, creativity-enabling tools.
I didn't have a lesson plan. My only instruction was to create and learn. If we can provide this opportunity to students, like the inventor of Makey Makey, Jay Silver, did with some non-school students right here in Vermont, imagine what they could create, develop, learn. We could provide the structure or "scaffolding," to quote one of my classmates, and really give the students an opportunity to engage with the world at their own pace and in their own way. And that's really what makes the world such a special place to be a part of. Right, Jay? : )
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