After many delays, we are finally back on track with the design challenge. The past couple of sessions have been very intense with groups beginning the transition from the Think stage to the Make stage of our TMI Model.
Things started off with an introduction to the potential tools and materials that they had available for use in their design. Up to this point, I had deliberately held back on sharing these as I didn't want them trying to 'smush' their ideas to fit a specific tool or material (Remember MinecraftEdu from a previous post?). I felt it important to encourage open and free flowing ideation before showing them what the kit (and the rest of my classroom) contained for their use.
We walked fairly slowly through the materials and tools, which included:
- Arduino - An open source microcontroller. I did tell them that this was advanced stuff.
- Raspberry Pi - A low cost computer about the size of a credit card. Great sandbox for learning programming.
- LittleBits - Open-source electronics modules that attach via magnets for easy prototyping and design.
- OpenBeam - An open-source, extruded aluminum construction/prototyping system.
- K'Nex - A common and versatile construction system - made of plastic.
- Lego -No introduction needed for this classic construction system!
- Lego Mindstorms NXT -
- General building supplies
- Maker Toolkit
- Other bits and bobs
I showed each to the class and then sent them on their way, encouraging them to take the time to play with different things before going back to their ideas and starting to match everything together!
What was interesting is that most groups had to immediately go back to the Think stage as just seeing the materials and tools set off new ideas, all of which required further planning and research. Some groups almost completely changed their original idea while others worked on refining what was already in place.
High Demand Items - Powerful Idea Generators
Of all of the items, I've got to say that OpenBeam and LitteBits carried the most power when it came to changing and creating ideas/solutions to challenges. It was amazing to watch different groups interact with these materials, having never seen them before, and develop very solid ideas within an exceptionally short amount of time. The ease of use and creative potential made these highly valuable tools at this stage. While many groups will not necessarily be using them in their final prototypes, the interest, excitement and creativity stemming from these tools caused me to put in a request for more!
Highly Specific Materials - A New Challenge
There's a new challenge arising from all the ideas and excitement, however. In not wanting to say 'No' to any idea, there is a growing demand for materials that are highly specific to certain design ideas. I'm feeling really unsure about what to do with this demand. In my mind there are two ways of solving this: create a shopping list and buy everything that is needed OR tell students that they must bring in any and all materials that are not part of the above list. The problem with either solution, however, is the cost. Work like this could get really expensive, on level that would not be sustainable throughout an entire year filled with design challenges. Asking families or the school to shoulder to load on their own simply isn't reasonable.
So far, I have agreed to bring in scraps of building supplies that I have at home and we've had class discussion about needing to supply as many materials as possible from their homes. During planning, as well, I've pulled together a list of specific materials that are needed for several projects (activated carbon and sand are two examples). I think I can take some money and purchase some of these to help alleviate some of the concerns.
I'll keep thinking, load the car with scrap materials before the weekend is over and potentially do a bit of shopping...