Ever wanted to become an inventor? Ever seen children bored out of their minds when they have the perfect opportunities to create imaginative play or craft something amazing like you did in your childhood? Well, look no further than the tool ‘Makey Makey’. ‘Makey Makey’ is just like an electrical board, or square piece of metal with different ports in it which have alligator clips extending from it to link to other objects. It is sure to engage our 21st-century tech-savvy children!
The idea is simple. Plug the board into a laptop or computer using the USB cord attached. Then, connect ANY object which can conduct even the smallest amount of energy (I..e bananas, pens, water bottles, playdough) to the alligator clips, and ta-da you have a unique keyboard! This device can create any object into one which controls your laptop games and apps. Check it out via this video:
To implement this amazing piece of technology into your classroom, I have the following tips for you:
- Follow the ‘Primary Connections’ Physical Sciences program, and extend their understanding of forces and electrical energy by allowing students to play with their ‘Makey Makey’. This device specifically links to Grade 6 Physical Sciences Primary Connections Textbook “It’s Electrifying!’ however it is able to be used by all middle to upper primary aged students. Lower primary students may need extra support and supervision.
- Allow students to play with the device themselves first, and grouping them in small groups to not only develop their investigative thinking skills but also their personal and social capabilities, which is a general capability from ACARA and SCSA curriculums.
- This device allows students to use all the Processing and Production skills from the Technologies curriculum on SCSA as well as links directly to the grades 4, 5 and 6 curriculum links in the Engineering Principles and Systems Design and Technology context (ACTDEK020 – ACTDEK020). It also directly links to the grade 6 curriculum of Science (ACSSU097).
- Remember to explain and directly teach safe handling of ‘Makey Makey’
- Give students goals to work towards in small groups (I.e. make the biggest piano you can) to enhance students general capabilities of critical and creative thinking, and Information and Communicative Technologies (ICT)
Follow this link to view the different apps which ‘Makey Makey’ can link to:
www.makeymakey.com/apps
Other unique technologies created by the same inventors:
Drawdio – make anything you draw become a sound system! www.web.media.mit.edu/~silver/drawdio
Singing Fingers – the app which uses your sounds to paint pictures! www.singingfingers.com
Have fun exploring the world of inventing and inspiring your students!
Link to an overview of the Design and Technology Curriculum by Caitlin Phoebe: http://https://www.mindmeister.com/826317863
