When I first found out that I would be learning to code for my art education class, Learning and Digital Media, I must admit I was worried. I am the least tech savvy person in my family, and at times I feel hopelessly out of touch with new technology and how to use it. This class helped me learn that digital learning is a process, and if one is is to learn using digital technology, you just need to just dive in and explore, just like with any other art medium. Digital learning is frustrating, just like learning anything can be frustrating. There is also an added anxiety of using a device while not fully understanding it, and a fear of losing your work to an endless void if you press the wrong button, don’t save properly, etc.
In the beginning of the semester, we focused on learning how to use Scratch. I still remember during our introduction to Scratch being unable to log in, getting behind the rest of the class, because I had to reset my password, and feeling extremely stressed that I had no idea what to do to get the cat to move on the “stage”, which was the professor’s instruction.
In case you have never heard of Scratch before–it’s a coding program designed for kids to learn how to create games, art, stories, and whatever else they can think of. They do so by using drag and drop blocks to program and animate “sprites” (which are what the characters in the game are called) by stacking blocks of code.
Here’s a link to the Scratch homepage if you want to check it out:
One of the main ideas behind Scratch is to inspire creative thinking through the creative learning spiral. Using Scratch, kids think of something they want to make, create it by playing with code, reflect and trouble shoot, rinse and repeat! This creative learning cycle can be applied to anything you want to create, not just in Scratch, but in the world, or even the universe! With creative thinking, there are no limits!
However sometimes I felt limited by my abilities. While working with Scratch I often got frustrated and felt like it wasn’t doing what I wanted. But it was only doing what I told it to. If my code was making a mistake it was because I programmed the mistake. “In order to use a computer language you do not need to know how it works—no more than you need to know how a human brain works in order to give a person instructions. In both cases you need only know how to describe what you want in an appropriate language” (Papert & Solomon, 1971, p.2). When I would trouble shoot and debug an issue I was having with my code, I realized that I was in control. That was an empowering feeling! The program will do exactly what I tell it to, given I properly communicate my desires through the code.
While it is true that we don’t need to know how computer language works, I believe learning the why and how is increasingly important in this digital age. “We are taught to expect our digital devices to be beautifully formed and work by click and touch, and we are not invited to ask why or how” (Donohue, 2017, p.42). Encouraging children to ask why and how and explore digital inner-workings is a pivotal learning opportunity that will add to their skill set, open their minds, and mold them into creative thinkers.
When I heard we would be teaching kids how to use Scratch through Zoom this semester, I freaked out a little. I was scared and nervous. I had just learned how to code in Scratch myself and didn’t feel I was well versed enough with it to teach it to kids. I also questioned if I was even making the right career choice to be a teacher if teaching scares me this much. But I did it! And you know what? It was fun! Not only was it fun but I learned that I am on the right path—I must be if helping these kids learn made me feel as happy as it did.
So what is the role of the art teacher in a computational classroom? From my experience of teaching kids how to use Scratch, I learned that a lot of teaching is guiding the student, rather than just telling them what to do. Teaching in a computational classroom is more along the lines of the teacher asking “What do you notice about this?” and see what the student says, then share what you notice. Then seeing what the student says next, paying attention to where their thought process is heading, and using that as a guide to go down that learning path. Effective computational teaching sounds more like a conversation than a “how-to tutorial”. You are guiding the student, but they are also guiding you, the teacher, to know where their interests lie. If they are interested they are more likely to engage.
Entertainment, games, and even school are more than ever are moving increasingly to digital formats, and I believe we as parents and educators need to stop seeing screen time as the enemy, as a lot of adults do, and see it as a great tool for kids to learn and interact with. “Human creativity moves hand in hand with technology”(Resnick, 2017, foreword). Kids like to play games and engage online. They are doing the majority of their learning through a digital platform. To push back against this would be a push back against human advancements. Most of their future careers will more than likely involve a lot of digital interaction.
“Coding can become playing if it’s taught with a playful approach” (Bers, 2021, p.35).
Another takeaway from this class is I found I am not as incapable with technology as I thought I was. Sure, I know how to use my smart phone (mostly) and use the internet, but I never thought I would be able to code something. Ok, so Scratch is meant for kids, but still, most 10 year olds are better at using computers than I am. Scratch takes a playful approach to learning some pretty advanced skills. Kids spend countless hours on the site, having fun, building things that are pretty mind blowing! They are using computational skills and learning how to code possibly without even realizing it. To them, they are playing.
The most fun I had in this course was when we got to chose two inquiries. For one, I built a cardboard city and created multiple circuits in order to light it up! Learning about circuits was interesting and exciting to me. I love creating miniature dioramas so this was right up my alley. This activity combined computational thinking with principles of design and would be great for kids in the classroom.
The second inquiry I picked was the toy take apart. This one was the most fun of all! I took what I learned from making circuits, and gave my new creation a lightbulb head! Check out my process below:
There were some frustrations. For instance, in the cardboard and switch inquiry, I wanted the lights and circuits on the inside of all of the buildings, not the outside, but this proved too difficult for me to see what I was doing. In the case of the toy rebuild, I had problems keeping the circuit in tact while putting it inside the body. I learned encountering frustrations during learning processes make successes with a project more rewarding. I had to keep reminding myself of something I read in the book The Art of Tinkering that became like a mantra to me this semester. “Take your work seriously without taking yourself seriously” (Wilkinson & Petrick, 2014, p.15). Basically- relax! Learning is a process. Have trust in yourself. Have trust in the process.
References:
Bers, M. U. (2021). Coding as a playground: Programming and computational thinking in the early childhood classroom, 2nd edition. Routledge.
Donohue, C. (2017). Family engagement in the digital age. Routledge.
(Papert, S and Solomon, C (1971) Twenty things to do with a computer. http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/5836/AIM-248.pdf?sequence=2
Resnick, M. (2017) Lifelong kindergarten. The MIT Press.
Wilkinson, K. & Petrich M. (2014) The art of tinkering. Weldon Owen.
Toasty Arts 