Gizmodo
Remember Johnny Lee's how-to last year, on how to make a whiteboard out of a Wiimote? Kofi Merritt, a computer resource specialist, challenged the members of the LEGO Club at the Clara Byrd Baker Elementary School to follow the Carnegie-Mellon Ph.D student's video instructions and make themselves an interactive whiteboard, saving their school around $800 in the process.
"I thought to myself, 'This project is too cool not to share, and it can be a student-created tool created for instructional purposes,'" Merritt said. "I thought, 'This would be a great way to engage the students in a unique way, as well as put pressure on interactive whiteboard companies to lower their prices.'"
Merritt and his volunteers, four fifth-graders and a parent volunteer who is an electrician (and who helps out in the LEGO Club) took about a month to finish the project. The kids are thrilled with their achievement. "It feels great to help the school like this, said student Austin Durham, 10. I never felt great. It took about a month because we had to figure out the right parts to use. We messed up a lot at first."
As well as saving the school a whole bunch of cash, the project has given the kids a lot of confidence, as well as a fun experience—something they all appreciate. "I think the most important thing that the students enjoyed and learned was to be innovative," adds Merritt. "As part of the 'digital native' generation, they can recognize things in their world that they can improve or create, and have the confidence to tackle projects that many 'digital immigrants' wouldn't touch. This is a new generation. They must be engaged in their world with the tools of their time." [Daily Press via Gaming Today]
Comments
Anyone else more than a little disappointed over them not incorporating Lego into this "Lego Club" project?
I mean kudos and all but, wow.
I would have thought that with 'em being into Lego and all they'd just kinda want to uh, you know...use some.
@strider_mt2k: They probably just thought that the "Lego Club" was a better and catchier name than "The Young Digital Geek Society" or something... Cool job, though: We haven't seen too many adults capitalizing on Johnny Lee's cool ideas, never mind 10 year olds....
@strider_mt2k: I went and read the entire source article looking for the missing part about legos. My search ended in disappointment. However, the article did use the term, "digital immigrant," which has sparked interesting visualizations.
Sure legos are missing from the equation here... but the big question I have is: "Why didn't my primary school offer a Lego Club?"
I am apparently a digital "immigrant" and do not understand why these peculiar digital "natives" would name their club after legos while they don't use any.
@halfkorean:
I think there was an issue with upper-classmen and hoarding of the "good pieces".
;)
Well y'all can whine about them not using LEGOs or why your school didn't have a LEGO club (though I admit to wondering that myself) but the bottom line is this is exactly the kind of projects teachers should be encouraging in the schools. Projects like this not only encourage students to take on tasks that would normally scare them, but it builds their critical thinking and problem solving skill which is what you need in this world. Not to be able to memorize obscure facts to pass some stupid standardized test.
Kudos to this teacher and congrats to the students for doing something creative, engaging, fun, and even saving the distrcit money.
I'd make her turn it on by rubbing the pointy thing at the top of the board. ZIM-ZAM!
That's pretty cool. The "it took us a month" i feel probably only took so long cause they probably met once a week or so. Looks like a fun project. I need to cannibalize some old remotes now and try it myself.
The real question is:
"How did they get their hands on a Wii?"
@auroragb: They used a wiimote.
@auroragb: The project doesn't require a Wii, just a Wiimote, and bluetooth capable computer.
On another note: If there are digital immigrants, are there such things as digital illegal immigrants? Perhaps a digital Gulf of Mexico?
Interactive whiteboards have not been a hit in France so far, but the Wii is. Some professors wrote online tutorials and over 300 "TNWii" have been built in the last 3 months in french schools, for the average price of 41 EUR.
I'm not sure if those IWB are actually used or if somebody is just collecting the Wiis for some large scale game.
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