I think one of the coolest things out of this whole “technology unit” is the fact that there are a bunch of gadgets out there that I never even knew existed, the Makey Makey and 3D printer included. Yet what was even more shocking to me was the fact that our school has these things! At first I was slightly confused as to how this unit really tied in with english class at all, but it began to slowly make more sense. You start with an idea. You try it out. You see what works and what doesn’t. You decide whether to change things around, keep what you have or a mixture of both. Kind of like essay writing, no?
When we worked with the Makey Makey devices today, our group definitely had some challenges. We had this idea of creating a map with the five different boroughs and somehow making it so that every-time we touched each borough on the map, a pre-recorded stereotypical saying would play. Our idea was interesting, but slightly complicated because of the way it heavily relied on an automatically generated response. After having trouble with an old computer operating system and slow internet, things finally started to get going once we switched computers with another group. At one point we were even willing to scrap the idea all-together but there was still something in my group-mates and I that made us want to try to make it work. I know for sure that I am one of those type of people that if a good idea comes along, I get slightly heavy-headed and never wan’t to give it up or settle for something else. I know in my mind that I can always manage to find a way to make it happen just as along as I think and give it some patience. I mean, sure it was frustrating at certain times, but I think that by the end of it, we really were able to get something that was on the brink of completion. With a few minor missteps that could have easily been fixed with extra time, we were able to keep our idea and bring it to life with the Makey Makey.
This whole process though, has been more than just coming up with an idea and trying to translate it through conductive tape. I learned that troubleshooting is important and that sometimes if you give up, you can forgo something that could have been great. In a similar way, many find it hard to convey their ideas in essay writing. With a little trouble-shooting though, an idea can still be possible. It all really comes down to if you’re willing to take the time (what’s your deadline), if you’re not willing to scrap your idea (no lame thesis’s), and if you actively seek help (the writing conferences are great). I’m very thankful to have gotten the chance to work with the Makey Makey, mainly because I doubt this will ever happen in another class. It just goes to show that not every english class has to be about reading and writing, but creating in every way possible.
