The use of technology and how it leads to innovation has always been a topic I have been interested in. I spend time reading up on how some of my favorite social networking sites came to be and who is responsible for them. I’ve found that although the innovators of websites such as Twitter or Tumblr are intelligent and creative, the most important part of getting their idea off the ground was team work and dedication.
Experimenting with the makey makey gave me an idea of what innovators go through to bring their project to life. Although my group didn’t come up with the most ground-breaking invention, it was still fun to make and entertained us for the time being. At first we found it difficult to come up with any unique ideas but after some time it came down to a game controller or a piano. After struggling to make the controller work, we decided on the piano and each of us had a part in making it function. It required some trial and error but eventually we got a drawing of a piano to play a song when we touched it. This invention, although simple, gave me an idea of the type of tedious work needed to create something original. But it also showed me the satisfaction you get when you finally reach your goal.
This process is directly correlated to writing essays. It takes multiple attempts to finally get that perfect thesis, just as it takes multiple ideas until you find out what you want to create with the makey makey. Writing essays can be stressful when you feel like you are at a dead end but finally reaching our goal with the makey makey gave me the same feeling as handing in an essay I am proud of. Essay writing and innovation are tedious but rewarding like many things in life, but it is important to stick to a plan in order to get to a solution.
I used to think that only specific types of people could invent things that benefit our daily lives but the makey makey shows that it just takes an idea, some team work and the belief that your idea is worth the trouble of creating to really make a difference. I was glad to be part of the small group of students to really be able to experiment with this new technology; I think it can really make a difference in the way we perceive innovation.
