How to use MaKey-MaKey in the classroom


As a teacher, I have fallen prey to an administration with high hopes for teachers to use a certain type of technology, only to never receive the proper training to employ the technology tool that was supposed to enhance student learning. Around 15 years ago, each member of my team received 10 mp3 players. They were supposed to be used for students to listen to audiobooks. Because I didn't receive any instruction on using mp3 players, they stayed in the bag in a closet collecting dust. I'm sure they had good intentions, as well as I did. However, with limited time on my hands, I never found a way to learn it on my own. This is the exact scenario that Amy Overbay describes in her article about technology integration.

This is a scenario that I hope to avoid as I become a technology leader in my future role as a school librarian. When searching the list of engaging and useful technology tools, I found MaKey-MaKey to be something that all teachers regardless of grade level or subject, might find interesting and helpful. MaKey-MaKey basically allows a user to connect everyday objects to computer keys. You can use bananas, Play-Doh, marshmallows, or any conductive material to replace computer keys. A single kit costs about $50 on Amazon and can be used with any device with a keyboard. One simple use I saw was teaching first graders the cardinal directions with 4 bananas moving a dinosaur across the screen. A common way to use MaKey-MaKey is in combination with coding programs like Scratch to create your own game and use MaKey-MaKey for the controls. Watch this video by the creator for a quick introduction:



The Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) seems to be a valuable way for teachers and staff to see where they are on a spectrum of using technology with students. It uses five characteristics of a learning environment: active, collaborative, constructive, authentic, and goal-directed. Then it explains five levels of technology integration: entry, adoption, adaptation, infusion, and transformation. This create a 25 cell matrix that describes technology experiences in the classroom. Dr. James Welsh at the Florida Center for Instructional Technology, who created the TIM, states that there is not a "good area or bad area" to be in on the matrix. It's just a way to describe the way a teacher is using technology in a lesson. He reminds teachers that technology should be used "in response to student needs and curriculum demands." 

There are some great resources to get you started using MaKey-MaKey. This one is a 5 session lesson plan for introducing MaKey-MaKey to elementary students, but it also has tons of ideas to use in classrooms and libraries:


This one is a little more tailored to using MaKey-MaKey in a maker space within a school library:


References:

Florida Center for Instructional Technology. (n.d) The Technology Instruction Matrix. https://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/matrix/

Overbay, A. (2011). A Technology Plan That Works. Educational Leadership. Feb. 2011, 56-59.


Comments

  1. Bernice McGaha MirroFebruary 19, 2021 at 9:01 PM

    Oh my goodness! That Makey-makey video looked so fun! Although I teach high school students, I know that even the most "grown up" ones would have a a ball with it. I teach in a school with a high poverty rate, and when I become a school librarian, I hope to stay in the same area. Many of my students do not get the opportunity to experiment and play with technology outside of school. Makey-makey could spark so many ideas in students and make learning a whole lot more fun!

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