(On a side note, thank you, SOU, for the loan of the laptops!)
Here are two of the kids in the class integrating their marble roller coasters with the Crickets software, and an example of the types of programs they were writing. In this one, the program requires a sound that is louder than "20" (on a scale of 0-100) to begin the program sequence. This represents the approximate volume of a ringing bell; therefore, when the marble rolls down the ramp and hits the bell, the bell rings, the requested sound plays and the light begins to flash randomly.
The campers just loved this project. It was a great integration of a physical, creative process with a technology & software component. In order for their project to be most successful, they had to solve the problems of how to make their structure strong, how to keep the ball rolling down their ramps, and finally, where and how to integrate the Crickets to create the 'chain reaction' that was the project's goal. For some of them, those first two steps were more than enough of a challenge and they limited their Crickets integration to just turning on a light or a sound before dropping the ball down the ramp. I still viewed this as a huge success. In five days, they learned to create their own program, and they used valuable skills of problem solving to find ways to roll a ball down a track, test it, fix it, improve it. Some of the other campers went well above and beyond what I had anticipated, created incredible programs, built highly impressive roller coasters, and learned much more than I expected.
On the whole, this was a great experience in what much of the education technology research discusses about how to make technology in the classroom an effective tool. Over and over we find evidence that "improvements in student learning occur when technology is paired with instructional strategies like project-based instruction, which actively involves students in intellectually complex work that demands higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills" (Les Foltos, "Technology and Academic Achievement", newhorizons.org, December 2002)
How this tool could be used in a classroom is a difficult question to answer, however. There aren't really any direct links to the reading, writing, math or science goals that most states describe in their content standards. But the value as a tool in developing skills in problem-solving, creative thinking, and information technology cannot be measured. This is where the problem for most educators comes in, I believe. That we see great tools, and can't relate them to the content we're required to teach. So we fall back into our patterns of only minimal technology involvement for most things. The challenge to us is: use these tools that generate interest and learning in students in a way that we never would have thought to teach our content before - and the achievements our students reach will be incredible.
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