Maker App Updates

For Windows & Mac users: we've recently updated the way that students can log in with Google using the Maker App. Please see this forum post for more information about these updates and how to continue using Google to log in to the Maker App.

Computing Innovations

During this activity student groups will research the recent technological innovations related to a chosen topic. Once they have identified a few interesting innovations, they will choose one to analyze in greater depths and report back to the class about.

Innovation Research

• Introduce the topics: Make sure that students understand the scope of each of the potential topics.
  • Wearable Technology (eg. clothing, jewelry, or accessories with built-in computers)
  • Health and Safety (eg. devices that treat disease, track your health, or protect users from danger)
  • Agriculture (eg. technology to improve the effectiveness, sustainability, or efficiency of farming)
  • Manufacturing (eg. advancements in rapid prototyping, industrial robotics, and the production of goods)
  • Art and Design (eg. interactive art or public installations)
  • Smart Home (eg. devices that allow you to interact with your thermostat, locks, or lights using computers)
• Explain the research task: The goal of this research is twofold:
  • First, develop a deeper understanding of your chosen topic. How is computer technology changing this field, what are some of the problems that people are trying to solve with technology?
  • Second, identify a handful of innovative devices within this topic. Students should focus on finding hardware devices that demonstrate unique or novel form factors. That is to say, computers that don't look like computers.
• Send to Code Studio for resource links: On Code Studio we have compiled more detailed descriptions of the topics as well as couple of recommended sites to learn more about each topic. Use this as a jumping off point for student research.

An Innovative Solution

Once groups have selected a specific innovative device, they can complete the second page of this activity guide, which asks them to do the following:

• What Problem Does It Solve?: For some topics this may be more clear (for example healthcare devices typically have a very specific goal), but for others students may need to think more broadly about what they consider problems. More frivolous wearables or digital art installations may be more concerned with personal expression than solving a specific problem.
• What Is Innovative About It?: Encourage students to refer back to the earlier discussion about innovation for this. It can also be useful to compare against other devices found during the research phase.
• How Do You Interact With It?: Ask students to think back to the Input, Output, Storage, Processing model that was introduced way back in Unit 1. The goal here is to identify specifically the Inputs and Outputs provided by a given device - the more specific these are, the more easily students will be able to connect elements of the Circuit Playground to these devices.
• How Could You Improve It?: Feel free to make this as realistic or aspirational as you like. The goal here is just to get students thinking about how they might develop an innovation of their own by using an existing product as a jumping off point.