Equipping Today’s Digital Learners for Tomorrow

Since coming to MakerSquare back in February, I have had the opportunity to work with the Girl Scouts’ CoderGirls program. It’s an awesome program with an even more awesome group of girls. So, what is CoderGirls? It’s an intro to computer coding program that was developed as part of the Girl Scouts’ Girls in STEM initiative. STEM is a growing movement in education that encourages students to get more involved in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

Each class, the girls work on building their HTML/CSS skills as they create their own web sites. It’s amazing to watch these girls. They are like sponges, so eager to learn. I have really enjoyed mentoring the girls as they grow more confident in their web design skills.

The Importance of Technology Education

It’s also reinforced for me how critical technology education is for today’s youth. Kids today have never known a world without the internet. Think about that for a second. Technology has literally altered the very fabric of society. Take a look at the numbers: 20% of third graders own cell phones while 83% of middle school students have one. If we don’t educate these kids on how to effectively use technology now, we are putting them at a disadvantage later on in their life. If you don’t believe me, consider this: 65% of today’s students will be employed in jobs that don’t yet exist. Yes, you read that right. It’s become clear, that we are preparing our children for a world that we can’t even imagine.

I also believe that there is a misconception among a lot of society that kids are born understanding technology and don’t need to be taught it. But I disagree. Using technology is different from understanding technology. I can drive a car but open the hood, and I’m completely lost. So when my car breaks down, I am completely dependent on the tow truck driver and the mechanic. Education becomes key in moving someone away from complete dependence.

With technology, education helps students move away from just passively consuming knowledge. Instead digital literacy helps empower students to become producers of knowledge.

Okay, I’m getting off my soapbox. Actually, I want to share with you a fun tool to help introduce web design to new students.

Mozilla Webmaker

Mozilla Webmaker is an awesome free resource that I encourage you to take a look at. Webmaker is a project that helps people make cool things on the web.

Webmaker has some great tools to use in web development. One of my favorites is a tool called X-Ray Goggles. What is it? Well, it’s a friendlier version of the ‘inspect element’ toolbar.

X-Ray goggles is a great introduction to web design. It allows you to remix a page and investigate the different elements that make up the page. For instance, I remixed the CNN page (apparently there is a serious Zombie outbreak going on in Hollywood). This is a great way to get kids excited about learning – let them try out X-Ray goggles on a page of their choice and see what they can create.

How to Install X-Ray Goggles

• Make sure your web browser’s bookmarks bar is enabled.

• Drag the “Activate X-Ray Goggles” button into your bookmarks bar. It will automatically be added as a button that you can click to activate the Goggles on any webpage.

• Go to the page you want to inspect/re-mix and click the X-Ray goggles button on the bookmarks bar. Time to play!

Ideas for using X-Ray Goggles in the classroom

• Scavenger Hunt – Create a scavenger hunt on a particular page and have students pair up to find the elements. Discuss what they think each element does.

• Remix a page – Have students use a certain site and remix it with X-Ray goggles based on a set of instructions. Then compare the results and discuss what elements they changed/used.

• Independent Remix – Set students loose on a page of their choosing.

Final Thoughts

I often hear educators talk about the importantance of soft skills which are overlooked at times in the classroom. Skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, patience and flexibility are not necessarily spelled out in the curriculum and yet we all know how essential these skills are in the real world… I think there is a great opportunity in technology education to really emphasize those soft skills.

I encourage you to look into the Girl Scouts’ CoderGirls program and others like it. If you’re a teacher, take a look at some of the great resources available on the web and see if you can integrate technology into your classroom. If you’re a programmer, consider mentoring a student or volunteering with a program. Together, I think we can make a real difference.