EDAD 693 & 694 Practicum/Internship Artifact

Standard 2.0 School Culture

Element 2.4 Promoting Technology
Activity: 2H. Observing the use of technology
Time: 3 hours
Artifacts: Summary & Recommendations, Route 40 Makey Makey
Night Handout
Description: On May 18th, I attended a technology night at Route 40 Elementary.
Chuck Trautwein, our countys technology teacher, together with students on the
countys Robotics Team, presented to parents and students about Makey Makeys.
The group learned about circuits and how the Makey Makey works. Then they used
food snacks to complete circuits and play music. Later, after much fun playing drums
and the piano using gummy bears, strawberries, and bananas, Chuck introduced
coding and Google Scratch. The group then used the Makey Makeys to create their
own Scratch code.
Reflection: I cant image that anyone in the county doesnt just adore Mr. Trautwein
and his passion for technology. His eyes light up when he talks about it, but talking
about it isnt enough. He wants everyone to try it and have the opportunity to enjoy
it the way he does. What an asset he is to Garrett County! I thoroughly enjoyed this
technology night. The parents and kids seemed to really delve into the new gadgets.
Having the teens there to help engage the families was a super bonus. Now that the
school has some of its own Makey Makeys, Im excited to see what the teachers and
students do with them next. Perhaps we can even use them in music class! Whether
Im a teacher or an administrator, Ill always be a huge supporter of technology in the
classroom. I feel that today, more than ever, students can be highly engaged in
learning through the use of technology, and it can be incredibly useful to teachers as
well.