Storyboards in the Sand: App Design for First Graders

I could chat for days about the importance of creative thinking and why we need to teach kids to be media makers, not just media consumers.  But chat is cheap.  Today Trevor and I got off our computers and into the classroom to work with some first graders at my elementary alma mater.

After a nice 7-year-old boy solved all of our technical difficulties with the Smart Board, we settled in to talk about app design.  I asked the class what they already knew...which was a lot.  One child proudly explained prototyping to his classmates, and another gave a good definition of interaction design.

We wanted to inspire the students by first showing them our finished app with final graphics and tech, and then showing them all the quick and dirty sketches and prototypes that led to the finished product.  When kids can see the basic notes and artwork behind the scenes, the design process suddenly feels more accessible to them.

I related the process of making Musical Paint to the work they do in class, to help them realize that a) their work is important and b) they are already designers.  In first grade, kids are exploring writing.  Storyboards can be related to outlines, prototypes to rough drafts, and iterations to revisions.  

“Do you ever get frustrated when your teacher asks you to redo something you’ve already done?  Like re-write a story after you already spent a lot of time on it?  Well, it turns out she’s just helping you make it better.  That’s what we do when we develop apps, too.  We try things, test them, and then we change them to make them better.  Sometimes it’s frustrating to re-do our work, but when we see how much kids like using Musical Paint, we’re happy we took the time to change it.”  

Collaboration was also a key part of our discussion.  Trevor and I highlighted the importance of teamwork and communication.  We explained that you can communicate using words, pictures, videos, and more.  

The class had some great questions for us, including:  “Why do we have to have deadlines?”  and  “How did you get Musical Paint on the App Store?”  We answered as best we could.

After discussion about our design process, I asked the kids to turn to their neighbor and talk about an app they would like to design.  The room was full of energy.  We encouraged the students to document their ideas, and reminded them that some of the best ideas are written on a napkin or sketched in the sand at the beach.  You don’t need fancy software to document design.  

Trevor and I left their class feeling inspired and motivated, and I think the feeling was mutual.  So, if you’re walking on the beach in Encinitas and you come across a storyboard in the sand, it might just be the next great app concept from one of the talented first graders at Ocean Knoll Elementary...

There Are Some Things an iPad Can't Replace

Funny, right?!  We love this ad because it so beautifully illustrates the dichotomy between tech adopters and tech resistors.  And perhaps more importantly, it shows that some things are best left lo-tech.  

How does this relate to early childhood?  

There are many people opposed to using technology in early childhood education because they see it as a replacement to tried-and-true, developmentally appropriate practices.  I kind of see their point.  There are some things the iPad just can't do.  If an iPad were ever used in place of clay and crayons and playhouses and swing sets, I would be sad.  I imagine the kids would be, too.  Children need to engage with people, nature, and tangible, "real-world" objects.  These things are important for development.  And they're fun.  Which is also important.

Does this mean we should be afraid of iPads and resist them entirely?  I don't think so.  Technology has become an integral part of our culture.  Young children want to feel connected to the world they live in, and touch screen devices are a form of technology that's accessible to them.  iPads are intuitive and require little dexterity to use (unlike computing devices that came before them). 

How should we use iPads with young children?

In his recent blog post for the Fred Rogers Center, children's media specialist David Kleeman says, "Don’t insert technology when the real-world experience is better."  If you have a garden full of bugs, it's better to go outside and observe the bugs than to just look at images of them on an iPad.  Later, the iPad could come in handy to deepen the learning and answer questions that can't be found in the garden, such as "Where else in the world do these bugs live?"

So, is it better to create "real-world" art or digital art on an iPad?  There's room for both.

  "Real-world" art gives kids the opportunity to interact with the art media using all of their senses (yes, even taste...ever seen a kid lick clay?  Eat paste?).  This multi-sensory learning is invaluable.   But digital art also has it's place.  An iPad gives kids the chance to create during times they normally couldn't (in transit, waiting at the doctor's office, etc.).  Quality creative apps will enhance the creative experience by giving kids tools that they can't access in their "real-world" environment.  They will also support collaboration and instant sharing with loved ones.

What should we look for in quality kids' apps?

Look for apps that:

• Are wildly intuitive OR Include visual and audio guidance for easy navigation (this is empowering for kids!)
• Support exploration, discovery, creativity, communication, and collaboration
• Spark interest in new subjects or inspire deeper learning

And finally, remember the lesson in the French toilet paper ad:  Don't use an app if there is a better lo-tech solution!

Musical Paint is Going Universal!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cardiff by the Sea, CA March 1, 2013

Musical Paint is a creative learning app for early childhood from Building Blocks Media.  The app features innovative technology that allows children to paint music.  Musical Paint is currently available on iPad, and on March 22nd, the company will release an update to make the app universal.  

Building Blocks Media founders Trevor LeVieux and Liz Griffiths are passionate about promoting the arts in education.  Trevor says, “Music has had such a positive impact on my life, and I wanted to share that with my son’s generation.  I spent a lot of time perfecting the sound of the paint in this app.  Musical Paint gives kids the power to make visual art that sounds beautiful.”

“We understand that children are influenced by media, and we want to deliver a positive learning experience,” says Liz.  “Our goal was to develop an app that would give kids a way to express themselves creatively.”

As part of the app development process, the team tested Musical Paint with children to make sure it was engaging and developmentally appropriate.  Liz says, “Kids aren’t going to learn if they aren’t engaged.  They also won’t learn if they can’t navigate the app easily.  We worked hard to get those things right.”

Trevor is a musician and the lead developer behind the iOS app Dr. Seuss Band.  He is also the father of a 3 year-old boy.  Liz is an early childhood educator who has consulted on children’s media projects for PBS Kids, Disney Jr., and Nick Jr. The characters in Musical Paint were designed by Jose Zelaya, the character designer for Disney Jr.’s Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and more.

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Arts Smarts: Why Kids Need Art Education

I volunteer in a local kindergarten class.  A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be the "glue gun lady" during a robot-building project.  We were making robots out of trash.  I loved seeing the kids create art from materials that would have otherwise been thrown into the trash or recycling bin: cereal boxes, buttons, screws, bottle caps, plastic containers, etc.

I watched as they learned skills that will help them navigate through school and the rest of their lives.  They collaborated, compromised, practiced creative problem solving, discussed shapes and design, experimented with physics and construction techniques, and took pride in their finished products.

It's powerful to see the learning that takes place during a simple art project like this.  If you don't trust anecdotal evidence, there is plenty of empirical research that supports the correlation between arts education and student success.  The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities offers a nice summary of findings:  

"While there is support for the intrinsic value of developing cultural literacy and teaching artistic skills and techniques, leadership groups typically emphasize instrumental out- comes derived from high quality arts education in one or more of the following categories:

• Student achievement, typically as represented by reading and mathematics performance on high stakes tests, including transfer of skills learning from the arts to learning in other academic areas—for example, the spatial-temporal reasoning skills developed by music instruction;
• Student motivation and engagement, including improved attendance, persis- tence, focused attention, heightened educational aspirations, and intellectual risk taking;
• Development of habits of mind including problem solving, critical and creative thinking, dealing with ambiguity and complexity, integration of multiple skill sets, and working with others; and
• Development of social competencies, including collaboration and team work skills, social tolerance, and self-confidence." (President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities,  2011)

Musical Paint in the Classroom

Last week, we gave some of the kids in our local schools a sneak peek of Musical Paint. One class was working on the letter "J."  They used the app to write the letter "J" and paint pictures of things that start with "J." Another class used the app to paint pictures of weather, a subject they had been studying that day.  They loved hanging their paintings in the gallery and scrolling through the gallery to see what their friends had made.  Some children emailed their work to their parents when they were finished.

In addition to completing their assignments, the kids had fun exploring sound and color, writing their names, and learning about musical instruments.  The first boy to get to the musical painting feature exclaimed, "I love it! It makes music!"  He didn't realize how loud he was yelling, because he had his headphones on :)

Thank you to all of the kindergarteners and preschoolers who tried the app with us.  Working with kids like you helps to ensure we're creating age-appropriate media!