This month, please meet the founders of MySTEM Academy. Maria Yamanaka and Marcel Bergerman’s goal is to inspire kids in STEM and prepare them to become future innovators and leaders. Their project-based, hands-on programs allow kids to work collaboratively to solve challenges.
When the world went remote, so did MySTEM Academy’s summer camps: including an online, live GameSalad coding class. Marcel and Maria have been kind enough to share their experience adapting the platform to distance learning. Their students responded to the structure they provided and enjoyed creating their very first GameSalad games.
In a group of 8 students, MySTEM Academy’s team hosts a video conference, and together they start by watching a Monster Maze tutorial video. Then, each student builds the section they’ve just watched on their own computer, as the instructor narrates the steps again.
Because they have just watched the video, the team found that their students took to the interface with no trouble. Instructors answer individual questions during class, using screen share or porting into the student’s view as needed.
After a few lessons, when the students are familiar with the GameSalad layout, the team assigns the Wizard Run as homework! Such an awesome way to utilize this project, with Wizard Run’s pre-built actors for students to drop into the scene.
With their mazes complete, the instructors help their students customize their games with unique images, sounds, and themes the kids have chosen, and the class enjoys sharing their final projects with each other.
That sounds fun! Thank you, Maria and Marcel, for choosing GameSalad to power your socially distanced summer coding course, and for sharing your pro tips with us!
