Today’s generation of students are connected with technology more than any other generation. Inspiring this generation to use technology to resolve social problems is of the utmost importance. Did you know that the students in your classroom are…
- Spending up to 9 hours a day on social media platforms
- Checking social media and apps at least 100 times a day
- Looking at mobile devices, on average, 41% of their time, outside of school
- Doing their homework and studying for tests with a mobile device within 3 feet
It is clear that our future leaders are great users of technology. But, what if they could be powerful creators of technology that can serve a social need or address a real world problem? This is the exact idea that brought about MAD about mattering.
MAD about mattering is a social initiative lead by Crescerance with the help and partnership of Choose2Matter and Every Classroom Matters to encourage and empower students to use compassion driven innovation and collaborative teamwork to develop mobile apps that matter to the world.
This project combines the work and mission of Choose2Matter, a global initiative started by Angela Maiers, that invites people to make “mattering” a way of life, with the passion of long-time technology director and educator Vicki Davis, and the creative genius of Crescerance, the creators of MAD-learn, a mobile app development curriculum.
Modeled after the quad-engineering model, MAD about mattering classrooms work in cohorts of 4 to develop mobile apps that solve important global problems. Officially launched in the Fall of 2015, the inaugural cohort has been hard at work designing mobile apps to address social concerns related to, but not limited to, bullying, eating disorders, and global warming. All mobile applications developed by this cohort will be presented in a Shark Tank inspired competition in May 2016. The final mobile app designs will also be released as an open education resource (OER) for teachers around the world to use and adapt in their classrooms.
With coming cohorts, starting each school semester, MAD about mattering will help students leverage leading computer science technology by forming collaborative social entrepreneurial teams. Participants will also have access to a network of supporters and investors who can help fund and develop student apps and take them to market.
If your classroom is ready to join the next MAD about mattering cohort, or you want to stay informed of important updates, click here to join the mailing list. Have your students designed something that addresses a social need or problem? If so, please share your class’ work with us on Twitter!