Josh Sheldon is a educational technologist with a primary focus in science, math, and computing. A former high school and middle school science teacher, Sheldon has an extensive background in developing curricular materials in the sciences and various forms of new media for science learning. In addition to freelance web and curriculum development, he worked at the JASON Foundation for Education, developing some of the first true interactive science learning experiences for the Web. Sheldon holds a MA from Stanford University’s Learning, Design & Technology Program, and bachelor’s degrees in Math and Physics from the Pennsylvania State University.
As a member of the small MIT App Inventor team, Josh has a part in nearly everything the team does, but his primary responsibilities are for educational research, educational outreach, and general outreach and business development.
Last, but of course, most important, as a member of the MIT App Inventor team, Josh values playfulness in almost everything, and is in fact quite serious about it.
What is App Inventor and how did you get involved with the project?
MIT App Inventor is, at its most basic level, a powerful tool that enables novices to create apps for smartphones and tablets. But those of us involved with it directly see it as an empowerment tool; those novices can make things to change the world around them.
I first encountered App Inventor just as it was coming online into beta – Hal Abelson, inventor of App Inventor was looking for university faculty who would teach a course with it, helping show what it could do in the hands of students early in their college careers. At the time, I was working for (MIT) professor Eric Klopfer, and we taught a freshman seminar using App Inventor. I know at least two of the eight students in our seminar ended up declaring in course 6 (computer science and electrical engineering) despite initially having other plans. I loved App Inventor, and the ability it confers to quickly build apps that actually do things.
At that time, though, App Inventor was a Google project, but at the end of 2011 it was announced that App Inventor would be shut down as a Google project. It would, thankfully, come to rest at MIT, under the direction of Professor Abelson. At that time, I helped with some brainstorming about what App Inventor could be and mean at MIT, and started working part time as webmaster and general roustabout for the project, while continuing to spend most of my time working with Prof. Klopfer. Slowly, though, the balance of my work life flipped, and more and more of my time was devoted to App Inventor. I’ve been full-time on the project since 2014.
How do you see App Inventor changing the learning landscape?
We’ve been talking recently about the concept of computational action, the idea that even in learning to program, if students are given powerful tools, they can build things that have real impacts on the world around them.
As a former teacher, do you appreciate that technology is playing a larger role in education?
That’s a hard one, actually. I appreciate that some technologies, in the hands of some skilled at teaching with technology, can make learning easier and/or better for some students. But I would caution against assuming that just because it’s new and shiny that it’s better than what we’ve had.
What are some of the best apps that have come from young students using App Inventor?
There are so many that it’s very hard to pick. We have a whole section on our site (http://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/app-month-gallery.html) devoted to the amazing apps our users have created. One of our recent App of the Month winners was a 12-year-old student who created an app to remind diabetes patients about when to take medications. Another favorite is the group of girls from Dharavi, an enormous impoverished area outside of Mumbai, India, who have created apps to make their lives safer and easier.
What is your favorite thing about working at MIT?
The enthusiastic, caring people I have the good fortune to work with – there’s always some other amazing person to meet who is learning about some fascinating part of our world.