#Hackathons - The First HackMini
- Marianne Malmstrom
- Mar 31
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 2
HackMini is a hackathon model I designed specifically for intermediate students. It is scaled to replicate a hackathon at a developmentally appropriate level. The objective is to preserve the intrinsic learning embedded in hackathons without diluting or dumbing down the experience. In other words, it keeps the structure intact without schoolifying it.
Rewind: In May 2015, Donnelle Batty interviewed me at the inaugural HackMini, an event I organised with Damon Hernandez, a cohort of teachers and makerspace mentors. I'm grateful to Donnelle for documenting this milestone as it has it has been influential to how I design all learning spaces since.
One of the keystones to designing digital curriculum was the realisation that learning needed to be co-construct with students in order to keep it relevant and to navigate through the constant change of emerging technologies. As much as I thought I understood how to put that concpet into practice, working with students in hackathons taught me I was still holding back their learning through too much interference.
That first HackMini helped me understand, at a deeper level, that co-constructed learning is intergenerational and flows both ways. We need to trust students and give them adequate time and space to grapple with hard questions. In a hackathon, students thrive most when adults stay out of their way and wait to be asked for help. That can feel excruciatingly difficult for most teachers as we are professionally trained to assist in knowledge transfer and ensure student success.
Even for those of us who already were embracing self-directed pedagogy in our classroom, it was confronting to reflect on our temptation to insert ourselves to "help" or "organise". I love this interview with Steve Isaacs who beautifully articulates this point.
Moving to New Zealand, I learned about the Māori concept of ako torowhānui. In this model, everyone in the community, from the youngest child to the wisest elder, is recognized as both a learner and a teacher. This approach beautifully captures the type of learning necessary in today's era of unprecedented change. Although it's largely an outlier in Western education, it is exemplified in hackathons.
Adults watching young students at a hackathon are often gobsmacked. When my principal judged a HackMini sponsored by Microsoft, she was so impressed by the quality of problem-solving that she tasked me with expanding student-directed learning across our school. This program continues to grow and evolve, along with opportunities to host a variety of HackMinis throughout my program.
I recently reviewed Donnelle's interviews from the original HackMini and was surprised to discover that I had articulated the possibility of students participating in hackathons alongside adults. It’s a notion I had forgotten, but clearly continued to percolate in the back of my mind. Last year, I had the opportunity to put that theory to the test.
Fast Forward: When I learned about AI for the Environment Hackathon Festival, I couldn't stop thinking about taking a team of intermediate students to participate. Climate change is an issue that weighs heavily on humans of all ages. There has been a ground swell of youth activists demanding action, so it made sense to invite students to contribute solutions.
I asked Jim Taylor, Lead Developer for Theta Innovation Lab, to join our team as the AI mentor. Jim and I have a long established history of collaborating with students in designing digital tools to support self-directed learning and content creation.
I gained permission from AI Forum to bring a small team of year 7 & 8 students to the event along with our mentor, Jim. They welcomed our participation and provided additional support to ensure the school's to health and safety requirements were met.
I posted a school-wide call for students who cared deeply about solving issues contributing to climate change. The students who responded did not know anything about hackathons, but they were extremely keen to do something to make a difference.
The participating students started to brainstorm a wide variety of issues that concerned them. I supported them in doing this, but encouraged them to stay open to their ideas changing at the hackathon. I discovered they were not so flexible. They got stuck into "school" mode and started researching and preparing slideshows. I gave up, knowing there was little I could do to prepare them for what they were about to experience. I leaned into my knowledge that the shift would happen at the event and that they would be able to adapt. Boy, did they ever! They thrived with the challenge. In fact, they took 2nd place at the Wellington event and were chosen as one of the top four pitches in the New Zealand. Pretty impressive results given the event attracted over 300 participants.
That experience validated my belief that hackathons are the great equaliser and that students can indeed participate alongside adults and hold their own. The students' capablilties in addressing complex challenges were undeniable! Like the Māori concept of ako torowhānui, everyone proved to be both learner and teacher.
Discover more about the original HackMini and access all of Donelle Batty's interviews and the event documentation on my blog:
Explore event documentation from the AI for the Environment Hackathon and hear from the students what it felt like to step into the shoes of an adult for a couple of days:
Disclosures & Corrections: For clarity, I edited Donnelle's original video to remove an embarrassing number of my “ummms" and pauses.
I must correct all statements indicating that Damon Hernandez urged me to organise a hackathon for students. He did not. He set the record straight after listening to all of Donnelle’s recordings at the hackathon debrief. Damon had wante me to organise a hackathon for teachers, not students! Everyone had a good laugh... at my expense.
Obviously, I had hijacked Damon’s idea. However, I am profoundly grateful to him for his willingness to pivot, share his expertise and assist me in in exploring new ways to keep learning relevant for kids. Damon's generosity and support set the stage for a decade of continued collaboration with developers, teachers and students in exploring how to keep learning relevant and aligned to the real world. Thank you, Damon!
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