1.4 Field Activity: Digital Fabrication for Teaching a Lesson¶
This week I worked on making my ELA Fiction/Nonfiction Tool and my website. Additional discussion and work on writing a lesson plan that includes academic standards AND life competencies.
Guest speaker, Stephen Greenstein, professor at Montclair University in NJ, USA. He is a professor of mathematics and posed the question, “What do future educators learn by designing (math) manipulatives?”
Benefits of Maker Experiences * The student needs contectural understanding in order to create a project * The student is learning content * The student is using the design process
Designing and Building My Prototype Using the Laser Cutter¶
The Tools¶
- Inkscape
- Laser Cutter
- Cardboard
- Exacto Knife
My final product was on 4mm wood. The engraving settings were DEEP for 4mm with a Speed setting of 25% and a Power setting of 75%. The vector settings I used with Speed was 10% and Power of 80%.
The Fabrication Process¶
ASK - What do I want children to learn with my prototype? Understand the difference between the content in Fiction and Nonfiction. Engage in a text and answer a question relative to the genre read.
DESIGN - what will the prototype look like? How will it be used? I will design a circle that shows the two text types and topics/questions that correspond.
CREATE - Use the technology and the laser printer to develop my prototype.
REFLECT AND REDESIGN - Based on outcomes, make adjustments accordingling.
MY PROCESS: At first I felt comfortable with the design and the focus on ELA genres. Since I was struggling to learn the Inkscape digital platform it was not as easy for me to fabricate this circle. I learned how to cut a circle with the proper setting, how to create equal length lines and spin them to create a pie shape on the disc, how to insert text and have it engraved, how to make a spinning arrow and disc washers to help it to turn properly.
I really struggeld with this project because I don’t know all the keyboard shortcuts, I don’t understand the pixels and simply selecting an object and changing its fill or line width was tricky. The patience involved really tested my state of mind. Factors of food and rest seeped into my 7 hours at the printer.
The challenges I faced reminded me how students feel who are struggling with new learning. Basic needs impact an individuals ability to persevere through challenging situations. Teacher helpers who show and assume understanding don’t allow for the individual to practice the skill and hence develop independence.
Teachers must have patience and allow students time to practice so as to develop the skills and confidence needed in working on their own. Students who help others gain even more understanding.
The Lesson Planning Process¶
Lesson Plan onScopesDF *Simply writing a lesson plan using the format designed by Scopesdf and including links, etc. was also another opportunity for new learning and practicing patience! I had to compress files and images, change formats and free up space on my computer for all of the new files.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NOT ADDED TO MY SCOPESDF LESSON: Curriculum Standards did not save on my SCOPESDF lesson. Massachusetts Department of Education State Standards 3 Reading Literature Key Ideas and Details RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. Reading Informational Text Key Ideas and Details RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
* Summary of my learning: * Give yourself LOTS of time when learning something new. * Having people to help teach you (not do for you) in a way that helps you learn is critical and we all learn differently! * Beware of sites that invite you to compress files. When compressing you must enter in a png. * Different browsers work better with some sites than others. * When uploading documents or images, some sites have size limits and/or formatting requirements - look out for these. * Be kind to yourself - start your work well fed, rested and ready to focus! * Ask for help! * Save along the way
REFLECTION
RESPONSE: How do you think digital fabrication improves the activity vs utilizing traditional methods? What is the extra value? *Traditional methods used to engage students in responding to fiction and nonfiction text involve straight forward questions based on the text. Often children do not consider the genre they are reading and when asked to respond to text, unless the questions are written out for them, they can be confused as to where to start. Using a concrete tool requires students to be engaged in thinking about the genre and how to respond. Visual learning tools help diverse learners see the difference in the two genres. *
What are some challenges you expect when you do the activity with your class?
Not all students will be able to determine the genre they are reading. Additional resources may be needed to support those learners.
When working in small groups there is a potential for some students to do all the work while others do not engage. In this case, teachers should frontload the lesson so that students understand the importance of participating. Likewise, some students may need more support than others, for instance those with reading challenges. Creating a classroom environment that encourages self advocacy will help diverse learners to get their needs met.
What have you learnt in the process?
This module included a strong focus on social emotional learning (SEL) and the importance of purposefully weaving those competencies into lessons. This type of teaching requires a broad look at the skills we want children to learn and the techniques we choose to engage them. I learned that SEL should be deliberately planned within the lessons we teach.
Coming up with a design can be a challenge in and of itself. I learned that I can start with the fabrication or I can start with the standard - I think the latter is better for maximizing the lesson.
Describe the process that you went through to create the teaching aid. What did you learn during the fabrication process? My learning curve in technology is steep. I learned to ask for help, try and try again, walk away when it’s too much then get fresh air and start again. It’s critical for beginners to start with simple tasks (less “weeding” with the vinyl cutter/simple shape cutting and then add engraving with the laser cutter). One should start with small, manageable projects and build to more advanced designs as there is so much learning that happens early on.
The Outcome¶
Additional Resources¶
Tinkercad
Miro - a whiteboard site good for sharing learning and thoughts online.
Canva Ideas for use in classrooms