Week 1

Assignments

• [ ] Task 1: Setup Learning Diary (GitLab) account. Post a photo & write an introduction paragraph on About Me page.
• [ ] Task 2: Create a self-introduction video. Add a link to the video.
• [ ] Task 3: Sign up an account at SCOPESdf.org. Add a photo and write a short bio. Profile page link
• [ ] Task 4: Join the FLA Whatsapp group.

Process

- Challenges and solutions

At the beginning, I found it quite confusing to navigate and make sense of the various online platforms such as GitLab and SCOPESdf. Each had its own structure and workflow, and it took time to understand how they connected to the Fab Academy process.

Although I had some prior experience with basic coding, working with GitLab’s Markdown syntax presented new challenges—especially when I tried to embed a video on my About Me page. Even after following the example codes provided, the video wouldn’t display as expected. After several attempts and some guidance from ChatGPT, I discovered that GitLab restricts direct video embedding. The workaround was to upload the video to Google Drive, then insert an image on my page and link it to the video.

This experience, while frustrating at first, deepened my understanding of how GitLab handles content and taught me the importance of exploring alternative solutions and learning through experimentation.

Reflection

1. Key Learnings:

I’ve always found coding challenging, regardless of the platform or tool—even block-based coding can be daunting at times. This experience reminded me of the importance of maintaining a growth mindset and being patient with myself. Every attempt, even when it feels difficult, is part of the learning process.

2. Application to My Teaching Context:

As a teacher, this experience has given me valuable insight into what it feels like to be a learner again. It’s easy to assume that students can follow instructions as long as they are clearly written. However, while completing this assignment, I found myself revisiting the instructions multiple times to truly understand what was required and what to do next. This made me realise that clarity from a teacher’s perspective doesn’t always translate into clarity for students. Moving forward, I’ll be more mindful to design lessons and tasks from the learner’s point of view, anticipating where confusion might arise and providing clearer guidance or checkpoints along the way.

3. Next Steps and Improvements:

Finding time to complete the assignments has been a real challenge. To stay on track and make the most of the Fab Learning Academy course, I need to develop a better routine and manage my time more effectively. Setting small, achievable goals and allocating dedicated time each week will help me maintain consistency and make steady progress.

4. 1st Field Activity / Lesson idea:

I assisted my Art teacher during a Grade 5 lesson on Tessellation Art and noticed that many students found it challenging to visualise how tessellated shapes are formed. To address this, I decided to explore the use of simple manipulatives to help students grasp the concept more concretely.

My plan is to develope and design a puzzle-like manipulative made up of four interlocking parts that can be assembled and disassembled to form tessellating shapes. By physically experimenting with how the pieces fit together, students can better understand the repeating patterns and geometric relationships involved in tessellation. Then I will collaborate with the Art teacher to integrate this manipulative into the lesson and observe how it supports students’ conceptual understanding through hands-on exploration.

Tools

• Software used for creating introduction video: Record the video in Powerpoint and export it into MP4 format.

• References or tutorials followed: FLA_Gitlab_Online-editor video on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5ycLhGkVT8)

Examples markdown

Example links

• Mkdocs Material theme
• Markdown
• GitLab Markdown

Code Example

Use the three backticks to separate code.

// the setup function runs once when you press reset or power the board
void setup() {
  // initialize digital pin LED_BUILTIN as an output.
  pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT);
}

// the loop function runs over and over again forever
void loop() {
  digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH);   // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
  delay(1000);                       // wait for a second
  digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW);    // turn the LED off by making the voltage LOW
  delay(1000);                       // wait for a second
}

Gallery

Video