Week 4

Assignments

My first simple electronic circuit simulator:

Process

• Practicing in class with the students’ posters at Social Studies:

Reflection

- Key learnings Students are always excited about the new activities and materials they get to explore. Recently, one of my students was so enthusiastic that he asked his parents to buy a set of batteries so the light he made in the fab lab could stay on as long as he wanted. Moments like this remind me how powerful curiosity can be as a driving force for learning, especially during the elementary years. I can imagine my students designing their own map of Guatemala for their next activity; representing rivers, oceans, mountains, and volcanoes with different lights that indicate the geographic features according to their color. It would be amazing.

The objective would be: Students are able to design and build a map of Guatemala, identifying and indicating geographic features through the use of LED lights and conductive foil.

- How it applies to your teaching / context Now that my students are highly enthusiastic and motivated, I’m considering returning to the fab lab so they can engage in an interactive activity that connects vocabulary and meaning in a creative way. My next idea for ELA class, is to have them identify key words or vocabulary on a poster by pressing a switch that lights up the correct words. For example, short vowel sounds could be represented with a red light, while long vowel sounds could be shown with a blue light—an engaging approach for my language arts class.

- Next steps or improvements Explore what’s available in the fab lab, experiment with the tools we have, and brainstorm ideas for my next project.

Challenges: One of the main challenges of using electronics in my space is managing time and materials efficiently while ensuring all students can safely experiment and explore. Troubleshooting technical issues can also interrupt the flow of lessons.

Support for learning: The benefits far outweigh the challenges. Electronics projects engage students deeply, they learn by doing, testing, and seeing immediate results. These activities strengthen their understanding of core content areas, support vocabulary development, and nurture curiosity and creativity.

Experience: Using Project-Based Learning has been one of the most rewarding approaches in my classroom. Students take ownership of their learning, explore real-world problems, and connect classroom content to tangible outcomes. It creates an environment where curiosity and teamwork thrive.

Challenges: The biggest challenges have been time management and ensuring all students stay equally engaged throughout the process. Some students initially struggle with the independence PBL requires, so providing clear roles, checkpoints, and reflection moments has been key to keeping everyone on track.

Makey Makey experience

I experimented with different materials to determine which ones could act as power conductors. Citrus fruits worked very well, as did coins, paper clips, and water. I used my ring to establish a ground connection. I found the activity very engaging and it motivated me so much that I called a few colleagues who teach natural sciences to encourage them to use this great resource we have in the Fab Lab. I can’t wait to see the students’ reactions!

Tools

• Thinkercad circuits
• Led light
• Battery
• Conductive foil