Week 3¶

Assignments¶

[ ] Task 1: [Design and cut with the laser cutter]
[ ] Task 2: [Document in the learning diary]

Process¶

Steps followed
I was challenged for this task. The laser cutter is one of the tools that I have kept my distance from because I am very unsure how it works or what steps I need to take. I always saw it as a very dangerous machine but something that can also do wonderfrul things. I had never had the “need” to use it, so I would usually avoid it. Until this week.
The first step to take was to go to the lab and find out where it was. The people from the lab were very helpful (as always) and showed me how they also had a first time with the laser cutter. It felt very reasuring to know that, even if I mess something up, they have been through that process too and it´s ok to make mistakes.
The next step was to learn what type of things it can cut in order to decide what type of cutting I wanted to do. The material that was most popular and easy to start was the wood, so I decided to start with that.
I decided to start with engraving a drawing of Mojo, a little monster that is used in our classroom with the ClassDojo app. The students enjoy the monster and getting points from him, so I thought that having the monster on a “talking stick” would be helpful to take turns talking and having the attention of the class in a visible and tactile way.
I selected the wood I would be using and the drawing I would need. Andres was very heplful explaining me the name of the app that the laser cutter uses, how to select the material, and how to set the laser cutter in the correct way. It felt better once I understood that there is someone who has used it before and knows how to use it that would be around in case I would need help.
The laser cutter started working and I could see how the laser would cut and print different shades according to the drawing that I selected.
Photos / screenshots of key stages
Challenges and solutions

Reflection¶

Key learnings

Think on one or two educational activities in which you could integrate the laser cutter at some stage of the activity. Explain briefly the activity. Do not forget to clearly indicate the learning objectives. I could integrate laser cutting in a second grade lesson by letting them draw their own animal, when learning about habitats. This print could be used as part of their habitat creation at the end of the semester. The objective that would be included in this activity would be identifying different environments (forest, desert, ocean), understanding basic needs (food, water, shelter, air), recognizing how plants and animals adapt to survive, and exploring the interdependence between living things and their surroundings. Reflect on your own practice. When you prepare a lesson activity what are the things that you take into consideration? What are the critical aspects? What additional aspects do you need to take into consideration if you utilize digital fabrication processes? I believe the critical aspects in a lesson plan are first the objective. I need to have clear what I want them to learn in the long run, not just a way to be entertained. Then I need to keep in mind the safety aspects of all the activities. Having all students involved is also a very important part because I could easily just show them how to do it but it wouldn’t be the learning experience they should have. Reflect on your past educational activities. How have you considered Socio-Emotional learning (or soft-skills) when preparing the activities? Could you provide some concrete examples? How have you changed your perspective on socio-emotional learning / soft-skill / horizontal competences after this lecture. I have been learning about socio-emotional learning for the past 3 years and it has definitely improved my teaching experience. I once read a quote that said “You can’t Bloom before you Maslow” and it has opened my mind so much to this topic. Before I used to think that learning could be done “by force”. If only students really set their mind to it, they would learn. Now I see that there are so many other aspects involved that teachers don’t easily see, but they are just as important, if not more important, than the rest of the areas of the class.

Tools¶

Tools or software used
References or tutorials followed