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Week 5

Assignments

  • [ ] Task 1: [Create a press-fit build kit using the laser cutter}

Process

  • Steps followed
  • To create a press-fit build kit with the laser cutter, first I had to think about the things I could use with my kids. I got many ideas but most of them were too simple. During that time, I was teaching my kids about ecosystems and how technology can have ecosystems too. We learned about it like things that are connected and work together, like a puzzle. So that’s when I realized I could build a puzzle in which they could describe what are the things that are part of a technology ecosystem and help us with our devices.
  • In order to craete the puzzle I went to the fablab. This time with a little less fear because I alredy knew how things worked. I still got the help of Andres who kindly explained to me again how it works and how to set it up in order to, this time, cut the wood. I found the image I wanted to be cut, it needed to be in an SVG format in order fo the laser cutter to recognize it. Once it was cut, I took it to my class and wrote down things that, when connected, help us use our devices. After some time, the students were able to give some examples as well.
  • Photos / screenshots of key stages
  • https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12meq4ZJoESPRPcLbrgpurIH0ltOR7Wpt?usp=sharing
  • Challenges and solutions

Reflection

  • Key learnings How can your press-fit / 3D object be used in education? How could other teachers use it? How could you integrate it into an activity that aligns with your curriculum or standards? I usually see the 3D printer as a toy that kids love to try and see if what they have seen on social media works. But now that I have tried it I can see it as a great tool for teachers also. Being able to create things that could help you teach that are usually only in your mind, can be useful to help students understand key concepts of the class.

Have you ever built an education portfolio? Why or why not? What could be the possible advantages? I once build a portfolio for my masters class. This portfolio was based on the different researches that were done during my years as a student and how they all connected in the end to improve me as an educator. Now that I think about it, I believe that having an education portfolio would be very useful. Having evidence of the different things you can do as a teacher is not something common but important to have. It would also be nice to see how I have evolved over time. When you execute a learning activity, how do you evaluate its success? How do you keep track of possible modifications or improvements? Do you include them in your education portfolio or learning diary? I have been keeping track of my learning diary now. I have a teaching journal which was a wonderful gift I got and helps me analyze not only my classes but the way I see teaching in general. I think that having a formal format to evaluate and keep track of future improvements to my classes would be of great help.

Tools

  • Tools or software used
  • References or tutorials followed