EDU649: Week 5 Reflection, Tech Teacher Resources

EDU649 Week 5 Reflection, Tech Teacher Resources

• Onshape Self Paced Courses (https://learn.onshape.com/) Really great for allowing students to learn how to design and model in Onshape at their own pace. I have students do the different examples both in class and outside of the classroom. In particular I have my students start with Part Design Using Part Studios where they begin with simple models and quickly ramp up in complexity. Usually I have them do the first four examples within the module, and then everything else they do is gravy. It gives students a simple and straightforward set of examples each focused on a specific 3D modeling tool. Onshape has plenty of other modules on their learning portal which have come in handy when students get to more complex projects (mainly independent). I also have found their email newsletter, even if skimmed, to be quite useful to give students tool usage precedent or modeling tips.

• The Edge By Bantam Tools Podcast (Apple Podcasts) A really great podcast about all things digital fabrication. I’m having students review and bring questions about episodes this year. I have never used podcasts as a way to get students to explore on their own within my classes. After students listen to an episode of their choice I am having them reflect on three things: the general topics covered, terms they had to look up don’t know, and things they thought were pretty cool and would like to share. Students are doing this work on a wiki project page on PowerSchool Learning (Haiku) and it’s public to the rest of the class. The podcast is full of interesting moments, talk about materials processing and digital fabrication tools I’ve never even heard of, and interesting futures thinking. I’m excited to see how both the podcast is received as well as how well the students take to basically doing a “book report” on a podcast episode.

• Business Model Canvas (https://youtu.be/QoAOzMTLP5s)

  if you do anything business focused, it’s a great tool to have everyone organize the direction of a project that has multiple people and factors involved. Can be made on a variety of different collaboration platforms, or just as a doc. I am starting to use this in order to centralize my entrepreneurship project documents as well as organize them.

• TinkerCAD Circuitry (https://www.tinkercad.com/circuits)

  if you work with Arduino or general circuitry, a great way to have students tinker with virtual breadboards, etc, or document their circuits from class to class! You can animate as well as test sensors and motors. I utilize this to model for students how example circuits are put together, and it’s a great resource for either homework or students who are out of class during lab days. Google Sites (sites.google.com) - I’m having my independent study students document their projects using google sites this year. It’s a great way to keep them accountable and have them be able to show off their work to classroom visitors or each other as we go forward. (http://bit.ly/stemcapstone).