3D Printer and more Technology in the Classroom (plus the last Step II lesson of the semester)

 The week before Thanksgiving was pretty busy as it usually does as the semester draws to a close with all of its final presentations and final exams.

I think that the first thing I want to talk about this week is my final lesson for Step II since I will be writing 5E lesson plans to close out the semester. Unlike the two previous lessons, my time management was poor. I made the strategic decision in the middle of the lesson to forego the evaluation I had prepared since our statistical examination that closes Step II will look at one evaluation in particular. The lesson was productive for my own growth. Upon reflection, I realized why my time management was so bad. On the surface, it looked like I had just allowed students too much time in the exploration section of the lesson. Looking more closely, I realized that I should have stopped the exploration section. Many students gave answers that indicated that either the lesson section's instructions were unclear or that the students had a fundamental misunderstanding of the material. For example, some students wrote that the paint recipes of 15: 17 and 6:4 parts blue and yellow were equivalent, which is clearly absurd. So, I realized that I need to grow in the arena where I notice widespread misunderstanding and then refocus the lesson. I need to find out whether this is because of content gaps or unclear instructions. I think that this is something that needs to be practiced and I look forward to improving my lessons in this way in the future. 

In Step III, we looked at a new application of technology in the classroom. Step II usually offers us the use of manipulatives but technology gives teachers the opportunity to be more versatile, In particular, 3D printing gives teachers a chance to easily create their own manipulatives. This opens so many doors and they are promising in the sense that lessons where teachers are sure of manipulative use can incorporate manipulatives that are "custom made." It is a tool that I think is best in the hands of experienced teachers. As Step II has made clear to me, I need to first master more "vanilla" lessons before I can turn my attention to more customized lessons that incorporate 3D printing. In the hands of master teachers, it is doubtless that 3D printing offers the chance to create a greater degree of student engagement. 

There are so many different out-of-the-box technologies that are available to teachers that it sometimes feels overwhelming when having to choose one. I also think that this stems mostly from being a new student teacher. Nonetheless, it's clear that these technologies will continue to evolve and concomitantly create opportunities for unique lessons. These technologies are a positive evolution in the classroom. Fundamentally, I think that their most positive facet is their ability to create a sustained engagement and passion for exploration and learning.

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