Megan Shaw: Reflection as a Way of Life

  My working definition of creativity was that it is “ the process of using your imagination to build an invention, idea, theory, etc. from scratch that is unique” (Shaw, 2022, para. 1). After writing this definition, I began to ponder if technology integration in the classroom is actually creative ? Do students utilize technology to build their unique ideas, or do they simply use technology to mimic others' ideas? So, today I will be exploring the question:   Does technology integration allow students to be creative or does it simply enable them to innovate?   I decided to answer this question through an examination of an option course at my school. One of our most popular complementary courses is Biomedical Design. In this course, students are challenged with a guiding question and then they research, design, etc. based on their own personal solution to this question. For example, this past year students were faced with the guiding question “How can technology help some...

  My school has a makerspace filled with innovative technology like 3D printers, robotics kits and more. One of the technologies that is foreign to me is a laser cutter. Obviously, I know that this technology uses a laser to cut materials into shapes, designs, etc. Brian Obudho with Craftcloud defines a laser cutter as a “fabrication process that uses a thin, focused, laser beam to cut and etch materials into custom designs, patterns, and shapes as specified by a designer” ( Obudho , 2019, para. 2). It is a technology that I regularly see my students using and enjoying in their option courses, so I wondered how I could integrate it into my courses? As a result, in my blog post today I will be exploring the question:   How can a laser cutter be used by students to enhance their learning?   The Trotec website states that laser cutters can be used to create scale models in areas such as model making, design or fashion ( Trotec Laser, n.d., para. 1). “ Laser cutter proje...

  My first year of teaching I was blessed to receive a specialized eighth-grade Humanities classroom with Language and Literacy (L&L) students integrated into it. The Language and Literacy program is for students that are reading and writing at an elementary school level. For example, I had eighth-grade students who were reading and writing at a fourth-grade level. This teaching assignment was a blessing in disguise as it taught me all about modifications and accommodations for Individual Program Plan (IPP) students. It also taught me that our traditional education system was not designed for students with learning exceptionalities , as they cannot keep up with the fast pace of their courses. As a result , each of my L&L students received a laptop which they could use to complete their schoolwork in all their courses. This quickly taught me the power of technology use for students with learning disabilities.   Today, I will be exploring the question:   What innova...