Session 8: 3-D Pen

This afternoon, I had a fun day.
I spent time using a 3-d pen. It was a little bit difficult as I had to learn to control the flow of the filament coming out of the pen. Initially I was a bit wobbly, then realised that in order to be successful I had to learn to control my thumb (which was controlling the button flow), slow down and to do it in small amounts.
I created a bow and I am proud of it. Here it is.

 Then I became a bit more confident and decided to make something a little bit bigger. It was a butterfly, but it was not too successful because I took a bigger step than I should have. Had I made the butterfly smaller, or made something bigger than a bow, but smaller than a butterfly (example: a stylish ring), I may have had more success. Actually, it was a good learning experience that can be transferred to my students to take smaller steps than I might have initially.

Reflection
What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani Kaupapa and pedagogy?
It's important to slow down and take small steps especially with learners who have difficulty with controlling their fine motor skills and co-ordinating their hand and eye movements.

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow as a professional?
Using the electronic pen was a skill I had to develop first. It was not an immediate success. It took some time before I could control the pen as I had to train my brain to control my thumb which I found rather difficult to do. And I realise that there will be learners who will go through the same experience as me (slow) and of course there will be other learners who will take this exercise like a duck to water. So it's important to always cater your programme to all styles of learners.

What did I learn that could be used with my learners?
An important strategy to use with students who have problems with picking things up quickly is to take small steps and to do it slowly. Once this has been achieved, then move onto a bigger step to achieve a bigger goal. If that big step is too much to handle then take it slowly again.

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow in my personal life?
Life has its many challenges and maybe if I slowed down and take small steps things may not look so burdensome after all.