Week 4: An Intro to 3D Design!

As cliché as it is, time truly does fly. It’s frightening to think that summer is already half over, which also means this course is about to wrap up.

I’ve really appreciated my time taking the Ed. Tech. courses at the University of Regina. Taking in a wealth of knowledge, numerous apps and tools, and being influenced by high quality 21^st century teaching practices have undoubtedly affected my practice for the better.

As I reflect on my course prototype development, I naturally find myself reflecting on this course as a whole. In 4 short weeks, my perspectives were altered on several of the key concepts that we discussed. Coming into this class (after taking 3 previous ed. tech. courses,) I felt that I had already acquired quite a bit of knowledge, and that this course may not be super relevant to me, as “I don’t plan to teach in an online environment anytime soon.”

 Seems pretty naïve looking back on it. The course prototype assignment allowed me to create content directly related to my teaching load, create in my area of expertise, all while making tangible content that could be used immediately. I was able to discover a new LMS, one (Canvas) that I found to be extremely user-friendly, while also immediately wishing it could be adopted in my own division. I discovered the true definition of a blended classroom and was pleasantly surprised to note how similar that definition was to my own teaching practice. I gained a much greater understanding of the breadth of accessibility in the classroom, and how it cannot be overlooked when including technology in your classroom or teaching online. I was also thrilled that this assignment pushed me into finding new techniques to teach content that I’ve taught before, but in what I truly believe is a more engaging, more collaborative, and more adaptable version of my course.

It was also extremely valuable go get some feedback from my classmates regarding my course, during this week’s discussion. It was through this discussion that I decided to add a front page with notes to aide in navigation for first time Canvas users, an accessibility announcement, and also a ‘Hall of Fame’ in which I could showcase great student work. We also discussed my wish to change the colour scheme/add our school logo, but I’ve since found that feature seems to only be available to the paid admin accounts. However, through this research I also found the ‘High Contrast UI.’ This user interface was more pleasing to my eye, and will also be beneficial in offering to students.

For those of you who may not have caught my earlier course profile blog post, the summarized version is that I created a 3D design, 3d modelling, and 3d printing course, designed for Saskatchewan PAA 9 classrooms, and referencing modules from the secondary Drafting and Computer Aided Design curriculum. This course utilizes TinkerCad, which is a browser-based 3D modelling software that is also available on Android and iOS. Please feel free to take a look at my walkthrough video below and to leave a comment with any feedback, or if you’d like access to any of my files.

I’d like to thank Katia, and the rest of EC&I 834! It was a great semester, and I wish you all the best during the rest of the summer, and into the new school year!