Research & Reflection

My top three values are as follow:

(1)    M3 (Learning) - Making is learner-driven and connects to the intellectual passions of youth,

(2)    K4 (Skill Development) - Making builds teamwork and positive working relationships between student peers, and

(3)    E1 (Social Justice & Equity) - Making allows youth to improve their lives and contribute to the communities around them.

I agree with the value categorization of the statements I chose. My choices reflect my general principle that I do not wish to place too much emphasis on the value of “Workforce Development.” Though learning plays a practical role in this regard, it is not necessarily a value to pursue as a goal, because humans are more than workforce and learning is important for our wellbeing even in regard to non-work related areas; I believe “Workforce Development” is a result of good education through the process of self-driven learning, teamwork, and engagement in the communities towards the equity and social justice.

Through the Design Lab course, I learned how adding the element of art to STEM studies can unleash students’ creativity in approaching the subjects that are often considered as rigid and difficult. Instead of driving students to chase after the correct answers to questions that are assigned to them, I hope to design my curriculum to encourage students to ideate the questions they recognize from their environment and to solve through the teamwork.