1. What are the challenges of using electronics in your space? How can you design an activity using electronics that takes into accounts your children age and cultural backgrounds?

One of the issues in my science methods course is that I do not have y own classroom. I am limited to bringing reasonable size and numbers of electronic devices. Additionally, I am also limited to the typical experiences of pre-service teachers' prior knowledge working with electronics and programming platforms. Lastly, current science standards in the US have very few targets that include attention to electronics and programming so it's a challenge for me to lean so heavily on this discipline. 

However, rather than focusing on those direct challenges, I believe that if we see electronics and programming as meditational technologies to merge with content objectives and pedagogies, future teachers will see have capabilities and understanding of them.  

2. Explain one successful educational activity in which you collaborated with other educators. What are the advantages and disadvantages of working with other educators? What are the main aspects to take into account to prepare an education activity among 2 or more educators?

In one of my Faculty Learning Communities, which is situated in the Fab Lab, each faculty member was given the task to design a learning activity that integrates fabrication in some way. Some of the challenges I found were that each faculty member was hyper-focused on the content, and subsequently providing instruction and assessment on that content to their students. At first, they often were blocked to see how the fabrication tool could synergies and enhance the knowledge production process in their coursework. For example, one faculty member who teaches a course on public speaking held the belief that in order for students to be successful, they needed to learn ( often through rote memorization and practice) the standards of practice and at first believed adding a layer of technology would be a distraction.  Through collaboration - I suggested that he offered students an opportunity for integrating digital fabrication (e.g., allowing students to create avatars, rehearse in virtual spaces, etc.). Ultimately he gravitated to the use of using video that enabled students to see avatars mirror there body gestures so students could be more cognizant of their own body language - and because it was through video and avatars - they could see immediate feedback and not rely on explanations from one instructor. Some of the key aspects that are fruitful for 2 or more educators are 1) time for discussion and listening so that the educator providing the suggestions understands both the context in which students are learning and, 2) the knowledge - base (i.e., content, pedagogical, and technological) comfort level the instructor starts with. 

3. How could you integrate both culturally reflective learning and digital fabrication in your environment? Could you come up with some project ideas using digital fabrication in which cultural diversity of students is highlighted?

I think one of the more important things to be aware of for being a culturally sustaining educator is to be aware of framing the project and the evaluative tools for what counts as a quality project. First, projects ought to be open-ended in ways that one, communicates to students that the multiple interpretations of the prompts and guidelines are welcome, and two, allows students to gravitate towards the fabrication tools that extends from their cultural domains and/or personal interests. Second, instructors need to be mindful about how they set up guidelines and evaluative tools that enable and recognize multiple forms of quality - too often instructors have a hidden goal or expectation - even if they have open-ended prompts. Thanks 

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