On placement at Ashburton College, I was put onto the idea of jigsaw pieces to teach ionic bonding at the Y10-11 level. I found the laminated printout version of this teaching aid lacked tactile feedback, leading to Äkonga frustration and disengagement with the tool. Creating my own design, I utilised the tech facilities at Te Aratai College on my second placement to create laser cut acrylic pieces.
Trialling these with an advanced Y10 student was an instant success
"I see how they balance with each other now. This is easier for me to understand than swap-and-drop."
My next steps are to understand how I can make this resource accessible and affordable to more teachers.
Any excuse to dress up! This photo is with the lovely Tumuaki of Te Aratai College, Maria Lemalie during their Festival of Nations day in my last week of placement.
While at Te Aratai I 3D printed D&D miniatures and ran painting sessions with members of the club after school each week.
I also used my FDM printer to make some scenery which was then donated to the school for their future use.
The towers recycle filament spools as a sustainability measure.
All minis seen here are painted by students. If you want to see my work, please see the link to my miniatures gallery at the top of the page.
