SD83 Teachers Get Pro-D at Shuswap MakerSpace

“Oh, do I do this again,” questioned Kathy Burke.

“Yes” replied Maryke Simmonds pointing to Cathy’s computer screen. Cathy moves her mouse and selects the image.

“Oh wow! Look at that” exclaimed Burke.

Simmonds, Burke and six other teachers had the opportunity to build their own Charcuterie board as part of a pro-d activity hosted by SD83’s Career Program and Shuswap MakerSpace. Three retired MakerSpace veterans led the workshop. They included former SD83 Principal Abbas El Gazzar, former SD83 teacher D’Arcy McLeod and former USNR Machinist and Mechanical Technologist Pat Shea .The workshop focus was not just on making the board. The three facilitators also focused their lesson modelling team building exercises for doing such projects. They also wish the teachers to bring their learning back to their classrooms where they can collaborate in the future with MakerSpace on doing other projects that space but, next time, with their students.

Participants started the event learning or re-affirming the theoretical importance of team building on project work and discussed the difference between task or goal/process-oriented people and how they tackle such projects. From there, the teachers picked names out of a hat to determine their partner. They then followed the computer design demonstration with the “A” partner on the computer and the “B” partner giving instructions before switching up.

Once their design was finished, they brought their computer file down to the MakerSpace woodshop where they could plug that into the shop’s CNC router and laser cutter machines. Following some cutting of the boards and sanding along with a bees wax finish, the maple, walnut and cherry boards were ready to be taken home.

Shuswap MakerSpace hopes to have more of these Pro-D sessions for interested teachers next year. If you’re a teacher that’s interested in these potential session or have other career-based learning ideas for teacher professional learning, don’t hesitate to reach out to George Richard at 778-824-1188 via text or phone or email grichard@sd83.bc.ca.