Mariha Shields and Annah Hill, Department of Communication Disorders, Special Education, and Disability Services, and Holly Rougeaux, doctoral candidate in Administration and Leadership Studies, presented “A Community Outreach Makerspace that Empowers Students to Develop Assistive Technology Devices” on Wednesday, October 28, 2020, at the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators conference.
The focus of their presentation was the establishment of an active learning classroom in Stouffer Hall. This makerspace gives students the opportunity to create assistive technology through 3D printing, promoting interdisciplinary learning and demonstrating collaborative efforts. This space will be used to provide all students the opportunity for engaging and enriching experiences. Through the use of modeling, our pre-service teachers will be prepared for their own classrooms. One way to ensure success is to reinforce and enrich students' language, communication, and collaboration skills while working together to create 3D objects (assistive technology devices). These opportunities empower students to actively engage in their learning, consider empathy for others, and improve their quality of life on campus.
