This week marks the beginning of my journey with the Tech Your Health group as part of the Timothy Smith Network in the US, thanks to the Laidlaw Scholarship. It’s my first time in the US, which has been an exciting experience in itself. The week has been primarily focused on introductions, with another scholar leading discussions about the intersection of health and technology. It’s been insightful to observe how my colleague engages with the students and introduces these important concepts.

I’ve taken the time to pay close attention to what works during the sessions—when the students seem most engaged, what activities they respond well to, and when they’re having the most fun. It’s clear that they enjoy interactive elements like Mentimeter and Kahoot, tools that I plan to incorporate into my lesson plans when I begin teaching coding next week. The students also seem to love group games where one of them describes something and the others have to guess the answer, which brings a sense of competition and excitement to learning.

We’ve also asked the students to reflect at the end of each day, sharing what they’ve learned and offering feedback on how we could improve. It’s been incredibly helpful to hear their thoughts, and I’m already brainstorming ways to make my upcoming coding lessons both engaging and informative.

Next week, I’ll be diving into my role in coding, focusing on Python and Arduino, and I’m excited to get started. The students have expressed a lot of interest in coding, especially since many of them see it as a useful skill for college and beyond. I feel deeply grateful to be part of this project and to have the opportunity to share my knowledge with such eager learners. It’s inspiring to see how much they want to learn, and I can’t wait to contribute more in the coming weeks.