3 . It was my first year teaching in a special needs classroom. I wasn’t sure what to ______ at our annual Special Olympics. My students had a range of ______, from mild learning disabilities to severe brain diseases.

Mark was one with the latter, limited to a ______ However, he ______ greeted everyone with huge smiles. His classmates loved him and often took their time to ______ his participation in group activities, especially Mike, Andy and Lucas, all ______ at sports. Mark imagined being like them. Watching and cheering for their elegant ______ on the playground seemed to fill him with ______.

The big day came at last and the final ______ was the 400-meter race. Everyone was invited to ______ according to their own ability. Mike, Andy and Lucas ______ to prove who the best athlete was. But when the exhausted three reached the finish line they ______ and turned to look behind them. At the back of the crowd, determined not to be left behind, was Mark, ______ on the track in his wheelchair with half the distance left to ______—all his classmates were outdistancing him. Looking at each other, a ______ thought passing between them. Slowly, they jogged ______ towards their friend, surrounded Mark and kept pace, ______ him on as he had done for them before.

The progress was ______, but eventually they crossed the finish line together to the ______ cries of their teachers and classmates. I came to understand what makes the Special Olympics so ______. Years later, I’m still cheering them on.

6 . I’m an elementary school teacher, teaching ICT (Information Communication Technology) to 10 and 11-year-old students at a public school near Lisbon. I’m also the school tech guy, in charge of digital systems and the web. Beyond that, I’m also involved in teacher training, spreading the good news on coding, robotics, 3D modeling and printing to teachers around the country.

Together with our librarian Jacqueline, I’ve created Tap@rts，a small maker space(创客空间)at my school library (one of the first library 3D printing spaces in Portugal), open to any student of the school. And my interest in Maker culture is in its educational dimension. So what do I actually make? Spark my students’ interest in 3D, coding, robotics and electronics, and offer them opportunities to freely experiment with technologies in our school science club.

Well, I was an arts teacher who really loved to learn how to do stuff with 3D but never had the chance to be taught. So I learned by myself. That was about 15 years ago. At that time, laptop computers were starting to be used in my school. And I’ve decided to bring them into my arts class, figuring that 3D modeling was as valid for children in arts a drawing or painting. Then, in 2014, something wonderful happened: Portugal had its first Maker Fair, and to my great surprise, my then 3D modeling in arts and ICT was one of the accepted projects. That’s also when I’ve got started with 3D printing. And the main goal is to spark kids’ interest in using technology as a creative tool.