Diabetes Project

 

In this project we created a PowerPoint presentation and a physical model of cells and how diabetes affects them. The goal of this project was to demonstrate our learning and understanding of how insulin and glucose interact with a cell and how diabetes affects these interactions. The PowerPoints and models will be used to teach the 10th graders about diabetes for their Healthy Living unit later in the year. This project did a lot to teach me about the interaction of glucose and insulin with the cell, as well as reinforced key aspects about diabetes. Creating the models also helped me visualize what was happening. Although these things are important, I think that the biggest area that I grew through this experience was in my confidence of my creativity.

 

In this project we began by taking notes and researching about diabetes. Once we had clear accurate notes of how diabetes affects the body, we had to design models that represented what was happening in the cells. The models had to accurately depict (to a degree) how a normal cell interacted with insulin and glucose, how Type 1 diabetes affects pancreatic cells, and how Type 2 diabetes affects cells in general. In order to accurately depict these things, we had to have some moving parts in the model, which was the most difficult aspect for us. Once we had created the model, we had to create a PowerPoint that had a picture of our model and a diagram for each different condition we studied (normal cell function, Type 1 diabetes affects, Type 2 diabetes affects). The PowerPoint also contained information explaining what the diagrams were depicting and gave more information about each condition in general.

 

One of the artifacts that shows my growth in my confidence of my creativity is the models my partner and I created for this project. With these models we show, with the best of our abilities, how a normal cell interacts with glucose and insulin, how Type 1 diabetes affects pancreatic cells, and how Type 2 diabetes affects cells. We did this by creating moving parts within the cell and labels to help users better understand our model. The way that this shows an increase in my confidence of my creativity is that this model is very unique and distinct from other groups’ models. In the past I have relied on my group members and people giving feedback for ways to be creative. Even if I do come up with something new I normally second guess it and change it. This time, I had an idea that my partner thought would work and made it happen. Though I had stages of doubt I stuck with it and it turned out great. This experience with creating this artifact did much to make me more confident in my abilities to be creative.

 

Another artifact that shows my growth in my confidence of my creativity is the PowerPoint that I made to go along with the models. In this PowerPoint I created diagrams of how cells interact with glucose and insulin and how Type 1 and 2 diabetes affects that interaction, much like we did with the models. I then added animations to enhance the diagram and show some sort of movement. This allowed me to be much more creative and add a whole other aspect to the PowerPoint. When I showed this to my teacher, she really liked it, which made me more confident in my creativity.

 

Overall, I feel that this process was one that I had needed for a long time. For so long I have been told that I’m not creative, by others and myself. It had become an excuse for me not to really try, or at least make me doubt my abilities so that when I did come up with something I immediately shot it down. Now I know that I can come up with good ideas that will actually work. I am so glad that I finally had this “wake-up”. I think that this new knowledge will be invaluable for projects that I tackle in both my academic career, and the career I will move into once I graduate from college.