A Nail Night Turned into a DIY Door Fix!

I had every intention of doing my nails Monday night for this blog post, but life had other plans!

For about a year now, my front door has been “sticking”, and I assumed the door itself just needed a small adjustment on its hinges. But when I stepped outside to chip some ice on the weekend, I nearly got locked out! The door wouldn’t budge, and I had to really SHOULDER my way back in. The scariest part was that I didn’t have my phone, and my back door was locked – so I would have been completely out of luck!

This little scare led me down a rabbit hole of research on Sunday night, and that’s when I stumbled upon this game-changing YouTube video. It described my exact issue – something I never even thought to check! Turns out, the problem wasn’t the door itself but the latch not fully retracting. From the inside, it worked better, but from the outside? Not so much.

My latch was doing the same thing:

Feeling motivated, I made a quick trip after work Monday to grab a replacement latch – it was only $12! But before I could get started, I had to set up a little dog-proofing system to keep my pups from escaping while the door was open lol!

Just as I was about to start, I realized I was missing one tiny but CRITICAL tool – a hex key that fit my door. So, off I went out again to pick up this handy hex key set (only $8 and has all the sizes – score!).

Finally, I was ready to begin! Following the tutorial, I had the handles off and the latch removed in just five minutes. The best part? My old latch had the exact same wear pattern as the one in the video – look at how much more worn down mine was!

Reassembling everything was just as easy, though I did scratch up the door a bit while maneuvering the hex key in the tight space. Luckily, a Magic Eraser worked its magic, and now my door is good as new!

So, while my nails didn’t get done, I now have a fully retracting latch – DIY win! Have you ever had a to do any small home fixes? I’d love to hear about them!

 

 

Empowering Students to Teach Themselves Using Social Media and Open Education Resources (OER)

This little (and successful) adventure I went on got me thinking about how I could not just show my students specific social media/OER, but to teach them how to find them on their own! Here is how I would use this process this in a Health Science 20 classroom and a unit-end project:

1. Choose – I would get students to select a specific body system that interests them. Giving students this autonomy increases motivation and engagement in the activity.
2. Research – then the students would find and evaluate sources from TikTok, YouTube, CK12, Khan Academy, etc., ensuring credibility by checking credentials and comparing what they are finding to what they have already learned in class.
3. Create – the students would then synthesize their research and present it in an engaging matter to their peers (i.e. a TikTok video, podcast episode, etc.).

This unit-end assignment is student-centered and helps to develop digital literacy and communication skills! It would help to equip students with essential skills to navigate today’s information-rich world! Have you used a similar strategy or assignment in your class? I’d love to hear about it!