This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
I am a teacher librarian and every student is allowed to use the library during any free period. One of the projects students enjoy is playing around with design sites such as Tinkercad. They are learning to imagine, plan and implement a design to print on a 3D Printer with the help of volunteers.
The Coding Club at the library is a weekly club facilitated by three volunteers from a local tech company.
The students are of all abilities and backgrounds but come to library and for the club to learn something new. They are curious, enthusiastic and creative. The school is located in a forgotten corner of a major tech city and from the school yard one can watch all of the traffic and tech buses heading to some of the world's most famous companies. Despite the central location, the school does not have the technology resources to support a modern and exciting curriculum. The school is one of the most under-served and under-resourced schools in the city and the students have some of the highest needs. To ensure equity of access and resources, as the school librarian, I try to bring the world to the school. I am hosting the coding club to teach our students the design process, gamification, and coding. I am learning with the students and it has been so much fun.
My Project
The students have designed many projects to be printed on a 3D Printer and usually we have to plan a field trip to the main library to get the items printed. This requires an entire day and usually one or two students get their items printed. We are working to get a 3D Printer for the library so students can print their creations and designs whenever they want. It is hard to keep them motivated when they design a project and are unable to see the end product. Having our own 3D Printer will help motivate students to continue to improve and practice designing their own creations. This process is so important in many ways. Students think of a need and a way to address the need (for example, "I need a Lego for this one creation- I will print one!"), they make a plan, design the product, make adjustments, print it and then use it. It is very empowering and gives the students confidence to tackle other puzzles and issues in life.
The students at my school lack many of the technological advances that are making such a large impact on society today.
Few have Internet access at home or have computers. As a teacher librarian I strive to make these tools and resources available for every student. There should be no reason why my students cannot access and use technology- the world will not wait for them to catch up. It is vital that I work extra hard to ensure they all have the tools and resources to thrive and succeed.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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