My students need LEDs, batteries, buzzers, breadboards, copper tape, and motors to deepen their understanding of how electronics work and to unleash their technological creativity.
My students are a diverse group of learners. They come from a variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Many of the students I see are English Language Learners and many are labeled as Economically Disadvantaged. I also teach a number of special education students.
For all of these differences, something they all have in common is a love of technology and a desire to build and create things.
Last year, I began teaching basic computer science to the classes I teach. The students were so excited to progress through the programming skills lessons and then use those skills to create stories and games of their own. My students are hungry for opportunities to extend their technological literacy beyond the computer, and to combine it with their other subjects of study.
My Project
This assortment of batteries, lights, motors, and buzzers will give my students hands-on building experience with a variety of electrical circuits. They are surrounded by toys, games, and devices that shine with LED light, move with tiny motors, and emit all manner of electrical beeps. However, they have little idea how these technologies work despite their simplicity.
This project will give my students the tools and materials they need to understand how these technologies work, and the know how to add them to their own creations.
In the STEM lab, students learn to make objects using materials as diverse as Legos, K'Nex, cardboard, and fabric scraps. This collection of simple technologies will make it possible for my students to add sound and light to the board games they create, and motion to the creatures they construct. As they work through their engineering design process, these materials will allow my students to exercise a fuller creative range in their work products. They will not just learn how LEDs, motors, and circuits work, but how to employ them to perform a desired task. This project will empower my students to be creators rather than just consumers.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Quentin and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
