My middle school Math and Science classroom is a place of challenge and discovery. Students will spend this year learning the foundations of math and science and skills they will need as they move forward. Their futures will include a world of technology for which they will need to be ready.
I teach middle school students in a suburban neighborhood with a diverse population. My students are excited to explore the world of robotics and coding. They take pride in their efforts and are willing to challenge their minds for the sake of learning.
My classroom environment fosters collaboration and creativity. Students work together to solve problems that they identify and enjoy finding challenges to broaden their experiences. I have been involved in a grant for the last two years in which I am learning how to teach coding and robotics to my middle school students. I am excited to bring what I have learned into my classroom in my math classes, and in my robotics class. With a class set of Linkbots, students will be able to learn coding and reinforce their math and skills without even realizing it. I have seen the glint in their eyes when they figure out how to manipulate their Linkbots to follow paths. Can you imagine the competitions they'll design?! Programming Linkbots is an excellent way to support a variety of interests and to build basic technology skills. Future careers begin here.
In Their Own Words
I want to build a city for my robot. We need a classroom set of Linkbot Robots and a hub so that all of the students in our classroom can get our hands on a robot. My teacher is teaching us to write computer code to make the robot move. I love working on the computer and learning how to code.
In our 21st Century Learning elective, we design a city on large grid paper and then we program our robot to move through our city. This project is fun because our teacher encourages us to use our imaginations and creativity to design our city. This project is fun and exciting and we are learning at the same time.
I'm going to be in the after-school robotics club so I can help other students code. I can apply my coding skills to other things, like "app design", computer graphics, math, and developing games. I want to encourage other students to learn how to code because it makes learning fun.
This project is important because we will need to know how to code in most of the jobs we will have in the future. Most companies have an "app" and a webpage. I want to be ahead of the crowd so that I can get a great job that I love.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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 Mrs. Laffey and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
