Help me give my students an opportunity to learn coding with mini robotic balls and enable them to develop 21st century skills that will better prepare them for the workforce in the future.
I know you probably hear from many teachers how much they love their class. I am no exception because I too love my class! This school year I have a group of students who are less prepared than most for second grade and the challenges that come when moving from first to second. My students have so much heart though and I want to give them every chance to succeed this year in second grade. They love hands on activities and anything new and different than your typical pencil and paper activities. My students have been exposed to coding a little on computer games but have never had the benefit of actual objects to code. Coding makes them feel smart, so they tell me. They love to see the results of their work when they have finished. I have 14 boys and 11 girls in my class and would love to provide them materials to gain more experience with this skill.
Giving my students the opportunity to develop 21st century skills by learning to code would prepare them for real-life situations and enable them to transition more easily into the workforce later in life.
My Project
My second graders are a group of caring, funny students who would greatly benefit from the opportunities learning to code with real objects would provide for them. The challenges of second grade can be difficult for students and thus they thrive on learning through hands on materials. Utilizing real objects like the mini robots will peak their interest and engage them in the learning more than any paper or pencil activities. My hope through this project is to enable and engage my class in coding activities with partners and small groups that will increase their computer knowledge and their confidence in their abilities as learners.
Getting them ready for the 21st century skills they will need in their futures is my motivation in asking for the mini robotic balls.
I love to see the smiles on my students faces when they accomplish new things they never thought they could do.
I have done research on the use of coding in the primary classroom and everything I have read about it will have a positive impact on my students. Learning to code challenges students to think critically, solve problems and persevere through tough problems. According to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, by the year 2020 there will be one million more computer science jobs than there will be graduates prepared for these jobs. Teaching students to code earlier will build their confidence in learning. These are the skills this group of students will need in order to be successful as they continue in second grade and in life.
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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 Mrs. B. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.