Our classroom provides a safe place for children to learn and explore. Roald Dahl said, "The more risks you allow children to take, the better they learn to take care of themselves."
My all boys classroom is full of energized first graders ready to move and learn.
They have high energy levels and are never lacking when it comes to participation. Our day consists of learning through cooperative learning, teamwork, whole group and individual learning. I like to mix it up!
Our students are diverse and come from many backgrounds and ethnicities. All of our students participate in our school's free and reduced-price lunch program.
My Project
Developing problem-solving skills for early learners is no easy feat. However, using today's technology has made this endeavor a lot more engaging and enjoyable.
In the words of Albert Einstein, ”All of science is nothing more than the refinement of everyday thinking."
This quote inspires me to develop creative and innovative ways to engage my students is critical-thinking skills. The attention and interest of the 21st Century learning, must be captivated with the use of hands-on technology to effectively keep them engaged. Therefore, the resources requested in this project will ensure that demand is met. Using the Botley Robot activity set will provide my students with concrete and tactile coding experiences. They will have an opportunity to interact with complex problem-solving skills in a hands-on way. The best part about Botley is that no extra technology is required. No laptop, Chromebook, or even iPad. It is completely self-contained.
Additionally, the Snap Circuits, Ozobot, Wonder Robot require no extra technology as well. Simply follow the patterns (through lines and circuits, create the pattern, and test the design for success. Lastly, the Block Builders take tasks my boys love (building) and create task based scenarios and puzzles for them to complete. Our students have 25 minutes a day available for STEM learning and therefore these materials will be use daily and throughout the year. We have very limited access to technology and the ability for them to be self-contained (without other device) makes it more accessible to all! We can't wait to add it and complete our year of coding and STEM!
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 Ms. O'Donnell and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
{"pmaHash":"","schoolCity":"Las Vegas","showProjectRecommendations":true,"teachersOnPage":[2057266],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"NV","teacherPossessivePronoun":"her","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":1,"name":"Early Education"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"proposalId":3128063,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":6,"completingDonationAmount":0,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/early-childhood-perfect-time-for-codin/3128063/","verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"mayHaveReplacements":false,"numStudents":24,"teacherScreenName":"Ms. O'Donnell","isEquityFocus":true,"authorIds":{"2057266":{"owner":"Ms. O'Donnell","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":1.0,"proposalsOnPage":[3128063],"proposalHash":"2131783549","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":100.00,"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/orig/tp2057266_orig.jpg?crop=1:1,smart&width=136&height=136&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1588639953589","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":21,"teacherChallengeId":330137,"photosPublished":true,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":{"completingDonationAmount":193,"proposalURL":"project/flexible-stools-for-small-group-instruct/7988594/","proposalTitle":"Flexible Stools for Small Group Instruction in Tiny Classroom","proposalId":7988594},"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":["NTIzNDM4NQ=="],"teacherId":2057266,"schoolCounty":"Clark","fullyFunded":true,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"NV","name":"Nevada"}}