My students are exciting, young middle school minds who are ready to take on the world and explore what STEM careers have to offer! They are twelve and thirteen year olds, constantly moving and yet not moving enough. Always thinking, but often off task. Excited to learn, yet too cool for school!
The reality is they are all the same in that they feel anxious about their growing responsibilities, worry that they might stand out from the crowd, and are afraid they won't fit in.
The irony is, however, each and every one of them require different things in order to be successful, are ready to discover their own individual strengths and talents, and will soon realize "it's better to stand up for what you believe in even if it means standing alone."
My students are from a suburban district and mostly caucasian; roughly half of them are girls. I teach Computer Literacy and focus on Computer Science, Design, Multimedia and Robotics. By making my classroom a place students can move, collaborate, and explore, I am molding and diversifying the minds of future computer scientists, engineers, and programmers.
My Project
In my middle school Computer Literacy classroom, the all necessary shift has happened from sitting at a computer and learning keyboarding skills and word processing to now exploring areas of STEM; computer science, design, multimedia, and robotics. Students have options to create inspirational projects, think critically and collaborate, learn how to problem solve, and persevere. However, the tables and chairs are still set up for keyboarding skills... isolated and immobile.
By creating a classroom with flexible seating options, students will be able to move, collaborate, build, design, code, fly, navigate, and explore!
We need to take this opportunity to utilize the enthusiasm of middle school students by making them use their minds AND THEIR HANDS to create. We need to encourage students to explore STEM interests. It is our responsibility to prepare them for the jobs of the future!
Because of this, I am requesting round tables for the center of the room with stools at each table. This will allow students to collaborate around the tables or move them out of the way to utilize the floor space. Computer Literacy is no longer a computer lab... it is our classroom. We have made the shift from the traditional content to one that fits the needs of 21st century students. Can you help me now make the shift to create a classroom that suits the physical needs of students looking to explore a career in STEM?
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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. Wright and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
