My students and I are partaking in an adventure this year: We are the very first (and only) classroom to pilot a "STEAM classroom" for our school district. Therefore, we are actively developing our ideas of what a STEAM classroom looks like. So far, my students have decided that this type of classroom can look like many different things. My students have learned to code robots, build suspension bridges, sew teddy bears, and even build the tallest tower out of marshmallows and toothpicks. We learn as we go.
My students love coming to this new classroom and beg to have Makerspace days where they get to choose their own project to create, design, or build.
I am constantly trying to find ways to harness and tap into their creativity and love for learning, and to share in the urgency for preciousness that they're still holding on to.
My Project
As our district moves towards more project-based learning by having a new STEAM classroom, my goal for the next school year is to fine-tune my craft by focusing on specific ways that I can further develop my existing skills and knowledge by attending this professional development. I will receive a unique set of experiences to advance on the path toward being a proficient maker educator. I will be provided time for curriculum planning, and deepen my pedagogical practices.
In this immersive program, I will develop the skills of an educator who seeks to incorporate making into my pedagogical toolkit for the STEAM classroom.
This professional development intertwines skill development and discussions of maker pedagogy through participatory exercises designed to model recommended teaching methods. The core and elective sessions will provide me with skills and experiences with hands-on engineering and design challenges, digital manufacturing, microcontrollers, electronics and a variety of other inexpensive low- and high-tech materials and equipment. I will be engaged in thinking about and exploring maker pedagogy that connects with a range of content standards, includes assessment and documentation and is designed to increase accessibility.
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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. Buterbaugh and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
