My fourth grade engineers grow up in a city with one of the highest concentrations of poverty in the United States.
They are diverse. Some are refugees with limited English skills. One hundred percent receive free or reduced-price lunch. They are struggling readers. They are at risk. They have limited access to hands on authentic STEM learning experiences and technology tools. They are wonderful. They are curious, they are kind, and they are resilient.
My students may struggle in some areas, but they are scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. They are artists. They are a learning community and they are thirsty for experiences. With the right tools and opportunities to develop their confidence and curiosity about the world, their potential to grow into who they are meant to be is limitless.
My Project
These fourth grade engineers will participate in a coding and robotics makerspace club in my classroom. Students will participate in a variety of hands-on, problem-based building challenges that will combine the intricacies of coding with the creativity and mechanics of engineering. Students will work together in collaborative groups to build and create using an inquiry-based, critical thinking approach to learning. Students will learn to think independently, but work collaboratively. In working with these LEGOs and modular robotics, students will be required to truly experiment with variables and work without predefined outcomes and specific step by step directions. They will develop problem solving skills that will help them be competitive in the workforce beyond the classroom.
Coding, robotic, and engineering opportunities in the classroom are an equalizing force and allow all students the chance to be successful.
English as a New Language (ENL) students can be competitive with peers because the emphasis of these projects will be on problem-solving, not language. This makerspace and coding club also knows no gender limits. It will especially empower the girls in my class to take on a leadership role and build excitement about STEM careers that may have otherwise seemed out of reach for them. By exposing my urban students to this type of hands-on STEM technology at an early age, I hope to empower my students to reimagine the direction their life can take and develop skills that will transcend the classroom and will prepare them for an ever-changing technology-driven workforce.
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. Vilello and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
