I am lucky to have a wide range of cultures and learning abilities in my classroom. Every single student has many strengths to share, and they support one another on a daily basis. They take chances, aren't afraid to make mistakes and learn from them, and are an all-around amazing group of 10 year olds. Approximately 80% of my students are considered socioeconomically disadvantaged.
My students aren't just classmates, they are family.
They take care of each other and enjoy every second of their learning together. What's really exciting is that their love of learning is constantly growing. Every student shows up ready to learn each and every day. They have a common goal: all students want to succeed so that they can be prepared for middle school next year! Their positive attitudes are contagious, and they really make me look forward to each day in the classroom.
My Project
Today, there is a much greater emphasis on learning through exploration. I envision LEGO blocks being used in a number of ways in my classroom.
Hands-on learning continues to be the preferred method of learning for students of all ages and it's hard for anyone to keep their hands off of LEGO blocks!
This collection of blocks will provide many different opportunities for STEM learning, especially the engineering and math components. After participating in recent professional development related to using LEGO blocks in the classroom, I have many ideas stirring in my head. Students can be challenged to build the tallest tower, create a structure that will hold an object, create a maze that includes many tricky obstacles, and so much more! They can explore area, perimeter, and volume as they build and create different 3-D objects. They can even multiply using blocks as arrays.
One specific idea I have related to English Language Arts is for students to build robots. We read a story called The Wild Robot in fifth grade and I envision each student building a robot using what they learned in the story. They can extend their creativity by giving their robot a name and writing a biography, poem, or adventure story about their robot. The possibilities are endless!
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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. Ostrander and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
