I am a first grade teacher at a brand new charter school. We will have an all-inclusive classroom with special education, English language learners, and gifted and talented learners with minimal to no pull-outs.
What makes my class unique is that we are the first military academy in Colorado—75% of our student population comes from military families, with an emphasis on military education, Civil Air Patrol, character education, project-based learning, service to our community, and STEM education.
While we are a STEM-based school, we are in the beginning days of getting our school launched. Resources are at a minimum, and funding is tight. My students will only be able to participate in the STEM lab a few times each quarter. I am searching out ways to bring STEM resources into my classroom to enhance the learning of my students in this amazing field with endless possibilities.
My Project
With the recent addition of iPads to our classroom, it seems as though the possibilities are endless as to what we can now do.
Robots help to ignite their imaginations and bring stories to life!
The joy that lights up the faces of my first graders when they get to interact with robots is that which will leave you smiling for the rest of the day. We had the opportunity to borrow a few robots and it changed how I teach! Unfortunately, these opportunities are far and few between, therefore I would love our own set of class robots to link digital technology with literacy.
In combination with our iPads, I would love for the students to use these robots to learn how to begin to code. Students can code their robots to interact with a variety of narrative elements to create a unique and creative story. Dash has such an amazing personality, he engages even the most reluctant learner to bring stories to life and prompt them to dig deep!
These robots each have their own unique traits and would lend themselves well to different digital literacy projects. By requesting 4-5 of each, we would have enough for small groups to work together collaboratively on a regular basis.
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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. Hall and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
