"What is the smallest seed a teacher can plant?" A quote I heard while attending a discussion about classroom Maker's Spaces. What I found most intriguing is that the best Maker's Space is not a section in one's classroom, but lies in one's head. I aspire to plant those seeds and watch them grow!
Personalized learning that is inquiry based is the foundation of our school.
The Four C's - collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking are embedded throughout our curriculum to help foster the learning of 21st Century Skills. My 2nd graders are full of questions and wonder, especially when it comes to fully understanding how systems work. They love to build and experience first hand how parts of a system interact. They learn best by trial and error as well as from each other. I introduced coding to them earlier in the year and I am amazed with their understanding of how each given direction leads to the next.
My students also love to work with their hands and build whether it's creating something out of paper or something intricate from a K'nex building set. Their creativity truly holds no boundaries since we have a classroom community which fosters taking risks and learning from our mistakes. They are each other's best supporters and teachers.
My Project
Robotics - we hear that term a lot as educators, but it wasn't until I attended a robotics fair at the Wings Over the Rockies Museum and experienced Modular Robotic Cubelets first hand when I truly knew that I needed to get a set of cubelets for my students. The possibilities are endless to be used in the classroom! My students love to code on the computer. The cubelets will allow students to experience at a more concrete level how given directions will impact the next cube. As an educator, I strive to make such experiences a common day occurrence for all my students.
The cubelets will be as available to them as a classroom laptop computer. Both devices are interactive and have unlimited possibilities. The bluetooth cube will allow my students to program from an iPad which gives a different approach and leads to more possibilities. I want my students to see themselves as future programmers. My job as an educator is to introduce all to unknown possibilities and make it fun!
A Cubelets Educators Pack will expand my student's critical thinking skills to levels that I cannot reach in all subject areas.
The engagement of having such an exciting resource in our room will enhance learning throughout the year. Being able to communicate one's thoughts and working together for a common purpose is an integral skill in preparing my students for not only upper elementary curriculum, but for life as they learn how to work with others toward a common goal.
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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 Ms. Leroi and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
