Micro-controlling the World (At Least Just Our Classroom)

My Students

"You never fail until you stop trying." ~Albert Einstein This quote describes the vibe we are trying to achieve. My students are passionate about learning. Last year, we introduced coding. This year we would like to continue on that path to learn how to program with micro-controllers and robotics.

My students came up with our classroom motto, which is to "Persevere." It has made a real difference in their attitudes when they come across a difficult problem.

I am lucky because this year I was able to loop up with my students. Last year, they were asked to describe our class to the PTA. Many of them said, "We are a family!" That is exactly how I would describe us. My students are willing to collaborate and help each other out. We have very supportive parents. Many of them have shared with me that their child is excited about coming to school and learning. They are impressed with what the kids are doing in class and some of them even volunteer to help teach my after-school Maker Space Clubs. Last year, we went to see The Box Trolls. The students wrote letters to the animators and were so impressed with their replies - that they decided to try making their own Claymations. They showed off their presentation at last year’s Tech Expo. We plan on participating again this year!

My Project

Having books written for kids on coding, engineering, and the Maker Movement will be an incredible addition to our class. I have been going to all of the computer science professional development that I can find. However, I don't always have the answers. These books would be valuable resources for my students. The kids will use the Makey Makey's in tandem with Scratch programming. We are going to use the Arduinos to create an interactive class mascot. In our Mythology unit, students are going to use the conductive ink pens, circuit light stickers, and an MP3 trigger to make a Greek God/Goddess Family tree. Students will record short speeches that will play when the conductive ink is touched. Some of my Minecraft enthusiasts will be inspired by the biography of the creator. A lot of my students are interested in learning about e-textiles. These books would aid them in their pursuit of adding circuits to clothing. We will show of one or more of these projects at the Tech Expo.

Our class is unbelievably excited about these materials.

We are already learning about Math, Science, Literacy, and Art but we are applying knowledge using an engineering/computer science platform. Integrating the subjects in this way puts it into real world applications that will make the difference for my students. Thank you for considering our project.