Next Level STEM With TI-Nspired Coding and Robotics
My students need technology pieces that can turn our current TI-Nspire calculators into coding and robotics computers. The Hubs, Robots, and computer kits that we are asking for will teach coding and mechanical design.
My sophomore Geometry students and senior STEM students absolutely love to design and build structures for real-life applications of their content. Due to budgeting issues, our typical materials include popsicle sticks, newspapers, toothpicks, marshmallows, etc. The students have exhausted all of the simpler design tasks and we are ready to take the design concepts to the next level.
My students are ready for experiences that make hands-on design come alive.
They need to be able to build robots and write programming to make the robots perform tasks. They need to be able to produce machines that follow a sequence of tasks. They need to be brought into true 21st century learning instead of just skimming the surface.
Over half of my students come from low income families who do not have the financial means to provide experiences for their children with robotics even for play. For many of them, the only guidance they receive about future job opportunities is through the school system and we need to be preparing them for a future full of STEM careers.
My Project
Careers related to the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) are growing at a rapid rate and I need to make sure my students are ready for their future jobs. By the time my students graduate, close to 75% of jobs will require computer knowledge. At the school, we have higher end calculators that will do involved mathematics equations and draw geometric figures, but my students need more than that. They need to be able to use computers and technology equipment to solve problems.
Imagine walking into a Geometry classroom and seeing students designing zoo exhibits for animals that have regulated lighting and temperature control.
Not only could they draw it out on paper and discuss how much space each animal needs, proper feeding amounts, and landscaping needs, but the students could actually build models that have lights and temperatures that automatically adjust based on the location of the animal within the exhibit.
This equipment allows all of the design projects that we do on paper to become actual working models. They can use their geometry skills to design and build accurate models and then apply the STEM skills to code and program the working aspects of their model.
The TI-Innovator equipment comes from Texas Instruments and they have also produced numerous lessons and activities that incorporate coding and robotics into problem solving in mathematics. We would use some of the TI curriculum until we are familiar with the technology and then I would branch out and write additional tasks for my students.
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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. Zieren and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
