Programming Our Futures- Computer Coding Access for All
My students need access to the tools (Kano computer kits) that will prepare them to positively impact society through successful careers in the 21st century- jobs emphasizing programming, coding and computer literacy.
$423 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
On any given day, my classroom represents nearly every continent with students working together to learn English. They are excited to learn about each other, about the USA, and most importantly, from each other.
My students come from varied backgrounds- and each has an story to share about their often arduous and perilous journey to my school and an education from abroad.
They are overcoming social and emotional barriers each day to receive an education. Learning English in my classroom is often their happiest moment- a chance to remember the home they left and to become a citizen of their new home here in America. My school is situated on the edge of an industrial park in the South Bronx, within the nation’s poorest Congressional District. We are a Title I school, which means that each student qualifies for free breakfast and lunch. I teach 150 students hailing from Yemen, Bangladesh, the Dominican Republic, China, Burkina Faso and so on. They often do not have access to laptops, iPads, or Internet connectivity at home. This makes my classroom their hub to connect, innovate, and impact the world.
My Project
Our students are eager to learn and dream of being successful in their futures- for their entire family. In today's society, that demands a strong skill set related to collaboration, computational thinking, and coding prowess.
For many of our students, they will be the first family member to receive 21st Century education in the United States, and the Kano computer kits and Microbits will prepare them for career success from an early age.
Even more encouraging, research related to the Microbits has shown that "70% more girls said they would choose Computing as a school subject after using the micro:bit." We are seeking to increase access for our students to career fields for those typically ignored- girls and students learning English for the first time.
Both kits will work in concert to engage our students in critical thinking surrounding the burgeoning fields of computer science and robotics. They will learn how to create a computer from scratch, physically putting components together computer boards, bits, buttons, and wiring. They will design computer programs through coding. They will improve their sense of collaboration with their peers- one of the top skills employers seek today. They will develop computer games, digital art and music, and learning programs. Along the way the students will draw connections to math (operations and formulas), social studies (history of computer science), computer science (developing functional code), and the arts (visual and graphic design).
Won’t you join our students as we venture down the road towards 'programming our futures' where their artistry, creativity, innovation, and technology positively impact our world? It starts now- yes, all while they are in elementary school.
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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 Mr. Czarka and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.