I teach in suburban school with students who are bused in from the inner city through a voluntary desegregation program. Approximately 10% of our students spend at least an hour on a bus or in a cab each way to get to and from school. These students are picked up at approximately 6 am to get to school on time and don't arrive at home until as late as 5:00 pm.
My students are very inquisitive and creative.
I did a "Breakout edu" game at the end of the year. The students came back in at lunch because they hadn't broken out by the time class ended! How many 6th graders do you know who would give up friend time to solve a puzzle? My students will come in my room at lunch and after school to build paths for my "hex bugs." I want to expand my students by creating a tech space for them to use.
I loved seeing how much they grew in their problem solving skills as the year progressed. I can't wait to see how they improve with an expanded tech area.
My Project
Beginning coding is a new course in my school that I will be teaching to 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. The different robots will allow my students a fun way to see the results of their programming.
These hands-on robots will allow for more engagement in my classroom.
My middle school students act like they want to be grown up, but in reality they are still kids. I believe that finding new and different ways to engage my students will not only help them in my class but also in their their classes. My students will not realize that they are learning skills like creativity, problem solving and critical thinking while they are "playing."
I believe that the variety of robots will engage many different types of learners. They each have their own unique way of being coded. I believe that they will also be a good way to introduce coding to students. Students will be given the opportunity to learn coding while having fun.
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