A deflated balloon is a dream waiting to have the air breathed into it. My students are filled with the breath of inventors, creators, architects, and artists. Taking a flat concept and bringing it to life will give my students the opportunity to show how their little dreams can make a big impact.
Our student population is extremely diverse.
Over 40 languages and dialects are spoken in the homes of our students. Many are the first generation in their families born in the United States. As a group, they are ripe for new adventures in learning. I teach a class of fourth grade gifted learners. They are creative, eager, and crave complexity on a constant basis. They need to exercise their critical thinking skills and encounter rich and authentic challenges. They need curriculum that is relevant to their lives so that they are pushed to grapple with meaningful issues. Technology is a way that they can communicate with others in spite of their differences. Pairing science, technology, and math with art gives them a way to connect and be understood. They yearn to encounter an academic structure that satisfies their appetite for depth and breadth in learning. Their needs are as diverse as their different home structures, cultural backgrounds, and learning styles.
My Project
Having the Makerbot 3-D printer in our classroom will allow students to be able to add a new dimension to their learning, literally. We read a novel where the character solves mysteries using puzzles. What if my children could plan and design concrete solutions to their own 3-D puzzles and answer real-world mysteries? This has the propensity to change everything. Concepts that are too abstract or challenging to convert from a two-dimensional presentation to a three-dimensional reality can suddenly and miraculously be created. They will be able to express artistic talents as they design and then print items that they have created to satisfy a problem-based learning challenge. They will have to apply geometry concepts and critical thinking to bring to life an object that answers an engineering question of their own design such as: What sized wedge is needed to hold open a door with a certain mass? Are certain shaped containers more effective? What can you invent to hold this?
Introducing children to the concept that there are endless possibilities when they are given the permission to dream and then the resources to engage in creating their vision is powerful beyond words.
Imagination is what drives our society into the future. These children could have the opportunity to experience tangible results of what their dreams can bring with a tool like this. Bringing a 2-D drawing to life is innovation. A 3-D printer will change the future in the hands of children.
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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. White and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
