I have the privilege of working with over 600 students in grades K-5 each week; roughly 120 kids a day. This is a new role for me; instead of having my own little group of 20 or so kiddos all day, my classroom is a revolving door that starts with 4th graders that come to me a little sleepy, but leave me wide awake, and ends with 1st graders that LOVE everything about learning. Sandwiched between them are a variety of grade levels with different likes and dislikes, a range of abilities, and all of which are excited about the opportunities and activities STEAM class provides them.
They are inquisitive and curious, hardworking and determined.
A high percentage of our students are English language learners, but there's always a classmate (or ten) that are willing to jump in and help out when he or she doesn't understand or needs some guidance. Some even try to learn a few words in their peer's language in order to communicate with each other.
My Project
In the few short months since STEAM resource classes have been added to our elementary schools, we have done a LOT. From kindergartners developing langugae and fine motor schools through building and creating with blocks to our fourth graders working on 3D printing a representation of the physical characteristics of Virginia, STEAM class is off to a great start but we still have a lot of work to do.
While coding has academic benefits for students, its role in helping to improve soft skills like problem solving, focus, perseverence, and resiliencey.
Students are always looking for the "right" answer, or the "immediate" solution, and coding/computer programming really helps them change their mindset, and it's an activity they enjoy and want to continue doing.
Having access to the Dash and Dot robots, and the accessories will allos students practice and experience with coding in a fun and meaningul way. Dash and Dot are noisy, kid friendly robots that can be programmed to play games, instruments, and talk. Students will collaborate in groups to have their Dash or Dot perform specific challenges and/or tasks. While each group will have their own Dash or Dot, the fact that Dash and Dot can also work together adds a whole new element, and really capitalizes on the "if this then..." relationships. So, while they're having fun and excitement fills the air, students will not only be learning to code and developing programming skills, they'll also be growing as communicators, collaborators, and problem solvers. Dash and Dot would be a great addition to our K-5 STEAM classroom.
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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 Ms. Szakal and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
