One of the best parts about my teaching job is the crazy joy, enthusiasm, and chaos that my students bring to the classroom each day. They come from incredibly diverse homes, and they bring that diversity to the classroom. The best part is that our students are all open to diversity, and they love to learn and share with others. They share willingly anything they have, and they are incredibly open to discussions about their differences and similarities.
My students are very curious about the world around them, but many do not have the financial resources to have access to anything but the basics.
Many of my students are the first generation of children going to school in America. Many other children are in homes where finances are a challenge. Because of that, our teaching staff works hard to find creative solutions to keep students moving forward.
We recently funded a food shelf in the building, and we now have backpacks of food that go home with students. We are always seeking ways to make sure students have what they need. You can help us make that happen!
My Project
I teach a weekly STEM based class for a variety of students and the kids absolutely love coming in and learning about the new technologies. One of the things that I have noticed is that there is a very clear difference in how the girls and the boys interact with the technology that we have in class. We have some Sphero robots, some Ozobots and some Snap Circuits, but my girls need something a bit different.
My girls need STEM activities that will also tell a story or have a purpose, they want to have a reason and a goal.
The boys love to learn how to control the robots and how to have them make jumps and turns and spins and how to navigate obstacle courses in the room. My girls are not interested in driving the robots simply to drive them. The girls want their efforts to have a purpose, to solve a problem.
The new Sphero Bolts that I am requesting are meant to be used with other Bolts. I often find several of the girls around the same robot, having a few robots that have to be set to work together will give all of them direct access to the devices and the learning. Sneakily, I'm forcing them to interact and not sit back and let their peers take the lead. Shhhhh, don't tell!
All of the LittleBits sets are purpose-driven electronic programming sets. They require sequential thinking and planning to make sure that the right steps are in the right order. They also require thinking outside of the box to complete different tasks. These are essential skills in learning how to code. And yet, the LittleBits are fun and they create real solutions that preteen girls will enjoy.
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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. Puzzo and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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