As a teacher in a Title I School, my students are faced with several challenges both in and out of the classroom. One of the things that our school offers to students are classes after lunch, called LifeSkills. LifeSkills are a variety of classes that students choose and that are taught by teachers. These classes are designed by teachers to teach students what they are passionate about outside of the academic classroom. Some of those offerings include cultural studies, knitting, golf, board games, and others.
With all these challenges, my students continue to be eager learners and are willing to try new things.
Students enjoy these classes, and many times are inspired by them. At the end of these classes, seeing students engaging in these classes, I see students who before may have thought that they can't do something or accomplish something new.
My Project
For many of my students, coding and robotics sound very difficult and challenging. Yet when they are given the chance, students start to see that it is not that difficult and that it only requires patience and practice; then, many begin to enjoy it.
I want to encourage both girls and boys to try coding, but sometimes that can be challenging.
At our school, we have a robotics club, but the problem is that many times when you walk into the room, it can seem like it is full of boys. For middle school girls, this can be tough environment for them to walk into. Trying something, especially in a field that is still predominately male, is daunting. Coding and robotics should not be regulated to only one gender, it should be made for ALL.
At my school, we are actively engaging girls to try this field, and the interest is building. To continue their interest, we would like to have these robotics kits because then we can have students from both genders collaborate while building but also when operating them. These kits will hopefully help them see that the differences that they have between them is down to biology and that there is nothing they cannot accomplish if they set their minds to it. With the help of these materials, students can also see the practical applications of coding/robotics and gain skills in this ever-changing technological world.
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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. Luong and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
