Arthur C. Clarke wrote, "The limits of the possible can only be defined by going beyond them into the impossible." I want my students to reach beyond what they perceive to be their limits to see just how capable they really are.
I am the school counselor at a public, K-5 school in Tennessee.
My students are a diverse group culturally, ethnically, and economically. I work with all of our 850+ students in grades K through 5, providing classroom guidance and individual and small-group counseling.
In a departure from my usual duties, I have begun working with a group of 5th-grade girls, introducing them to computer coding through the CODE.org K-8 course on programming. These girls are some of our top students. Though some of them have been a bit nervous to try something new and beyond their current understanding, they are all enthusiastic about this course and the things we are learning!
My Project
The materials requested in this project support the CODE.org K-8 programming course. The activities in this course are used to help students understand elements of computer programing.
In the initial lesson, students drew their initials using binary code. We will mount these on the requested magnetic cards.
The transparency film will be used to create elements of the "Monster Catalog" so students can learn to discern similarities and differences; then use the information to deconstruct and reconstruct, writing computer code algorithms to do so.
The tangrams will be used in a lesson that teaches students the importance of clarity in writing computer code. Students describe to a peer an object they are to create with the tangrams, though the peer cannot see the object they are trying to construct.
The beads and suncatchers will be used to create a window hanging; but again, the object is to help the students understand an element of computer coding, in this case how to handle repeated actions in a series.
While our culture has made strides in supporting women's entry into traditionally male career paths, I am keenly aware that girls are still under-represented in STEM fields of study.
Moreover, sometimes my brightest students are reticent to try something new for fear of failing. I am hoping that this course will help de-mystify computers and programming for these girls, will show them how capable they are, and encourage them to follow their dreams, whatever they may be!
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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 Dr. Taylor and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
