Teachers have an idea as to how students might best fulfill their potential. Students, undoubtedly, have their own ideas. Rarely the twain shall meet. But, what if they did? What if there were something educational and, somehow, cool both parties could agree upon? There is - it's called Osmo.
The students of Pittman Elementary look like any other students.
They attend class. They eat lunch. They play at recess. Yet, while these students look like other kids across town, the kids at Pittman know something the others don't. While they know nothing about the loss of Title One funding, they do know that the literacy and math coach that formerly helped them improve their reading and mathematical skills are no longer at their school. Despite their hardship they do not believe that success must submit to budgetary recommendations or that unequal resources mean unequal ability. No, they believe they can still achieve, and they are. And while an Osmo in the classroom will not replace a literacy or math coach, they are a step towards recovering what has been lost. And if technology is as powerful a tool as it is purported to be, then the advantages of an Osmo in the classroom extend beyond affecting an individual student to an entire class.
My Project
With the recently passed iGnite initiative, Springfield Public Schools have promised to integrate the use of iPads into the district's elementary schools. While this is a blessing, determining how to maximize its use is now a challenge. Osmo meets that challenge by "[changing] the way [a] child interacts with the iPad by opening it up to hands-on play." It does this through the game play of Words, Numbers, Newton, Tangram, and Masterpiece. While the names of these games are slightly ambiguous, the skills of spelling, mathematics, science, dexterity, and artistic expression are highlighted, thus providing students with a holistic educational practice. And so, one could easily see Osmo's inclusion in the centers employed by teachers within their classroom. Furthermore, the Osmo team has created corresponding curriculum that is rooted in STEM, whilst also allowing teachers to create new curriculum themselves. Thus, in every way, Osmo's impact on the classroom is undeniably powerful.
I have two small children at home, a preschooler and a second grader, and for Christmas this year they received an Osmo.
To be sure, they received several other gifts - many of which were educational or creative in nature - but they more often than not request to play Osmo. So alluring is it's play that they even listed it as a desired reward for completing their chores. Anything educational that accomplishes that can certainly improve learning in a classroom and, moreover, student lives.
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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 Mr. Rowlett and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.