Can you imagine the difference in students involvement in school if they are using robots and making cool inventions as opposed to sitting and listening to adults talk? Tell me and I forget. Benjamin Franklin said " Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." We want students to be involved.
Our school has about 370 students who come from very hardworking families, working multiple jobs so that they can stand on their own.
Each year we have more and more students who have families struggling to make it and who often have to move in with relatives after a job loss. Many also come from military families. The students at our school really want to make good choices, and we have a staff that is working to help guide students. Our staff continually goes above and beyond to help their students. The school is based on the idea that we are all part of the same team, and we work towards helping all students. Almost 100 percent of certified staff work as mentors during their personal time to give students who need the extra help the attention they need, whether it is an academic or a personal need.
My Project
Our school has started a Makerspace. We have teachers and the librarian on board. Our vision is to start teaching coding to both primary and intermediate levels. The robots such as Dot and Dash and the extension sets will be used for coding. Another area that we are developing in the Makerspace is investigation into circuits. The Makey Makey kit and alligator lead set will help supply this area. The Stikbots will allow students to pose the figures and then film and animate them to create video creations. Some of the materials such as Bendarros, pom poms, craft sticks will allow the student to create their own inventions. All students are motivated by different types of learning experiences. They also have different interests and skills. We want to have an experiential environment that will allow students to learn, and to be motivational. We also want to prepare them for the careers of the future. There is a great demand locally for those with STEM skill.
Education is changing to keep up with future jobs.
The local companies are working with the schools to help them identify skills that are needed. These materials will help motivate students to learn critical skills that students will need for the future. They will also learn team work, collaboration, and problem solving. All these are vital skills for students to master.
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