My students need Little Bits, 3D Doodlers and filament, play foam, Makey Makey kits, and Ozobots to dive into STEAM and create a Maker Space in the classroom.
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
An important job of teaching is to make sure that our students are ready to function and participate in our ever evolving technological world. They need to be problem solvers and think like engineers. I try to show the students ideas of STEAM learning by creating a Maker Space in the classroom.
My 6th grade class is 96% low income in a Title I public elementary school.
We're a high-needs school in a high-needs community trying to make do with the few resources we have. In my class, I have 54 high energy students with special needs students that are eager to learn when given the chance. They participate actively and are always asking questions about the world around them. Unfortunately, though, we have a science curriculum that does not have many hands-on options. My students learn about science through reading texts but I want to provide them with a more engaging class experience. Having a hands-on approach is a top priority, especially with my Diverse Learners. I am working around the provided curriculum to make sure that science leaves a lasting impression on every student.
My Project
With Maker Space materials such as the 3D doodlers, Ozobots, Makey Makey and Little Bits kits, my students will be able to turn their imaginative ideas into physical products. We will also be able to create things that may not be available for students to touch and manipulate. The students will be able to learn programming with the Ozobots, Makey Makey kits and Little Bits. They can use the play foam and 3D doodlers to create whatever comes to their imagination. As they tinker with their products, they are learning important engineering and problem solving skills.
Maker Space materials will make our Science classroom more into a Makers Workshop classroom.
The students will have more options open for their creativity as they will be able to creative miniature replicas of anything they could find or create a template for. They will be able to program and code and think like engineers. Implementing a hands-on curriculum will better prepare my students for the careers that will be available to them that require a problem solving, critical thinking approach.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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 Ms. Rodriguez and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
