So many of my students are extremely intelligent but do not have a way to explore connections between math, science, and engineering to prove their genius and fall in love with learning. Given the opportunity, I think I have students that will foster their love of learning and change the world!
I teach at a Title I school (90% free/reduced lunch) in a high poverty area of a county in South Carolina.
Poverty is more than money. A more precise definition of poverty is that it is a lack of access to resources.
I love to look at it in this way because that describes my students exactly. My students have a lack of access to resources that other children have in their home environments. Most of them do not have a connection to anything outside of home and school. Thinking about the big picture of the world in general and how things work just isn't in their worldview right now.
This is where I come in. My job, especially as a Science Teacher, is to inspire students to look deeper, think clearer, and question everything. "How does this work?" How could I make something better than it is?" "How can I make something on my own?"
Thinking in this way is a resource that my students need. I need to create this atmosphere in my classroom and at my school.
My Project
I have a tremendous opportunity to motivate and inspire students at my school. I have taken on the charge of starting a Maker Club and creating a Maker Space at my school. I am so excited and cannot wait to get things going.
Making is the art of, well, making. If you can think it, you can make it. Making deals with creating something from scratch. It can be done in a variety of ways, but I am going to start with electronic making with my students and hopefully build from there throughout the year (to computer programming, other engineering areas, etc...). Once students have a basic understanding of electronics, the sky will be the limit for what they can try to make.
The first step is gathering materials that can be used to help my students explore electronics and the making arts. That is where this project comes in.
Snap Circuit Kits are an easy way for students to learn the basics. They will be able to explore how energy works and is transformed within circuits.
When you give to this project, you are giving a chance to help genius come alive to students who may lack the resources for this to happen without the program I am starting.
You are allowing students to learn and explore. You have the chance to change the lives of students and a chance to possibly change the world...who knows what the seed of exploration and making might grow in the future! One of my students may grow up to be one of the next great inventors. You could be a part of that!
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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. Blizzard and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.