After attending my STEM fellowship in Washington DC this summer, I have a renewed interested in promoting all things technology-related. Authentic learning experiences and real world problems to solve are the cornerstones of my classes. Since participating in the Hour of Code, my students have been hungry for more! After receiving a student request to establish an after school club dedicated to computer science, I knew we were on to something! The Makey Makey, Raspberry Pi, and Orbotix Sphero devices with accessories will provide avenues for the students to test their programming/coding skills and see how they translate into tangible output. Students will be able to program these devices using their computer science skills to see how they work. These will be used during classes and after school to hone their computer science and programming/coding skills.
If you are able, I would appreciate a donation to my donorschoose.org project. If you make a donation in the next 7 days, please use the coupon code INSPIRE and your donation will be doubled!
Here are the items we’re asking for:
A Makey Makey – MaKey MaKey is an invention kit for the 21st century. Turn everyday objects into touchpads and combine them with the internet. It’s a simple Invention Kit for Beginners and Experts doing art, engineering, and everything inbetween.
Raspberry Pi – The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It is a capable little computer which can be used in electronics projects, and for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games.
Sphero Orbotix – Sphero is a robotic ball that students can program with their phones. Choose from over 25 apps and launch a whole new world of mobile gameplay. Drive Sphero like never before, turn your surroundings into a video game with augmented reality, and discover endless ways to play. Sphero rolls 6 feet per second and pairs to your device via Bluetooth. Powered by induction charging and an internal smart robot, Sphero also glows in millions of colors and is pet proof, waterproof, and ready for any adventure.