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Goal

Fostering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is paramount for preparing students to thrive in the 21st century workforce. Despite the growing importance of STEM education, many students lack access to hands-on learning experiences that are both engaging and relevant to real-world applications. The Sphero robots and STEM solutions ignite creativity and passion for STEM. The funding to purchase Sphero Mini will allow me to implement innovative educational tools to inspire curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities among my students.
Sphero Mini is a programmable robot that will teach students computer science concepts and STEM skills. Students in the gifted classroom will learn coding skills and use those skills to complete various tasks and challenges using the robot.
Using the Sphero Mini:
-Will help students learn computer science, math, science, and ELA skills.
-Will allow students to use interactive tools and encourage hands-on learning and interaction.
-Will be used for individualized learning or collaborative group projects.
-Will be used to help students develop algorithms and understand AR systems.
-Will build teamwork skills and foster positive group interactions.  

What will be done with my students

Students will use the Sphero mini weekly during Technology time in the gifted classroom. These robots can be used in future years making it a great investment not only for the 2025 school year, but the years that follow. Students will complete a variety of lessons to learn coding skills then program the Sphero Mini using Block based coding and Java Script. Students will complete maze navigation activities using cones and pins to create mazes for the Sphero to navigate. They will use the Sphero to play STEM-inspired arcade-style games.
Students will take part in robot races using cones and pins to create races for the Sphero. They will compete against classmates to see who successfully finishes the task first.
There will be various STEM projects, such as, building bridges and then programming the Sphero to drive across them. Students will use the challenge mat and activity cards to program robots to make their way across the mats.
We will use the Sphero to learn three types of coding by using the following:
Draw: Use the Draw canvas in the Sphero Edu app
Blocks: Use block-based coding in the Sphero Edu app
JavaScript: Use JavaScript in the Sphero Edu app.
 

Benefits to my students

Using Sphero Mini robots in the classroom can help 25-30 gifted students develop critical thinking, problem solving, and coding skills. It will also help students build confidence and a growth mindset.
Critical thinking: Students learn to analyze problems, develop solutions, and test their solutions.
Problem solving: Solving problems is the foundation for engineering education. This program allows students to quickly build, test and learn engineering concepts in the classroom. Students will learn from their mistakes and figure out how to solve complex problems.
Growth mindset: Students learn that mistakes are part of the learning process.
Confidence: Students build confidence by learning challenging subjects through hands-on activities.
STEM: Students can learn STEM concepts through play-based learning.
Students will be working in pairs with the robots. This will foster teamwork and communication skills learning to effectively work in a group.  

Budget Narrative

Funds will be used to purchase 5 Sphero Mini Robots that are $50 each for a total of 250.00. The funds will also purchase the charging base to offer the ability to charge up to six Sphero devices at one time. The 2 sided challenge mats provide students with activity task cards to use the Sphero and complete challenges on the themed mats. These mats make the Sphero much more versatile and offer hundreds of activities to use with the robots.  

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