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Grant Highlight: 3rd Graders Enhance Skills with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) Kits
The Maynard Education Foundation was excited to award Nate Thomas, a teacher at Green Meadow, a grant for STEAM kits for his third grade class this year. The initiative was one of the grants made possible by a generous gift from ACACIA Communications, Inc., located at Mill & Main, Maynard.
Thanks to the grant, the students are using coding and computer-based design skills to program and control Ozobot Evo Robots and LittleBits Droids. For the past two years, Mr. Thomas has been using code.org to teach his students about coding and computer programing. Thomas was looking for new ways to foster excitement about STEAM when he learned about the kits at the MassCUE Conference in the Fall. “I am a firm believer that students do not learn to their full potential if they are not invested in their work and if they are not enjoying their learning,” said Thomas.
Thomas selected the products because they are aligned with the third grade math and science curriculum. In addition, students work on the kits in small groups, thus promoting collaboration, problem solving, and inventing.
The students are  excited to experiment with the new materials, asking to use them on a daily basis. They are using colored markers to program Ozobot Evo to move in a variety of ways. The Evo robots are so popular with the students, they have decided to name 3 of them! The class also worked together to assemble a Little Bits Droid, which they drive using a Bluetooth device. Thomas commented, “we are having a blast with our new STEAM materials, and the kids are learning something new every time we use them!”
After watching the results of programming their Ozobot, one student said, “This is cool, I was not expecting this.” Another student enthusiastically exclaimed, “This is awesome!”
Thomas hopes that using these materials on a regular basis will promote an interest in technology and an eagerness in learning more about programming, coding, and computers. “Having students begin to understand and enjoy technology will help them become 21st Century learners.”
 Thomas is measuring the success of the pilot initiative through “student investment, creation of ‘bots”, teamwork, and students imploring ‘When can we use the STEAM kits again?” He plans on showing other third grade classes his students’ work, with the hope that they will be able to secure STEAM materials for their classrooms in the future.
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The Maynard Education Foundation was delighted to receive a $1,000 donation from the STAPLES Foundation earlier this year. The funding was provided to MEF as part of 2 Million & Change, a program that was previously supported by the Staples Foundation.
The donation was used to support MEF’s grant program during the 2017-2018 school year.
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