Governor John Fairfield School Seeks $2,500.00 for the Purchase of Dash and Dot Robots

The child-friendly robots are interactive and fun enrichment tools used to connect STEM technology with multidisciplinary areas of study, growing student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking in the elementary school classroom.

Education's function is to develop well-balanced, knowledgeable citizens of the community, so finding and nurturing a student's passion for learning is critical.

When teachers incorporate Dash and Dot robots, a hands-on enrichment tool, students pay attention; the task becomes interactive; it ignites a spark for learning that engages their imagination.

Children work with robots to learn the fundamentals of computer programming.

According to Lonnie Atkins, an Electrical Engineer for the US Navy;

It is vital that children learn the fundamentals of programming during their early childhood education. When students get to higher-level STEM classes, there is a gap between what they are expected to know already and what they are currently learning, making it more challenging for students to understand the curriculum. Giving children access to STEM at an early age– helps narrow this gap.

Combine this training with traditional teaching materials: such as legos, tape, and cardboard, helps children explore their interests while still allowing them to learn through play. For example, a lesson on pollination is done by decorating the robot to look like a bee and then programming the robot to do the "waggle dance," a directional dance that teaches other bees the location of food sources.

With the help of apps such as Wonder, Blockly, Xylo, Path, and Go, children can program these robots to have a personality, learn and play games, send messages, solve puzzles, and perform an obstacle course. To accomplish this, children must listen and follow their teacher's directions, plan and organize their thoughts, work as a team, and tap into their higher-level thinking skills. Students must analyze what they are doing and evaluate their course of action to achieve their goals.

If students are engaged in the classroom, they become more self-sufficient, confident, and involved with learning. They feel more prepared to apply these skills in a real-world experience.

By funding the purchase of Dash and Dot for Governor John Fairfield School,

Berlin City Drive for Education is supporting every student's desire to learn.

According to Peter L. Benson, President and CEO of the Search Institute, a leading authority on positive human development, children need three champions: family, school, and community, to help them develop their spark for learning.

40% of Fairfield's student population is on a Free Lunch program. When students come from homes that do not have the financial ability to give them access to enrichment opportunities, schools and communities have a civic duty to support these children.

Funding this program helps our students gain school success and a sense of purpose; it develops innovative leaders for the future!