{"id":200885,"date":"2019-07-30T10:39:10","date_gmt":"2019-07-30T14:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=200885"},"modified":"2023-07-03T11:38:43","modified_gmt":"2023-07-03T15:38:43","slug":"local-educator-brings-robotics-into-math-classrooms-with-help-of-donor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2019\/07\/local-educator-brings-robotics-into-math-classrooms-with-help-of-donor\/","title":{"rendered":"Local Educator Brings Robotics Into Math Classrooms With Help of Donor"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Editor\u2019s Note:<\/strong>\u00a0Applications for the 2020 Rogers Fund will\u00a0open in mid-September<\/a>.\u00a0Learn more about the Rogers Educational Innovation Fund<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Black
Dwight Sharpe works with middle school students as part of the new science and technology project he initiated at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Middletown, Conn. (Caitlin Trinh\/Neag School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dwight Sharpe, recipient of the Neag School\u2019s\u00a0Rogers Educational Innovation Fund in 2018<\/a>, has always been intrigued by science and technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to play with things and understand how things work,\u201d Sharpe says, is what engaged him as a child; remote-controlled cars were among his favorite toys. \u201cThat\u2019s the tie between mathematics and technology: recognizing there is so much math that goes into creating these electronic-type devices.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Middletown, Conn., where he was teaching math in 2017, Sharpe had come across some robots stored in the school\u2019s technology office, which sparked an idea: using robots in the classroom.<\/p>\n

With this in mind, he applied for the 2018\u00a0Rogers Educational Innovation Fund<\/a>, a $5,000 award designated by Neag School Professor Emeritus Vincent Rogers and his late wife, Chris, in support of innovative projects carried out by Connecticut teachers at the elementary or middle-school level.<\/p>\n

Sharpe\u2019s project, entitled \u201cAccessing and Engaging in Mathematics Through Robotics and Computer Programming,\u201d seeks \u201cto explore and determine how robotics and computer programming can be embedded into middle school instruction to improve student engagement and achievement.\u201d It was selected from among more than 40 submissions.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, the new project was about engagement. It was about integrating something into the classroom that hasn\u2019t been there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Dwight Sharpe, 2018 Rogers Award Recipient<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

New Technology Leads to New Approach
\n<\/strong>\u201cAs an eighth-grade mathematics teacher at Woodrow Wilson Middle School, I often find it difficult to actively engage my struggling learners so that they are able to master mathematical concepts,\u201d Sharpe had explained in his original project proposal.<\/p>\n

This year, in an effort to improve mathematics performance for all students, Sharpe has been collaborating with his grade-level colleagues and curriculum supervisor to provide more personalized instruction to students. In Middletown, elementary schools are in their fourth year of implementing Guided Math implementation, an approach that allows small groups of students situated around the classroom to work together on specific curriculum standards. The schools have seen a positive impact on student mastery and performance measures as a result of this approach to math instruction; Woodrow Wilson Middle hopes to replicate this success with their own implementation of Guided Math.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause many students have not had significant success in mathematics classes and assessments, they have developed a fixed mindset in which they believe they cannot independently solve mathematical problems without the scaffolding and support from me,\u201d Sharpe says. \u201cMany students are disengaged, frustrated, and unwilling to take risks in the classroom that allow for learning and success.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the classroom model at the school had long centered on students sitting at their desks while teachers lectured, Sharpe saw an opportunity to transform that with his robotics and computer programming project.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, the new project was about engagement,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was about integrating something into the classroom that hasn\u2019t been there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead of the teacher speaking in front of the classroom, there are now stations throughout the classroom where students can teach themselves or learn and discover on their own. By integrating robotics and computer programming into math instruction through Guided Math groups, Sharpe seeks to motivate students to apply mathematical concepts.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy intention was to find out if there was something we could bring into the classroom that\u2019s going to get the kids engaged, that\u2019s going to be more on the level of what they want to learn,\u201d Sharpe says.<\/p>\n

\"Student
A student at Woodrow Wilson works with a laptop as part of the new technology project. (Caitlin Trinh\/Neag School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Robots and Probots and Ozobots \u2013 Oh My
\n<\/strong>In each unit of study, Sharpe has created a variety of hands-on lessons and activities integrating specific types of small robots or robotic platforms \u2014 among them Ozobots, Probots, Spheros, and Bloxels \u2014 that allow students to apply mathematical concepts they have studied.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will ask students to collaborate to solve problems, articulate their solutions, and demonstrate their understanding,\u201d Sharpe says.<\/p>\n

For example, students can use Ozobots to demonstrate the relationships expressed by the Pythagorean Theorem; engage with ProBots to plot the answers to basic equations of lines and planes; or develop video games based on specific mathematical skills using a platform called Bloxels \u2014\u00a0all of which Sharpe says can help make math lessons \u201ca lot more appealing to kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSuccess in these activities will also help students to develop a mathematical mindset in which they believe they are capable of mastering math concepts through collaboration, questioning, and problem solving,\u201d he says. \u201cBecause the need and ability of my students vary significantly in the classroom, I have deliberately identified four robotic devices that will allow me to differentiate activities so that I can meet students where they are and allow for growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Sharpe says he hopes \u201cstudents will not only come to class excited to participate in mathematics, [but also] believe that they can succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Young
Middle school students work with coding materials and robots to help them learn how to program computers. (Caitlin Trinh\/Neag School)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Opening Doors
\n<\/strong>Once the new equipment was brought into classrooms, many students were eager to play and experiment with it. \u201cIt was really awesome to have various stations with all the computers going, and the kids bumping into each other,\u201d says Sharpe.<\/p>\n

Yet some students \u2013 and even some teachers \u2013 were anxious about the new tools.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor something new to come in, especially for a lot of kids, change isn\u2019t always easy,\u201d admits Sharpe, who says he had to think through the new curriculum to figure out a more interdisciplinary approach to math instruction.<\/p>\n

Soon enough, math seemed to become more accessible among the different students in the classroom, especially female students. Sharpe recalls one such student in eighth grade who was struggling with learning coding. Sharpe spent time with her, helping her to understand the concepts. \u201cI was coaxing her through, saying \u2026 \u2018I think you are downplaying your ability and doing something that someone told you you cannot do\u2019,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

A few weeks later, he reconnected with the student, whose attitude had completely changed. \u201c\u2018This coding stuff is awesome\u2019,\u201d Sharpe recalls her saying. \u201c\u2018You were right. I was thinking that I couldn\u2019t do it, when actuality I really could.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The hands-on-experience and exposure to the various types of robots, Sharpe says, are \u201copening doors\u201d for many different students.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Next
\n<\/strong>Over the next year, the school will look to incorporate the robots very intentionally into the project-based learning, and to identify the data and see how the project has helped improve student learning and performance in various tests.<\/p>\n

Sharpe says he thinks the students are \u201chaving an understanding of the application of math and knowing that if \u2018I input something that I then get a result back\u2019; I think that conceptual understanding of mathematics is huge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though he has begun serving in a new role, as the district equity, restorative practices, and social-emotional learning facilitator for Middletown (Conn.) Public Schools, Sharpe will continue to champion the project.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many things changing in the math department, I feel like I\u2019m missing so much,\u201d he says. \u201cI try to sneak into math classes as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thanks to the generosity of Vincent and Chris Rogers, the project has the funding needed to pave a new way of thinking, Sharpe says, allowing students to \u201cthink beyond just the normal,\u201d to think creatively, and to look at things differently.<\/p>\n

It \u201creally gives the kids the insight to what is possible, even if you can\u2019t see it in front of you,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Check out more information about the Rogers Educational Innovation Fund<\/em><\/a>. Applications for the 2020 Rogers Fund will open in mid-September.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dwight Sharpe, after receiving the 2018 Rogers Educational Innovation Fund, a $5,000 award that supports innovative projects carried out by Connecticut teachers at the elementary or middle-school level, has begun implementing his vision. Sharpe\u2019s project, entitled \u201cAccessing and Engaging in Mathematics Through Robotics and Computer Programming,\u201d seeks \u201cto explore and determine how robotics and computer programming can be embedded into middle school instruction to improve student engagement and achievement.\u201d It was selected from among more than 40 submissions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2424,1855],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[1879],"class_list":["post-200885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-neag-community-engagement","category-neag"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-29 05:28:59","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=200885"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":200890,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200885\/revisions\/200890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=200885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=200885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=200885"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=200885"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=200885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}