"Empowering students with knowledge and skills they've learned in the classroom, and creating an opportunity for them to teach others, solidifies their understanding of the subject matter and instills a sense of confidence to take on the next challenge," shared Doug Mann, 5th Grade PLTW Teacher at Challenger Intermediate School.
Starting with a simple conversation, Mann and Alex Phillips, a 1st Grade Teacher at Amelia Earhart Elementary School, began dreaming up opportunities for their students to bring the lessons learned in the classroom to life. After collaborating with their principals, Marney Hay (Amelia Earhart) and Darrin SanRomani (Challenger), the two teachers developed an "Hour of Code" event that would bring their 1st and 5th-grade students together. Phillip's 1st-grade students would travel to Challenger (where they will eventually be for 5th and 6th grade), and Mann's students would teach and conduct experiential science lessons about coding and robotics.
After the "Hour of Code" plan was announced, ALL 1st-grade classrooms at both Amelia Earhart and Clark Davidson Elementary School were inspired to participate. When the "Hour of Code" day came, Challenger was buzzing with an extra 150 1st-grade students spread out around the school in four unique science stations. The stations included Rosie's Runtime, Tangrams, Coding, and Robots.
During the Tangrams lesson, Linda Oller's 5th-grade students took their new role as "Teacher" to heart. Oller stated, "It was inspiring to see our students take so much ownership in the lessons they were teaching. They became leaders, taking the younger students where they needed to go, explaining everything so well, and building relationships beyond just the lessons being taught."
One of Oller's students shared, "I really enjoy working with robots and coding. It's like creating new patterns with geometry, and the possibilities of what robots can do are endless. It's been so fun teaching younger students. I like getting to know them and finding something we can connect with. Even if we don't find something in common, it gives me something new to learn about."
When reflecting on the success of the event, Phillips stated, "Seeing my former 1st-grade students teaching my current 1st-grade students was awesome. They were all so kind and well-mannered. When we returned to Amelia Earhart after the 'Hour of Code' event, students immediately asked when they would do this again. We are so grateful to have a supportive environment where dreaming big and finding innovative opportunities for students is encouraged. This event has had as big of an impact on me as it has on my students, and I can't wait to do it again and make it even better."