Danielle Whittington is excited that a pair of grants will help her better prepare her students for the future by teaching them computer coding.
Whittington, a fourth-grade reading and social studies teacher at Columbia Elementary School, recently received grants from Mississippi Power and from Mississippi Professional Educators to enhance her classroom.
“Both of these grants are being used together,” she said. “What I wanted to do wasn’t possible without both. We as educators are trying to change and move with what we see is coming. A lot of that is dealing with coding and software.”
The Columbia School District recently implemented a one-to-one technology program, which placed a device in the hands of each of its students.
“Every child at CES has a Chromebook,” Whittington said. “Each year, I seek opportunities to find things that will enrich my classroom. This year, I’ve chosen several with the grants. I’ve chosen LEGO STEM kits as one of the items. It helps with critical thinking skills. Being an occupational therapist as well as a teacher, I realize that all students don’t learn in the same way. If I can find something to reach my students who would normally be missed because they learn differently, then I’ve met my goal. If I can teach my kids to follow directions, sequence, break things down and think critically, then it doesn’t matter what I do it with.”
Whittington said the new LEGO kits include motors and things to build.
“They learn to solve problems and work together,” she said. “We’ve also purchased the Dash and Dot Robot that does coding. The students can make their own codes. There is coding going on in every classroom.”
Whittington said that teaching the students coding and computer use was essential for their futures.
“Sixty-five percent of the jobs for these kids haven’t even been thought of yet,” she said. “I want my kids to be at the head of the pack.”
Whittington has been a member of MPE since 2015 and titled her project “Write It Right, Without Pencils.” The project uses the kinesthetic approach to teach sequencing, transitions, and flow in developing computer codes.
“I think they saw a teacher that was outside the box in looking for ways to reach the students,” she said. “I received $1,000 from MPE and $1,000 from Mississippi Power.”
Mississippi Power issued grants to more than 40 teachers across the company’s service territory for its 2017 Environmental Education Grants. The grants are used for project and classroom equipment that will advance the teaching of skills needed in the environmental field.
“I’m really thankful to MPE and Mississippi Power for these grants,” she concluded. “The items purchased will really help prepare our students for the future.”
Pictured Above: Danielle Whittington poses in her classroom at Columbia Elementary School with a display of some of the items she has ordered using money from two grants she recently received. | Photo by Mark Rogers
