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By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Maria DeCicco has been a classroom teacher for the past 20 years, which has allowed her to fully understand how financial limitations can impact the curriculum, resources, and technology in schools.
DeCicco recently applied for, and received, a $10,000 grant from the Needham Education Foundation, a generous foundation which grants funds that “promote innovation and excellence in education for Needham public school students.” This grant will go towards the purchase of five Sphero SPRK Power Packs, one for each elementary school. Each power pack contains 12 robotic Spheros. In addition, this grant will fund a K’nex Building Set for each school to compliment technology, engineering, math and science curriculum.
So, what exactly is a Sphero?
“They’re these cool roll-y robots, and what’s really neat about them is that they bring the digital world into their physical world,” DeCicco explained. She likened them to BB-8, the spherical robot sidekick from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
“The kids can do the programming in an iPad to have them roll or follow a maze or even doing artwork. It complements our STEAM curriculum, which is kind of new to the Needham public school scene.” The Spheros can be used in a variety of subjects. They can be programmed to perform angles or to draw out an geometric shape, which is math involvement. “You can have the Sphero travel along the digestive system on a poster, which is like digital. You can do stop motion, as well. You can have them travel along explorer routes,” DeCicco elaborated.
“As one of five Technology Integration Specialists, and having worked in four out of the five elementary schools in Needham, one characteristic that students have shared is an interest in using technology to understand new concepts and explore their world,” DeCicco said. “Our students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and each brings his or her own unique ideas and understandings to the classroom when it comes to exploring new things. The real benefit and power of learning happens when we get students truly hooked and engaged creatively. Spheros will do just that!”
The Spheros can be used in grades K through 5, since the level of programming can change and advance. Most of all, DeCicco feels lucky to have been the beneficiary of this grant. “I feel absolutely blessed, and I can’t even tell you how excited I am,” she exclaimed. “It’s so important for our families to keep donating to the NEF, because it is a main way in which the NEF is able to give donations like this and fund grants like this because of parent donations. This really is a community effort.”
