The Operation Round Up Board of Directors initiated a program offering small, $500 grants to teachers. Grants were available to K-12 teachers in math or language arts for the 2019-2020 school year. The funds are made available by South Plains Electric Cooperative members contributing to Operation Round Up. Their monthly bill is rounded up to the next dollar, and the extra change, averaging only $6 per year, funds projects like the teacher mini-grants, scholarships and much more.
Ollie Hart is a fourth-grade science and social studies teacher at Abernathy Elementary and is a 2019-2020 Operation Round Up Mini-Grant recipient. Hart purchased a set of Dash robots with the mini-grant.
Students have been able to communicate, use their math skills and apply knowledge while programming the Dash robot. Students are also using communication skills to share new ideas and work as a cooperative learning team.
“This technology provides our students with valuable opportunities that will support their future studies and career choices,” Hart said.
There are numerous benefits of this technology in a classroom. The Blockly app that corresponds to Dash robots has allowed students to learn basic programming skills while completing their science activities.
“Thank you South Plains Electric Cooperative for giving our students the opportunity to use the most up-to-date technology in our classroom,” Hart said. “We are grateful for your dedication to education on the South Plains.”
