Jennifer Beaver

Beaver’s, a former social studies teacher turned librarian, innovative teaching idea, “Maps, Robots and Books – Oh My!”, combines the subjects of reading, robotics, and geography in her program. Seemingly different skills, yet all interrelated. According to Beaver, The Robotics Industry Association reports that the United States is faced with a growing number of STEM related jobs yet are faced with a limited amount of job candidates. At the same time, 50.5 percent of students at her school did not meet expectations on the 2019 state reading test. Meanwhile, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test reveals that the nation's students struggle in geography, scoring below proficient. Her innovative program will include the reading of How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz, a story of a young boy who used the visualization on a map to escape the horrors of World War II. After reading the book and learning Ozobots, the students will work in small groups to choose three continents to “visit”. Students will then research their chosen continents and craft a story about their robot's adventures.