Terminally ill children make up a population of students that often don’t receive the educational opportunities they deserve. UCF education professor Megan Nickels is researching ways that robotics can be used to enhance math education for these children.
Nickels, who is passionate about teaching and has a broad background in elementary education, became dissatisfied with the way other teachers thought about and taught mathematics. She realized that in order to make a change that went beyond her own classroom, she would have to go into higher education and change future educators’ beliefs about mathematics.
During her doctorate program, she began volunteering in hospitals to teach math to terminally ill children. On her first day, she had …show more content…
“It wasn’t my idea of good teaching to begin with, and to try to make a child who is in the fight of her life do that work seemed ridiculous. On the ride home I thought, what am I going to do instead?”
Nickels thought about what she liked to do as a child, and what might interest children today. The answer: robots.
Nickels now works with kids through a program called Believe, Achieve, Support, and Educate Camp. She provides robotics lessons to children who are ill in the hospital, at their homes or at BASE Camp.
She collects data through the lessons, looking at the children’s understanding of mathematics, their social responses and if it’s reducing stressors or changing the neuroplasticity in their brains. Nickels’ work is the only known research on these factors.
Carl Zrelak, whose son was diagnosed with cancer last year, praised Nickels for her patience and receptiveness with the kids.
“For my son, going through cancer, chemo and radiation, we noticed that he was kind of depressed,” Zrelak said. “He had always been an A student, and his grades were falling. This was due to cancer and chemo and radiation, but there was also a lack of interest. Dr. Nickels coming to our house renewed his interest in science and …show more content…
“When she was introduced to a hospital teacher, that teacher did not meet her needs in any way and made her feel worse. If someone like Megan, or someone who was prepared by someone like Megan had been there, my daughter’s path in the hospital might have been different.”
Nickels has a number of goals for UCF and the area of Orlando.
She would like UCF to implement a course and eventually even a program devoted to educating chronically and terminally ill children.
In the Orlando area, there are not in-house school programs at any of the children’s hospitals, and she wants that to change.
“I want to help them find the money to do that and provide the resources and the training. A really critical piece for these kids is having educational opportunities in-house,” Nickels said.
Nickels has a way of making things happen, according to Dixon.
“You meet people all the time, and then you meet people that you never forget,” Dixon said. “Megan is very clearly in the category of people that you don’t
Nickels, who is passionate about teaching and has a broad background in elementary education, became dissatisfied with the way other teachers thought about and taught mathematics. She realized that in order to make a change that went beyond her own classroom, she would have to go into higher education and change future educators’ beliefs about mathematics.
During her doctorate program, she began volunteering in hospitals to teach math to terminally ill children. On her first day, she had …show more content…
“It wasn’t my idea of good teaching to begin with, and to try to make a child who is in the fight of her life do that work seemed ridiculous. On the ride home I thought, what am I going to do instead?”
Nickels thought about what she liked to do as a child, and what might interest children today. The answer: robots.
Nickels now works with kids through a program called Believe, Achieve, Support, and Educate Camp. She provides robotics lessons to children who are ill in the hospital, at their homes or at BASE Camp.
She collects data through the lessons, looking at the children’s understanding of mathematics, their social responses and if it’s reducing stressors or changing the neuroplasticity in their brains. Nickels’ work is the only known research on these factors.
Carl Zrelak, whose son was diagnosed with cancer last year, praised Nickels for her patience and receptiveness with the kids.
“For my son, going through cancer, chemo and radiation, we noticed that he was kind of depressed,” Zrelak said. “He had always been an A student, and his grades were falling. This was due to cancer and chemo and radiation, but there was also a lack of interest. Dr. Nickels coming to our house renewed his interest in science and …show more content…
“When she was introduced to a hospital teacher, that teacher did not meet her needs in any way and made her feel worse. If someone like Megan, or someone who was prepared by someone like Megan had been there, my daughter’s path in the hospital might have been different.”
Nickels has a number of goals for UCF and the area of Orlando.
She would like UCF to implement a course and eventually even a program devoted to educating chronically and terminally ill children.
In the Orlando area, there are not in-house school programs at any of the children’s hospitals, and she wants that to change.
“I want to help them find the money to do that and provide the resources and the training. A really critical piece for these kids is having educational opportunities in-house,” Nickels said.
Nickels has a way of making things happen, according to Dixon.
“You meet people all the time, and then you meet people that you never forget,” Dixon said. “Megan is very clearly in the category of people that you don’t