Discover Gracie
by Daphne McMenemy
As a teacher of 20 years, I’ve always been passionate about finding new and creative ways to engage my students. In 2019, I took that passion a step further and wrote a book called Gracie, about a little girl whose world comes to life when her teacher introduces her to coding with a small robot named GoBot. The Gracie series, based on my experiences in the classroom, has since expanded to three fiction stories and two nonfiction teacher resources.
The idea for the Gracie Emulator came to life after meeting Mandy at Terrapin. Together, we created a set of mats that align with the characters and settings from the Gracie books. Each mat is designed to help students learn through hands-on, interactive play, just like the adventures Gracie has in the stories.
I had the chance to introduce the emulator to students in Alberta, Canada. This was the first time I had been able to present it in person, as it was typically part of my online program. The response from the students was nothing short of amazing—they absolutely loved it!
Watching the students work in pairs and independently navigate the different mats, I could see the excitement and engagement in their eyes. It was truly magical to see how the emulator brought the lessons to life. One moment in particular stood out to me: a student whose first language wasn’t English was growing increasingly frustrated as we were unable to communicate effectively. When I introduced the number mat from the emulator, everything changed. As we worked through the mat together, I saw his confidence grow. It was as if the universal language of math, combined with the interactive nature of the emulator, helped him unlock his potential.
This experience reinforced everything I had always believed in as a teacher—the power of hands-on, creative learning, and how technology can truly level the playing field for all students. The Gracie Emulator proved to be an incredible tool for fostering that kind of inclusive, interactive learning environment.
If you’re an educator looking for a fun, dynamic way to bring coding and problem-solving to life for your students, I can’t recommend the emulator enough. It’s not just a teaching tool; it’s a gateway to unlocking creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration in ways that make learning come alive.
Below are the task cards we use with the emulator mats. Click each one to open a PDF with the card.
Contact Information
| Name | Daphne McMenemy |
| Position | Educator, Author, Speaker, Innovator |
| School | Various, as consultant |
| Location | Canada |
| daphnemcmenemy@yahoo.com | |
| Website | https://discovergracie.com/ |
| Website2 | https://www.daphnemcmenemy.com/ |
| Tags | Bee-Bot, Canada, STEM/STEAM, emulator, Coding |
| Age | Pre-K to Grade 2 |