Ms. Baldwin's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 4

• College Dreams Lab, Part 2

  Funded Mar 19, 2014

  I cannot thank you enough for the Chromebooks you donated to my classroom. Students from 9th-12th grade used them consistently for several different purposes. Freshmen used the Chromebooks to research colleges and future careers. Sophomores used them primarily for an online program meant to increase their reading levels and, thus, help them be more college-ready. Juniors used the Chromebooks to work on projects surrounding financial literacy that will help them understand the grants, loans, and scholarships that might help them with their college tuition. Finally, Seniors used the Chromebooks daily to apply for scholarships, update their university portals, complete to-do items that were electronically listed in those university portals, get information to create financial analysis spreadsheets comparing their college options, accept admissions, contact financial aid offices, order IRS transcripts to verify their financial aid, and apply for housing, among an endless list of other online tasks. Occasionally, students even checked out a Chromebook for an evening to close the technology gap they have at home, finish schoolwork, and keep themselves college eligible. As a teacher, I was able to use the Chromebooks during group parent meetings about financial aid and one-on-one parent meetings about which college to select and why. As students helped their parents research about their college options, the Chromebooks became a community asset.

  As you can see, the Chromebooks have been an invaluable tool. I wish that each of you could have seen the relief in students' faces when they realized that there was a computer available for their use; so many of them are used to hiding the fact that they don't have computer access at home. Rather than make excuses as to why they couldn't have things finished, students had an option, and school became a safer place to be, well, themselves.

  Your act of kindness in contributing to the Chromebooks for my classroom has undoubtedly changed lives and futures. Thank you again for taking an interest and participating in the education of our community. Together, I know we can continue to make change and deliver the equity we know all communities deserve.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Baldwin

  This classroom project was brought to life by AT&T Foundation and 4 other donors.

• Pandora's Box of Creativity

  Funded Sep 15, 2010

  I cannot thank you enough for the supplies that you donated for my classroom.  My students, high-school students from a working class community, love working with the supplies to create beautiful, artistic, and exciting projects.  The pictures on our webpage are of a project that the students put together as part of their preparation for the California High School Exit Exam.  The supplies you donated made the project fun and dynamic for the kids.  As I'm sure you can tell, they are engaged and focused.  The students noticed, and wanted me to pass a message on that, for once, they didn't have to go through the process of checking markers and throwing dry ones away, or double-checking the edges of rulers to make sure they weren't chipped before they drew a line.

   

  The most important thing that the kids seemed to react to was the knowledge that people who didn't even know them were supporting them.  Though you aren't in the classroom, I can tell every time we take out the supplies that your presence is felt.  The students put in extra effort, and work with smiles on their faces.  In a few of the pictures, you may notice a student here or there who is trying to edge into the picture, as an attempt to say, "hello" to their donors.  In a world where so many things are not guaranteed each day, it is incredible to watch the kids relax into your support.  On behalf of myself and my students, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Baldwin

• College Dreams Lab

  Funded Aug 6, 2013

  I cannot thank you enough for your generous donation to our College Dreams Lab! Now that almost all college applications are complete and submitted, I can say that there are several students who may not have made it through the process without your help. Students have been using the lab every single day at lunch, during our elective class, and after school to work on university applications, personal statements, and scholarship applications. Don't worry, the benefits of your generosity won't stop there! Come January, scholarship applications and Financial Aid Applications will be in full swing, and it's ALL online. What's more, we already have a few handfuls of students who have gotten accepted to universities! Your contribution has already helped get first-generation students into college! That means they will be using the computers you contributed to in order to check all their college accounts for the extensive "To Do" lists they are responsible for completing. Yours is truly a gift that keeps giving.

  It has been beautiful to see the kids have access to computers that are fast and new enough to handle all the computer applications for their, ahem, applications. It is such a relief for them to have the technology barrier removed. Perhaps most importantly, they feel supported by those who are invisible to them. They know that there are people out in the world who believe in them without even necessarily knowing them, and that gives them an extra boost toward grabbing their futures by the reins and making college happen.

  I cannot say thank you enough times or in enough ways. You have made a huge difference in the lives of my students. Thank you.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Baldwin

• Don't Just Dream, Actualize!

  Funded Jan 28, 2009

  I cannot thank you enough for the set of The Alchemist books that you helped to purchase for my AVID classes. We spent dozens of hours reflecting on the book and its themes of destiny, presence, and invisible barriers. Through reading the book and reflecting on it, my students have gained a greater knowledge of themselves, what it means to be present, their own destined paths, and the concept that their biggest obstacles may be invisible ones.

  For my students, the book was not only a rich source for a project, but a deep life lesson. My students, almost all of which will be the first in their family to attend college, are most often paralyzed by their obstacles. The book, for those of you who haven't read it, often talks about a herd of sheep, who walk along their path without looking up, without even analyzing the path itself. The theme comes to its culmination when an Alchemist shows the main character, Santiago, how a deadly snake becomes harmless when a circle is drawn in the sand around it. Just as we all are at times in our lives, the snake is limited by this circle, an invisible barrier, which could be easily crossed if the snake could only see the barrier for what it was. Students compared themselves to the sheep and the snake. They analyzed their own invisible barriers, from their own fear of failure, to a negative comment by a teacher, to judgment by their community or society at large. Students also explored their own "personal legends," or ultimate destinies, and barriers and obstacles that their familial elders contended with in the past. Students then used the novel, interviews, and their own personal reflections as research sources for writing an essay on the three most important factors in achieving one's personal legend. This was put into a portfolio that included poetry and reflections. The students also imagined and created a memento as if they went 10 years ahead into their futures and brought something back.

  This may just sound like a lot of assignments, but without the novel, the students would have missed something much more integral. Without reflecting on the book, the students would not have had the opportunity to picture themselves along a long road to success. They may not have analyzed reaching one's goals as a process of. They would not have developed such a deep understanding of using failure as a part of that process, or believed the idea that if you stay present and take care of things right now, your future will be affected positively.

  While all of us have goals and dreams as well as a concept of where we are currently, the fundamental missing piece for a large number of my students is what the path to reaching their goal might entail, what kinds of obstacles might come up, and how to remain resilient in the midst of them. Unlike many of my students who did not get the chance to explore the novel, the AVID kids have bridged the great gap from where they are now to where they want to be by envisioning and evaluating their own path. They have analyzed their reactions to possible conflict and obstacles. Resiliency, an incredible challenge for the students who will be the first in their family to go to college, became a practiced reality through the exploration of The Alchemist. As a donor of the novel, The Alchemist, you have participated in fueling our students' resiliency. You have helped them understand how to face some of their obstacles, and to create a toolkit for those times when they do fail. As you can see from the accompanying photographs of the ropes course associated with the themes of the book, you have helped students to try things they never thought possible.

  Again, thank you.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Baldwin

  This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 16 other donors.