Past projects 6
Comfortable Environment
Funded Jan 16, 2025This is incredible. I'm truly speechless; I can't believe this project got funded like it did, or in the time it did, or just funded. Thank you thank you thank you! This will help my students feel comfortable, so they can feel motivated and focused. Thank you so much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Michener
Contemporary Transcendentalism
Funded Feb 12, 2024Thank you for your generous donation. Students have thoroughly engaged reading about Chris McCandless's alternative lifestyle. They took detailed notes while reading and asked thought-provoking questions for further research. They actively did supplemental research to try to answer those questions that the book did not answer. Their engagement led to great academic discussions and they considered whether a Transcendentalist lifestyle could exist in the 21st century as they examined their own lives.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Michener
Making Connections With World Literature
Funded Sep 6, 2023Thank you so much for these books! The students have been loving Noah's humor and finding their own connections with him.
It can be difficult to find books that students are actively engaged with, but with the structure and content of this book, that has not been a struggle. They are literally ENJOYING reading it--and independently, too! They'll read a chapter and then talk in small groups about it; they're having GREAT conversations in these groups!
We're reading this book while they also peruse books from other parts of the world (since this is a world lit class), so not only are the finding connections between Noah and themselves, but they're finding connections throughout world literature. Therefore, their small group conversations are even more enhanced.
Thank you again for this opportunity!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Michener
Updated Literature for Updated Perspectives
Funded Aug 23, 2019Thank you so much for your contribution to my classroom! When I told my students about the project/proposal and why I had selected these books--because they were written in the 21st century--they were so excited! They are so tired of old books that just don't resemble their lives nor their selves anymore.
With both of these books, narratives and research will be in play. "Dreamland Burning" will present the opportunity for students to select a research topic, articulate a research question, and then tell the story of their findings. "The Other Wes Moore" will allow them to explore other people's stories in order to discover how we're different and yet how we're very similar.
Reading in my classroom is an interaction because I approach all of my content--English--as communication. Being able to read is about being able to communicate. Thus, when students read a text I want them to annotate the text, or, as you see them doing for "Dreamland Burning" completing Sketchnotes (a creative/artistic spin on annotations essentially).”
With gratitude,
Ms. Michener
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 8 other donors.Accessible Technology
Funded Nov 9, 2017Thank you so much for your generosity! Having support from the community, knowing that there are people "on my team" and people who believe in me, is an amazing morale and confidence booster!
Aside from myself though, having resources like this is amazing for my students. When students need to do something online in class, they don't have to worry about being embarrassed because they don't have their own device (as other students do). They know that I have devices available for them; they don't have to stress about how they'll get their research or typing or "presentation creating" (like a Google Slide show or Prezi) done. Students can also come by any time they have free time during the school day to work on a Chromebook if they need to.
These resources alleviate some stress from competing to get into one of the few limited computer labs on campus, too. Though my classroom has only two Chromebooks right now, if I assign some kind of technology associated task, I can ask students to bring their own device, but still have these available. This allows my students to practice 21st century skills so much more easily and I cannot express how refreshing it is to have ease in the classroom!
Thank you so much for your generosity and being amazing people!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Michener
Students Interacting With Literature
Funded Dec 30, 2015Dear Donors Choose,
Thank you so much for your generosity! Receiving these books made the experience so much more meaningful and effective because students were able to literally take ownership of their work. By having their own copy of the book, I was able to tell them that the books was theirs forever and they took that to heart. It made the study of it not just something being done in English class, but something that they could take with them outside of high school.
In my classroom, I try to emphasize the importance of annotating while reading because I believe that it promotes closer reading, careful reading, critical thinking as students question the text, and most of all, students feeling personally connected to it as they contribute their own thoughts into the text. This sort of connection is crucial particularly for "In Cold Blood", too, because of the project that accompanies it.
After reading this book a mock trial is hosted in which students are broken up into law teams to either defend or prosecute one of the murderers in his sentencing (whether he should receive the death penalty or not). As part of this trial, people are brought in to act as potential jurors and the law teams question each person to determine whether they would be a good person for their trial. So as they do this, they have to consider things that would make a person sympathetic or non-sympathetic and make sure their questions are skillfully phrased. Then they have to give opening and closing statements for their case. The connection they felt towards the characters of "In Cold Blood", including the murderers, exemplify how effective details and diction are in persuading an audience which is crucial for their trial.
The students loved this book and project for just that reason--everything they've done to closely study an author's argument is now coming to life. They are now not only a part of literature, they are author's themselves.
Thank you again for your generosity; it made students' learning experience come to life.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Michener