Past projects 2
Capturing School Spirit- Photo Finish
Funded Sep 23, 2010I just want to express my immense gratitude on your donation of the camera to our classroom. Not only have my students begun to learn a new skill on the operation of these beautiful pieces of equipment, but it is assisting to enhance our yearbook publication. In my initial grant proposal I mentioned that our building has no windows, and therefore no natural light, but these cameras have allowed us to capture the vibrancy of life and the spirit of the school during our senior events.
Without you I would never have been able to provide this for my students!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Holmgren
This classroom project was brought to life by FreeCreditReport.com and 3 other donors.Save Trees and Assist Visual Spatial Learners
Funded Oct 30, 2009The gift of a LCD projector to my room has been tremendous in my eyes. Since the projector first arrived I have incorporated it into my various classes in a multitude of ways. I believe having this visual association with accompanying literature helps my students be able to better understand the different types of lessons we review. The one thing all of my students pay attention to is technology. They are obsessed with computers, games, phone, music and any other digital form of entertainment. This millennial generation has never had to wait for the instant gratification they desire, and the old form of the "chalk and talk" class rooms do not fit into their learning style.
I have many students that have low reading levels even though they are ready to move on to the college level and they are aware of their own problems, but also feel that they are so far behind it is not worth trying to catch up. This syndrome of "giving up" effects the students deeply because if they do not understand they will not ask questions, or try to recover the information in any way. With the addition of the projector my students that have been falling beyond have a better chance of catching up, and my on target students are excelling at a higher level because their lessons are now in a digital form. In order to project a copy of the literature we are reviewing I have all electronic files for the student's work which they can see on the large screen in the room, and then later on the website I developed for the class. Examples that we do together are typed up on the computer for them to see and are always available, instead of being erased for more space on the board.
Besides my English class, I have also been able to use the projector in the Art class I teach. This has been exciting since I have been able to not only create projects inspired by the masters, but show Power Points, movie clips and step by step photos of the process with the projector. Although we live in a city with great museums and galleries none of the students have ever set foot in one, and the thought of going is intimidating. Now I can bring a bit of the museum to them, and can only hope they visit some of our cultural institutions on their own. With the senior English classes in the spring semester we teach the students to write research papers using the City of New York as their subject in which they have to choose a cultural institution or piece of architecture to write about. Last year I was only able to point out a window through construction at the Woolworth Building, but this year I will be able to give them a much grader experience. You just don't appreciate the city when you grow up here as much as you do when you come from somewhere else, and this teaching them how to while also teaching them about writing college level research papers.
Lastly, my yearbook publishing class is very grateful for the projector since it allows them to work as a team to build their final memories into a book for their fellow seniors. They are able to see the photos they are working on in large scale formats, vote on photos to include and omit, and watch me demonstrate how to use the programs to build the book. The students will be able to leave this class with skills that will help them in the future to get into college and find jobs because they will be able to demonstrate their ability to work under pressure, be part of a team, run a business and have the skills of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign.
I cannot thank you enough, and I plan to continue to use this projector in any way I can to assist my students to learn and to have faith in their ability to do well. ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Holmgren
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.