Past projects 2
School Library & Local Science Museum Drone Collaboration
Funded Feb 11, 2016Dear Donors,
Thank you so much for allowing our students to embark on our drone project! I think that your funds have been put to good use. We have a core group of five students who have been working hard to build a drone and to plan a project to help younger students build one next fall. This has been the first step toward additional large scale STEM projects within our library.
Our student drone team is led by a member of our school's robotics team, who has been doing most of the build with another robotics team member. He has been teaching others without experience to solder, strip wire, and connect parts. The work is slow going, but we have learned a lot and have laid a foundation for future STEM projects. I think somewhat notably, and a good example of the potential for such collaborative open projects, our robotics team member has been guiding a special needs student who has taken particular interest in what we are doing. The student has requested books about electronics and brought his math teacher down one day to teach her how to solder. It is wonderful to see a young person want to dig into a project this way.
Our biggest problem with this project has been helping students find the time to give to its completion. We met every Friday during lunch hours for a couple of months, but we had no other common time together. We have some ideas for improvement next year such as meeting before or after school. We want to take our core group into the elementary grades to demonstrate our drone and teach younger students about STEM. I think that promoting this project in the younger grades will be helpful toward encouraging students to give their before and after school time to accomplish our tasks. Furthermore, I have been working with our curriculum coordinator to embed STEM into our school and to promote directed study opportunities that will give students the time they need for similar projects.
This summer, I will build a web page to promote what we have done and share it with lower grade level librarians. All of the schools in our district have "makerspaces" that encourage students to do hands on projects. I think this will be one of the most exciting demonstrations of "making" that we can use to promote "21st century learning." I have been working with a local space science museum and our work will be used by them to promote STEM and museum/school collaboration. I also have been networking with our teachers to gain their support for our makerspace so we can grow it. The drone project has laid the foundation for all of this and we look forward to forging ahead. Thank you for helping us get started!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mannon
Reading Chairs for Teens
Funded Mar 9, 2016Our new beanbag chairs have been a perfect addition to our library! Students use them for reading, studying and relaxing. A library should be more than a storage facility for books, or a place with uncomfortable hard backed chairs for serious study. We are the center of our school community and the chairs help add to that image.
The beanbags are inviting for curling up with a good book, helping to boost literacy initiatives. Additionally, many teens like to study at places other than tables. Beanbags help many of our students situate themselves in a way that suits their study style.
We have just returned from our spring break. Our last week in school before the vacation gave us a little down time after a heavy testing period. The library offers movies before breaks to help our students transition from the stress of school, to time at home with family. Comfy beanbag chairs and a little popcorn provided an engaging atmosphere, adding to the idea of our library a true community space.
So, thank you for supporting our students. We truly appreciate your donation.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mannon