Past projects 8
Elementary Engineers
Funded May 9, 2023To use the word "ecstatic" to describe our students when we opened the box with the new 3D printer would be a vast understatement! They couldn't wait to start designing and printing with it! One of my 2nd graders said, "I can't believe we actually have a 3D printer! We can make anything now!" They were ready to make anything and everything!
Our first project was to use the basic shapes in Tinker CAD to create a spinning top. Students had been studying about 3-dimensional shapes and this gave them the opportunity to explore these shapes in new ways. Since it was the end of the school year, we did not have a lot of time to work with the printer last year, but students are already coming in this year with ideas for ways to use the 3D printer. From printing Virginia region maps with land formations to fraction blocks to practice math concepts, they are ready to go!
Thank you for your generosity and support of our students. With supporters like you, our children are able to have some of the same opportunities afforded to students in larger schools and more affluent districts. Thank you for helping to level the playing field for our kiddos!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Feggans
This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors Corporation and one other donor.3Doodling: 3d Printers in the Palm of Your Hand
Funded Jul 15, 2022I wanted to take a moment to thank you again for your generous donation. Because of your thoughtfulness, students have had the opportunity to create in ways they never thought possible. When students get the 3Doodler Pen in their hand and realize that they are able to 3D print in a safe manner, completing a project from start to finish independently, their eyes light up. At that moment, I know they are hooked!
Students have used the 3Doodlers in many ways so far this year. They have created science models to show what they have learned. From representations of animals and their adaptations to a class project to depict the life cycle of a plant, students have been eager to demonstrate their understanding. Not only have they shown how much they have learned in a creative way, but they also worked on collaboration and communication skills while they design and print.
Some of our students have been less than successful in the past with traditional worksheets and paper/pencil assignments. These students, especially, have enjoyed the 3 Doodler Pens. When the fourth graders studied VA regions, students came to the lab to create Virginia maps with the pens. These maps were taken back to class to use during instruction to help students make those connections. As one student stated, "I could see it on the paper, but now I can feel it! There are flat places and bumpy hills and even mountains." Thank you for allowing our students to "feel" their learning.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Feggans
This classroom project was brought to life by 3Doodler and one other donor.A Maker of My Own Destiny
Funded Aug 6, 2021Thank you again for your support of this project. Our first semester just completed, and that brought an end to our first Young Entrepreneurs Club. This club of twenty included third through fifth grade students and met after school once a week. Students were asked to design a product that could be created on the Cricut Maker and be sold before school to students and teachers.
The kids were thrilled to see what the machine could actually do as they considered a product that would appeal to a wide range of ages. They decided to create keychains that could be used as backpack tags also. They ended up with four different designs and set the prices for each. The Cricut was used to cut the vinyl for each keychain before it went to assembly. Personalized keychains required someone to program and cut every day!
The students' business was a complete success. Their goal was to purchase a heat press for the Innovation Lab to go with the Cricut. They wanted to "pay it forward" for the next club so there were more options for creation. They were able to purchase not only a heat press, but included a mug, plate, and hat press as well! They also bought and created T-shirts for their club and donated over $300 dollars to the STEM program!
Thank you for allowing our students this opportunity. We are excited to begin the next club up in January and cannot wait to see what they come up with!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Feggans
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 6 other donors.Lights, Camera, Learn!
Funded Dec 1, 2020Wow, what a difference this equipment has made! Virtual learning has been a challenge for everyone this year. Instructors have had to find novel ways to deliver content, and students have developed new ways to learn. Everyone felt like a first year teacher at the beginning of the year!
As we struggled to engage students in front of a computer screen for much of the day, we realized that traditional instruction was not working for them at all. Students needed creative methods of delivery, and our team attempted to supply them with curriculum support and novel lessons. Creating videos of our teachers in locations that were engaging and relevant for our students has been the most effective learning experience that we have offered our students and teachers. At the beginning of the year, we produced several videos that were "better than traditional instruction, but hard for the students to see the details," according to one teacher. This is where "Lights, Camera, Learn" came to the rescue!
With the new lighting equipment, we were able to produce better quality instructional videos for our students. They remained engaged in the learning process, and have been able to virtually visit places that would have been impossible in the past. These videos will be used for instruction in our district even after we get to a new normal. The students were able to focus on the details of the war relics from a Civil War battlefield; they could clearly see the arrowheads at a Virginia museum; and they were able to make accurate scientific observations from a bug display at an area science museum.
Now that some of our kids are back in the building, they have had the opportunity to develop their own green screen videos in our lab. They are excited to work with the equipment, choosing the best angles for lighting and working with shadows. Our fifth graders have truly enjoyed working with the color filters in order to get the effect they want in their work. Kids are excited about learning again, and for that, we are truly thankful.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Feggans
This classroom project was brought to life by FamilyAlbum and 4 other donors.21st Century Solution
Funded Dec 10, 2020Thank you for supporting my kids with this project. With this crazy year, even the smallest problems are devastating for our students. The 3D printer going out was truly the last straw for some of my kids. They had worked so hard on their projects and were looking forward to seeing them become a reality.
Surprising these kiddos with the new printer was the spark that some of them needed to keep going. They were able to upload their designs and come to the lab one at a time to print their projects. This also gave us the opportunity to work one on one with their designs, modifying and enhancing as needed.
Thanks to your generosity, our students are excited about coming to school. They have a greater understanding of the design process and are able to use their creativity and engineering skills in relevant ways. As one student said, "I can create for real, for real!" Thank you for making school "for real" for our students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Feggans
This classroom project was brought to life by FamilyAlbum and 5 other donors.Hear a Better Lesson
Funded Nov 26, 2020I wanted to take the time to thank you again for your generous support of our students, especially during such a difficult time. As we struggled to find ways to meet our students' needs, you were there to help us make our ideas come to fruition. The voice amplifier and wireless mic sets had the greatest impact with our "on location" learning programs.
Prior the the purchase of this technology, we attempted to film lessons at a science museum; however, we had difficulty engaging the students due to the poor sound quality. If elementary students cannot hear you well, they are not interested, and therefore, they do not learn. The voice amplifier and mic sets were a game changer!
Our first project with the new equipment took us to Richmond, VA. On a city wide tour to support Virginia Studies, students were able to hear even with all of the background noises of the city. From the wind atop Chimborazo Park to the noise of water rushing over the flooded rapids of the James River, we were able to capture it all. Teachers' voices were heard, the students were awed by the sights and sounds, and they were able to learn in a way that was engaging and fun. Student and teacher feedback from this event was overwhelmingly positive, with one student stating, "I give it two thumbs up. I would do more, but I only have two! It's the best day I've ever had in virtual school!"
Since our first project, we have used the equipment on multiple locations and filmed our teachers giving instruction from various places. Local residents have given interviews for Arts in Our Schools, Black History, and Women's History months. We are in the process of filming on location for a virtual Career Day for our kiddos. The uses for the mics and amplifier have been too numerous to list. Now that we have a few kids back in the building, they are excited to begin filming the morning announcements this week. One prospective "news anchor" asked, "Do we get to wear the cool mic things that the teachers use?" The look on his face when he heard "yes" was priceless!
Thank you for allowing us to continue to teach creatively and effectively this year. Our students, our teachers, and I appreciate your support.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Feggans
Design and Build: Easy as Writing Your Name!
Funded Oct 27, 2020My kids were so excited when they learned that the 3Doodlers could actually write with filament. While we have a 3D printer, it can be very intimidating for elementary students. After demonstrating the 3Doodler for the kids, they started cheering when they realized that they would actually be able to 3D print independently, their faces lighting up with enthusiasm! We have had so many things that students have missed out on this year. We have been unable to share anything between students. The beauty of the 3Doodler is that they can be easily sanitized. They have been perfect for use during a pandemic!
The 3Doodlers have been a great way to bring our virtual and hybrid students together. While the virtual students have been unable to actually use the 3Doodlers, they have collaborated with the hybrid kids. Students worked in groups online to develop plans to demonstrate a given concept. We worked on a plant unit to support our hydroponic gardens. The students chose a concept that they could illustrate with the 3Doodler pens. From plant parts to pollination, the students were able to demonstrate their understanding together. The virtual students directed the hybrid students as they worked. It was amazing to see how quickly the kids mastered the use of the 3Doodler pens. Their teamwork was a great bonus for these activities. Students not only demonstrated that they knew the information, but they were able to develop relationships within the classroom that would have been impossible without something for them to work on together.
Many of our students come back to the classroom on Monday, and they have been asking what their team can work on together. The excitement continues as students plan to work with their peers on new projects, handing over the 3Doodler to the new kids coming in to the classroom. They are excited to share the use of the pens with their friends. My kindergartners have plans to create a 3Doodled alphabet, representing each letter with something that begins with that letter sound. My older students have plans to create models of the ocean floor. Our students are excited to show what they know in a new and innovative way. It is exciting to get caught up in their enthusiasm. Thank you for allowing our students to remain engaged in learning even during these difficult times.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Feggans
This classroom project was brought to life by 3Doodler and 5 other donors.Twenty-first Century Scientific Data Accumulation
Funded Jul 12, 2016Thank you so much for allowing us the opportunity to work with actual scientific equipment in our classroom. Being a Title 1 school, we receive a lot of support for reading and math instruction, but our science department has very limited funds. Teachers are left to create materials for their students, and they rarely have the ability to experience actual science equipment. For example, we make balance scales with cups and a hanger so that they understand the concept, but we have no actual pan balances.
I showed a video of a college science lab using the probes during a lab experiment to my class right after the package arrived. They had no idea that the probes were donated to us. All they could talk about was how cool the lab was, and they couldn't wait until they got to college so they could do "real" science with real equipment. Imagine their delight when I pulled out the box and showed them their new probes! I wish I had the camera in my hand at that moment. It was priceless.
My students could not wait to get their hands on the new equipment. I passed each probe around and the kids looked at them and started to discuss ways that they could use each one. This conversation led to a lesson in scientific investigation, reinforcing the steps of the scientific method. Each team chose a probe and designed an experiment that would allow them to collect data with it and then proceeded to conduct the experiment. They were so engaged in their investigations that they didn't want to stop for art class! This type of excitement in class is a wonderful thing for a teacher to experience. Thank you for allowing my students to become excited about science and to realize they they ARE real scientists.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Feggans
This classroom project was brought to life by UPS Foundation and one other donor.