Past projects 11
Clean Classroom for Clean Learning
Funded Jan 9, 2022These days technology is an imperative part of education. Students use it to access their homework, do research, to look up resources, and to communicate with their teachers. These tools are used to enhance the learning experience, but technology can also be used to improve the learning environment. The learning environment is just as important, especially coming back from a pandemic.
The 2020 pandemic has highlighted the need for feeling safe and clean in the classroom. Once students came back to school, we used a lot more cleaning supplies. Since my classroom had carpets, a vacuum was essential to providing a safe and clean environment, so students felt safe enough to learn.
The vacuum cleaner is used every week in my classroom. We used it at the end of the week to clean the carpet and prepare for the following week. Students said they noticed the difference and appreciated coming into a clean room so they could focus on the lessons. This DonorsChoose project was a success!
Thank you again for making this clean learning environment possible!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Sellanes
This classroom project was brought to life by #TeachHealthy with Nature Made and 2 other donors.Calculating Success in Calculus
Funded Oct 18, 2021Technology is an imperative part of education. Students use it to access their homework, do research, to look up resources, and to communicate with their teachers.
Specifically, in AP Calculus, we rely heavily on a graphing calculator to solve calculus problems. Some problems can't be completed without a calculator. My students love their TI Nspire CX II CAS graphing calculator because it has so many features such as finding zeros, factoring, taking derivatives, and finding numerical derivatives. The graphing portion of the calculator can also find zeros, points of intersection, and the area under the curve, which is very useful for the AP Calculus Exam. My students also like that the calculator can store a function so they do not have to re-enter the function each time they have to evaluate the function at a number.
The first time I showed my students the usefulness of the TI Nspire CX II CAS calculator, they couldn't believe that such a calculator existed. They are now practicing how to use the graphing calculator and getting more comfortable. Every day, my students are learning more about the calculator and loving it even more. This calculator also saves us time in the classroom, because more students have the same type of calculator, so they teach other how to use it. Once they have mastered the calculator, they will have more time to focus on the content of AP Calculus, and thus they will be more successful on the AP Calculus Exam (and other national standardized tests).”
With gratitude,
Ms. Sellanes
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In.Graphing & Beyond
Funded Oct 4, 2021These days technology is an imperative part of education. Students use it to access their homework, do research, to look up resources, and to communicate with their teachers. On my teacher website, my students can find their homework, videos related to the lesson, and a link that opens each day's PowerPoint lecture. This is very helpful to them because if they do not understand the lesson during class, they can study it on their own and at their own pace.
Specifically, in AP Calculus, we rely heavily on a graphing calculator to solve calculus problems. Some problems can't be completed without a calculator. My students love their TI Nspire CX II CAS graphing calculator because it has so many features such as finding zeros, factoring, taking derivatives, and finding numerical derivatives. The graphing portion of the calculator can also find zeros, points of intersection, and the area under the curve, which is very useful for the AP Calculus Exam. My students also like that the calculator can remember a function so they do not have to re-enter the function each time they have to evaluate the function at a number.
The first time I showed my students the usefulness of the TI Nspire CX II CAS calculator, they couldn't believe that such a calculator existed. They are now practicing how to use the graphing calculator and getting more comfortable. Every day, my students are learning more about the calculator and loving it even more. This calculator also saves us time in the classroom because more students have the same type of calculator, so I explain how to use it less times. Once they have mastered the calculator, they will have more time to focus on the content of AP Calculus, and thus they will be more successful on the AP Calculus Exam (and other national standardized tests).
Lastly, students are really excited about the extension cords because they can now charge their personal device from their seats! This makes their lives easier because instruction is not interrupted while they are charging their device.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Sellanes
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In.Extending Learning
Funded Sep 28, 2021These days technology is an imperative part of education. Students use it to access their homework, do research, to look up resources, and to communicate with their teachers. On my teacher website, my students can find their homework, videos related to the lesson, and a link that opens each day's PowerPoint lecture. This is very helpful to them because if they do not understand the lesson during class, they can study it on their own and at their own pace.
Specifically, in AP Calculus, we rely heavily on a graphing calculator to solve calculus problems. Some problems can't be completed without a calculator. My students love their TI Nspire CX CAS graphing calculator because it has so many features such as finding zeros, factoring, taking derivatives, and finding numerical derivatives. The graphing portion of the calculator can also find zeros, points of intersection, and the area under the curve, which is very useful for the AP Calculus Exam. My students also like that the calculator can remember a function so they do not have to re-enter the function each time they have to evaluate the function at a number.
The first time I showed my students the usefulness of the TI Nspire CX CAS calculator, they couldn't believe that such a calculator existed. They are now practicing how to use the graphing calculator and getting more comfortable. Every day, my students are learning more about the calculator and loving it even more. This calculator also saves us time in the classroom because more students have the same type of calculator, so I explain how to use it less times. Once they have mastered the calculator, they will have more time to focus on the content of AP Calculus, and thus they will be more successful on the AP Calculus Exam.
Students also received extension cords, which they are really excited about! Our school depends on students to have a device, which means they use it all day and sometimes they need to be charged. With the extension cords, students have more access to a charging station and aren't limited by the outlets in the wall. They can now charge their device from their seats!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Sellanes
This classroom project was brought to life by Nickelodeon and one other donor.Connecting to Learning
Funded Sep 8, 2021These days technology is an imperative part of education. Students use it to access their homework, do research, to look up resources, to communicate with their teachers, and to participate in class lectures. Technology has made it easier for students to learn at their own pace. If they do not understand during class, the have online resources such as class lectures and Zoom recordings to revisit any lesson! Technology makes differentiated e-learning more accessible.
This year my classroom has a new promethean board that connects to my device. Originally, I was connected using an HDMI cable, but this also meant I was stuck at the front of the classroom. The Wireless Adapter connects my device to the promethean board and makes it possible for me to walk around the classroom while I am teaching. Since I can teach from anywhere in the classroom, I am more available to my students and can answer question more easily. Thanks to the wireless adapter, our learning environment feels more flexible.
Additionally, the surface case protects the tablet while I am walking around. This gives me peace of mind, especially when I hand off the device to other students. Because of the wireless connection, students can also use the device from their desk while they are explaining their work to the class. Lastly, student love the meme stickers because it makes getting work back more fun!
Thank you again for making this positive online learning environment possible!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Sellanes
This classroom project was brought to life by Nickelodeon and one other donor.Flipping Mathematics and Flipping Feedback
Funded Aug 10, 2021These days technology is an imperative part of education. Students use it to access their homework, do research, to look up resources, and to communicate with their teachers. On my class platform, my students can find their homework, videos related to the lesson, a link that opens each day's PowerPoint lecture, and a Zoom recording of the day's lecture. This is very helpful to them because if they do not understand the lesson during class, they can study it on their own and at their own pace.
The pandemic has highlighted the need for technology in the classroom. Once we switched to remote learning, technology was a necessity. Even though students are now that we are back in the classroom, students still turn in assignments online. Thanks to the iPad Pro, I am still able to provide instruction and feedback!
The iPad is used every day to flip the classroom. I can share screen recordings, annotated notes, and annotated student work. Now that everything is online, students have access to their work and feedback 24/7 – they can't lose it like they would a piece of paper. Students love that they can turn in work from home and see the feedback without having to wait for papers to be handed back. This saves us a lot of time in the classroom.
Thank you again for making this positive online learning environment possible!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Sellanes
This classroom project was brought to life by Emerson Collective and 4 other donors.Learning & Listening
Funded Feb 20, 2021These days technology is an imperative part of education. Students use it to access their homework, do research, to look up resources, to communicate with their teachers, and to participate in class lectures. Technology has made it easier for students to learn at their own pace. If they do not understand during class, the have online resources such as class lectures and Zoom recordings to revisit any lesson! Technology makes differentiated e-learning more accessible.
The 2020 pandemic has highlighted the need for technology in the classroom. Once we switched to remote learning, technology was a necessity. To improve online instruction, several changes had to be made, from how we deliver instruction to how we communicate with each other during class time. Thanks to the headphones, our learning environment felt more supported.
This past year, I had mostly hybrid classes where I have a few students in the classroom but the majority online. The Air-pod Pro headphones made it possible for me to walk around the classroom while I listen to students on the zoom. This way, I could help the physical students without losing a connection to the online students. Additionally, since all students had headphones, physical students could talk into the zoom without hearing feedback from other .
Thank you again for making this positive online learning environment possible!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Sellanes
Helpful Resources for Effective Online Teaching
Funded Dec 1, 2020These days technology is an imperative part of education. Students use it to access their homework, do research, to look up resources, to communicate with their teachers, and to participate in class lectures. Technology has made it easier for students to learn at their own pace. If they do not understand during class, the have online resources such as class lectures and Zoom recordings to revisit any lesson! Technology makes differentiated e-learning more accessible.
The 2020 pandemic has highlighted the need for technology in the classroom. Once we switched to remote learning, technology was a necessity. To improve online instruction, several changes had to be made, from how we deliver instruction to how we communicate with each other during class time. Thanks to the resources like the tablet stand and mic, our learning environment feels more connected.
I have mostly hybrid classes where I have a few students in the classroom but the majority are online. The students in class can see me fine during class but those online, lose sight of my face when I look down to annotate on my iPad. Facial cues are an important part of instructional delivery and now with the iPad Stand, I have a higher and angled view of the iPad which means more of my face is seen during lecture. Additionally, due to echoing problems, students in class do not interact with the online students since we can only use one mic (usually my computer). If the physical students had questions or comments they were too far to be heard by the online students and thus, online students would talk over physical student's creating a barrier and distraction from the physical students. I really wanted the physical students to feel like they were part of the conversation. With the conference mic from this project, that reaches voices within 25 feet, even with social distancing, everyone hears each other! The physical students think it is so "cool" that they are heard!
These are just two of the many ways the resources from this project have helped my students feel more connected to me and to each other. Thank you again for making this positive online learning environment possible!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Sellanes
This classroom project was brought to life by FamilyAlbum and 4 other donors.Better Feedback, Better Students
Funded Oct 19, 2020These days technology is an imperative part of education. Students use it to access their homework, do research, to look up resources, and to communicate with their teachers. On my class platform, my students can find their homework, videos related to the lesson, a link that opens each day's PowerPoint lecture, and a Zoom recording of the day's lecture. This is very helpful to them because if they do not understand the lesson during class, they can study it on their own and at their own pace.
The 2020 pandemic has highlighted the need for technology in the classroom. Once we switched to remote learning, technology was a necessity. To improve online instruction, several changes had to be made, from how we deliver instruction to how we provide feedback to our students. Thanks to the iPad Pro and iPad Pencil, it feels like my students are receiving the same, if not better, instruction and feedback.
I use the iPad every single day during lecture and after class when I am reviewing student work. I am now able to annotate on my PowerPoint slides, save those annotations for the students to review later their own, and annotate on scans of their handwritten work. Now that everything is online, students have access to their work and feedback 24/7 – they can't lose it like they would a piece of paper. This week I asked student if they reviewed my annotations and they all said yes! Some said they find it especially useful because they learn from them and can improve on their learning.
Thank you again for making this positive online learning environment possible!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Sellanes
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 7 other donors.Calculating a Successful Future
Funded Oct 4, 2019These days technology is an imperative part of education. Students use it to access their homework, do research, to look up resources, and to communicate with their teachers. On my teacher website, my students can find their homework, videos related to the lesson, and a link that opens each day's PowerPoint lecture. This is very helpful to them because if they do not understand the lesson during class, they can study it on their own and at their own pace.
Specifically, in AP Calculus, we rely heavily on a graphing calculator to solve calculus problems. Some problems can't be completed without a calculator. My students love their TI Nspire CX CAS graphing calculator because it has so many features such as finding zeros, factoring, taking derivatives, and finding numerical derivatives. The graphing portion of the calculator can also find zeros, points of intersection, and the area under the curve, which is very useful for the AP Calculus Exam. My students also like that the calculator can remember a function so they do not have to re-enter the function each time they have to evaluate the function at a number.
The first time I showed my students the usefulness of the TI Nspire CX CAS calculator, they couldn't believe that such a calculator existed. They are now practicing how to use the graphing calculator and getting more comfortable. Every day, my students are learning more about the calculator and loving it even more. This calculator also saves us time in the classroom, because more students have the same type of calculator, so I explain how to use it less times. Once they have mastered the calculator, they will have more time to focus on the content of AP Calculus, and thus they will be more successful on the AP Calculus Exam.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Sellanes
This classroom project was brought to life by Chevron Fuel Your School.