Past projects 10
Skills, Talent, Engagement, Motivation Bring Out the Best of STEM
Funded Jul 10, 2024You have helped to get the new year off to a great start. As we being the 2024 school year we will have the ability to implement new strategies with new materials. That is very much appreciated. Thank you for your generosity. I am excited to get started and I know my students will be as well.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Johnson
Full STEAM Ahead!
Funded Dec 13, 2023I am so grateful for your contribution to this project. The students were very excited to have new materials that would allow them to explore areas of interest that may not be typically included in the standard curriculum. As a teacher of STEAM, I strive to give my students activities that will encourage higher level thinking and problem solving skills.
I personally love the Picasso tiles and magnetic building blocks. The students were able to explore math skills in the area of geometry and create various 3D shapes and structures. The Buildz blocks and Keva planks encourage students to think about balance in placement as they create and build. They can be used in many different ways. These activities have been a wonderful addition to our classroom. I feel like I am helping my students reach their highest potential when I can offer the latest and most effective activities. Thank you again.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Johnson
This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors & Young Sheldon on CBS and 2 other donors.The Brain is a Muscle, Let's Work It!
Funded Jun 8, 2023I am so grateful to you all for funding this project. The items that we received have been an excellent addition to our classroom. The students now have the ability to explore and practice problem solving skills while using logic, reasoning and peer communication. The BreakoutEdu subscription allows me to set up groups based on the criteria I choose so that students of similar levels can work on the same task. I also love that students can create challenges for others to solve. That is true enrichment and higher level thinking. The additional Keva planks have allowed students to take their spatial reasoning skills to the next level as well. They look forward to using them. Thank you again.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Johnson
This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors Corporation and 14 other donors.It's Time to Celebrate!
Funded May 22, 2023I would like to thank you all again for your donations to this project. My students and I were able to close out the school year on a high note. They were so excited when they walked into the classroom and saw that it was all set up for them to enjoy the final days of school.
This celebration came as a welcome relief as students had been involved in state standardized testing during the prior weeks. It served as a much needed mental break and an opportunity for me to show them that they matter. I was also glad to be able to send the awards and gifts home so that students would be able to share their success with family members.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Johnson
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Foundation and 6 other donors.Game On! Let's Play!
Funded Nov 30, 2022It has always been important that students are engaged as they learn. One way to keep students involved and engaged is to challenge them in ways that are fun and entertaining. This project has helped me bring in some fun activities that keep my students thinking. I have been able to create a space in my classroom that students look forward to. The "Game Center" is available at various times throughout the day. Students who finish assignment quickly are able to pull activities from the area. It is sometimes used as an incentive for good behavior. We also have times of indoor recess and all students have the ability to choose a game or activity.
When the students first saw the new games, there was a sense of curiosity as many of them had not ever seen these games before. It took a while to go over the rules and instructions so that they could get comfortable playing independently. I was glad to see that most students were interested in trying something new.
I really appreciate all of the donors who made this project a reality. I will be able to use the materials for various age groups now and in the future. Thank you all again.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Johnson
This classroom project was brought to life by an Anonymous Classroom Supporter and 3 other donors.Taking Engineering Design to the Next Level
Funded Nov 16, 2022Thank you again for your generous contributions to this project. I have seen that 3D printing has gained popularity in recent years. I am so glad to be in a position to bring this type of technology to elementary students. Most of my students were aware of the technology of 3D printing, but had not experienced it first hand. With the 3D pens, students were able to experience this new technology and have their drawings come to life. Our math lesson focused on the number of faces on three dimensional shapes. With the 3D pens and the mats, my students were able to accurately draw the lines and faces of the shapes and use them to actually put the shapes together. I found this to be a great deal more effective than just looking at pictures. Students had to count the faces as they created them, measure the size of each so that they would properly fit together, then work with a partner to make the connections and build.
The students were excited to be able to learn to use the pens in a variety of ways. Over time they were better able to manipulate the filament in order to make creations of their own. Many of my students stayed with the basics and built houses. But some, particularly the girls, created animals and jewelry. They want to use them for every lesson!
Thank you for helping me spark an excitement for learning. I am sure I will be using these 3D pens for a very long time.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Johnson
This classroom project was brought to life by The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation and 8 other donors.Engineers of Tomorrow Are the Students of Today
Funded Apr 7, 2022I would like to, once again, thank you for your generous donations. The materials were a wonderful addition to our classroom supplies. The students were able to complete quite a few projects during the school year. I believe the favorites were the ability to create actual moving objects such as the battery operated wiggle-bots and the rubber band powered cars. They really enjoyed challenging each other and racing against one another. I had the pleasure of seeing how creative my students could be as they made adjustments in order to make their projects better.
There was a great deal of excitement when the students saw the new materials. They knew that they would have the opportunity to do something that they had never done before. They were also very pleased to be able to take their projects home and share with parents and siblings.
As the new school year has begun I look forward to using the materials with my current group of students. I teach math and science as they apply to the engineering design process. I am so grateful that I have an adequate supply of hands-on and consumable materials which allow students to meet the challenges that are presented in the class. This year we will continue with STEM concepts that apply to electric/battery operated cars and toys as well as bridge construction using various materials.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Johnson
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose community & an Anonymous Partner and 9 other donors.Better Technology for Better Engagement
Funded Apr 21, 2021I want to, once again, thank you for making it possible for me to get a new laptop. It has made such a difference in the way I can get things done. The screen is bigger so it enables me to be able to open several windows at once and smoothly transition from one activity to another while using the Smart Board and document camera without the worry of the technology stopping or freezing. It's great to be able to conduct multiple activities in a comfortable manner. The kids love the games, videos and interactive lessons. Although our district has gone back to in person learning we are still very dependent on computers and additional technology in order to successfully complete our daily tasks and instruction. In addition to the fact that all meetings and staff professional developments are still virtual, we must still have our Google classrooms up and running so that students who may be ill and therefore absent, can still receive instruction.
I am a resource teacher and I serve multiple schools. I appreciate the ability to download software onto my computer and have an easy transition when I must change locations.
My students love and are most excited about the coding and robotics programs. With the robot hardware, they have moved beyond just playing games to understanding how they are created. After I teach the demo lessons, they can't wait to get started.
I am sure that my students and I will discover many more creative ways that we can use this technology as we explore all of the things it can do.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Johnson
From Imagination to Creation: Engineers Solve Problems
Funded Dec 1, 2020I would like to thank you again for your generosity. Our district has been virtual for this entire year so our students have not been able to collaborate as they typically would. That is why it was so important to me to be able to give them the materials that they need in order to complete projects at home. I sorted the materials in order to make each student a STEM bag. They were really excited to receive their bag of goodies. As the teacher, it meant that I could be confident that the students would have what they needed in order to succeed.
One project we did was the General Motors Electrifying Engineering unit. The students learned about different forms of energy and how energy is produced. The focus was on the benefits of wind energy. As a hands-on activity they created working windmills at home.
We are currently discussing kinetic and potential energy. Students will use the materials to create a way to show how potential energy changes into kinetic energy as an object moves. Having the materials has allowed students to be creative thinkers as they figure out how to use what they have. The greatest impact will be seen when students can come back into the classroom. Once we are no longer virtual, students will be able to discuss, collaborate and create together. They know that there are many ways that "engineers solve problems" and we will continue to meet new challenges in STEM as we move forward.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Johnson
This classroom project was brought to life by FamilyAlbum and 2 other donors.Innovation STEMs From Imagination!
Funded Aug 31, 2020I want to thank you all again for contributing to this project. Because we are virtual this year I had to deliver the projects to my students at home. They were very pleased and excited to get them. It was a rare opportunity for the students to complete a physical project as they have been doing most of their work via various computer programs.
Each STEM project is a wonderful extension to our lessons on electricity and circuits. We have completed two of the projects thus far. I was able to demonstrate the process using my computer while each student worked on theirs at home. The students were really excited to see that the mini robots actually move and work.
Our next step will be to use what they have learned to modify and demonstrate other uses of the motors and the various parts. I believe that this will help students to understand how engineers use their imagination to solve everyday problems.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Johnson