Past projects 25
Real Genetics With Gel Electrophoresis!
Funded Oct 11, 2019Thank you so much for your extremely generous donations towards this project. My students are super excited to use these gel electrophoresis chambers since the moment I told them that I put a DonorsChoose.org project together. This has been a truly unique experience for them and myself as well. This year I had the pleasure of having 132 wonderful young 7th & 8th grade scientists. They love to get their hands messy in science experiments. With every unit of study, their understanding of the world around them sparks engaging discussions and debates of science. The materials from this project were no different. We examined rocks and minerals in detail and learned about how geologists identify minerals in the field.
Upon arrival of the new materials students were intrigued and excited to use them in the upcoming laboratory activities. They felt very fortunate to have the experience of examining DNA in such a high level experience, and they knew that students other schools are not going to have the same experience. We brainstormed and decided that those students should be able to at least see such an amazing lab that they wanted to make a video of the experience to post on youtube to share with others.
The whole process of DonorsChoose.org was easy to use, and I look forward to putting together more projects for my classes in the future. We all thank you from the bottom of our hearts for having given us this experience.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Biondo
This classroom project was brought to life by Young Sheldon on CBS and 5 other donors.Organization Is The Key To Success!
Funded Aug 5, 2019Thank you so much for your very generous donation towards this project. This year I had the pleasure of having 135 wonderful young 7th & 8th grade scientists. They love to get their hands messy in lab experiments. With every unit of study, their understanding of the world around them sparks engaging discussions and debates of science. The materials from this project allowed me to engage students in learning in new ways that help keep them interested in the topic.
Upon arrival of the new materials students were intrigued and excited to unpack the materials and help in bringing them into our classroom routine. We took the Better Than Paper Bulletin Board Roll and divided it up into chart paper so we can make informational posters that can be wiped clean and reused over and over! The
Scotch Thermal Laminating Pouches allow us to laminate out card sort activities to last a lifetime. Lastly, the Wireless Microphone is going to me awesome to use when we Skype a Scientist next month!
The whole process of DonorsChoose.org was easy to use, and I look forward to putting together more projects for my classes in the future. We all thank you from the bottom of our hearts for having given us this experience.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Biondo
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and 3 other donors.Engaging Group Work With Organization!
Funded Jul 22, 2019Thank you so much for your very generous donation towards this project. This year I had the pleasure of having 135 wonderful young 7th & 8th grade scientists. They love to get their hands messy in science experiments. With every unit of study, their understanding of the world around them sparks engaging discussions and debates of science. The materials from this project allowed me to organize my lab materials and give the students responsibility to turn in their work at their own pace.
Upon arrival of the new materials students were intrigued and excited to unpack the materials and assist in bringing them into our classroom routine. The classroom timer has been a huge help to keep students on track and finish group or station work ontime. The drawer organizers give students a place to put their work when they are done and ready for it to be graded, or still need to continue the next day.
The whole process of DonorsChoose.org was easy to use, and I look forward to putting together more projects for my classes in the future. We all thank you from the bottom of our hearts for having given us this experience.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Biondo
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 2 other donors.Technology For A Virtual Science Class
Funded Jun 18, 2019Thank you so much for your generous donations towards this project. My students have been so excited about having computers just to be used in science class since the moment I told them that I put a DonorsChoose.org project together. One student was so excited that she blurted this out during class, "We no longer have to put our names on a list to borrow the school computer cart."
Teaching science involves students having the opportunities to do labs. Unfortunately with limited supplies and time it is often hard to do actual labs. The computers from this project will allow all 165 of my 7th grade science students to do virtual labs in class. Computers are the future and I am so happy that DonorsChoose.org was ability t help me bring my classroom to the future.
Upon arrival of the computers, the students could not wait to get the computers out of the boxes and onto their desks. They felt very fortunate to have access to the Internet during class time. We now are able to go to interactive websites to learn, play games, watch videos and do labs when we want to without having to wait for a computer cart to be available. The computers have enhance the knowledge of my students tremendously. The love coming to class knowing that they will not just be listening to a lecture, but learning through student led discussions and activities that are computer based.
Currently, my students are using the computers to explore the circulatory system. Before this we used the computers to explore all the other systems of the human body. The computers have allowed the students to delve deeper into the inner workings of their bodies. They have had the ability to do various virtual labs, watch videos clips, and just do research to help them get a more complete picture on the topic.
The whole process of DonorsChoose.org is so easy to use and I look forward to putting together more projects for my classes in the future. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for having given us this experience.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Biondo
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 4 other donors.Chromebooks for Virtual Science Labs
Funded Apr 24, 2019Thank you so much for your very generous donations towards my classroom project. My students have been so excited to have computers only to be used in science since the moment I told them that I put a DonorsChoose.org project together. One student was so excited that she exclaimed, "You mean we don't have to put our names on a list to borrow the school computer cart!" Teaching science involves students having the opportunities to do lab activities. Unfortunately with limited supplies and time it is often hard to do actual labs. The computers from this project will allow all 165 of my 7th grade science students to do virtual labs in class. Computers are the future and I am so happy that DonorsChoose.org was ability t help me bring my classroom to the future.
Upon arrival of the computers, the students could not wait to help unpack the computers out of the boxes and onto their desks. They felt very fortunate to have access to the Internet for research during class time. We now are able to go to interactive websites to learn, play games, watch videos and do labs when we want to without having to wait for a computer cart to be available. The computers have enhance the knowledge of my students tremendously. The enjoy coming to class knowing that they will not just be copying notes but learning through student led discussions and activities that are computer based.
Currently, my students are using the computers to explore the digestive system. Before this we used the computers to explore all the other systems of the human body. The computers have allowed the students to delve deeper into the inner workings of their bodies. They have had the ability to do various virtual labs, watch videos clips, and just do research to help them get a more complete picture on the topic.
The whole process of DonorsChoose.org was easy to use and I look forward to putting together more projects for my classes in the future. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for having given us this experience.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Biondo
Technology for Tomorrow’s Scientists
Funded Dec 30, 2018Thank you so much for your generous donations to the students of my classes. They are all so deeply appreciative of computers you've provided to us. I would like to share a thank you letter several of them wrote together .
"Donors Choose Computers have supplied us with amazing computers that help better our learning and increase our skills with technology. The computers have helped us get a great deal of information about the topic we are studying. The Web has more information than any textbook could possibly have. There are millions of websites to help us get our information. There are articles, videos, and many other things on computers to help us learn.
In science class we have labs and get some information from sheets. But, the information cannot always be found on our lab sheets. We can get the information that is missing extremely quickly using the computers. We just search up whatever we need and over a thousand websites come up. For example, one day in class our lab sheets did not have all the information to complete our worksheet. With the laptops Donors Choose Computers have supplied us with I was able to complete my sheet quick and easy with correct information.
In addition, at the end of each topic, before the test, we use Kahoot or Quizizz. Both these websites provide us with practice questions. This helps me and my classmates so much because then we have a basic understanding or feel of our test. Kahoot let`s us all put in answers for questions Ms. Weisser has written. I learn and discover many new things I did not know. This is the best preparation for a test and we would not be able to do it without the computers.
Moreso, computers have many videos. Videos help us learn through visuals and sound. This helps many visual learners like myself to understand the topic better. Videos are also more intriguing to many kids. The brain responds to visuals faster and pictures are retained in the brain longer than text. For example we have been watching many videos in science about the specific body system we are learning about. The videos show us visual processes and demonstrations to completely understand the system we are studying. Videos are overall one of the best tools to learning.
All in all, computers help us so much in learning. Without computers in school I believe that kids would no be able to do well in many things not only science. Computers are one of the biggest part of our lives now a day and using them for education purposes is incredible. Thank you to Donors Choose Computers for the extraordinary opportunities you have gave us to use these incredible devices that help strengthen our education a tremendous amount."”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Biondo
Protect Our Technology Donations!
Funded Dec 24, 2018I would like to share with you a thank you letter written by a student in my class who was deeply grateful for the generous donations you all gave towards our classroom.
In this year's science class, technology played a big role in my education. Without technology I wouldn't be able to get the science grades I get or gain more science skills. Thanks to Donors Choose Computers technology has increased my learning experience computer by computer.
In science class we play games that help us review for tests. The first is Kahoot. Kahoot is a tool for using technology to administer quizzes, discussions or surveys. It is a game based classroom response system played by the whole class in real time. Multiple-choice questions are projected on the screen. This gives my class and I practice test questions. This is an excellent test review that is only available with the computers Donors Choose Computers gives us. More so, another online game called Quizizz gives free self-paced quizzes to review, assess, and engage—in class. Both of these online games prepare us for tests and many students would not be able to achieve high scores on tests without these games.
Furthermore, we use computers to help us learn through virtual labs. Virtual labs help us learn so much because a virtual lab is an interactive environment for creating and conducting simulated experiments: a playground for experimentation. It consists of domain-dependent simulation programs, experimental units called objects that encompass data files, tools that operate on these objects. Computers give us the ability to conduct these quick and effective labs.
In addition, computers give us helpful videos, images, and lots of information and articles we could never have received from a textbook. There are billions of sources to receive valuable science information from. Videos and images can present us with visual demonstrations which can be extremely effective in learning about a science topic. The brain also interprets images better than words.
All in all, I greatly thank Donors Choose Computers for enhancing my learning experience in science class. Websites, articles, games, videos, images, and more help me learn so much and science and is why I know love science and learning about it.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Biondo
This classroom project was brought to life by Con Edison and 3 other donors.Laptops for Tomorrows Scientists!
Funded Nov 16, 2018Thank you so much for your generous donations towards this project. My students have been so excited about having computers just to be used in science class since the moment I told them that I put a DonorsChoose.org project together. One student was so excited that she blurted this out during class, "We no longer have to put our names on a list to borrow the school computer cart." Teaching science involves students having the opportunities to do labs. Unfortunately with limited supplies and time it is often hard to do actual labs. The computers from this project will allow all 165 of my 7th grade science students to do virtual labs in class. Computers are the future and I am so happy that DonorsChoose.org was ability t help me bring my classroom to the future.
Upon arrival of the computers, the students could not wait to get the computers out of the boxes and onto their desks. They felt very fortunate to have access to the Internet during class time. We now are able to go to interactive websites to learn, play games, watch videos and do labs when we want to without having to wait for a computer cart to be available. The computers have enhance the knowledge of my students tremendously. The enjoy coming to class knowing that they will not just be copying notes but learning through student led discussions and activities that are computer based.
Currently, my students are using the computers to explore the digestive system. Before this we used the computers to explore all the other systems of the human body. The computers have allowed the students to delve deeper into the inner workings of their bodies. They have had the ability to do various virtual labs, watch videos clips, and just do research to help them get a more complete picture on the topic.
The whole process of DonorsChoose.org was easy to use and I look forward to putting together more projects for my classes in the future. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for having given us this experience.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Biondo
This classroom project was brought to life by Staples and 5 other donors.Laptops for Tomorrows Leaders!
Funded Jan 25, 2018Thank you so much for your generous donations towards this project. My students have been so excited about having computers just to be used in science class since the moment I told them that I put a DonorsChoose.org project together. One student was so excited that she blurted this out during class, "We no longer have to put our names on a list to borrow the school computer cart." Teaching science involves students having the opportunities to do labs. Unfortunately with limited supplies and time it is often hard to do actual labs. The computers from this project will allow all 150+ of my 7th grade science students to do virtual labs in class. Computers are the future and I am so happy that DonorsChoose.org has the ability to help me bring my classroom into the future.
Upon arrival of the computers, the students could not wait to get the computers out of the boxes and onto their desks. They felt very fortunate to have access to the Internet during class time. We now are able to go to interactive websites to learn, play games, watch videos and do labs when we want to without having to wait for a computer cart to be available. The computers have enhanced the knowledge of my students tremendously. They enjoy coming to class knowing that they will not just be copying notes but learning through student led discussions and activities that are computer based.
Currently, my students are using the computers to explore the Earth's crust and plate tectonics. Before this we used the computers to explore all the internal structure of the Earth. The computers have allowed the students to delve deeper into the Earth's natural processes. They have had the ability to do various virtual labs, watch videos clips, and just do research to help them get a more complete picture on the topic.
The whole process of DonorsChoose.org was easy to use and I look forward to putting together more projects for my classes in the future. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for having given us this experience.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Biondo
This classroom project was brought to life by The First Million Fund and 9 other donors.Promoting Science Inquiry in Middle School!
Funded Apr 30, 2015Thank you so much for your very generous donation towards this project. My students were so very excited to experience this "rite of passage" in science since the moment I told them that I put a DonorsChoose.org project together. This has been a truly unique experience for them and myself. This year I had the pleasure of having 159 wonderful young 7th grade scientists. They love to get their hands messy in science experiments. With every unit of study, their understanding of the world around them sparks engaging discussions and debates of science. This project was no different. We discussed the ethics of dissections, their educational value, and how we could maintain a respect for the specimen that was once living throughout our exploration of its organs.
Upon arrival students were intrigued and excited up the upcoming dissection. They were very surprised by the size of the fetal pigs, they were much larger than they had envisioned. They felt very fortunate to have this experience, they knew that students with other 7th grade teachers were not going to have the same experience. We brainstormed and decided that those students should be able to at least see the organs so in some classes we sent out dissected specimen down to the classroom to share, and other times we invited another class in after the demonstration was over for them see. They were very generous in wanted to share this experience with their other classmates.
Every year I am surprised by how unaware students can be about their own body. Studying the human body units are always a highlight of the year for students, they love to delve deeper into the inner workings of their bodies. The use of the microscope slides, reflex hammers, and manipulative's made using the laminator and paper provided gave my students a well-rounded experience of the Human Body Systems Unit. Ending with the fetal pig dissection was fantastic because it brings all the pictures and video clips into real perspective. The conversation that this experience brought to life was unique and thought provoking in each of my classes. The students had a lot of information to think about and consider from having this opportunity.
The whole process of DonorsChoose.org was easy to use, and I look forward to putting together more projects for my classes in the future. We all thank you from the bottom of our hearts for having given us this experience.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Biondo