Past projects 2
Becoming Stem Experts by Learning How to Write Effectively
Funded Aug 10, 2024Thank you for funding my project, "Becoming STEM Experts by Learning How to Write Effectively." Our high school STEM Program is an accelerated honors program that focuses on scientific research, writing, and presentation. Finding a curriculum for this level of work for freshmen was challenging. I discovered The Scientist's Guide to Writing, a book originally intended for graduate students. While too advanced for my students, I adapted it to their needs.
Donors Choose made it possible to purchase a class set. The book has significantly improved my students' writing skills. They've learned about effective writing techniques, such as considering their reader's perspective. One student even said he had learned more about writing in my class with this book than in any other class.
Beyond academic benefits, this project has opened doors. I contacted the book's author, Stephen B. Heard, who has agreed to do a virtual Q&A with my students. This experience has been invaluable for both my students and me.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Crossley
Vertical Learning for a Deeper Understanding of Collaboration
Funded Oct 5, 2018Thank you so much for supporting my classroom. I recently read about using a teaching strategy called "vertical learning" in which students work together in groups to solve a problem, or problems, using vertical white boards. In the article, the students were working together on a vertical surface. Each could express their ideas to the recorder. Mistakes and errors could be easily erased and reworked. And, the teacher could simply stand in the center of the classroom and turn in a circle to see the thought processes, mistakes, and ideas of every student. At first, I didn't give this much thought, but the more I mulled it over, the more I understood how this technique would benefit my students even more than it helped me. I requested table-top white boards for each lab table in my science classroom. As soon as they came in, I went to work (and made mistakes) having the students use them in our introduction to chemistry units. During one lab, they simply recorded their data in a table on the whiteboard. This allowed them, as a group, to develop the data table on their own and see any little errors they may have made while collecting data. I was also able to see their data immediately and discuss errors and the "why" about the data instead of waiting to read everything when they submitted their final lab report. Another way the whiteboards have been used was during a chemical compound naming game. Each group was given two elements and they had to draw how a compound would form between the elements, write the formula for the compound formed, and name it. After I observed all of this on the whiteboard, groups were given two more elements. The group that won correctly drew tall 6 compounds, wrote the formulas, and named the compounds the quickest. The vertical setup of the whiteboards helped me see complete answers easily and quickly so as to allow groups to progress through the game. When students simply work on their horizontal desks/tables, learning is very individual. The vertical whiteboards have really helped my students collaborate and allowed me to assess their understandings more easily. I am very excited about this new teaching strategy and am thankful for your support of me and my students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Crossley