Past projects 6
Screen-Free Active Math Learning with Hand2mind VersaTiles
Funded Jan 20, 2022Your generous contributions made this project a reality for my students. As many of you know, I teach in an alternative middle school and all my students have disabilities. Many of them have attention deficits and this makes learning difficult for them. They often respond to interactive learning systems, but many of these systems rely on using computers. While computers can be a great asset in the classroom, they pose particular problems for students who have difficulty focusing and remaining on task. The Hand2Mind Versa Tile system you helped purchase for my classroom is a screen free active learning system. It is a great fit for my students.
They had difficulty using the system at first. I needed to make some modifications to make it work for all my students. Now it has become a great alternative way to reinforce concepts we are covering in class. It is self paced, so students can also learn how to manage their time and take responsibility for their progress.
This system is a great asset to my classroom. It works so well that I have made a new project to get more workbooks covering different topics at different grade levels. Because this project provided a full classroom set of tiles, I can add workbooks to the system at a fraction of the cost of the whole system. Not only have you provided a great asset to my eighth grade math class, you have also given me and my students a system that can continue to grow over time and cover so much more of the curriculum.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Coleman
This classroom project was brought to life by hand2mind and 5 other donors.Help Students Wobble to Focus Better!
Funded Apr 8, 2022This is such a tremendous project to get funded. I can't believe I will be getting enough wobble chairs for all of my students. I am so excited and I know the rest of the staff of the middle school will be as well. I am over the moon and can't find the words to express both my gratitude and excitement.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Coleman
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose community & an Anonymous Partner and 20 other donors.Make Science Fair Fair!
Funded Apr 7, 2022Thank you so much for funding this project! I was hoping that I could get it in time for this year's science fair and because of your generous donations it has happened. I can't wait for the items to arrive and share them with my students! This is really going to give a great boost to this year's science fair and future fairs as well.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Coleman
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose community & an Anonymous Partner and 2 other donors.Real Life Science and Life Skills
Funded Feb 22, 2018Thank you so much for your donations to my project to get our classroom pet a new home. I work in a an alternative middle school with students who struggled in regular education classes. These students have difficulties managing their behaviors and regulating their emotions. Interacting with and caring for a classroom pet helps these students on many levels.
This school year I was able to get a full grown bearded dragon for my classroom. Puff was donated by someone who was looking for a good home for a pet that was no longer getting the attention he needed. Puff made an immediate impact with some of the students. One student in my homeroom struggled to settle upon arriving in the morning. This student bonded with Puff and started having better mornings and became more successful overall. More recently another student who suffers from mood swings has bonded with Puff. Whenever she is holding him she remains calm and this helps her regulate her mood.
Puff himself is more calm and relaxed in his new more spacious home. Having a larger better home for Puff has made it possible for him to interact with more students because he is less stressed himself and has a safe quiet place to rest when needed. He even went to this year's science fair and interacted with many students from the different programs in our collaborative. While Puff is looking forward to a quiet relaxing summer break, thanks to your generosity he will be helping students in my classroom for many years to come.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Coleman
This classroom project was brought to life by The First Million Fund and 7 other donors.3Doodler in Support of STEAM in Special Education Classroom
Funded Dec 29, 2017I would like to thank you again. The 3Doodler classroom package has been a wonderful addition to my classroom. All three grades that I teach, sixth, seventh and eighth, have been positively impacted. The students ask to use the 3D pens all the time. My one and only struggle is developing lessons plans within the curriculum quickly enough to keep up with the students' desires to use the pens regularly.
The middle school recently completed a cross curriculum project with the Winter Olympics as its theme. My part of the project was to have the students create and build objects with the 3D pens. The students made many different objects. The first project was simply to make something relating to the Olympics and to get use to using the pens. Many students made 3D Olympic Rings and 3D Olympic Torches. Their final project was more directed. They each constructed a model of a bobsled. The 3D pens added much to the project and allowed the students to explore their creativity.
Working in an alternative school for students with social and emotional disabilities it can be difficult to find hands-on projects for them. The projects need to be engaging enough to keep the students interest and yet calm and safe enough not to over stimulate them. The 3D pens have been a great fit. The students on the whole love them. I am able to give them enough freedom to learn via trial and error.
The pens have become a valuable part of my classroom. Despite having them only for a short time, I find it hard to imagine my class without them. Thank you all again for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Coleman
This classroom project was brought to life by 3Doodler and 7 other donors.Bring Real Science into the Classroom
Funded Mar 27, 2017I work in an alternative middle school in Chelsea, Massachusetts. We are in a high poverty area and work with students that are not able to be successful in a regular educational environment. These students often have difficulty sitting still so hands on activities can be very important for them. Because of the intense need of this student population we must maintain a very low student to staff ratio. Thus, there is very little left in our budget for anything beyond our great staff and basic classroom supplies.
I am now beginning my fifth year as the middle school science teacher. It may seem like a small thing but starting the year off with a couple of microscopes and triple beam balances is just so wonderful. I have been excitedly rewriting lesson plans to incorporate the new equipment. I am beginning a sixth grade unit this week on density. We have already used the balances once so they could get accustomed to using them. However, this week I am going to try an inquiry based lesson where they discover when the composition of the US pennies changed. I am very hopeful that this will help to foster a curiosity about the world and better understanding of what true science is.
Life sciences will be introduced later in the school year, but I am already planning great lessons with our new microscopes. I feel so blessed just to have these few incredibly high quality pieces of equipment. These students often feel left behind but at least they are now able to get a taste of working in a real science lab.
I am so grateful to all who gave to my classroom and to Donors Choose for setting up such a wonderful system to help my students and so many other students and teachers.
Thanks,
Kennett Coleman”
With gratitude,
Mr. Coleman