Past projects 37
Help Us Go Pro! Make Our Education Visible!
Funded Apr 13, 2015I know that you are receiving this after the summer has passed and a new year has begun, but the GoPro camera that you donated was an exciting and powerful resource for last year's students, and will be put to even more exciting uses this year!
Students used the GoPro last year to document their research on a local environmental disaster site: the Gowanus canal in Brooklyn, NY.
This year, we plan to use it to make stop-motion films and to further document our involvement in service projects with the Gowanus Canal.
I wanted to reach out to thank you for your continued commitment to education and for expressing that commitment through support for my classroom.
Thank you so much for your belief in me, my students, my school, and for public education.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Zimmermann
Help Us Find and Share our Voices with Recording Equipment!
Funded Jan 26, 2015It is difficult to express how thankful I am for what you have done for my students. Certainly my students are going to have tons of fun learning how to record their music with high quality technology and materials- but what's more, their going to have an opportunity to express themselves, in a way that few people even as adults have an opportunity to do.
With the bundle that you purchased for us, we will be able to record and preserve everything we create in our music program and beyond. Even more importantly, my students will have an opportunity to learn 21st skills through a medium they love- music!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Zimmermann
Band On The Run! Middle Schoolers Are Ready To Rock.
Funded Jan 18, 2015I am incredibly excited to let you know that my Donorchoose.org project to bring instruments and musical equipment into my school has been completed, thanks to you! Your generosity has brought guitars, amplifiers, basses, cables, straps, picks, tuners... basically everything needed to teach rock music... into our school. My students are ecstatic! When we first announced that the project had been funded, my students didn't know what to expect (they've never had access to this stuff before...) but on delivery day, when several big boxes were brought into the front office at the end of the day, the look on their eyes was priceless!
We have already begun to learn how to use all of the amazing equipment you have given us and the experience is already benefiting my students in so many ways!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Zimmermann
Printing in Multiple Dimensions! 2D & 3D Printing Materials!
Funded Dec 4, 2014Thank you, once again, for making the impossible possible in my classroom. Your donations will, without a doubt, facilitate so much learning as we enter 2015. As a result of your help, my students will have access to printed materials essential for their education, something that, unfortunately, not all students in New York City have. My students, thanks to your generosity, will also have an opportunity to take part in a project that will be very exciting, that I'd like to tell you more about.
Part of your donations for this project went toward purchasing filament (plastic material) that is used to make 3D objects using a MakerBot 3-D printer. A 3-D printer is a novel piece of technology that has endless applications for learning. We are fortunate to have a Makerbot in our classroom this year, I have taken it as a personal challenge to learn to use this technology as a unique and powerful resource in my classroom. Students will learn STEM through the 3D printer, they will engage i the process of engineering and design, and create materials for math and science class using it. I am deeply excited for this opportunity, and look forward to sharing photos and stories with you as we learn as a group, about this technology.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Zimmermann
This classroom project was brought to life by NBCUniversal and 3 other donors.Theremin Building for NYC Mathematician STEM Project!
Funded Jun 18, 2014My appreciation cannot be understated. You have made wild idea a reality. My students have begun to construct their own theremin, but they have also begun to construct something else. They have started to make meaning in our classroom around science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Already I can see this engagement with such an interesting task shifting their outlook on not only STEM but school as a whole and the world at large. It may sound silly, it may sound trite, but projects like these make a world of difference for kids who may not have an abundance of opportunities for their interest to be fully captured.
Thank you for making my classroom a more intriguing place.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Zimmermann
7th Grade STEM with Chromebooks!
Funded Aug 25, 2014After getting through the madness of the first few weeks of school, I have an opportunity to step back and reflect, and I must say I have exciting news: Your donations have actually transformed my students daily lives. My students are using and loving these Chromebooks every single day. We have just begun using technology to support our learning in math class and will continue to make use of them as we get deeper into 7th grade math. As an added benefit, my students have also been using these devices to do research in their social studies class. With your help, we are off to a solid start with quality digital resources that are really impacting these students.
I want to sincerely thank you all, friends, family and otherwise, for giving this gift to my students and my school.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Zimmermann
Instructional Support for Brooklyn Mathematicians!
Funded Mar 24, 2014A snapshot from my classroom in the middle of the State Math Tests: "Mr. Zimmermann! When can we play jeopardy again? can we play tomorrow?!?" In the middle of high stakes testing, it is rare that students will beg to have more opportunities to practice and review the math concepts they've been learning all year. However, when given opportunities to engage in fun, competitive (but lighthearted), and engaging activities, these students will jump at the opportunity to learn.
This is just one example of how students in my classroom (and other classrooms of neighboring teachers) have been positively impacted by your donations. Students are playing interactive jeopardy with whiteboards and markers, receiving dynamic small-group instruction, and are resting easy knowing they have essential materials to get them through to June 26th! The materials that you donated have provided these students with a much higher quality environment for learning and have simply raised morale during one of the most challenging times of the year.
Through the completion of this modest project, more than 90 children have experienced a measurable shift in the quality of their learning experience. As a first year teacher, this experience has taught me that the impact that a small group of people who have a vision for success is immense. With the knowledge that your donations have been thankfully received by an amazing group of students, I encourage you to continue helping to fund projects like mine to the best of your ability. My appreciation cannot be understated.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Zimmermann