Past projects 22
Kids Code and Create in Our Makerspace
Funded Jan 25, 2018Middle schoolers are at such an interesting and exciting time in their lives. They've got the basics down - they know how to add, subtract, multiply, divide, read a novel, write a paragraph or essay, and design a science experiment. They figured out how to learn in elementary school. In middle school, they start to figure out what to do with their learning. They start to really apply their new ways of thinking and communicating to bigger problems. They start to see what all of this has to do with who they are and what they want to do with their lives.
It's not an easy journey.
Along the way, students learn that they are missing knowledge or skills - there are gaps in what they need to accomplish their goals. Some learn that they don't have outlets for some of their skills or interests. Some learn that it's difficult to communicate their vision to others in a way that gets them equally as excited. Some students have so much to share, but not a safe space to share it in because they need something more - more guidance, more skill, more time, more understanding.
Enter the MakerSpace and my favorite middle schoolers - the MakerSquad. The MakerSquad is my ragtag group of mostly sixth graders who are brilliant, but in need of a creative outlet, a supportive environment, and lots and lots of support building some skills that need some shoring up. Although my Makers are a diverse group of young people, they share a few key characteristics: they are intensely curious and creative, they don't often see the point of worksheets and standardized assessments, and they struggle to communicate with their peers and work collaboratively. These are the super smart kids in every classroom who do well in school, but don't do well socially and often express frustration and boredom with school. They're the kids who never quite feel comfortable in school because school is a place where they don't quite fit in. They're the kids for whom a MakerSpace is made for.
Through a generous grant, our school library was given a cart full of robots, circuit-building tools, and physical building tools. I suddenly had a big cabinet full of resources to help middle schoolers learn, build, and create. One problem...we weren't given the support technology to use our robots. We had MeeperBots, DASHes, and Ozobots, but no iPads to program and code them. Thanks to you, we now have an iPad (and inspired another organization to donate a second once they saw the amazing work we do with our iPad and bots) to learn coding, solve problems, and challenge each other. We started with DASH and MeeperBots - learning how they work and how to interact with them through the iPad. In the process, we picked up some problem-solving and troubleshooting skills when the iPad and bots didn't communicate as expected. We also have been building our communication and collaboration skills. My Makers are learning to communicate and share while having an outlet for their curiosity and creativity.
The Makers are all drawn to different bots for different reasons. Some want to learn to code. Some want to use the bots to explore the potential for what they can do from a practical angle. Some want to explore ways to interact with them. Some just like to play.
Please know that this iPad is making a big difference in some remarkable students' lives. Who knows, maybe one of my Makers will be the next big tech guru? He or she will have you to thank for it.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shiu
This classroom project was brought to life by The First Million Fund and 4 other donors.I Can't Believe I Read a Whole Book!
Funded Mar 30, 2017I love books. I've always loved books. Reading has always been central to my identity. Working as a middle school librarian, I'm learning so much about reluctant readers. I want to scoop them up and bring them into my world. I want them to love books, love stories, love being transported away. I've spent a lot of time thinking about why reluctant readers don't love to read. There are so many reasons, but I've learned that most of them have their roots in difficulty reading.
Students for whom reading is challenging just don't like reading at all. Some teachers give them "baby books". Some teachers look for "high interest, low level books" - students see right through this. They think those books are for dummies and they reject them.
Graphic novels have been a powerful tool in hooking reluctant readers. Graphic novels are all the rage with all readers, so struggling readers are reading what their friends are reading too. An added bonus is the support of the illustrations and the smaller, less intimidating blocks of text. All of our students love graphic novels. Our struggling/reluctant readers benefit the most from them.
Statistically, we circulate more graphic novels in our Library than all other genres combined. Developing our collection of graphic novels has been my mission for the past few years. Your donation of new graphic novels to our collection has sparked a lot of interest. I've displayed them prominent location in the graphic novel section of the library and talk them up to everyone.
Last year, a student started the year refusing to read anything but graphic novels. I built a relationship with him by helping him find lots and lots of graphic novels he'd be interested in reading. I eventually built up enough trust with him to convince him to read a novel version of a graphic novel he loved. He read it and loved it. He burst into the Library and yelled, "I read a whole book! I can't believe it!" That book was the first in a series of five. He worked his way through the entire series and then another series by the same author by the end of the year. He's a reader now. He's an enthusiastic reader. He recommends books to others. He puts holds on books that he wants that other students have checked out.
That's the power of a graphic novel. You donated a whole collection of them to us. You may have changed a reader's life forever.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shiu
This classroom project was brought to life by TOON Books and 5 other donors.Help Wiggly Kids Focus and Succeed
Funded Sep 20, 2016If you had only seen Omari's eyes as I unpacked the box of wobble cushions. He almost always sports a look of awe and wonder - he's a happy kid. When he saw the bright orange, nubbly-textured, thick plastic cushions come out of the big brown box, his face lit up like it was Christmas morning and Santa brought him absolutely everything on his wish list.
"I know what that is! I know what that is! Can I use one? Can I use one right now?"
Who could resist? Omari is one of my more extreme special needs students, so he's used wobble stools and wobble cushions in the past. He knew what it was for and how to use it. That morning, he sat on a wobble cushion on the floor for an hour of Student Council speeches and only needed one (30 second) body break. (I should mention that during class, he routinely needs between 5 and 10 body breaks per hour.)
The other students were curious about Omari's new tool (and the fact that Omari sat still for so long). They asked about the orange cushions. Omari took the lead and explained what they were for and how to use them. Now, we have students requesting wobble cushions while they're lining up for class. Some are students that have always struggled with focus and energy and never knew that there are tools to help them. Some are learning that there are some days when they're a bit wigglier than others, and it's okay, they just need some strategies to help them focus on those days. It's amazing how a simple tool can change a student's classroom experience and perception of himself/herself as a learner.
The standing desks have been a hit all around, too. Students use them as I had intended, placing them on top of their student desks and standing to work. They've also found other amazing uses for them - they use them during independent reading to stabilize their books as they curl up on a bean bag and while working in groups they take a set and form a circle on the floor to get their work done in an alternative quiet space when they need one. They've been so creative in using the desks to support their learning. It's more than I ever expected!
Thank you, Dear Donors, for giving my students the tools they need to be successful. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to teach them to recognize their needs and advocate for themselves. Thank you for supporting the notion that all students can succeed given the right tools. Thank you for supporting our public school classroom so generously.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Shiu