Past projects 8
Beyond the Stars: Sci-Fi Books for Future Scientists
Funded Sep 30, 2024I am beyond words. Never have I received such an outpouring of support for one my little pet projects. I didn’t expect to get funded for months. I’m just beside myself. My students are so important to me, and I’m just so grateful. I really want the best for my students. Thanks to your help, they will get it.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. M.
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Supporter and 5 other donors.Fueling Minds: Help Provide Granola Bars to Hungry Students
Funded Jan 6, 2024Thank you so much for your generous donations. This will greatly help with feeding my students during class when they are hungry so they can focus on learning and not grumbling tummies! I really appreciate your help in this matter and I know my students will as well! Thanks again!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. M.
Upgrading Our Learning Environment: Comfort, Engagement, and Reward
Funded Jul 6, 2023I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your generous contributions, which have profoundly impacted my classroom. Thanks to your support, I was able to replace worn-out seat cushions on my classroom stools, providing much-needed comfort for my students. The upgraded seating environment enhances the overall learning experience, as my students can now focus without the discomfort.
Your donations also facilitated the acquisition of additional constant velocity buggies, replacing the outdated and broken ones. This not only ensures a smoother learning experience but also enables my students to compare the motions of slow and fast-moving vehicles more effectively. Furthermore, the ability to power these buggies has been significantly improved with the inclusion of rechargeable batteries, sparing us the constant concern of battery replacement.
In addition to the physical enhancements, your support has enriched the classroom environment in other meaningful ways. I received a poster detailing various ways to greet students at the door, fostering stronger connections with each individual. The inclusion of little flipcharts has proven invaluable, facilitating smoother communication when students require assistance, particularly important in the context of teaching English Language learners. I was also able to procure a resourceful book on supporting English Language learners more effectively.
Lastly, your generosity has reignited a sense of excitement in the upcoming spring season with the acquisition of new rocket engines. After facing the setback of a theft that deprived us of our previous supply, I am thrilled at the prospect of witnessing my students' faces light up with joy as we launch these rockets. Your kindness has truly made a lasting impact, creating an enriched and engaging learning environment for all my students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. M.
This classroom project was brought to life by Chevron and 3 other donors.Creating a More Comfortable Learning Environment
Funded Dec 19, 2021Thanks again so much for your generous donation to help supply my classroom with more comfortable seating arrangements. The cushion are being used exactly as I intended. Many students are using the cushions and those that prefer the hard surface simply remove the cushion, which is attached with velcro, and replace it at the end of class. The velcro really helps the cushions stay in place.
I was able to get everything set up one day during my free period and with help from some students during lunch, so my last class of the day was the first to experience all the cushions. They were so surprised, and a little confused about how they were attached to seats at first. I saw many of them trying out the velcro and then putting the cushion back. Other students that are not mine have come into my class and told my students that they are spoiled. They sure are with your help! Thanks again!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. M.
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 7 other donors.Help Me Be ALL I Can Be!
Funded Sep 1, 2016Thank you mom for funding this project for me. I have been really inspired by books that you are able to fund for me. The first book that I really dug into was the one that is a facilitator's guide for the new science standards. I used one of the lessons in it to lead my first science department meeting. I spent all evening reading it carefully by mind mapping it trying to find the perfect professional development lesson for my colleagues. I ended up settling on one that would help them evaluate themselves in their abilities thus far with the new standards. They had to fill out a questionnaire ranking themselves on which science and engineering practices they were strong and weak on. On of the pictures I posted to you represents the end results. Teachers placed stickers on my whiteboard for each practice. Green stickers represented that they felt comfortable with the practice and red represented that they were not as comfortable. We ended up discovering that the mathematical aspect of science was the area that most people felt uncomfortable with when teaching science, which is understandable.
The next text I read was the one that dealt with formative assessments in physical science classes. Formative assessments are one of the most important kind of assessments because they inform you whether students are learning or what you need to teach them more often than a summative assessment which usually are given at the end of all your teaching, which by then its too late if they don't understand it usually. Formative assessments can actually be an instrument for learning as well, so they are much more valuable. This book inspired me to start learning more about different ways to assess my students formatively.
Lastly, the text that inspired me the most was the text on inquiry and argumentation. I haven't finished reading it, but it has already led me on a path so deep into understanding how to teach science that its hard to put into words. For one, I was in the middle of professional development workshop and I was able to assist the presenters in improving their understanding of something they were trying to explain to all the teachers. They were very appreciative. I wouldn't have been able to do that if I hadn't been reading this book, which happened to be in my bag so I could show them. Also, ever since I started reading this book, I have seen information on teaching using "inquiry" and "argumentation" everywhere. I started a free professional development Internet program, and I found so many resources online to assist me with this kind of instruction. In the end, I was so inspired by everything that I learned from this text that I felt confident enough to start a master's program.
I really want to thank you for everything that you have done to help me in my career. I'm not talking about just this project, but your overall support for me, my classroom, and my students. X0X0”
With gratitude,
Mrs. M.
Helping Students Become Better Communicators.
Funded Nov 29, 2016Thank you so much for your donation. I can't wait to show my students the new dry erase boards/easels with paper. The ones we have are getting pretty rough. These will be the perfect replacement. They also will really appreciate the erasers instead of having to use towels all the time. I'm also super enthused about the text on formative assessments. I'm always looking for ways to improve how I evaluate students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. M.
Active Physics and Counting for Stats
Funded Nov 3, 2016Thank you very much for your donation. My students will be thrilled to find out that they will have some actual textbooks in class that match the curriculum we are using. They will also be excited to use real roller coaster making equipment instead of having to modify existing equipment. I'm sure they will have a grand time using all the other new equipment you have graciously provided for us as well. Again, thank you so very much for you kind contribution to our school.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. M.
Modeling Physics: Learn Physics By Doing Physics
Funded Aug 16, 2014I am writing to each of you to thank you for your generous donations in supporting my physics classroom. Your benevolence enabled my students to begin learning physics through modeling, a highly effective methodology which organizes natural phenomena in a more cohesive structure. The items purchased included constant velocity cars, a hover disk, and colored whiteboard markers.
My students enjoyed learning physics by playing with "toy" cars. It's amazing how something so simple as a car that moves at one speed grabs their attention. Students were able use the constant velocity cars in two experiments, one in which they discovered the relationship between the car's position and time and another in which they determined when two cars with different speeds would collide.
The hover disk allowed students to explore Newton's 1st Law by creating a model in which friction is essentially negligible. The sight of seeing an object appear to magically glide across the floor is always a real crowd-pleaser. Students really enjoyed passing the disk back and forth to fully experience the concept of "frictionless" and balanced force models.
The colored whiteboard markers are a real treasure. Students often work collaboratively in my class and generate their collective answer to questions on a large whiteboard. Having different colors allows students to better organize their findings by making certain information color coded or stand out more.
Again, I am incredibly thankful to the both of you. While I still have a lot to learn in implementation of physics modeling, I know that my students were able to get a strong foundation in their understand of the basics of motion and forces through the materials that you were able to help fund.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. M.