Mrs. Lytle's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 25

• Keeping Distance and Still Connecting Us All with NearPod

  Funded Sep 29, 2020

  Thank you so much for supporting the entire LaGuardia High School Community. This year the world is faced with unprecedented challenges due to the covid-19 pandemic. We have all had to find new ways to carry out daily tasks. Your support for our school-wide NearPod subscription has allowed every educator access to an amazing platform that supports making remote learning more collaborative and engaging.

  This tool has allowed many teachers in all academic departments to design lessons to best inspire their students from a distance. Nearpod technology allows students to work collaboratively. Students can anonymously post discussion ideas to spark whole class discussions. Teachers can share student work for the entire class to analyze and celebrate. Teachers are given the opportunity to see student ideas progress and shape lessons to better craft rich understanding of history, English language, Spanish language, geometry, chemistry and so much more.

  Thank you for supporting our goal of equipping every teacher who wanted this resource with the tools to engage, inspire, and nurture students in the challenging times. The entire LaGuardia staff thanks for your kindness and support.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Lytle

• iPad Pro Helps Build Chem-unity in our Chemistry Class

  Funded Aug 11, 2020

  Thank you for supporting my DonorsChoose project. With this iPad I am able to give my students interactive lessons in chemistry. As I ask questions I can see how students are answering the questions. Using this information I can adapt my lesson to target the needs of all my students.

  The iPad allows me to make my remote lessons interactive. Instead of a boring lecture I can support students as they show their understanding. Students are engaged as they are actually doing chemistry. The iPad helps me make lessons that allow for more group collaboration as students work together to solve chemistry problems. While I track student work I can quickly identify which group needs my immediate support and which groups may be ready for a more challenging task.

  Now I am able to write handwritten feedback on student work to help guide them as they learn chemistry this year. I that your support has given me to tools to engage, inspire, and nurture my students this year.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Lytle

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 22 other donors.

• Working Together to Show What You Know With BitPaper.io

  Funded May 5, 2020

  Thank you so much for funding my project on DonorsChoose. Your help allowed me to purchase technology that allows for my remote learning students to collaborate on interactive whiteboards. The interactive whiteboards are an easy way for students to write chemical formulas and draw chemical structures as they demonstrate their learning in chemistry. Using collaborative writing and drawing tools students are able to better support their discussion on how different matter has different formulas and chemical structures.

  One of the biggest challenges in remote learning is finding ways for students to interact with one another. Live student-to-student and student-to-instructor interaction is essential in supporting the learning of chemistry. This tool allows students to ask questions and have their peers show them the answers that will help them build a strong understanding of chemistry.

  Thank you for giving my students the opportunity to connect, collaborative and grow while learning remotely.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Lytle

  This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 3 other donors.

• Bring the Learning Home with Elmo Document Camera

  Funded Jul 16, 2020

  Thank you so much for your generous donations towards my DonorsChoose project. Your support allowed me to purchase an iPad mini to use as a document camera. This year as we are being our study of chemistry remotely I am able to still demonstrate experiments and problem solving techniques to my students. The document camera allows me to show my students how do physically do chemistry. I can show live chemical experiments or simply show the steps I would take to solve a chemistry equation.

  Since I can share my iPad screen with my students during a live class I am able to draw images, solve equations spontaneously based on student questions and connect with my students. I cannot wait to rejoin my students in a classroom and carry out a fun chemistry lab but until it is safe for everyone I am happy to have the tools I need to effectively support and inspire my students.

  Thank you for helping me connect with my amazing students as we embark on the journey of leaning chemistry remotely.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Lytle

• Can You See Me Now? Tech for Remote Learning

  Funded May 6, 2020

  Thank you so much for supporting me as I work to make my remote science classroom more engaging. With a microphone to better hear me with , and a white board to better illustrate ideas with I feel like I am the big bad wolf who will not let coronavirus stop us from learning of science! The part I miss most about teaching in the physical classroom is connecting with my students. I love watching them have there "ah-ha" moments where all of a sudden the pieces come together to make a clear picture of understanding. It is always rewarding to connect with my students and learn more about them as we explore science together.

  Your support allows me to have better quality live interactions with all my awesome students. They can better hear my excitement for science. I can help them better visualize concepts and help illustrate their ideas so students can connect with one another as the increase their understanding of science.

  Now more than ever it is imperative that students understand the basics of science. Our news is filled with concepts controlled studies, infectious pathogens, immune responses, vaccines, and messenger RNA. In real time we are witnessing scientists ask questions and study answers. As my students evaluate the claims made around them it will be their foundation in science that will guide them to make the choices that will impact our future. Thank you for supporting me as I continue to teach my amazing students. I truly love teaching science.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Lytle

  This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 8 other donors.

• Digging Deep; Dissecting Owl Pellets to Discover Energy in Ecosystems

  Funded May 5, 2020

  Thank you for supporting my students. Your contributions allowed me to send home owl pellets and dissection kits to my ninth grade biology students. The covid-19 pandemic turned our world upside down. One of the biggest challenges of remote learning in making the learning engaging and hands on. These materials allowed me to safely have my students continue one of their favorite parts of biology; lab. Additionally as we are continuing our learning at home, so much of our lives are taking place in front of screens. It was nice to give my students an opportunity to learn through hands-on exploration without a screen in front of them.

  As students dissected owl pellets they are able to share their findings with their families. These conversations have fostered connections between students and their families. As students met with me in small groups via video conference it was delightful to hear students comparing their findings with one another. This pandemic has brought so much uncertainty in the world but it has shown how important science education is to my students. We must use our foundation of science and our lessons in evaluating science research to inform the decisions we make as we move forward. Thank you for all your support.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Lytle

  This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 5 other donors.

• Interacting with the Invisibile: Using Models to Understand Matter

  Funded Sep 19, 2019

  Thanks for the generous donations that allowed my students to have hands on experiences modeling atoms. Chemistry explains so much of the world around us like why metals and used in electronic plugs and how shapes of molecules explain they they are solids, liquids and gases in the world around us. Yet, the building blocks of these concepts are based on the tiny mysterious particles of atoms.

  You support allowed my students to model atoms and see how changes in the subatomic particles of protons, neutrons and electrons can make one atom different from the next. We we able to show how electrons make bonds which make new matter with unique properties and characteristics. When students are able to build model atoms and compare them they can explore the ideas of bonding, ions, and isotopes.

  I am humbled by your kindness and appreciate the support you shared with me and my students. We are truly grateful for you support.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Lytle

• Whoa, I think it Will Explode! Safely Performing Chemical Reactions.

  Funded Sep 10, 2019

  I would like you to know how grateful I am for your kind support. It is uplifting to know that others are cheering for my students and we explore chemistry together. The materials you provided allowed me to design two separate fun hands on experiments where we witnessed firsthand how during chemical changes properties of matter change. Students we able to see first hand out chemical changes always result in new bonds which always give materials new properties. Students love performing chemical reactions in lab where they can see first hand how reactions can lead to color changes, bubbling matter, or fun controlled explosions.

  The second activity that we were able to complete due to your generous donations allowed my students to solve a mock crime by testing various materials. Students used the knowledge they learned in the first experiment to determine if an accidental poisoning occurred. It was such a pleasure to watch my students make connections between the introductory activity that gave them foundation skills to solve a real-life scenario with their new chemistry knowledge. Thanks you so much for the opportunity to explore science in a fun and realist way!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Lytle

• I Want to Type Your Blood!

  Funded Sep 13, 2019

  Thanks for your generous support of my students. I look forward to teaching them about blood typing. I know they will be excited to see how blood type is determined and checked before it is used in life-saving medical procedures. Thank you for giving me the resources to help me better challenge and inspire my amazing students.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Lytle

• iPad Brings Chemistry Alive

  Funded Nov 14, 2012

  Words cannot express how thankful I am that you chose to contribute to my donorschoose project. The ipad was very exciting to receive and I have enjoyed learning how technology can better connect my students to me. I have learned many cool ways to use the ipad in the class like, record keeping, visual presentations, group collaborations and the digitizing of our daily work. It is amazing to see how thankful students are that I can show them using a camera exactly the things I am describing. Before the ipad only the students closest could view demonstrations. Also students who are visual learners struggled to follow verbal descriptions. It is now easy to project a worksheet or reference table and point our the connection between our lesson and these documents.

  It is fun learning how to use different apps. I especially love that students love showing me apps they think will improve our classroom experience. I have been able to make review demonstrations for my students to watch after classes so they can stay current on topics. Videos are a great way to ensure students are learning and thinking about chemistry even after the dismissal bell rings.

  Again I hope you know how great your gift is to me and my students. I look forward to continuing my learning journey as I learn more and more how to better connect with my students using technology. Thanks for thinking of us!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Lytle