Mr. Wever's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 16

• Solder Forward: Electronics for Beginners

  Funded Dec 30, 2017

  First of all, I want to thank you for your generous contribution to my after-school program. Your donation couldn't have come at a better time, as, due to budget cuts, my program lost funding and now I am operating the program at my own cost. When my program lost it's funding, I had just received the news that you helped fund this project, and I was heart broken that I wouldn't be able to get any use out of the materials, and that my students wouldn't have a place to explore their desire to make and create. I decided to keep the club open without any additional funds or compensation. Students who were loyal to the program are still coming, and I do my best to assist them in any way I can. It has made me really appreciate how reciprocal goodness is in this world.

  With the limited time and funds we now have, it was hard to get enough time to teach soldering to students, but they are very fast learners and they have already put together a couple of the kits. And so far we are injury-free (fingers crossed). Soldering is something that looks difficult, but is actually like putting together a puzzle. many students who struggle in normal classes are actually amazing puzzle-solvers with the need to engage in activities that require the creation of things with their hands. As long as I am able, I plan on keeping my club open to provide students with these opportunities. Again, thank you for your contribution. We really appreciate it.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Wever

  This classroom project was brought to life by 3M and one other donor.

• Drones Over Brooklyn

  Funded Sep 29, 2017

  The moment I announced that I had received funding for drone building kits, my club attendance skyrocketed. I went from having about a dozen students show up weekly to having triple that amount, and it was all because of the drones, which you helped fund. Thank you so much for your generosity.

  The drone building kits were a great trial and error process for the students. The instructions were mostly in minimal in tiny visuals, so students had to figure it out themselves, comparing what they made to the models on the boxes, and then actually letting them fly to see if they work. Only every other drone took off perfectly, so students had to figure out why, and in this process was the true learning moments, as students either measured the strength of the propellers by having them blow objects, or even figuring out which way the propellers were supposed to spin and how that would effect the drones.

  This has been a truly great experience, and once we have enough fully flying drones, we plan on having a dronelympic. Thank you so much for this great opportunity.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Wever

  This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Donor and 2 other donors.

• Making Pens and Pencils for Ourselves and Others!

  Funded Mar 24, 2017

  Thank you so much for your donation to my Makers Club. Makers Club is an after school club where students who are interested in making (and to a certain extent destroying) things can come and build and deconstruct anything they can think of or get their hands on. Your contribution was used to purchase a lathe, which is a machine that turns wood at a speed so that you can use a scraper and grind away the wood, creating a circular object like a peg, bat, or a pen.

  My students often come to class and ask me for a pen or pencil to use, but at the end of class I often see that there are pencils on the floor, neglected, or broken in half, scattered in the hallway. With the purchase of a lathe, my goal was to teach students how to make their own pens, which would make them realize how much effort goes into creating a simple object by hand, but also instill in them a sense of ownership over the objects they use.

  Many students have successfully created their own pens, and I even had a student who made pens for his favorite teachers as a graduation gift as he was graduating. For students in a public school system with a limited budget, being exposed to tools like the lathe is a great opportunity for them to realize the things they wished they could do in school. Thank you for providing us with that opportunity.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Wever

• Makers Club Makes Robots

  Funded Oct 21, 2016

  Thank you so much for your generous donations. With your donations I was able to purchase some vital materials and tools for my Makers Club, such as Robot Making kits and gears, motors, and solar panels to create solar-powered tour cars.

  My students were very excited to see the Robot Making kits, and I have had several students show up to my club repeatedly so they can work and rework on their kits. After they build one kit I guide them through making a solar-powered car without the help of a kit, and they are really excited when they create a car from scratch that actually moves.

  We live in a world where things come pre-packaged and are easily thrown out. I believe it is my duty to teach the future generations that we have the ability to make things, and that we don't always need to be a cog in the wheel of consumerism. I appreciate your contribution very much, and I hope you continue to fund other projects through Donors Choose as well.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Wever

• Help Me Make a Makers Club

  Funded Aug 30, 2016

  Thank you so much for your generous donations. With the funds I was able to purchase a table-top scroll saw and a belt sander, both of which you can see in the pictures I posted on the project page.

  For the past two years my students have been doing everything by hand-power. While there is a certain charm in using hand tools, the machines that I purchased have had an immediate impact on my students. They have become much more responsible in the upkeep of the machines, often taking turns to clean them up and get them ready for the next day. They have also learned how to responsibly use machines that have the potential of being dangerous. As they work, they often look out for each other and make sure each are following safety protocols. finally, the machines have given them a sense of professionalism. They realize these machines are what are used by grown-ups who use them for their professions, and the projects they decide to undertake have become much more complex and detailed.

  Again, I cannot thank you enough for your generosity. This has been a great opportunity to show my students that there are people out there who truly care about their education.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Wever

• Make It Yourself: Teaching Teenagers The Art of Woodworking

  Funded Dec 30, 2014

  Thank you so much for your generous donation to our after-school woodworking program. As you may know, the education system currently does not provide much funding for classes that teach technical skills. I am in my early 30s, and I feel like my generation was one of the last ones to actually have a woodshop in public education. I believe that the skills that students can learn in technical-based classes are very important, but what's more important is the state of mind that they can achieve. In my woodworking class I try to teach ideas such as the "process is more important than the product" and "if you can't succeed one way, try another", which I believe are qualities we are losing as a nation. So many of us rely on disposable products and have lost the art of using our hands to build and fix what is around us. Core values such as these cannot be taught; they need to be transferred through demonstration. I want to help at least one student realize that they can build things with their hands, and that there is a valuable lesson to be learned in manual labor. Again, thank you so much for your contribution. It really means a lot.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Wever