Past projects 52
Supporting Stressed Students With Serenity
Funded Feb 16, 2018As we go into the tail-end of the testing season and look toward the end of the school year, I cannot thank everyone enough for the support of our project because it has truly made an impact on our learning environment! It is amazing how something as simple as an emoji stress ball perks up my students and lifts their spirits! Prior to our ELA state test (a graduation requirement), I made a simple care package that had a stress ball and a few pieces of candy just to wish my students luck and give them something to smile about; they absolutely loved it!!! They had fun choosing the stress ball color and design and were excited to use them. :) Thank you for allowing me to provide this experience and support for my students; truly priceless and makes my teacher heart happy!
Furthermore, my students are enamored with the essential oil diffuser, air purifier, essential oils, water fountain feature, and Himalayan salt lamps. In fact, they are very fascinated with the essential oil diffuser and love the calming scents that permeates our room (we hit upon a combination of oils that smells like Froot Loops!).
It means so much to me to have your support. The transformation of our class throughout the year has been wondrous to behold and it is all thanks to your generous and kind support, one that instills a sense of hope and joy for the future of education and for me as a teacher! Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Pond, M.Ed.
This classroom project was brought to life by CA Technologies and 10 other donors.Sports Supports Strong Students Against Adversity
Funded Jan 22, 2018Our class is extremely thankful for the support of Dick's Sporting Goods, Prout Family, Ellie Henry, Angela Gikas, Laura Edwards, Allyson M., Nancy Sale, Mrs. Bushey, and Dan Betz. The belief that you have all shown in our classroom is inspiring and as a teacher, I feel as if the sky is the limit in terms of the opportunities that can be provided to students all across America with such kind and generous donors such as yourselves.
With this project, I thank you all for giving our classroom the wonderful gift of sports! As the boxes began to arrive over the course of a week or so, I could feel the excitement and wonder build within my students, many of whom could not get over their sense of amazement that we had such a large project fund!!! The gleam and smiles on their faces as they appreciated the wonderful quality and variety of the sports equipment was heartening to behold and just knowing that they would be able to participate in activities that they love and enjoy in order to de-stress made my teacher heart smile.
Access to sports is a critical component to supporting healthy and motivated students but for many families, the cost of playing sports in terms of equipment and other accessories can be a discouraging prospect. Starting the second semester with the availability of a spectacular amount of sports equipment truly helped alleviate a difficult first-half of the school year with Hurricane Irma being one of the major events that contributed to those difficulties.
In the words of one of tennis' all-time greats: "You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is real joy" (Arthur Ashe). Thank you for bringing a sense of relief and joy into our classroom community by helping us fund this project!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Pond, M.Ed.
This classroom project was brought to life by DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation and 10 other donors.Artwork Is Heartwork
Funded Jan 25, 2018Thank you for supporting our "Artwork is Heartwork" project on DonorsChoose.org! The freedom that you have given our class in expressing ourselves artistically has been priceless! The 142-piece wood art set, canvas panels, 150-piece watercolor pencils, and sketch books have all impressed my students who continue to express their amazement for these beautiful supplies. Oftentimes, when words fail us or when we are unable to verbally express our thoughts and feelings, capturing them through art and defining them in a concrete, visual manner, is more freeing than through the use of words alone.
As a teacher, it is heartening to see the creativity that my students display when they engage in these artistic endeavors. Recognizing that students oftentimes have an affinity for expression through particular mediums such as art, I am grateful for your support in reaching my, otherwise, "quiet" students whose art ends up speaking boldly and loudly for them. It truly does put a smile on my face to hear them explain their art or the thought behind using the visual component as support for a written piece, all of the skills that we practice in our ELA class that is made more accessible with your support. At the end of the day, these wonderful art supplies continue to make our classroom a welcoming and engaging place to be, whether students have been displaced from Puerto Rico or are from the local community, they feel welcomed and appreciated and I thank you for your support in allowing me to provide this feeling and welcoming environment!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Pond, M.Ed.
This classroom project was brought to life by Tony and Nanar Yoseloff and 2 other donors.Suitable Seats for Scholarly Students (2)
Funded Jan 17, 2018There is nothing like new seats to shake-up the classroom in a positive manner and the new seating options have had my students very excited. From the space that they save to the working area that they give, my students have had nothing but super-positive in their reception of the new seating options. As I began to build each set one-by-one, my students were intrigued as to what they were and when I finally unveiled them, my students were enamored with the aesthetics, usability, and utility of the new seats. When working on posters and other group activities, up to four students can congregate around the tabletop and conveniently work together where before, students had to finagle their desks and reconfigure them.
Suffice it to say that we love having these new seating options in our classroom and cannot thank you enough for your support in funding them! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support and for helping us to continue to transform our classroom in awesome ways!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Pond, M.Ed.
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 19 other donors.STEAMing Ahead: We Are VR (Part 1)
Funded Sep 23, 2017Thank you very much for helping us fund part 1 of our VR project! Reimagining education seems like a daunting task, at the outset, but when you realize that there are people out there who are passionate about helping educators and students, the mountain seems surmountable. This is what I have come to realize and I cannot emphasize this point enough: knowing that supporters like you are behind us 100% of the way allows me to dare to dream big as a teacher and, as a result, I am able to support my students and their big dreams!
As I think about the idea of virtual reality and how foreign its use may seem to people, in general, I continue by imagining people questioning what it would be like in a classroom setting. What are the applications for learning? What use does an HTC Vive system have in education? I started out with these questions in mind, along with many more, prior to submitting our project but ultimately, I believed in the grand and innovative possibilities afforded by VR. Even then, I could never have imagined the impact that the VR system would have on our classroom because, until you are able to slip on the headset and be immersed in the environment, you truly cannot grasp the possibilities. It is beyond imagining or description and it is this sense of awe and wonder that you have allowed my students to access that I am truly thankful to have in our classroom.
One of the favorite things that my students enjoy are the "experiences" where they can immerse themselves within a story and interact with the environment. What I have come to realize is that every single student who takes off the headset retains a sparkle in their eye and a smile on their face, along with some emotions (depending on the experience). Through them, I know that being in virtual reality does not lessen the emotional connection that they would have when compared to reading a piece of text or watching a movie. One of my favorite quotes to date is this one: "Virtual reality is the 'ultimate empathy machine.' These experiences are more than documentaries. They're opportunities to walk a mile in someone else's shoes" (Chris Milk). When my students put on the headsets, they are doing just that but rather than just walking, they are flying, jumping, diving, and doing so much more while tethered to the ground back in the classroom.
Thank you very much for your support. As you can tell, your help has allowed us to reimagine learning, the way we interact with content, and, above all, to continue to believe that there is still wonder and magic to be found in the world, we just have to seek it. Happy 2018!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Pond, M.Ed.
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Donor and 3 other donors.STEAMing Ahead: We Are VR (Part 2)
Funded Oct 3, 2017It is inestimable the impact that you have had on our class by funding part 2 of our VR project! The cost of materials, supplies, and technology can be quite daunting and teachers oftentimes have difficulties bringing in laptops and/or technology, much less a premium virtual reality system that is still continuing to transform classrooms and society alike. This is why I am extremely grateful for your choice to support our project and believe in its power to make a difference in our classroom.
Believe it or not, many of my students were hesitant to try the HTC Vive system, not because they were not interested but because they have never encountered such a high-end piece of technology before in a classroom. I had to constantly remind them that I, too, am still learning the ropes but that it would change the way that they experience "reality". Sure enough, once they put the headset on and I powered up the VR-ready PC that you all helped fund, they became immersed and exclamations of "Wow!" or "This is soooo real!" were uttered in a constant stream.
The future should never be held back from the classroom environment and I adamantly believe that this is so with technology, the backbone of the way that we interact with the world. So please accept my sincerest and utmost gratitude for helping us to break down the four walls of our class and access a new reality, one that hold limitless possibilities.
Happy 2018!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Pond, M.Ed.
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Donor and 4 other donors.Claymations: Tolerance in (Stop) Motion
Funded Jun 2, 2017Whenever I think of the importance of nurturing my students' sense of creativity, I am reminded of a quote by Albert Einstein: "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." I am a true believer in the power of the imagination because it is the imagination that has given us the computer, Facebook, solar panels, Keurig, smartphones, and virtual reality, just to name a few things. Many of the things that we rely upon to run our world or our daily lives had their inception within someone's mind or had their genesis stemming from a collaborative effort by people who imagined together.
The power of shaping, molding, and bringing a block of clay to life holds a strong attraction for many students. It is sad for me to see that, by the time my students move on to the secondary level, opportunities for them to engage in artistic endeavors become diminished. Even though we are an English class, my goal has always been to become interdisciplinary and offer my students chances to engage in the content in different and enjoyable ways; with your help in funding our claymation project, you have helped me do just that! Even though my students are "playing" with clay, the work that they have done in order to plan and execute their project from beginning to end has been more rigorous and multi-faceted than they realized. It was not until we debriefed and reflected did they realize all of the many steps and processes that they used to produce a successful claymation project! They were in awe of themselves but, ultimately, proud of what they produced and having your help in funding our project so that my students can experiences that sense of pride and accomplishment is invaluable!
This is why I am so thankful for your support because by funding our project, you are helping my students imagine and conceptualize, to see the possibilities and realize the potential of their own imaginations and power. So, thank you! Thank you for continuing to believe in us, in our classroom, and for imagining with us! Have a wonderful 2018 and we look forward to a successful year!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Pond, M.Ed.
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and 15 other donors.Human Essentials: Love & People (HELP)
Funded Mar 24, 2017I cannot express enough how thankful I am for your support and help in allowing me to provide these emergency supplies on an "as needed" basis to those students who need it. Every single student who picks up items from the pantry never fail to express how amazed they are that the items were provided to them by such awesome "people out there" and I always have to remind them that there are so many people who are rooting for their success and will always help them in their time of need. I will be forever indebted to everyone who is a part of the "Student Life Essentials" group and our foundational supporters (teachers, parents, citizen donors) because you all truly do help teachers across the nation provide the necessities that helps students concentrate and learn by addressing their most basic, but critical, needs. In 2017, one of my goals was to have our classroom become a safe haven and for students to be able to access items and resources that will help them physically, mentally, and emotionally and you have all been a major factor in helping me achieve this goal. In 2018, I hope to continue the tradition. Thank you so much for your help and support of educators and students across the nation!
Happy 2018!
Mr. Pond”
With gratitude,
Mr. Pond, M.Ed.
This classroom project was brought to life by Life Essentials Supporters and 23 other donors.Printing for Preservation: Capturing the "New American" Experience
Funded Oct 28, 2017Thank you for bringing the freedom of a printer into our classroom with the amazing HP Enterprise Laserjet Printer!!! It is fascinating what a personal printer can do for a classroom, especially one that is able to handle about 145 students' worth of printing needs. Not only is it convenient to have the printer in our classroom, I am also seeing that it is teaching my students how to be conservative with printing and how to be deliberate in choosing what to print because they are aware that, as our classroom printer, we must take care of it so that it lasts for a long time. Color-printing, for some odd reason, makes my students very happy and I have had many students offer to chip in to resupply the toner cartridges when the time comes!
Overall, I am extremely thankful for your support as it continue to allow our classroom to transform into a self-sufficient and student-centered one! Thank you for your continued and Happy Holidays!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Pond, M.Ed.
This classroom project was brought to life by Sergey Brin Family Foundation and 72 other donors.Virtual Reality and the "New American" Experience
Funded Jul 23, 2017I started out with the request for our "Virtual Reality and the New American Experience" project with an inkling of the power and impact that the VR system could have in our classroom but after testing it out for myself prior to releasing it to students for a pilot program, I quickly realized that I knew nothing at all because the system is so much more than can be imagined. The HTC Vive system is one of those things that must be experienced and cannot be truly understood through reading reviews or watching videos of it in use alone. We just started a soft rollout of our HTC Vive Student Pilot Program and the responses and exclamations of excitement and wonder from my students has given me a truer sense of how much of a game-changer this system will be for us! The unique and immersive perspective afforded from using the VR system alone is indescribable and I am so thankful for the support that we have had with this project because the funding of the HTC Vive VR system was truly a dream come true for us. The spectacular impact that it will have on our classroom is unfathomable and I am truly in awe of its potential to engage my students. I will update the project page as we continue to conduct our pilot program and on into the general release for whole classroom usage. Even as I am writing this right now, I am shaking with excitement ad gratefulness for your support because we would not be the classroom that we are now, one with an HTC Vive system, without your generous support. Thank you very much for helping us to transform our classroom!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Pond, M.Ed.
This classroom project was brought to life by Sergey Brin Family Foundation and 35 other donors.