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Thank you so much for helping us get MinecraftEDU!
In my classroom, I have used the game to teach directional words (forwards, backwards, left, right) and prepositions explaining location. It became really clear how much these words were needed when students were calling to each other across the room, trying to describe where they were or the direction to go.
After a slow start (I sat by myself in the library for a month), we finally have gotten the word out, and the after school club is growing by leaps and bounds. Students have been busy creating homes and running away from mobs. It's hard for the outsider to see how this is beneficial for building soft skills, but the conversations where students are communicating with each other--asking what the other student needs, asking how they can help--is showing collaboration, communication and problem-solving skills The game matches perfectly with our graduation expectations.
Our next steps will be to make movies of what we are doing to add to student portfolios. The films will demonstrate an alternate way of meeting expectations we hope to develop in our graduates.
Without you, this would not have been possible. I am forever grateful!”
When these materials came to my classroom, my students were so excited. They wanted to open up one of the kits and get started. The first kit that we did was the renewable energy kits. The student had a lot of fun looking up how windmills work, how to store energy collected by the windmill, and how to build one. They all enjoy making their own windmill and testing them out to see how much energy they could store with their design. Through the use of this kit, they have learned a lot about renewable energy and different ways to store energy.
My current class go the opportunity to use the pollinator kit. Through the use of this kit, the students learned about what pollinators are, how they are attracted to certain types of plants, and what their ecosystem would look like. The students also got the opportunity to learn about the life cycle of a caterpillar by watching classroom caterpillars going through the stages of their life cycles.
In the spring, I am going to do the soil test kit. It is my hope to have the students design a garden, pick the location of the garden, test the soil. Learn about what a soil test can tell us about how well plants can grow in it. Once they have a good location and design, the students will plant some seeds and learn about the life cycle of a plant.
As you can see, these kits have opened a new world of science for my students. They have been more engaged with science and they have been able to have more hands-on learning opportunity.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Peters
This classroom project was brought to life by Captain Planet Foundation and 12 other donors.
The school year is off to a great start and we owe much of that to you. Our adventure based learning program is in its infancy and thanks to you we have been able to get the students out on a couple extended trips as well as a couple shorter excursions.
The program so far has been a great success. We have seen students that were struggling to stay in school show great interest in the program. The kids were excited to get the equipment and use it on our our last couple trips. It has really impacted the students in our program that do not have access to proper gear and have never had the opportunity to get out on extended trips.
We are looking to expand the program to bring even more students on our adventures in the future. We had 26 on one of our trips, which was a challenge but with all the assistance it was a great success. The one question we get frequently is "Where are we going next". Thank you again for allowing us to work with these students in a nontraditional setting and hopefully have a positive influence on their lives.”
Our students and community members are thrilled to have their yearbook copies. We organized a yearbook signing party that was a part of our field day. The atmosphere during the party was so warm and welcoming. Every child took instant ownership of their book, and the gymnasium had this amazing quiet buzz as the students all reminisced about their successes over the year. This project has been an amazing process and every learner in our school has benefited. I learned as an educator and am brainstorming projects that will contribute to next year's yearbook.
I can not thank you enough for what you have done for the kids in our town.”
The EcoSTEM kit donated by you for the students of my school is amazing. It comes with various materials to engage students in science related to the environment. There were so many items that we have only had time to work with the soil test kits but am excited to use the rest next year! This gift keeps on giving.
A few years ago, teachers and parents build a beautiful garden space on the south side of our school. The pictures attached of our lessons outside take place in our garden. This year, to complement our fifth graders science lessons we partnered with sustainable educators from Shelburne Farms to come in and teach our students how and why we test the soil in our garden. The tests that I received in the EcoSTEM kit were perfect for this project! Students were able to easily obtain results of how much phosphorus and nitrogen are present in our soil and the pH of our soil. They then wrote up the results and shared them with the teachers on our Outdoor Learning Committee. The committee used the results to drive where plants should be planted and if soil had to be amended.
Our students love working outside and engaging in real world science experiences. This kit is amazing to have and I will continue to use these soil tests year after year. Thank you for your generosity!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Asaro
This classroom project was brought to life by Captain Planet Foundation and 2 other donors.
Thank you for your donation and the resulting, amazing rug of many colors. I wish that you could have seen the looks on the faces of my students when they walked into the room and saw the rug for the very first time. It was nothing less than sheer delight.
The first comments revolved around the fact that the rug "looked like the rainbow," but, as one of my wise kindergarten students stated, "without the yellow." Soon my students began to realize that there were 30 squares marked on the rug. Each square was just the right size for a kindergarten student to fit in comfortably. Everyone had their own spot and the invasion of the personal space issue we had prior to the new rug was no longer an issue. My students made comments like "it is easier for me to learn on this rug," no one is touching me," and "I have my own spot."
I use the colors on the rug to move my class from the rug to tables, from the rug to the line and for dividing them into small groups for cooperative projects. I selected the rug to help with classroom management but soon discovered that the colored rows were perfect for graphing activities using kids or objects, an added bonus.
The rug has brightened the atmosphere in my classroom. It turned out that the rainbow rug was actually the "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow.”
We honestly cannot thank you enough for the help you have provided to our classroom. The transportation payment we received to be able to get to STARBASE VERMONT was such a blessing. This is the first time our school was able to participate in this STEM educational program and people weren't really sure what to expect. As we prepared, viewed slide shows and received descriptions about our visit, students were growing more and more excited everyday! Being there for our first visit was amazing! People within the school were also able to see why this program is so important for young students to experience and learn about. Their favorite part so far was Eggbert where they had to engineer a safe crash landing for our friend "Eggbert". They also really enjoyed flight simulation. It took them all the way back to the Wright Brothers flight at Kitty Hawk!
The change in our classroom and learning mentality has seen so much growth. Quite a few of our students would not have had the opportunity to take part in something like this if not for all of your donations. The STARBASE experience has enhanced learning in our classroom by opening minds to different types of learning and career opportunities available to them. Students have been engaged in science exploration activities as I implement the Next Generation Science Standards into our classroom and their confidence in learning and using technology has grown. All stemming from the STARBASE Vermont Program. Again, thank you for your donation, your care and support in helping students around the nation become successful.”
I cannot begin to thank you enough for your generous donations to the funding of our classroom tables.
The excitement the students had on their faces when the tables were waiting to be brought into the classroom from the hallway was priceless. I did have some skeptical students; worried about there they would put their binders and things when we were using the tables but we got into a new routine quickly. Once we had our new routine in place the students were immediately commenting on the bigger workspace that they now had as well as the extra room it brought in the classroom.
We have been working on engineering tasks so I challenged my students to a STEM project where they needed to get their marshmallow the highest in the room working together from the table. They were eager to start this project and excited that they didn't have to rearrange the furniture to do so.
Not only have these tables brought us an easier way to collaborate they have also brought us the option to have more flexible seating in the room. Student choice on their location in the room and their seating arrangement makes such an impact on a students learning and I can't thank you enough for providing that in my classroom with the funding of these tables.”
If I could have captured the moment all four large boxes arrived to our classroom door, the excitement was contagious! Squeals, smiles and happiness all around! We unpacked the boxes together and the students assembled the wobble stools and writing center very quickly. The entire time they were talking about all of the different ways and places to use them to read or practice their math fact cards. With so much commotion and eagerness to try the stools and writing center, we all took a turn! The kiddos actually came up with a brilliant idea to set a timer to read on a stool then switch. Talk about engaged in their story! They truly, truly love the free motion.
I cannot express in words the gratitude I have for your thoughtful donations. The students feel pure excitement and take ownership of their use of the stools and I am so grateful to have them as a part of our learning environment. They are our learning stools. In the words of one of my students, "They have made my thinking cap even bigger!" The students are able to move around freely while still continuing to focus. It is such an amazing experience to watch. In many instances, they barely recognize that they are moving and working at the same time. Just goes to show the impact movement has on these little bodies.
To be honest, I bet 10 teachers have walked by the classroom since the arrival of the wobble stools and they just had to find time to come back and check them out! They instantly light up and ask the students how they have enjoyed learning on the stools. The stories are never ending!
The students are beyond eager to use the wobble stools and writing center every second of every day! Even during indoor recess on a gloomy day, they set the wobble stools up and play school! Again, thank you, thank you, thank you! The contribution you made to our classroom is beyond anything I expected. Without your donations, this would never have been possible.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Staci Smith
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