"My fifth grade classroom is in a Title I school in an urban, lower middle class, diverse environment. One of the ways I try to build class community is with Chuck, our stuffed beaver mascot. He travels home with a student each night to be photographed and written about in his very own journal.
"My fifth grade classroom is in a Title I school in an urban, lower middle class, diverse environment. One of the ways I try to build class community is with Chuck, our stuffed beaver mascot. He travels home with a student each night to be photographed and written about in his very own journal.
Yes! I get to take Chuck home! Where is the camera? Each night one fifth grade student gets to take the bedraggled, Canadian cap wearing,stuffed brown beaver named Chuck home. Currently, a disposable camera goes home with a student each night. The pictures are varied; some are good and others are pictures of the ground and dark pictures that are not worth paying for the developing. A digital camera would allow the students to monitor their pictures, take more than 2 or 3 if they want, and give them the opportunity to create illustrated digital stories of Chuck on their computers.
Chuck, a worn brown beaver with a tail transplant, an eye transplant, and a Canadian hat, has become an integral part of my fifth grade classroom. He has been photographed with family pets, on trampolines, at ball games, eating pizza or reading Harry Potter. He is even included in the yearbook and our class picture. The students wait eagerly for their turn and the chance to take pictures. However, since they are fifth graders, some pictures don't turn out, but they have no way of knowing this when they use the disposable cameras. Having a digital camera to take home would allow the students to learn more about digital cameras, be able to take more pictures,and monitor the accurateness of their pictures. The best part of all is we could keep a digital scrapbook of Chuck rather than having to develop all those pictures. My classroom has a lab of laptops, and the students are learning to create power point presentations. Having Chuck's pictures digital would be a great opportunity for the students to practice their writing and technology skills.
I can almost hear Chuck murmuring....."Please donate! I love to get photographed with those kids!" We would be grateful for the opportunity to have Chuck join the technological age. It would be a great motivation to create digital products. We would be delighted to share our Power Point presentations or digital scrapbooks about Chuck's adventures with you. We await your generosity.
How many pictures can I take? Do I get to take Chuck home tonight? My fifth graders need a Fuji Finepix digital camera and battery to take nightly pictures of our class mascot, Chuck, a stuffed beaver, to be put into a digital photo album/journal.
See Mrs. B.'s class participating in this project!
(Enlarge photos)
Mar 29, 2009
Dear Caroline, Thomas, Clare, Mona, Jazmin, Brandon and superstarra,
Many, many thanks for allowing my children to have a digital camera to take pictures when they take our classroom mascot home! They have learned how to charge the battery each time, how to download pictures onto the computer, and are expanding their creative powers. No longer do I have to purchase disposable cameras and develop pictures that are taken without a flash or blurry; the students do their own editing of these pictures. Their creativity has blossomed recently into making videos of their classroom mascot!
Thank you again for making our classroom more technologically savvy and allowing us more opportunities to be creative with video technology. We look forward to making a digital scrapbook or power point presentation of our year!
With gratitude, Mrs. B.
Mrs. B. sent this note after the project was fully funded:
Feb 6, 2009
Dear Caroline, Thomas, Clare, Mona, Jazmin, Brandon and superstarra,
Thank you so much funding our project. I am so excited to have the digital camera to send home with our class mascot, a stuffed beaver, when he visits the homes of my students. It will allow them to become more familiar with the technology of the digital world, a skill that will be very valuable in the world of future employment. It gives them opportunity to illustrate their writings in their daily writing in the beaver's journal. They will also be able to share their pictures and writing through an online journal with their families. We are very appreciate of you helping us! Many thanks!
Reviewed the project essay and sent follow-up questions if needed.
Patty L. (volunteer)
on Oct 11, 2008
Verified the cost of the requested technology and posted this project.
John C. (associate)
on Oct 15, 2008
Thomas
from Braselton, GA
gave
on Jan 8, 2009
Clare
from battle ground, IN
gave
on Jan 15, 2009
Mona
from La Mesa, CA
gave
on Jan 15, 2009
"i gave because i felt like it is important for me to give back to the surounding comunity and i'm only 11 now "
superstarra
gave
on Jan 31, 2009
Jazmin
gave
on Feb 4, 2009
Brandon
gave
on Feb 4, 2009
"Hello from ThinkGeek.com! We decided we'd like to give $500 on DonorsChoose.org in honor of Valentine's Day, to show a little geek love, and asked our friends who they'd like to see us support. We got over 400 votes and your classroom was chosen as one they'd like to see us help.
Best wishes and lots of geeky good vibes,
The ThinkGeek monkeys"
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Patty L. (volunteer)
on Oct 11, 2008
