"I teach fourth grade in a working class and immigrant neighborhood in Los Angeles. Most of my students are learning English as a second language, some of them have special needs, and all of them love to learn. Our Title I school is an important safe haven for my kids, who are surrounded by poverty a...
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"I teach fourth grade in a working class and immigrant neighborhood in Los Angeles. Most of my students are learning English as a second language, some of them have special needs, and all of them love to learn. Our Title I school is an important safe haven for my kids, who are surrounded by poverty and gang activity.
Fourth graders are enthusiastic and inquisitive learners. That’s a good thing, because in the California standards for education, fourth graders must demonstrate proper use of the Internet to do research! Teaching kids how to be good consumers of information on the Internet is fun, but my thirty students have to share three desktop computers, and they don’t get enough time at the keyboard to learn how to be Internet-smart.
We need a mini-computer lab, which means we need computers. We are building our lab one laptop at a time, and this is the first request of several. With new laptops, my students will be able to do Internet-based research projects including an exploration of California, creating a model to make our school more environmentally friendly, and performing a census of our school that models the U.S. Census of 2010. They will be able to take the laptops to their desks to work independently or in small groups. Our school is equipped for wireless technology, so they will be able to work anywhere in the classroom.
With your generous donation, we will be able to build a computer lab that will send my kids soaring into the technological age. They will be able to explore the mountains of California, the habitat of the polar bear, and the challenges of executing a census project, all within their classroom walls. Thank you so much!
Thank you once again for your wonderful donation of a MacBook Pro laptop computer to my students. The addition of this computer to my classroom has made an amazing impact on the kids!
When the Mac arrived, my kids cheered with excitement. The first thing they did was name the computer. Since we are building a laptop lab, we found it necessary to name each computer so we don't confuse them. Our naming practice is to combine a color and an animal. For this awesome Mac, they chose "Purple Panda."
So far, my kids have used the Purple Panda to do research on the holiday of Thanksgiving, search for art materials for a business project, and complete reading comprehension quizzes. They are amazed at how fast it is compared to our other computers--everyone prefers the Purple Panda to our older computers, so we have to share time on it.
After the new year, we are going to start our big Census project, as well as do environmental research. As we add laptops to our lab, students will be able to have more independent time at the computer, which means more learning for everyone.
Your generous donation has shown that it truly takes a village to educate a child. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness--your good will lives on every day in our classroom!
With gratitude, Ms. A.
Ms. A. sent this note after the project was fully funded:
WOW! Thank you all so much for contributing to our project "One Laptop at a Time"--I'm glad you agree that giving children the tools of technology is a great way to get them to engage in their learning.
I can hardly wait to tell my kids tomorrow that there are a lot of people out there who really care about them--people they have never met! I know the ideas will be flying when we discuss how we are going to use the MacBook to work on our projects. And certainly the first thing we'll do when the laptop arrives is pass it around. Can you picture it? A fourth grader at school, working on research, at their desk--with a laptop. My dream is that eventually, every student in my classroom will have a computer at their desk. This MacBook is a great start.
Thanks so much again for supporting our project, and for supporting DonorsChoose! You are our angels.
Reviewed the project essay and sent follow-up questions if needed.
Karen A. (volunteer)
on Sep 10, 2009
Verified the cost of the requested technology and posted this project.
John C. (associate)
on Sep 10, 2009
"I gave to this project because I wanted to help out with the awesome learning that will happen in Ms. Amodeo's classroom this year!"
Marjorie
from Van Nuys, CA
gave
on Oct 2, 2009
"Marjorie, thank you so much for contributing to our laptop lab! My students will be so excited to hear that someone out there cares about their education. And now we're one step closer to our goal. Thanks again! :-)"
The teacher Ms. A.
on Oct 2, 2009
"I gave to this project because I know that Ms. A is giving her heart and soul to helping her classroom. The kids deserve a new state of the art computer to help them learn."
Catherine
from California
gave
on Oct 3, 2009
"Catherine, I'm so glad you agree that my kids deserve state of the art materials! Because of thoughtful supporters like you, we are able to give great learning experiences to our students. Thanks so much!"
The teacher Ms. A.
on Oct 3, 2009
"I gave to this project because it's your birthday and a very good cause!"
Monica
from California
gave
on Oct 3, 2009
"Wow, Monica! That is the best birthday present ever! Thanks so much, and I'll let my kids know that they have a new person on their "angel" list--angels helping them have a fantastic experience in school. Thanks again! :-)"
The teacher Ms. A.
on Oct 4, 2009
"I gave to this project because I want to expand the use of Macs in education."
"Scott, I agree--Macs are great! In addition to using our Macbook for Internet research, we will also be able to publish our ideas using iMovie and other iLife applications. Thanks so much for contributing to our dream!"
"I gave to this project because Ms. A is an awesome teacher who does amazing things in her classroom. She is also the one who introduced me to DonorsChoose.org."
Gerard
from Hacienda Heights, CA
gave
in support of Mac|Life Loves School!
on Oct 5, 2009
"Val, you helped us get one step closer to our goal! Thanks so much."
The teacher Ms. A.
on Oct 6, 2009
"Gerard, I am so honored to have an outstanding teacher like you contribute to our classroom. You know that through organizations like DonorsChoose.org, we are able to deliver innovative curriculum to our kids. You are an inspiration. Thanks! :-)"
The teacher Ms. A.
on Oct 6, 2009
"Here's a little more for your project."
Gerard
from Hacienda Heights, CA
gave
in support of Mac|Life Loves School!
on Oct 13, 2009
"I gave to this project because I believe you can all do great things!"
"I gave to this project because good research and computer skills have paved the way for some of the most interesting jobs I've had. Plus, all the web designers and graphic artists I've worked with used Macs, so I think it's great to get to explore those programs. Have fun! "
"Greg, Susie, Charmaine, and Mac|Life donors--thanks to all you Mac|Lifers for your support! "Mr. D" and I appreciate your continued support for our classrooms--and especially when it's a MacBook for the kids to share! Thanks so much!!"
The teacher Ms. A.
on Oct 22, 2009
"Tomato Nation ROCKS!"
The teacher Ms. A.
on Oct 22, 2009
"Karen--thanks so much for supporting kids in your own community! We'll make you proud!"
The teacher Ms. A.
on Oct 22, 2009
"Larissa--yeah, BET RED! Thanks for being part of the team effort!"
The teacher Ms. A.
on Oct 22, 2009
"Caitlin--I agree, Macs are awesome! In addition to do science and social studies research, plus math and literacy games, my kids are also going to use great apps like Garage Band and iMovie on the Mac. How cool is that?! Thanks to donors like you, it will all be possible."
The teacher Ms. A.
on Oct 22, 2009
"amy--you're right, something like a MacBook inspires kids to be creative! I'm glad you appreciate that, and my kids and I thank you for _your_ inspiration! :-)"
The teacher Ms. A.
on Oct 22, 2009
"Kris--applied sciences education is really important! We'll be looking at the environment and what we can do in our school to help be more green. Thanks so much for your support!"
The teacher Ms. A.
on Oct 22, 2009
"Nicole--we'll make you proud when we do our science research. Thank you so much for your support!"
The teacher Ms. A.
on Oct 22, 2009
"Sarah, oh thank you so much for your support! There is nothing more satisfying than watching your students grow as they learn how to use the computer to do research and explore their creativity. I can hardly wait to say to my kids, "Hey, could someone grab the MacBook and look this up?" Thanks so much for bringing us closer to this reality!"
The teacher Ms. A.
on Oct 22, 2009
"Mac|Life + Tomato Nation = Innovative Learning Opportunities for Kids!"
The teacher Ms. A.
on Oct 22, 2009
"I helped because I'm a strong believer in Applied Sciences education."
"Amy, thanks so much! Isn't fourth grade a fun age? And because of your support, my fourth graders will have as much fun doing their Internet research as your own fourth grader. Thanks again! :-)"
"I gave to this project because... the children in Katie Sessa's class are very special in more ways than this world can comprehend."
Ann
from New York
gave
on Oct 25, 2009
"I gave to this project because the bright faces of the children in the picture touched my heart and I would like to see all children have a chance in life."
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Karen A. (volunteer)
on Sep 10, 2009
Gerard
from Hacienda Heights, CA
on Oct 21, 2009
