Students at ATI want learning to feel real and relevant to them. In response to this, the science program at ATI is currently making a transition to project-based learning (PBL) where students learn science content through multiple week projects to solve problems.
ATI is a small, public charter school serving grades 6-12 and has a poverty rate of about 50% annually.
We have about 100 students in the school and seven teachers who teach a wide range of subjects.
Students come to ATI for a variety of reasons, but the common denominator is that they are looking for an alternative to mainstream education. We are able to provide that for them with our small classroom sizes, emphasis on individualized attention, and use of creative learning strategies. The teachers at ATI do whatever it takes to try and make learning accessible for our students, regardless of their particular thinking style, academic skill level, or past performance in school.
ATI students recognize and appreciate their unique learning environment. Many report that they feel a sense of belonging and ownership that simply does not exist for them at other schools. We cultivate active student engagement and it is expected that all students participate in our school in some way.
My Project
The shift to PBL is intentionally made in an effort to realign curriculum to how learning takes place in the real world and to cultivate important 21st Century skills like collaboration, communication, and creative problem solving. Computers are a vitally important tool for PBL in that they allow teachers to effectively communicate with and disseminate materials to students, and give students a platform for research, collaboration, and product creation.
It is expected that having access to these tools, especially within the context of PBL projects, will significantly increase student engagement and the quality of both their work and content knowledge. The portable nature of the laptops also means that labs involving electronic sensors can be performed throughout the room and not just at fixed lab stations. These features will completely change the way that students work, both individually and collaboratively in the science program at ATI.
At present, the science room at ATI is extremely ill-equipped, especially compared to a typical public school.
While some computers are available for student use in the science room, the majority of these are slow, outdated desktops that perform very slowly. This often causes frustration for the students and significantly hinders their progress on assignments.
The acquisition of these Chromebooks will drastically increase the pace of work flow in the science classroom.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Stonewood and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.