My students need equipment to enrich their understanding of basic electronics. We need solder, basic tools, and multimeters so we can test our creations.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
I teach a basic electronics class. We recently learned to solder, and I saw a new world open up for my kids. They saw it too. They were so excited, I hope to build on this, to really inspire more of them to learn more about the electronic world around them.
I teach in Baltimore City, in a very high poverty environment.
My kids deal with gangs, drugs, and crime on a daily basis. I need to have activities that are interesting enough that I can compete with their reality- to make an impact. We have an engineering program, and because so many of my students came from underserved city schools, we are very far behind. What is lacking in mathematic understanding, is more than made up by their desire to learn about this new electronic world.
My Project
We are using an electronics curriculum, and it is great, but since my kids have learned the basics of soldering, they want - they need more. We need to be able to dive deeper, and enrich our learning. We will be designing our own circuits in the near future, and I want them to actually be able to build them. We only have the minimum supplies for the prescribed activities, I do not have the resources to extend their learning, and allow them implement their designs.
We need Digital Multi-Meters (DMM's) to test and troubleshoot our creations. We need needle nose pliers for working with wire and metal. We really need third hand tools, to hold our circuit boards while we solder. They come with a magnifying glass to see our work clearer. We also need solder to work with- its the "glue" as my kids call it, to complete our circuits. Finally we need an assortment of resistors and capacitors so we can experiment.
This project will allow me to take my kids to the next level.
I have some supplies, but not enough for kids to be able to work on their own, my groups are 5-6 students- and that is simply to many to be effective. They need to be able to work on their own, or in groups of two to really dig deep into electronics.
Most of my kids want to go to college, this type of hands on learning, is what will help them get there. We are behind, but as we learn more, we get more inspired to do more.
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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. Brelsford and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
