You're on track to get doubled donations (and unlock a reward for the colleague who referred you). Keep up the great work!
Take credit for your charitable giving! Check out your tax receipts
Donate
To use your $50 gift card credits, find a project to fund and we'll automatically apply your credits at checkout. Find a classroom project
Menu
Skip to main content

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.

Your school email address was successfully verified.

See this teacher's page

This teacher needs your help!

Mrs. Vaughn from Birmingham AL is requesting technology through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mrs. Vaughn is requesting

The STEAM Engine Rolls On: Spheros for Coding and Creativity

My students need Sphero Robots and tablet devices to operate them with.

  • $1,161 goal

This project expired on October 12, 2017.

This project expired on October 12, 2017.

My Students

My students are from a diverse suburb in Birmingham, Alabama. Students at our school come from a myriad of races, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, family makeups, ability levels, religions, native languages, and so on. We truly are a melting pot, and I am overjoyed at the amount of diversity among my students. We are a 4-5th grade intermediate school serving approximately 750 students each year.

My students have grit, perseverance, and an enthusiasm for learning that is unstoppable!

They approach new learning tasks with determination and are ready for a challenge. They love being engaged in tasks which require collaboration and allow for creative freedom. They are funny and kind, respectful and a joy to be around. In short, my students ROCK and I am lucky to be their teacher!

My Project

S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics education) plays a vital role in today's classroom. This project uses Sphero robots and Fire tablets to pack all of the S.T.E.A.M. elements in one powerful punch! Sphero Robots are amazing, engaging devices for inspiring creativity and curiosity while teaching the concepts of coding and programming - skills which are highly relevant and necessary in the 21st Century. Amazon Fire tablets have a myriad of uses and will be utilized above and beyond the scope of this project; but, for this project they will be used primarily to run various apps, including the SPRK Lightning Lab educational app and Sphero EDU app. These apps allow students to code and program the Spheros to complete a variety of tasks from beginner to advanced level, reaching students of all abilities! They also allow students the opportunity to collaborate with their peers across the globe, encouraging cross-cultural connections and creating a greater sense of being a global citizen.

By donating to this project, you will open up endless opportunities for students to discover how to think critically and problem solve, code and program, all while having FUN, expressing creativity, and being a "KID!"

The project materials will be used in the general classroom as well as in my after-school Team M.A.R.S. (Missions in Aeronautics, Rocketry/Robotics, and Space) class. Students will engage in a variety of learning tasks involving the Spheros and tablets, all of which incorporate S.T.E.A.M. education. Students will learn to code and program, conduct experiments utilizing the robots, track data, and write reports on their experiences. They will encounter challenges and be given missions to complete using critical thinking, collaboration, and problem solving skills. They will be allowed creative time to use the Spheros and tablets in artistic ways. The opportunities are truly limitless!

Mrs. Vaughn
Never Before Funded Grades 3-5

Boost your odds

Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.

You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.

Upload a photo

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

You donate directly to the teacher or project you care about and see where every dollar you give goes.

Expand the "Where your donation goes" section below to see exactly what Mrs. Vaughn is requesting.

See our finances

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

You can start a project with the same resources being requested here!

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
Sphero - SPRK+ - White and Blue • Best Buy Education $112.47 5 $562.35
All-New Fire 7 Tablet with Alexa, 7" Display, 8 GB, Black - with Special Offers • Amazon Business $49.99 5 $249.95
New Hexnub Cover (Clear) for Robotic Sphero Ball 2.0 & SPRK editions - Off Road Protection • Amazon Business $11.99 5 $59.95

Materials cost

$872.25

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $71.09

3rd party payment processing fee

$13.08

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$986.42

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$174.07

Total project goal

$1,160.49

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

View complete list Show less

Give back to your community

Find opportunities to impact local needs by exploring a map of classroom projects near you.

See local area

Project Activity

Project Activity
Back to top

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 Mrs. Vaughn and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

See how DonorsChoose works
{"pmaHash":"","schoolCity":"Birmingham","showProjectRecommendations":true,"teachersOnPage":[4495113],"isTeacherViewingTheirOwnProject":false,"hideTeacherDetails":false,"schoolState":"AL","teacherPossessivePronoun":"her","PMsManager":null,"schoolGradeType":{"id":2,"name":"Elementary School"},"TeacherPMForms":{},"proposalId":2599787,"proposalMessageFormModel":null,"numActiveProjects":0,"completingDonationAmount":1161,"teacherHasClassroomPhoto":true,"proposalURL":"https://www.donorschoose.org/project/the-steam-engine-rolls-on-spheros-for-c/2599787/","verifyShowPhotos":"","eligibleToBeCopied":false,"mayHaveReplacements":false,"numStudents":100,"teacherScreenName":"Mrs. Vaughn","isEquityFocus":false,"authorIds":{"4495113":{"owner":"Mrs. Vaughn","donationSalutations":{}}},"displayedPercentFunded":0.0,"proposalsOnPage":[2599787],"proposalHash":"1885117266","isApplePayMobileOnly":true,"progressBarPercentage":0.00,"pmaId":"","teacherProfilePhotoURL":"https://storage.donorschoose.net/dc_prod/images/teacher/profile/272x272/tp4495113_272x272.jpg?width=136&height=136&fit=bounds&auto=webp&t=1497390539962","teacherHasProfilePhoto":true,"currentWorkflowStatusCode":23,"teacherChallengeId":20946493,"photosPublished":false,"queryString":"","DonorPMForm":null,"isApplePayEnabled":true,"fundedByTarget":false,"activeProject":null,"donorIdsForImpactPhotoCheck":[],"teacherId":4495113,"schoolCounty":"Shelby","fullyFunded":false,"isStudentLed":false,"isExpired":true,"schoolStateObj":{"code":"AL","name":"Alabama"}}
Supporting teachers and students since 2000

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a classroom in need. Public school teachers from every corner of America create classroom project requests, and you can give any amount to the project that inspires you.

We've earned the highest possible ratings from Better Business Bureau, Charity Watch, Charity Navigator, and Guidestar.