This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
We are the first public STEM school developed in our rural border county. We’ve had great success with enabling students to explore, apply, and test what they learn. We use combinations of project- and problem-based learning strategies, with collaborative and interactive learning activities. We have pioneered the introduction of engineering practices in elementary school in our region.
We integrate the scientific method and the engineering design process into all that we do.
We apply a trans-disciplinary approach to all subjects and make extensive use of models, simulations, and various hands-on experiences. We have great teachers, students, and technology, but we need the best tools we can find to synthesize student learning and maximize synergies.
My Project
We are into our third year of using flexible seating in the classroom and its positive impact has far exceeded my highest expectations. We implemented flexible seating because the education research indicates a positive correlation between flexible seating options and student learning outcomes. Obviously, many factors contribute to student learning success, but the introduction and continued application of flexible seating has been our most significant change in the classroom over this time, and we have seen substantive improvement in student achievement and growth over the same period.
Many people probably remember their own elementary school experience when all chair and desk combinations were exceptionally rigid, and came in only two sizes: too big and too small.
Particularly in third grade, our students come in wide variety of sizes. Being able to comfortably accommodate students in their learning and working spaces removes a host of subtle, but significant distractions. Many were at first skeptical that flexible seating would be beneficial and thought that it would instead lead to students playing when their focus should be elsewhere, but in fact our experience has demonstrated just the opposite. We failed to appreciate the negative consequences of rigid seating until we had the courage to try something different.
The new furniture will add to the items we already have in our classroom and increase the number and range of students that we can accommodate effectively. The new keyboards will replace ones that have become unserviceable with age and frequent use. They give our students more ways to interact with the technology that we already have in the classroom and help us better replicate the contemporary 21st Century learning and working environments that our students will move into, as they continue their education and eventually go on to become contributing members of society.
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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 Ms. Cabanillas and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
