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This teacher needs your help!

Ms. Mecham from Mesa, AZ is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

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Learning While Reaching for the Stars

My students need these items to bring their learning to real world and to help their creative juices flow. My students need to see, feel, and touch their learning so the learning has to be concrete.

  • $757 goal

This project expired on March 31, 2017.

This project expired on March 31, 2017.

Classroom photo
Ms. Mecham profile photo
Ms. Mecham Desert Ridge High School
Mesa, AZ Grades 9-12

My Students

My students are AWESOME!! They are students ranging in age from 14 to 18 and are on the Autism Spectrum. The struggle with focus, needing constant movement, sensory breaks, and lots of love. However, we are going to use education, sensory diets, and movement to break through and help these special students grow and maximize their amazing potential.

Sensory integration for my students on the Autism spectrum, provides a foundation for more complex learning and behavior.

For most of us, effective sensory integration occurs automatically. For many people with autism, the process demands effort and attention with no guarantee of accuracy.

Sensory challenges can affect the my students ability to take in information, respond to requests, participate in social situations, write, participate in sports, and maintain a calm and ready to work state. Research is still exploring the impact and factors associated with sensory challenges in autism.

My Project

This project is for children on the Autism Spectrum. They learn using a variety of methods. To only use one method of teaching is not reaching every child all the time. Therefore, our classroom needs a variety of items to help each student learn to their full potential. The following paragraph tells about 3 of the learning styles that my students use to learn.

Each student is an individual and my only have one learning style, or all three, however, it is important to know what is what and how to incorporate their learning style into the classroom.

First, there is visual style learning. In this category, children rely on their sense of sight, and best learn from books, videos, charts, pictures and color coding methods. That is why reading trackers and linking cubes are needed. Children with visual learning styles often pursue careers as: data analysts, artists, and architects, to name a few. The second type of learning is Auditory Style. Children who fall in this realm of learning method benefit greatly from listening or speaking activities, such as talking, audiotapes, role playing, and saying things out loud, or repeating. Having large pillows to read on as listen to stories helps these students to remain focused and listening to what is being said. Job categories that fit well with auditory learners include: judges, lawyers, interpreters, musicians, and salespeople, or other vocations where not tangible processing of vast information is a must. The third type of learning is considered Tactile or Kinesthetic in nature. Children who fall into this category of learning style benefit greatly from doing projects, working with objects, and moving around. Using paint, linking cubes, and tissue papers allows the students to physically manipulate objects to help them learn. This type of learner would make fantastic surgeons.

5 students impacted
Ms. Mecham Desert Ridge High School Grades 9-12 Mesa, AZ View local requests 5 students impacted

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
CF521YE - Giant Comfy Pillow - Yellow • Lakeshore Learning Materials $69.99 1 $69.99
CF521GR - Giant Comfy Pillow - Green • Lakeshore Learning Materials $69.99 1 $69.99
PX2016TQZ - Lakeshore Fully Washable Liquid Tempera Paint - Case - Turquoise • Lakeshore Learning Materials $34.50 1 $34.50
PX2016YEZ - Lakeshore Fully Washable Liquid Tempera Paint - Case - Yellow • Lakeshore Learning Materials $34.50 1 $34.50
PX2016BRZ - Lakeshore Fully Washable Liquid Tempera Paint - Case - Brown • Lakeshore Learning Materials $34.50 1 $34.50
PX2016BKZ - Lakeshore Fully Washable Liquid Tempera Paint - Case - Black • Lakeshore Learning Materials $34.50 1 $34.50
PX2016BUZ - Lakeshore Fully Washable Liquid Tempera Paint - Case - Blue • Lakeshore Learning Materials $34.50 1 $34.50
PX2016GRZ - Lakeshore Fully Washable Liquid Tempera Paint - Case - Green • Lakeshore Learning Materials $34.50 1 $34.50
PX2016RDZ - Lakeshore Fully Washable Liquid Tempera - Case - Red • Lakeshore Learning Materials $34.50 1 $34.50
PX2016VTZ - Lakeshore Fully Washable Liquid Tempera Paint - Case - Violet • Lakeshore Learning Materials $34.50 1 $34.50
PX2016RGZ - Lakeshore Fully Washable Liquid Tempera Paint - Case - Orange • Lakeshore Learning Materials $34.50 1 $34.50
PX2016WTZ - Lakeshore Fully Washable Liquid Tempera Paint - Case - White • Lakeshore Learning Materials $34.50 1 $34.50
PX2020 - Lakeshore Fully Washable Liquid Tempera Paint - 10-Color Set - Pints • Lakeshore Learning Materials $29.50 1 $29.50
RA529 - Linking Cubes • Lakeshore Learning Materials $19.99 1 $19.99
DD852 - Intermediate Reading Trackers - Set of 30 • Lakeshore Learning Materials $16.99 1 $16.99
KW5851 - Art Tissue Paper - 100 Sheets • Lakeshore Learning Materials $12.99 1 $12.99

Materials cost

$564.45

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $40.36

3rd party payment processing fee

$8.47

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$643.28

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$113.52

Total project goal

$756.80

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

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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. Mecham and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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