Tell Me and I Forget. Involve Me and I Understand.
Help me give my students a quality microscope, glass slides, and a digital microscope viewer, tools capable for opening unseen worlds fathomable only by the imagination.
These young adults seek experiences where they feel valued. From my experience, they would rather "do it themselves," that is, "Why does this teacher keep bothering us?" I learned this by reading their quarterly reflections.
I learned that sometimes, my students just need to have the space to work and enjoy what they are doing without any interruption or distraction.
These special individuals are talented, fun, and intelligent, naturally making sense of the phenomenon that feeds their wondrous spirits.
Learners of this nature deserve every opportunity to live up to their mysterious potentials and fascinating personalities. Ironically, their curiosities support and inspire the effective teaching they receive.
My Project
How many times have you left unscathed from a "close encounter?"
The opportunity to learn from close encounters (figuratively speaking) reminds us of the value of wonderment and inquiry...of the things that we cannot yet see.
Our class's need for a high-quality microscope is immense.
Students will be able to use it to manipulate and explore more about micro-organisms and their significant roles in the life cycle.
Close encounters such as this reinforce content we are already deeply involved in. One example is its application to the decomposition process.
My class has steadily managed a food-waste composting program of unfinished/uneaten school lunches. They have heard, they have repeated it, they have even done a pretty good job of explaining that microscopic life (micro-organisms) are an essential part of the composting process! But, "Boy! Would they be surprised to see it!"
Middle school-aged students, they embrace independence and new experiences. Therefore, I am learning that the way I present learning material is equally as important as the material itself. "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I understand." Thank you for helping us to develop our natural inclination to be wondrous and knowledgeable beings.
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 Ms. Handley and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.