The Learning Circuit: Students Helping Their Community
My students need the following items to build the computer for this project: motherboard, processor, memory, monitor, tower, hard drive, keyboard, and mouse.
At the start of this year our department met with the clubs we advise and students identified that they wanted to find a way to help others. Out of this idea the “Learning Circuit” Project was born.
Our school is a traditional junior high (grades 7-9) and at each grade level we have one “accelerated” class for gifted students and 8 “regular” classes that include special education students, English Language Learners, and at-risk students.
The three clubs (WIRED – Web Instructional Resources and Education Developers, Science Club, and Computer Club) that will be involved in the construction of the computer currently have a total membership of about 60 students; however, we are anticipating that the “Learning Circuit Project” will increase our enrollment over the course of the year. The members of the various clubs come from all grade levels and are a diverse mix of socio-economic and academic backgrounds. One thing that all students that are involved in the clubs have in common is a desire to learn and participate. When the members of the clubs were informed of this grant application they all expressed interest in being able to use their skills and talents to help others.
My Project
To complete this grant several members of WIRED worked together with a member of our IT staff to select the various components needed to make a desktop computer. Because we wanted this to be a machine that will be functional for several years the students spent a great deal of time selecting high quality components. The components include: a motherboard, processor, memory, monitor, tower, hard drive, keyboard, and mouse..
I have been truly amazed at how excited the members of the various clubs are about this project. Already several students have developed a stronger knowledge base on how the various components of a computer work together. I have really enjoyed watching as students, who have typically been very quiet, are now actively sharing their knowledge and developing self-confidence. I can’t wait to see how the students will continue to grow as they get a chance to build a fully functioning computer that will be funded from this grant.
Computers play a critical role in the 21st century; however, few users truly understand how these remarkable devices work.
By supporting this grant you will be giving a group of students a truly unique experience because they get the opportunity to use their 21st century skills to make a functional machine. The construction of this machine represents the “Learning” component and the “Circuit” component of this project will be completed when the machine is “gifted” to a student at our school.
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 Mr. Mlsna and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.