Review of the three Donors Choose Applications

The first Donor's Choose that I looked at was called "Understanding Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet" this was interesting to me because I remember learning about it in high school and how hard it was to understand the language. One thing that I really enjoyed in his introduction was that he gave a background of his students; he seems to genuinely care about his students and wants to enrich their education. He is hoping to gain a set of classroom books for his students and even wants to get graphic novels for lower learners. 
Although he sees an issue, having enough books and in good conditions, I do not feel like he presents the situation as a negative but rather something that needs improving. 

The second Donor's Choose I looked at was "A soft place to learn!" I liked the idea behind this Donor's Choose but I feel like she could have presented it in a more "grown up" manner; I feel like she was talking more to her younger students than an audience of adults that would contribute to her cause. Also, I think she could include more reasoning as to why this would be beneficial to her classroom as a whole. 

The third Donor's Choose I reviewed was "Cool Tools for Cooling Down Our Emotions!" I really liked how this project is thinking outside of the regular classroom and focusing on students and their lives such as teaching learning emotions and regulation. 

Another reason this project stood out to me was how she presented this to her audience; she notes that families and their lives/struggles and how this directly effects the students in her school. This project is centered around more than just the typical classroom but rather the students themselves. 

The first Donors choose application I am reviewing is from a 7th-grade social studies teacher who works in a predominantly low-income school in Illinois. The first thing this teacher did was explain the demographics of her students: 1/4 of which are English-second-language, many will be first-generation college students, and most are low-income. Describing her students can help draw empathy from possible donors, though she could have likely talked about them even more. Her students will be learning economics and using higher-level thinking, which is her reasoning for wanting her students to have a better classroom environment. Overall, I think her application is well done, my only real critique would be to explain the current furniture in the classroom, this would give her an even stronger argument.

The second Donors Choose application I am reviewing is from an elementary school teacher in Arkansas. This teacher began by discussing her students and how they are her joy. I liked this because not only does it show us that her students are great, it shows that she cares about them. Then the teacher went on to describe the demographics of her students, low-income, and English Second language students. She continued to brag about her students, which I loved, calling them her heroes for dealing with so many adult problems. This teacher wants her students to have the opportunity to do STEM projects after school and at home and she is asking for donations to buy the materials needed. I would say that she should explain how STEM skills will help them in the future and relate this back to how her specific children have been disadvantaged specifically in the technology field.

The third project application I am reviewing is from a teacher who is trying to set her classroom up late in the semester because she just entered the classroom. From the getgo, I would recommend to her that she change he title. Even though it is an attention-getter, it came off to me as unprofessional and awkward. This teacher is asking for basic school supplies such as highlighters, a bookcase, and hole punchers. She explains the use of all of these materials which is great. I think it would be beneficial for her to describe her students more and the specific population she is working with. She is a history teacher and I would like to see her relate these materials back to her class assignments.

In my first Donors Choose, The Thriving Library, Ms, Asencio is requesting donation to give her students a classroom library that offers a variety of loved books and also to get some different kinds of seating to help promote a passion for reading in her classroom. She mentions how her students love to read and that they not only like to talk about academic experiences but they also love to discuss about other things like politics, or their experiences outside of school. Her students understand the power of knowledge and for that she would like to provide them with readings that enriches their learning and enriches their knowledge about different topics. I think she could have mentioned some other things students like to discuss or interested in. I don't think she needed to mentioned that her students do not get to take family trips abroad. 

In my second Donors Choose, Reading Time, Ms G. is endeavoring to provide her students with activities to improve their reading comprehension and their phonics skills. She mentions how her students come to school ready and eager to learn despite of their home life. Her project is to have activities for them during their small group time. She would like for them to gain critical reading skills by being able to use hands on visual appealing materials, she will have some of these materials on the bulletin board for the students during their learning. She stated what the items would be used for, when and by whom. She did a good job at explaining her need and her students needs for the materials she is requesting. 

In my third Donors Choose, Listen Up! Mrs. Medeiros is requesting donation to give her students a listening center that is engaging and that affords all her students a way to build vocabulary concepts, fluency and comprehension. She mentions that many of her students are English language learners and they need to have the language that they are learning spoken to them and one way to do that in her class is that she would like to provide them with a reading center where that can be accomplished. As the students are listening to the story they can follow along in the book thereby improving their reading, vocabulary and listening skills. She states her end goal and how it can be accomplished.  

The first request for donations was from an English teacher for high school students. He wants his classroom to have books that the students can read and enjoy. He states that a lot of his students do not have the means to buy their own supplies or books but would like to read. I think that he does a great job explaining the reasons that he wants his students to read. I think he could benefit from explaining why each book in the materials list could be helpful to his students. Some books that he lists are Diary of a Whimpy kid and the Dork Diaries series. They seem young for high schoolers to benefit from reading. 

The second donors choose request that I looked at was called “STEMing with plants”. The teacher explains that the school is title 1 and in a real community. The school wants to purchase an aqua set garden for science experiments with plant growth (this is for first graders). I think that the teacher does an awesome job of explaining how the garden works ad how she could teach students for it. I think she could talk about the students that she works with and their own interests, maybe making it a bit more personal. I think she did a great job explaining the situation and why it would benefit the kids though. 

My third donor request is from a middle school requesting flexible seating. This is also from a title 1 school. The teacher describes the daily challenges that a lot of the students face. She wants flexible seating for her students because she says that a lot of them are unfocused or have suffered trauma that makes it difficult for them to remain focused. She does not want her students to be squeezed into tight rows. I appreciated how she explained that background of her school. When I looked at the costs for this project, it seemed very expensive. I don’t know think she gave enough evidence of why flexible seating would really be beneficial to her kids. 

In the first application, I appreciated the fact that the educator included the diversity in her classroom; not just race and ethnicity, but social economic levels and family structures as well. Although I find the idea of having "Benjamin Franklin" in the classroom, I would have liked to see a historical figure of color being presented to the classroom. It is an early early grade level so there are future grades where this could be implemented, but I also think that exposing students to other figures other than the conventional white historical figures is an effective way to start teaching students about different perspectives in history. 

In the second application the educator emphasizes the freedom she gives her students in her classroom, which I love to hear. From the profile it seems that she runs a student centered curriculum or at the very least gives the students a say in curriculum. I highly advocate self care; keeping a sane mind is far more important than grades, so the fact that she provides the students with a safe space or meditation area is phenomenal. The only problems I have with the application is the first quote by Edison doesn't necessarily fit with the theme in my opinion. The second is the fact that the educator states that the space is available for her AP World History and Ethics students; now I feel that such a space should be available for all students and not just the students in her classroom, I would have to ask whether she is open to allow any student to use the area or if she would be willing to advocate for other teachers or the school to create a meditation area that is accessible by every student. 

In the third and final application I will have to say I love that the educator is taking the annotative to incorporate sources that better represent the diversity in her classroom, moving away from the conventional white wash history that is implement in the school system. I feel that the description is a bit vague, she could have from the  beginning better explained what exactly she is aiming to achieve. Also, the "Hola! Salut! Guten Tag!" at he begging of the application was a little cringey because it reminded me of when a white woman says "gracias" in a Mexican restaurant simply because she is in a Mexican restaurant being served by a Mexican waiter. I'm not saying that people aren't allowed to speak languages different from their native language, I am simply speaking from my perspective.  

The first DC I chose was for Noise Cancelling headphones in a 5th grade class in New Mexico for a special education teacher who is wanting to serve 4th/5th graders in a low-income area. The teacher said the classroom theme was to be star students and always try their best. They want to use the headphones to stay focused on tasks during independent work as she works individually with other students in the classroom. What she did well was including what the headphones would be used for, using specific examples. However, She could have included in more detail some of her earlier explanations such as what it means in her class to be a star students and how the class can achieve this...and does this contribute to the use of the headphones in her classroom? I learned that these would help her special education classroom in general for their independent work and the overall environment of the room to make her students more successful. 

The second DC is for high school students in Chicago to watch Selma. The class population was low-income minority African American students who reflect on Black History Month activities and expand upon their class curriculum. This whole application did an amazing job and explained all the aspects of the trip, the story behind it, why they need funding, what they would take away from the trip. Watching Selma would help them reflect on the issues in society and stand for what they believe in. There is nothing I would change about this. The teacher also followed up and explained how successful the class was after seeing the movie and how this shaped their classroom and their experiences. I think this lesson plan was the best one I saw because it was emotional and also logical in the way she described the impact of their funding.

The last DC I reviewed was to help middle school students in Bloomington, IL get heart monitors for their health and physical education classes. This will help them monitor their cardiovascular health and better understand heart health in general, and it reaches over 700 students in the school. The teacher did a great job at describing the benefits of cardiovascular health, but she explains each step in the process and how this will impact the students in the future as well, even including future activity plans for the students and what lessons they plan on teaching. What I think she could have added was some information on why they were needed in the first place, was there something that occurred in the school or community or what need they saw to teach health for the heart. This teacher was very informed on the lessons and information she was teaching which made it easier to read and want me to even donate to this cause because I could fully see her plan in action. 

The different donors choose projects I choose to review are all from Norman area. I thought it would be interesting to see what specific things teachers in our community are asking for in their classroom.

1. Lets get physical- This particular donors choose application was for high school students that are all nonverbal and more than half of them come from low-income households. The teacher went in depth about her students and included their likes and dislikes and different activities they enjoy doing. One activity they like is throwing balls. That is what she is asking for. The activity kit would allow students to participate in physical activities not only for PE but in classroom activities too. The teacher talked about how it will give her students confidence and I think that is so important in a classroom. I think this was a very well written request. 

2. Different and Loved: Bringing Diversity to the Library- Just by reading the title I was intrigued by the application. It is so important to show students of different races that they are just as important as the other students and you can show them this by allowing students to engage in books that show diverse cultures or mirror their own lives. I this is also another good application that would be good to donate too. The teacher wants books from the pre-k to 5th grade level and it is important to start showing students the diversity of the world at such a young age. She brings in students by saying how they never fail to shock her with their love of learning and I think that was important to put. 

3. Artists in the Making- This is for a teacher that created an art club for students because her school does not have art classes. Thinking only 10-15 people would join she was not prepared when 50 students were able to participate. I also think this is another well written application. She talks of the importance of art and what they are going to use with the watercolors and what they are going to study. Again the teacher talks about the students and how they are doing this club for them.

All of these applications I think are very good and would benefit students positively. It is cool to see how much teachers care for their students and their learning through this website.

First Donors Choose Application: I feel like overall Ms. Norris did a great job on this post. Some people might not think this topic would be very important but she gave background information about how it would be helpful for her students to have these materials. There is one thing I would change though, and it is the part where she talked about students with autism having trouble with social skills. It did not quiet fit with what she was raising money for and even though it is an important thing to talk about it does not go with this goal. 

Second Donor Choose Application: I liked this application because I believe sensory rooms can be very helpful when used correctly. Ms. Hunn did a good job at explaining the importance of providing one of these rooms for her students. I liked how she focused more on why and how it helpful for her students instead of just talking about what all goes in the room. Even though I thought it was great that she focused more on how the room would benefit her students I feel that she could have included more of the history and research behind sensory rooms because not everyone knows how great they can be. 

Third Donor Choose Application: Out of all three applications I believe this one is the most relateable because everyone is aware of how important technology is becoming in schools. Mrs. Quesada did a great job of talking about why this new technology would benefit her students. I really liked how she talked about how it has been helpful for students in gen-ed classrooms and that it would benefit her students even more. She talked about how it can help them more than other students. I can not think of anything I would change in this application, she did a great job.  

     The first application is designed to solicit funds for a sensory room for individuals with autism or sensory sensitivity. I feel like this is definitely a topic that is specific and one that a wide-range of people can recognize/understand. There is an increasing movement, like at airports, sports arenas, etc., to create safe, calming spaces for individuals who need to decompress from overstimulation. The teacher makes a strong case by detailing the specific materials needed (these are indeed very useful sensory toys and tools) and by emphasizing the fact that her school has seen an increase in the number of students with autism in their population over the past few years. She also highlights the importance of these individuals trying to work with their peers in a general education environment. As a special education teacher, I am happy to see that the proposed sensory space would, seemingly, only be used a supplementary space and not a replacement environment. One potential problem is that at one point this teacher states they currently have a space available for a sensory room, but at another point she stays they do not. This is a bit confusing. As a donor, I would be concerned just how far along this sensory-room project actually is.
     The second application is more unique. This teacher is wanting to purchase dolls and similar anthropomorphic-type toys. that her students can identify with. Specifically, she wants to buy toys that show people of different races and abilities. I think her description of her students is a bit extraneous in terms of how it relates to her cause. I would suggest that she should have instead written more about their diversity than about how the students will be moving into a renovated building. Additionally, I think she should have explained more about why having such a diversified array of toys would make such a difference to her students. As someone who has recently received a lot of instruction about diversity and education, I understand why students need to see more “windows” to themselves in play and literature. Other donors, however, may not see why this is necessary.
     I chose this third application primarily because it pulled at my heart strings. This teacher makes clear the sorts of demographics at her schools and the unique challenges that these students may face in maintaining their school uniforms and personal hygiene. She also emphasizes that solving these hygienic difficulties means that the students can focus on things they can control: their academic work. I think this is probably the strongest argued of the three proposals that I have chosen.

Sensory Path
From the start, I am intrigued as this teacher is not wanting to put a sensory path in a hallway for her students with Autism, but rather for all students at the school whether they are in the general education class or the self-contained class. They mention that they want to work with other staff members at their school where all students can use the sensory path to decrease anxiety, stress, and give any sensory input they might need. This request was submitted only on October 16 and it has almost made the goal of $600 ($60 left). They did a good job specifying the importance of the sensory path at their school and how it will benefit all students attending whether they have a disability or not. I think it would have been nice for them to detail why they need or the purpose of the long list of supplies they are trying to get funded so those reviewing it can better picture the implementation of the sensory path at the school. Also, they mention that the students at the school come from low-income households. It might have been nice to read something about how that has affected students and how the sensory path will help them. I can tell that this teacher is passionate about the use of the sensory path as they have left a thank you comment for anyone who has donated. 

With Technology Brings Success!
Compared to the previous application I reviewed, this one does not have a lot of information. It is just general information about students: mild disabilities, visual impairments, gross motor delays. And she mentioned that the iPads would be apart of their award system. They have short sentences detailing all of that and a couple of the programs they will use. I wish that I could know maybe what is happening right now in their classroom. I think that would help their campaign as people can see what they are doing now, what might not be working, and why the iPads are important. For example, they say “ Some of my students have visual impairments and would benefit more from using the iPad.” Well, what are you doing now for their visual impairments and why would using an iPad be better and beneficial? I feel like I am lacking a good amount of information and as much as I would like to help, I would want more information. However, I do like that they mention their class motto! It is probably the only thing they included that allows me to get to know their students a little bit. Also, they didn’t leave any thank you comments to those who had donated.

Flexible Seating Helps Every Student Achieve!
The biggest thing that I have noticed is that this campaign ends on November 1 and they have yet to receive all the funding they need. This teacher actually did a good job specifying her classroom and her students’ needs. I know what is happening currently in the classroom: students either sit on the floor or stand because they don’t like to sit in the hard chairs. And, they mentioned the research that has been done with the use of flexible seating as well as what she has done with her own time and resources to fix the problem. It would have been nice for her to maybe specify more of the benefits that research have found which I think would help her application. I know the benefits, but not everybody does. Many might see the application and say that it’s not worth it and she needs to teach her kids to sit in their chairs. Also, I don’t like that a good amount of it is about her. She does talk about her students and their needs, but somehow I feel like it’s more about her than the students. I would’ve liked it to be centered around her students. She did start this campaign before school started it seemed like, so she most likely doesn’t know her current students yet that she will have for the year. It might have been good for her to wait until she knew her students and was in class to start this campaign.