Being inspired by The Red Glasses Movement, a living legacy of a little girl who was not defined by her disability, I would like to purchase a pair of red glasses for each student and staff member at Woodland Meadows. It is my hope that these red glasses will inspire the WM community to do more things for others, spark a good deed, reach out to someone who needs a friend, think about more than just ourselves and our close friends, and pass acts of kindness forward to those around us, even if they may not be people we are familiar with. The earlier that kids can learn and grasp this concept, the more likely it is to be ingrained within them, so that they are able to continue it into adulthood without having to think twice about it. If everyone in our society LIVED BOLDLY, LOVED BIG AND PASSED IT ON, it would make the world a kinder and better place and we will spread the love regardless of typical boundaries.
German Voluntary Reading Library
A second language, German in my case, is best attained by learners when the language is presented in a holistic and natural way, personalized to learnersÛª interests, and differentiated to their abilities. Rather than textbooks, the most valuable tool in a language classroom is comprehensible input in the language: content which can be heard, viewed, or read. My project seeks to assemble a variety of German-language texts in a variety of genres, so that students are able to successfully engage with a variety of cultural perspectives while also growing their vocabulary inference skills. These will include both published books and self-published texts from a variety of domestic and global sources.
AP Spanish Language & Culture Headsets
In AP Spanish Language and Culture, students are constantly listening to authentic sources to help with their listening comprehension. In addition, they have to be able to record themselves speaking in Spanish for other activities. An example is the informal speaking portion in which they have the schema of a conversation and then need to respond. They do not know exactly what the person will be saying but rather an idea so their responses are impromptu responses and they need to be recorded. These headsets will allow them to record themselves without all of the additional noise that is around them—including other students.
Windows and Mirrors: Engaging with Diversity through Literature Circles
We hope to engage students in conversation around identity and culture by inviting them to consider stories and characters from diverse identities. Students will engage with the stories in small discussion groups and will share their discussions and learning with their peers. Following their book club reading experience, students will conduct research and writing around their own identities by connecting with their own family stories and cultural heritage. Students will produce a “letter to a future relative” and other artifacts examining heritage and identity; the project begins with the books, continues with conversation and exploration, and ends with connection and presentation.
Love of Language and Literacy
The Love of Language and Literacy project will put engaging, level appropriate books in the hands of secondary learners of Spanish. The funds will be used to purchase 6 copies each of 25 titles to be split between the three 9-12 Spanish classrooms. These books will form the foundation of our classroom libraries and support students as they continue to acquire Spanish.
Flexible Seating for Transition 2 Students
I am looking for flexible seating options for my classroom of students with special needs. My students would benefit from flexible seating because of the different sensory needs that they have. The furniture in my classroom is not conducive to their personal learning styles or sensory needs.
First Year Teacher Functional Classroom
I am a first year teacher looking to recreate a classroom that I took over. My goal is to create a functional room that meets the unique needs of my students by dedicating spaces to call their own. I plan to design a layout that is flexible and organized that benefits their learning styles. In addition, I want to create a comfortable learning environment where students feel at ease.
Increasing Student Interest and Achievement in Computer Science
In hoping to increase achievement and expand opportunities for Computer Science students in Saline Area Schools, I am writing this grant to purchase highly rated curricular materials from A+ Computer Science. At the high school level, the materials will help to bolster the already thriving and successful Computer Science 1 and AP Computer Science A programs. Additionally, the materials will help to increase interest and achievement for the AP Computer Science Principles class. Lastly, the materials provide a pathway for middle school students to expose them to Computer Science at an early age using developmentally appropriate programming languages and environments.
Backyard Brains: Neuroscience in the High School Classroom
Backyard Brains allows students to experience first-hand how neural impulses operate in our muscles. Instead of simply studying neural communication in a textbook, students will be able to use real neuroimaging technology to detect their own neural impulses in real time. The technology connects to an app on any device so that students can see, hear, and manipulate their own neural impulses firing throughout the body. Additionally, the human-to-human interface allows for one student’s muscle and nerve pathways to control another students’.
Here is a link to the website and product: https://backyardbrains.com/products/HHI
Here is a five-minute TedTalk in Detroit where the founder demonstrates this technology: https://www.ted.com/talks/greg_gage_how_to_control_someone_else_s_arm_with_your_brain
Physics Competitions
AP Physics C students will create, test, and modify an autonomous vehicle in class and then perform tasks at U of M’s M-City. In the past, my students have been involved in Physics competitions and have been able to cover the funding. The funding model has now changed and we are expected to fund more of these projects.
