DonorsChoose Classroom Projects!!

I just received my 2 iPad minis from my classroom project on DonorsChoose.org!!  I am absolutely THRILLED to start using them with my students in class!!  For any of you that may not know what DonorsChoose is, I will go ahead an explain it for you.

DonorsChoose.org is an amazing website for teachers in public schools across the country help raise money to receive materials for their classroom!   Teachers first decide what kind of project they want to start - technology-based, materials, field trips, guest speakers, etc.  The teacher then 'goes shopping' for the resources they are requesting.  DonorsChoose negotiates the best prices for teachers/education so that money is being optimized.  DonorsChoose.org then does an amazing job of taking teachers step-by-step in how to describe their students, the ways they are going to use the requested resources in their classroom, and how the students will benefit from them.  Once the project has been submitted, the DonorsChoose team reviews it for accuracy and materials' pricing before it is posted!  Teachers then have 4 months to raise funds to complete their project!  The great thing about DonorsChoose is that anyone can donate to the project!!  They also give you a promo code (INSPIRE) to have every donation matched dollar-for-dollar (up to $100) by anonymous donors that help fund the site.

(Here's more about 'How it Works')

Last year, I posted a project including an AppleTV, and HD Projector.  It was funded by multiple donors that I am very grateful for!  It took the entire 4 months to fund (this project literally got the last amount funded the last day of my project window), but my classroom definitely benefited from it!  My students were able to watch videos, share learning, and share projects through presentations in class.

Just this year, I have already gotten 2 iPad Minis funded.  It was funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for Education during a period of which they funded 50% of the needed amount for every project that was posted during a specific time frame!  I took advantage of that the second I learned of it, as I know how difficult it is to get funding!

This last week, I decided to post another project for an additional 2 iPad Minis as well as protective OtterBox cases for all four iPad Minis.  If you would like to visit my classroom site, please follow this link:

http://www.donorschoose.org/chelsea.schwartz

If you would like to see my most recent project, or would like to help my classroom out by donating, please follow this link:

iPads for Students in Today's Classroom


Thanks for reading my blogposts!!  If you would like to request a topic or would like to share what your classroom does for funding, leave a comment below!!

It has arrived...

The school year has officially began for me.  This last Monday, marked the first day of Returning Teacher Week at Canyon Breeze Elementary School in Avondale, AZ!!  It was so amazing to see so many familiar faces, and so many new faces, of my amazing coworkers!!

I can't lie, I've been coming into school nearly every day since July 7th to get my classroom started and I can't say that I feel any more prepared than I have for previous years where I didn't start early.  How is that possible?  I feel so far behind this year and completely unprepared... but nevertheless, tomorrow is the first day of school and I am still pretty excited about it!!

The last 3 years, I had taught 7th grade Science and I absolutely loved it!!  Though it came with challenges, it was always a rewarding learning experience for me.  This year, our staff was cut down and we lost our 4th teacher in 7th grade, which in turn led me to change my position to being the Science teacher for both 6th and 7th grade.  I have been battling in my mind about whether I am actually excited about the addition or terrified about teaching two grade levels' full-year content, in half the time.... I still haven't decided how I really feel.  What I do know, is that my classroom is as done as it is going to be before school starts.  I still have small things to add to my Focus Wall bulletin boards for them to function as they should, but I'm pretty happy about it overall.  Here are some pictures of the room!!

 (The front of the room)

 (Thinking Maps - 'Organizing Our Thoughts')

(The Back of the Room)

 (Weekly Agenda)

 (My desk)

(Another view of my desk)

This past week has been a lot of work with my coworkers.  This year's theme was "What do You see? - it's not what your looking at that matters, but what you see."  We did a bunch of things that related back to this theme, but my favorite was a 'blank canvas' activity.  We were given this picture:

We were told to paint what we saw on our canvas that was given to us.  Thankfully I was in a group with our art teacher and we did a pretty good job!!

(Final product)

Every group was given a part of a larger picture (of a kaleidoscope image) and together we made a unique visual based on what we saw in our pictures.  Needless to say it didn't look like the picture that was separated and given to us, but it did look pretty unique!!

I am as ready for the school year as I'm going to be.  I have my plans for this week done, copies of my syllabus printed, and my "About the Teacher" video updated and ready to show my kids.  If only I had another weekend tacked on to  this one, I'm pretty sure I would be rested and ready... but ready or not here they come!!!

I have put in my About the Teacher video if you would like to take a peak.  I made it using Stupeflix last year and just added a few edits to pertain to this year.  To my fellow teachers out there who still have a few ounces of summer, I am envious - enjoy the rest of it.

The First of Many...

Hello there!

I have never written a blog, but after scouring the web full of blogs on Pinterest, technology training, and all the crazy experience inside (and out) of the classroom, I thought to myself "Why not start a blog?"

I am sure I am not the only person who experiences some of the craziness that is Middle School teaching, and I would love to start networking with other bloggers out there!!  I can't promise to post all the time (in fact, I tend to start a lot of things and end up not finishing them - am I alone in that??), but I can promise to try my best!

So here I am, making my first blog post, of what I hope will turn into, many.  Here's to my adventures that I'm not sure will even take place.  Here's to getting constructive criticism, sharing my ideas, and (hopefully) getting LOTS of new ones to implement!


There are so many teacher blogs out there, so if you are reading this, THANK YOU for coming to my page!!  I hope you come back often to check out what I have to post!!