Blogger's Challenge, Day One
Oct. 2nd, 2007 12:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
azuriteHi all! First, some "me" updates, then onto the main course:
* WDKY25 idea! Oh, I love lightning bolts. With dumb luck, it'll be done -no, really, DONE!- by the end of this week. I pray.
* I finished my end of the project for my Vitamin K presentation in Nutrition for Life class tomorrow. I'm so thrilled I finally figured out (with the help of a Mac Rep-- surprisingly, not a Creative or Genius, because they were all stumped!) why there was sound on the slides that were build-less. I had the idea that the media icon might be hidden off-canvas, and once the Mac Rep told me how to resize the window so the canvas only took up a percentage, I found the sign! I also ended up having to fix lots of hyperlinks, but in the end, I tested everything out, and it looks great! Aside from the necessity of having to click the actual squares on the Categories Selection board (rather than have it select automatically), everything's great, and I hope we do well tomorrow!
Now, main course:
As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm participating in the SixApart/DonorsChoose.org Bloggers Challenge. I've chosen eight teacher proposals for San Francisco schools that I hope to fund, even a little. SixApart gave out $30 certificates for DonorsChoose.org to people who requested them, and I already gave mine to one of my eight proposals: Books That Add Spice.
Check out my complete challenge here, and donate even $1-- it WILL make a difference in a child's life!
And now, for some questions and my answers...
Why San Francisco?
It's where I grew up. My mom was a great participant in my school years growing up, and if it wasn't for her, I think a lot of the school projects that I remember the most wouldn't have been as fun, or may have fallen through altogether. My school was lucky enough to have a few parents who were really dedicated to participating in classes and helping teachers-- moreso than the school or the school district ever did.
While I can't speak for the kids or the school district now, from what I've seen when I've visited recently, things haven't changed much. If I can help a single elementary school kid get a new pack of crayons, or a classroom of high schoolers see a computer presentation via a new projector, then I'll do whatever I can.
Why did you pick the proposals you did?
It's funny, but once you start looking for proposals to help fund, there are so many that will catch your attention. That's what happened with me, and though I think eight is a bit of a crazy number (and I intentionally set my Fundraising Goal to $2000, which does NOT cover the complete costs of every proposal), I think there's a great variety of schools, teachers, students, and proposals in my challenge. If I can meet my Fundraising Goal of $2000, then that'll most likely get all of these proposals enough funding to get noticed, and at the very least, up off the ground.
The proposals I chose are as follows:
1. Let Your Fingers Do The Writing
2. Books That Add Spice
3. The Art Area is in Trouble!
4. Making 5th Grade More Fun & Interesting
5. Bring my Classroom into the 21st Century!
6. Rainbow World: Help Kindergartners Explore Colors
7. Think Before You Drink: Prom Gift Bags
8. Slide into the 21st Century
Why #1? Though I never attended Alice Fong Yu Alternative School, I recognize the importance of learning and practicing language at an early age. The younger you are, the easier it is to retain multiple languages, which is an incredibly valuable asset as you get older. I especially love teachers who try and make learning a foreign language innovative and fun, because often, it can be very taxing. Plus, who doesn't want to play with Play-Doh? This is also a very inexpensive proposal, and with only a few people donating, it could easily be brought to fruition.
Why #2? I already briefly mentioned this one in my first post, but I'll go into more detail here. Reading was a fundamental part of my experience growing up. I begged my mom to buy me books all the time; my dad knew to take me to the library first thing on the weekend when I saw him, because I wanted to spend hours there. Even now, I have three overflowing wall-tall bookcases, and there are STILL more things I love reading!
Plus, as I'm sure most readers familiar with me/this journal know, I love writing. Every writer you talk to will tell you, to get better at writing, READ READ READ! It doesn't matter whether you want to write in a journalistic style, write advertising copy, write fiction, or write witty text for icons. You have to read! The teacher in this proposal wants to introduce a wider variety of books to their students, so the students can learn about new writing styles. Not only do I think that's an incredible way to do it, but it can inspire kids to go out and read on their own, because they won't be able to take the teacher's books home with them.
This particular proposal is ending on November 3rd, and still needs to be fulfilled! In addition, the school the teacher is from is in the Tenderloin, one of the bad neighborhoods of San Francisco. Kids there need more help than those in most other districts, and if a new set of hardcover books to last them a decade will make a difference, then I will donate whatever I can!
Why #3? I love art. You can tell, because I've always got projects going on-- beads for jewelry, gifts for the holidays, cards, scrapbooks, website designs... I'm always doing something artsy! Personally, I've invested a lot in keeping myself as organized as possible, because I know if I don't take good care of my art supplies, they won't last. What's great is that even though I complain that my mom's a packrat, she knew how to pack things! My sister's valuable art supplies became mine, because my mom wisely stored them. Now I'm doing the same, and when I want to have an art party with my cousins, I know my markers will be fresh, my paper unwrinkled, and everything in its place.
A classroom deserves storage bins more than anything else, especially when you run a classroom of energetic, enthusiastic elementary school kids. Plus, it's such a simple request, and so easy to fulfill, plus they'll be useful for numerous other things, other classes and teachers, and for years to come. This is another proposal that has its deadline coming up soon! Please help out if you can!
Why #4? I loved the initiative the elementary school students of Daniel Webster showed in this teacher's proposal. The kids went through the teacher's supply catalog and picked out the things THEY wanted. That shows enthusiasm and excitement for learning, which I love to encourage. The kids would receive materials for a variety of subjects, not just one single project. Plus, they'll all be usable in the future. The kids that chose the materials will tell their schoolmates and any younger siblings, stimulating interest in that class. "Hey, my science class is really cool! We've got these neat kits to diagram things with... " and then other kids will want to learn science, too! An incredibly admirable proposal, though a bit pricey. Still, every little bit helps. The area this school is in is High Poverty. The fact that these kids have shown such enthusiasm despite their circumstances gives me hope!
Why #5? Okay, Mission High School is probably one of the two most poorly-funded of the six big public high schools in San Francisco. I've visited the school once or twice, and despite being a stone's throw away from downtown, that doesn't make the area a nice place to live OR go to school. The kids at that high school deserve a lot, and though this proposal is the most expensive one in my challenge, I believe it's truly for a good cause. Kids in that area don't really have access to public computer labs, inexpensive cyber cafes with the necessary software, or computers at home. School is where you learn, and school is where the tools should be. The majority of my computer learning took place at school, and I'm grateful for that! I'd be years behind where I am now if it weren't for the labs where I spent much of my time.
I've maintained and used computer labs at high schools. There's no way to regularly maintain them the way schools should, and most school districts can't afford professional technical support or full-time faculty that can maintain the labs or single computers. This professor wants to integrate science and technology by buying 5-6 notebook computers. Not only will the computers be reusable for years to come (and if properly maintained, for even longer than average), but they can be used for other classes and projects, as well.
Interest in computers is fundamental, and if kids at MHS haven't learned the basics of computing -word processing, website building, keyboarding, and surfing the Internet- then they're going to be left behind both for college and in their careers. Computers are always an investment, and this is a big one that I think is incredibly important.
Why #6? I love color. And what kid doesn't love to play with colors, mixing paints or crayons, or imagining rainbows? This school has High Poverty, and many of the kids that attend don't speak English or speak English only as a second language. At the elementary school level, that can be a big handicap, since San Francisco Unified School District is one of those districts where you tend to continue with the same pack of classmates from elementary up until high school. A better understanding of things as simple as colors can facilitate play and classroom discussion, and will hopefully allow the kids to have fun, learn, and make friends! The tiniest step might be the beginning of something much bigger: "What's your favorite color?"
Why #7? Balboa High is the other high school (besides Mission) that is probably the poorest funded. The school is very High Need, and the proposal is something I think is very inventive and important. They want to create Prom Gift Bags that include information about preventing drunk driving, STDs, and poor health. They'd distribute the bags at the Junior-Senior Prom, which, as anyone who ever went to high school knows is a Very Big Deal. Okay, some people don't care about Prom and don't go, but for those that do, there's always the very real danger of someone going out and getting drunk, possibly driving and putting others at risk. There's also the danger of students having unsafe sex and contracting an STD. I think it's a great idea to spread knowledge in this creative way. The project doesn't cost a lot to fund, but it's running out of time! In order to get everything assembled and ready to go by the time Prom rolls around, they'll need their funding by Halloween! Can you help out?
Finally, #8: Thurgood Marshall Academic HS is an "alternative" school in San Francisco. The teacher's proposal highlights that TMAHS has a great collection of slides, but no way of showing them to the students. How silly is that? What a way to cripple a school by having a great collection of learning tools, but not a method with which to use them? This inexpensive, important proposal will give a slide scanner to a school in need, allowing teachers from around the school to digitize the slides they want and use them whenever and wherever they want. If I had gone to TMAHS and knew the school had a great collection of informational, educational slides, I'd want them to be used! But that can only be done with your help!
Please take a minute of your time to read some of these proposal descriptions and, if possible, donate something. Whether it's $1 or $10, $20 or $30, every little bit helps! Do you remember what it was like to be in elementary, middle, or high school? Did you never want for anything? (If you say "yes," I won't believe you. :P)
DonorsChoose gathers teachers from all over the U.S., allowing THEM to say just what they need, how many students will be impacted, and what their proposed purchases will be used for. These eight proposals really stood out to me, and I hope that you can find it in your heart (and in your wallet!) to make a small tax-deductible contribution to help fund them-- even a little. It won't just make a difference for you and me, but all those students and their teachers-- for years to come.
I've emailed a note about this to my friends. If you read that email, read this post for more info, and be sure to tell your friends!
* WDKY25 idea! Oh, I love lightning bolts. With dumb luck, it'll be done -no, really, DONE!- by the end of this week. I pray.
* I finished my end of the project for my Vitamin K presentation in Nutrition for Life class tomorrow. I'm so thrilled I finally figured out (with the help of a Mac Rep-- surprisingly, not a Creative or Genius, because they were all stumped!) why there was sound on the slides that were build-less. I had the idea that the media icon might be hidden off-canvas, and once the Mac Rep told me how to resize the window so the canvas only took up a percentage, I found the sign! I also ended up having to fix lots of hyperlinks, but in the end, I tested everything out, and it looks great! Aside from the necessity of having to click the actual squares on the Categories Selection board (rather than have it select automatically), everything's great, and I hope we do well tomorrow!
Now, main course:
As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm participating in the SixApart/DonorsChoose.org Bloggers Challenge. I've chosen eight teacher proposals for San Francisco schools that I hope to fund, even a little. SixApart gave out $30 certificates for DonorsChoose.org to people who requested them, and I already gave mine to one of my eight proposals: Books That Add Spice.
Check out my complete challenge here, and donate even $1-- it WILL make a difference in a child's life!
And now, for some questions and my answers...
Why San Francisco?
It's where I grew up. My mom was a great participant in my school years growing up, and if it wasn't for her, I think a lot of the school projects that I remember the most wouldn't have been as fun, or may have fallen through altogether. My school was lucky enough to have a few parents who were really dedicated to participating in classes and helping teachers-- moreso than the school or the school district ever did.
While I can't speak for the kids or the school district now, from what I've seen when I've visited recently, things haven't changed much. If I can help a single elementary school kid get a new pack of crayons, or a classroom of high schoolers see a computer presentation via a new projector, then I'll do whatever I can.
Why did you pick the proposals you did?
It's funny, but once you start looking for proposals to help fund, there are so many that will catch your attention. That's what happened with me, and though I think eight is a bit of a crazy number (and I intentionally set my Fundraising Goal to $2000, which does NOT cover the complete costs of every proposal), I think there's a great variety of schools, teachers, students, and proposals in my challenge. If I can meet my Fundraising Goal of $2000, then that'll most likely get all of these proposals enough funding to get noticed, and at the very least, up off the ground.
The proposals I chose are as follows:
1. Let Your Fingers Do The Writing
2. Books That Add Spice
3. The Art Area is in Trouble!
4. Making 5th Grade More Fun & Interesting
5. Bring my Classroom into the 21st Century!
6. Rainbow World: Help Kindergartners Explore Colors
7. Think Before You Drink: Prom Gift Bags
8. Slide into the 21st Century
Why #1? Though I never attended Alice Fong Yu Alternative School, I recognize the importance of learning and practicing language at an early age. The younger you are, the easier it is to retain multiple languages, which is an incredibly valuable asset as you get older. I especially love teachers who try and make learning a foreign language innovative and fun, because often, it can be very taxing. Plus, who doesn't want to play with Play-Doh? This is also a very inexpensive proposal, and with only a few people donating, it could easily be brought to fruition.
Why #2? I already briefly mentioned this one in my first post, but I'll go into more detail here. Reading was a fundamental part of my experience growing up. I begged my mom to buy me books all the time; my dad knew to take me to the library first thing on the weekend when I saw him, because I wanted to spend hours there. Even now, I have three overflowing wall-tall bookcases, and there are STILL more things I love reading!
Plus, as I'm sure most readers familiar with me/this journal know, I love writing. Every writer you talk to will tell you, to get better at writing, READ READ READ! It doesn't matter whether you want to write in a journalistic style, write advertising copy, write fiction, or write witty text for icons. You have to read! The teacher in this proposal wants to introduce a wider variety of books to their students, so the students can learn about new writing styles. Not only do I think that's an incredible way to do it, but it can inspire kids to go out and read on their own, because they won't be able to take the teacher's books home with them.
This particular proposal is ending on November 3rd, and still needs to be fulfilled! In addition, the school the teacher is from is in the Tenderloin, one of the bad neighborhoods of San Francisco. Kids there need more help than those in most other districts, and if a new set of hardcover books to last them a decade will make a difference, then I will donate whatever I can!
Why #3? I love art. You can tell, because I've always got projects going on-- beads for jewelry, gifts for the holidays, cards, scrapbooks, website designs... I'm always doing something artsy! Personally, I've invested a lot in keeping myself as organized as possible, because I know if I don't take good care of my art supplies, they won't last. What's great is that even though I complain that my mom's a packrat, she knew how to pack things! My sister's valuable art supplies became mine, because my mom wisely stored them. Now I'm doing the same, and when I want to have an art party with my cousins, I know my markers will be fresh, my paper unwrinkled, and everything in its place.
A classroom deserves storage bins more than anything else, especially when you run a classroom of energetic, enthusiastic elementary school kids. Plus, it's such a simple request, and so easy to fulfill, plus they'll be useful for numerous other things, other classes and teachers, and for years to come. This is another proposal that has its deadline coming up soon! Please help out if you can!
Why #4? I loved the initiative the elementary school students of Daniel Webster showed in this teacher's proposal. The kids went through the teacher's supply catalog and picked out the things THEY wanted. That shows enthusiasm and excitement for learning, which I love to encourage. The kids would receive materials for a variety of subjects, not just one single project. Plus, they'll all be usable in the future. The kids that chose the materials will tell their schoolmates and any younger siblings, stimulating interest in that class. "Hey, my science class is really cool! We've got these neat kits to diagram things with... " and then other kids will want to learn science, too! An incredibly admirable proposal, though a bit pricey. Still, every little bit helps. The area this school is in is High Poverty. The fact that these kids have shown such enthusiasm despite their circumstances gives me hope!
Why #5? Okay, Mission High School is probably one of the two most poorly-funded of the six big public high schools in San Francisco. I've visited the school once or twice, and despite being a stone's throw away from downtown, that doesn't make the area a nice place to live OR go to school. The kids at that high school deserve a lot, and though this proposal is the most expensive one in my challenge, I believe it's truly for a good cause. Kids in that area don't really have access to public computer labs, inexpensive cyber cafes with the necessary software, or computers at home. School is where you learn, and school is where the tools should be. The majority of my computer learning took place at school, and I'm grateful for that! I'd be years behind where I am now if it weren't for the labs where I spent much of my time.
I've maintained and used computer labs at high schools. There's no way to regularly maintain them the way schools should, and most school districts can't afford professional technical support or full-time faculty that can maintain the labs or single computers. This professor wants to integrate science and technology by buying 5-6 notebook computers. Not only will the computers be reusable for years to come (and if properly maintained, for even longer than average), but they can be used for other classes and projects, as well.
Interest in computers is fundamental, and if kids at MHS haven't learned the basics of computing -word processing, website building, keyboarding, and surfing the Internet- then they're going to be left behind both for college and in their careers. Computers are always an investment, and this is a big one that I think is incredibly important.
Why #6? I love color. And what kid doesn't love to play with colors, mixing paints or crayons, or imagining rainbows? This school has High Poverty, and many of the kids that attend don't speak English or speak English only as a second language. At the elementary school level, that can be a big handicap, since San Francisco Unified School District is one of those districts where you tend to continue with the same pack of classmates from elementary up until high school. A better understanding of things as simple as colors can facilitate play and classroom discussion, and will hopefully allow the kids to have fun, learn, and make friends! The tiniest step might be the beginning of something much bigger: "What's your favorite color?"
Why #7? Balboa High is the other high school (besides Mission) that is probably the poorest funded. The school is very High Need, and the proposal is something I think is very inventive and important. They want to create Prom Gift Bags that include information about preventing drunk driving, STDs, and poor health. They'd distribute the bags at the Junior-Senior Prom, which, as anyone who ever went to high school knows is a Very Big Deal. Okay, some people don't care about Prom and don't go, but for those that do, there's always the very real danger of someone going out and getting drunk, possibly driving and putting others at risk. There's also the danger of students having unsafe sex and contracting an STD. I think it's a great idea to spread knowledge in this creative way. The project doesn't cost a lot to fund, but it's running out of time! In order to get everything assembled and ready to go by the time Prom rolls around, they'll need their funding by Halloween! Can you help out?
Finally, #8: Thurgood Marshall Academic HS is an "alternative" school in San Francisco. The teacher's proposal highlights that TMAHS has a great collection of slides, but no way of showing them to the students. How silly is that? What a way to cripple a school by having a great collection of learning tools, but not a method with which to use them? This inexpensive, important proposal will give a slide scanner to a school in need, allowing teachers from around the school to digitize the slides they want and use them whenever and wherever they want. If I had gone to TMAHS and knew the school had a great collection of informational, educational slides, I'd want them to be used! But that can only be done with your help!
Please take a minute of your time to read some of these proposal descriptions and, if possible, donate something. Whether it's $1 or $10, $20 or $30, every little bit helps! Do you remember what it was like to be in elementary, middle, or high school? Did you never want for anything? (If you say "yes," I won't believe you. :P)
DonorsChoose gathers teachers from all over the U.S., allowing THEM to say just what they need, how many students will be impacted, and what their proposed purchases will be used for. These eight proposals really stood out to me, and I hope that you can find it in your heart (and in your wallet!) to make a small tax-deductible contribution to help fund them-- even a little. It won't just make a difference for you and me, but all those students and their teachers-- for years to come.
I've emailed a note about this to my friends. If you read that email, read this post for more info, and be sure to tell your friends!
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