Coll Storm

I'm not sure where to put this post. I hope this is the correct place, but if not please correct me on where to put it.


Here's my situation and maybe one of you would know how I should go about getting information off the internet or some other resource.

I work for a non-profit organization and work in the childcare department. More importantly to me is that I'm a kindergarten teacher, and when I say teacher, I mean teacher.

I don't just have them color, finger paint, and play with games all day.

My children come in the afternoon and eat lunch. We then go straight into lessons. This usually consists of Month/Dates, Learning our letter of the week, some Spanish, and American Sign Language.

Over the next month we are going to be learning about the Ides of March, and then Roman & Greek Mythology and how they are different/the same as each other. This is on top of reading/writing/arithmetic/arts.

Now that I explained what I do each day with my children, I'll come down to the question.

The one thing that we do have that I'm not happy with is our computers. They are old ( about five years ) and basically don't work. I can't add or remove programs and they just don't work. I would love nothing more than for my kids to get on a computer for fifteen minutes each day, just to get used to the typing aspect of the keyboard and to have basic learning games on there. Like Reader Rabbit, Math Blasters, ect., ect..

My question is this....

How do I go about getting a company to donate a computer to my classroom, other than knocking on their front door? I woulnd't even know who I would go about contacting for such information. I really would love my kids to be able to get some time on computers, but the paperweights that we have just aren't cutting it.

Anyone have any advice for me on this subject?

Thanks!

Cynthetiq

http://www.pcsforschools.org/

that's one place that you can apply.

I'm sure there are others because I google'd and got a good number of them.

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Kaos

Well, you may want to contact people in large corporations in your area and see if any are updating their computers and see what they plan to do with the ones they are replacing.

Instead of junking them, the companies can turn it into free advertising by getting the local papers involved to report on their donation to kids.

iccky

Local Colleges might also be a good source. I know my school has a basement room with decades of technology that is mostly worthless, but because of bearucratic inertia the've never been sold. Some of it is fairly recent, certainly good enough to do what you want to do (Pentium II 266 Mhz, 5 GB HDs, 128 mb RAM).

Amother thought. Five year old computers should be able to do what you want them to do, but it sounds like yours are in such disrepair that they are basically useless. If you can't get someone to donate computers, maybe you can get someone to donate techsupport to get them in working condition.

txlovely

Usually each company has an employee who specializes in community affairs to whom you can lobby. You may also try a development director - these are the fundraising folks and the same ones who make charitable gifts to other organizations. You may look to local foundations as well (should be many in Boston!). If you offer to publically acknowledge their gift, they look like good corporate citizens and you get what you want. Everybody's happy! Good luck.

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Cruel words erode self-esteem like the ocean eats away the shore.

Coll Storm

The most we can do is probably put whomever donates into our newsletter, but that's about it.

I'm going to try contacting some local companies in the area and may even send out a letter to some of the bigger companies on a letterhead paper.

Thanks for the help, it's appreciated!

Mephisto2

Yes, but THEY might be able to benefit from the good PR.

If you (or your organization) give them permission to use your name, they might manage the PR themselves. Tell them they are free to "market" the donation themselves.


Mr Mephisto

Francis

I suggest contacting a local service organization like Kiwanis or Rotary. Kiwanis clubs are geared toward helping the youth of their community. Both clubs are in constant need of speakers. My local Florida Rotary club gives money to schools every year.

The_wall

No offense or anything, but kindergardeners should do fingerpainting and dot to dots, not learning Greek and Roman mythology (though kudos on teaching spanish at a young age). I just think schools keep piling more and more work on kids which isn't the right way to go. I mean we did our alphabets and what not, but we also had a good amount of play time.

__________________
"We do what we like and we like what we do!"~andrew Wk

Procrastinate now, don't put off to the last minute.

Mephisto2

Well, with an equal amount of respect, it's not really up to you to tell what Kindergartens "should do" now, is it?

And, for the record, it's been scientifically proven that the more you "teach" young children, the higher their IQ later in life.

Sure, send your own child to a playschool if you want. But don't tell me that a Kindergarten I may choose "should do fingerpainting and dots to dots". I would gladly teach my kids about Greek & Roman civilization (kids love that stuff), "space and rockets", and dinosaurs, and problem solving and anything else I think will do them good. Your kids can muck around in paint and sand and goo if you want them to.


Mr Mephisto

The_wall

Its actually better for kids to play in dirt then not too, their immune system devolopes better. I didn't mean to disrespect you in any way, it seems like you took offense to my post. I just don't think 5 year olds need to get all the pressures of school, I see kindergarten as a time for kids to to see what school is like and slowly begining to learn basic skills, and 1st grade is when the academics slowly start coming in to play. My reasoning for saying this is at my old elementry school kindergarteners now have homework, its absolutely rediculous for 5 and 6 year olds to have to do homework.

__________________
"We do what we like and we like what we do!"~andrew Wk

Procrastinate now, don't put off to the last minute.

Mephisto2

Yeah, maybe my response sounded a bit terse and for that I apologize. It just touched a nerve, which is unusual because I don't live in the US (where there seems to be undue government influence on education) and I don't have any kids yet! And I agree with you about homework. So sorry for sounding like a hard-ass. I didn't mean to disrespect you either. I just sounded like a jerk... :-)

With regards to your comment on kids playing in dirt, I wholey agree. Some mothers freak out and keep their kids (and their homes) scrubbed like operating theatres. This actually does them more harm than good.

:-)

Mr Mephisto

Coll Storm

In response to The Wall...

My class is equal parts of learning and fun. Most of the time when they are learning their American Sign Laguage they understand that most children don't know it and they are able to sign to each other during the rest of the day. It's more like a secret code to them and then they go and show their parents and friends this.

One of my children also has a deaf grandmother who knows how to sign and this has become a wonderful edition to her life, that her five year old grand-daughter now has the basic concepts down, and can now start talking to her.

The teaching of Greek and Roman mythology is done for a couple of reasons.

#1 - Later in school there will be a number of references to both and they will be prepared before the other kids. We will also have art projects based after these stories.

# 2 - If you have ever read any Roman or Greek Mythology then you would know that they are not only interesting to read, but also fun. I'm an adult and I still find these works fun to read and can't wait to read them to my children.

Don't worry about finger painting and stuff like that. We still do that, because I have very strong feelings toward children in their freedom of expression through art and social play.

Oh and yes, I give them homework, to prepare them for later on when they're going to have no choice, but to do it. I don't overwhelm them with it though. Once a week is usually enough and two pages of whatever I had planned for them to learn that week. Most of the time it's somthing as simple, as writing a sentence.

You may see it as overwhelming, but their parents see it as getting an edge over the public schools and they have even commented on my class in regards to how much they learn, compared to what they are taught in public school ( where they only seem to finger paint... go figure )

Believe me, they learn, but they have fun well doing so.