Review of the three Donors Choose Applications

#1: "Starbucks Comfort in the Classroom, Without the Coffee of Course!"
This application really drew my attention because I strongly believe in giving students the options of the environment in which they learn and complete their work. Seating is one of these options to give students. The beginning of the application was a lot about the way that the school and the students in the class made the TEACHER feel. I thought this was something she could have left out, or worded differently, because it was a lot about her and not the students. While I'm sure that the students do make her feel that way, the application donors are probably geared more towards the student's feelings. Another thing she may could improve was the picture. The picture was relevant to the application but seems almost as though she just took it without considering what a "good quality" picture is. I thought it may come off as unprofessional. However, she did do many great things. I loved the way she compared the seating in Starbucks to the seating in a classroom- having the choice of where to work. This also made for a great title. I thought this application was pretty good...just may need a few changes.

#2: "Technology in our Math Class" 
This application is by a middle school teacher in Norman who is asking for an iPad to use in her math classroom. The first thing I noticed that was wrong with this application was the picture. It seems to be a picture of students work but it is unclear what exactly the work it and doesn't necessarily correlate to the application. Then, when I began to read her statements, they were very wordy. It was unclear exactly what she was asking for. She did give good background information as to why this iPad was so important to the classroom. She started off by explaining how her school was high poverty and suffering from budget cuts, which is something that could grab the donor's attention. 

#3: Fire Up Our Classroom!
This application is asking for a class set of Kindle Fires. The first thing that caught my attention was the title, I thought it was very creative and easily drew attention. When I began to read the application, I was very impressed with the writing that the teacher created. Her writing sounded very professional and appealed to the emotion of the reader. She talked about how her students came from low-income households and how she wanted to influence them to get out of the poverty circle. She ended her application with a very powerful statement, which I thought was also very creative. One thing that I would change about her application is the picture. It is just a picture of her chalkboard and doesn't have much to do with the application. This is something that she could improve to make her application better. 

5 Tips:
1. Make sure your picture is good quality and relates to the application. This is important because it will catch the attention of donors and make you as a teacher look professional. 
2. Have a creative title. This is likely the first thing that donors will look at, so you want to make it good! 
3. Make sure your writing is not too wordy. You want to elaborate on what you are asking for, but do not make it too wordy to where the reader is confused as to what you are asking for. 
4. Make sure the application is student centered. Donors are donating for the benefit of the students, so make sure that your application is focused on them. 
5. Give example of how you will use what you are asking for in the classroom. This will help donors see how important your application is and show them that you are serious and passionate about using it in the classroom. 

1. Be intentional about the title. Make it eye-catching, even click bate like because it's the first shot at getting donors.
2. Provide a brief but thorough summary of the project in the first paragraph and relate to the donor somehow.
3. Provide very in-depth descriptions of the specifics of how a donation will help students after the intro paragraph.
4. Think of a way to benefit many students, more students than just 20 in one class, so the donor knows they get to impact many lives with even a small donation.
5. Do plenty of research on the products you need so that you're getting the most value for the best price. So the donor shouldn't be able to find the same thing you're asking $50 for sold at $30 somewhere online.

Wobble While You Work!: The first thing that drew me to this post was the cute title and picture. The picture shows the teacher’s kindergarten class sitting on a rug and working on an assignment. I think the picture is pretty effective because it shows her class without directly showing their faces, which may not be allowed. The teacher did a great job of describing the diversity of her students and how the school is considered high poverty. She also presents her need for the Hokki Stool wobble seats because many of her students need an outlet in the classroom in order to focus. The only critique I have is for the teacher to add a little bit more information about what the wobble seats do and how they will be effective in her classroom.

Mountains Beyond Mountains: The title of this post caught my attention right away. I found it interesting because the teacher is presenting a need for her students to learn in an outdoor education environment at a camp. She does an excellent job describing the school and her students and includes a cute picture of the class. 94% of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch and 17 languages are spoken at the school. Because many of her students come from low-income families, she claims that they have limited opportunities to learn outside the classroom. The only thing I would suggest for this teacher is to describe exactly what the students will be doing at Camp Cal-wood. She only briefly mentioned it but did not explain what kind of camp it is or what the students will be learning.

Hoot! Hoot! We Love Math!: I found the title of this post very cute which made me click on it originally. The teacher did a pretty good job of describing her students and how eager they are to learn. She presented her need for math manipulatives and clocks for her first grade students. She stated exactly how they would be used and what they would do. I thought it was cute that she included pictures of students’ artwork but it did not relate to what her fundraiser is for. I think she should have included pictures of her students working on math rather than random artwork. 

Based on the donor requests I reviewed, I would suggest:
1. Having a good title. The posts I clicked on contained cute titles that were creative and related to what the request was for. This is one of the first things that donors may see and the reason they click on the post.
2. Having a clear picture that relates to the request. Some pictures did not relate at all to the requests. By including a picture of the class or classroom, it makes the post more personal and eye-catching to a viewer.
3. Make sure to include exactly what the request is for with details. It is important to describe exactly what the teacher is requesting, how it will be used, and how it will benefit the class.
4. Make the post personal! Show how passionate you are about teaching and your request for donors.
5. Double check for any grammatical and spelling errors. Posts with errors make it seem as if the person posting was in a rush and did not read back through it.  

#1 A Growing Percussion Ensemble
       This teacher has done well in telling what she already has. She shows that she has really been productive in reaching her goal of a full African drum ensemble and is not just looking for a handout. Her first line is powerful. She makes the potential remember their own experiences with music which plucks the heart strings. It's also wonderful that she is wanting to validate her student's cultural backgrounds. The fact that the project will reach 600 students is amazing.
       Maybe some pictures of the types of drums she is using and still needs would help the potential donors feel more involved in the process in case donors don't know what she is talking about.

#2 Art Integration: A Special Journey
       I'm in an intro to special ed class now which has really changed my view of special education. So I love this teacher's love for her students and her genuine desire to challenge them and help them grow. The fact that her school is an inner city school instantly validates her need for support so I'm glad she included that. Other schools don't sometimes. The fact that she wants to use art (something close to my heart) to increase their motor and cognitive skills is so innovative.
       I wish she described the use of all the expensive supplies she is needing in more detail so that the donor can understand how they are facilitating the growth the students will experience. She only really explains one. Honestly her short paragraph that grips you from the search page is a little redundant and could be worded more strategically.

#3 Trigonometry: "When are we ever going to use this?"
       First, his title is fantastic. I'm so glad a teacher is combating these notions students have about higher level math. It's also awesome that he has the Simons Foundation matching all the donations! It's awesome that this project will benefit 400 students! Students really do need calculators for trig and calculus so he has worthy requests. His opening lines are powerful too. Like the percussion teacher, he asks us to consider our own experiences that we wish were different. It's also so great that he plans to share the supplies with other teachers.
       He really should have explained how he will protect the $500 worth of lasers he's asking for. If the point is for the students to take these home, I feel it's sort of risky to allow them to be taken home.

Donors Choose 1-  Get YOUR Wiggles Out  
The application has a fun and eye-catching title which grabbed my attention automatically. Her description is short and straight to the point, which meant I still had all focus on the topic, and I believe this style has led to her getting a lot of donations. Her picture is very related to her topic, as it includes a photo of the children in her class. I believe the photo is able to display their personalities, which is effective in relation to what they are wanting the money for, which is balance ball chairs in her classroom. The use of a short quote is also effective in displaying the importance of active learning environments, which relates well to their cause. Even though this is a very effective donors choose site, the teacher does not really describe how these chairs will actually improve their learning, and fails to mention the fact that these chairs may actually be more of a distraction than helping them concentrate. Even though this is the case, it is still a very good donors choose page which has an eye-catching title and information which is short and sweet.

Donors Choose 2-  Fire Up Our Classroom!  
Very innovative and clever title due to the fact the donors choose is asking for donations to fund purchasing Kindle Fires for their classroom. The teacher also mentions the struggles that her children face due to coming from poverty-stricken homes and how this effects their learning. She uses this information to describe how important an asset the Kindles would be to the classroom. By mentioning the backgrounds of the children, donors may be more likely to donate as they are able to sympathize and consider the children’s situations. Perhaps one thing that could have been done differently may be the length of her description. It is very lengthy and very descriptive which may lead people to become disengaged and uninterested in the topic. If this was summarized more and sentences were shorter, this donors choose would be even more effective. In addition to this, the picture provided for this page isn’t related to the topic at all. The picture shows one of the classroom wall displays, however, may be more effective if the picture involved the children in her classroom, or maybe a poster they have made asking for help to buy the Kindles.

Donors Choose 3-  To the Frontier!  
I believe this donors choose page is very well-written. The title is short and snappy, which grabs the reader’s attention. All information included on this page is necessary and effective in increasing the likelihood of receiving donations. It mentions the need for the children to go on this trip due to their hard work, and how effective this reward will be for them. It also mentions the education benefits of this trip, which I believe was the most important aspect of this page. The page also mentions STEM learning and how this trip will benefit this. The picture on this donors choose page is also effective, as it is of the children, which emphasizes the size of the class that they have and also has them sitting far away from the camera so faces can’t be made out, which is an effective child protection measure. On the whole, I believe this Donors Choose page is very well-written and attention-grabbing, therefore I would donate to this page. 

5 tips for writing a winning Donors Choose Application  

Importance of title. Ensure your title is short, snappy and innovative, in order to grab the reader’s attention.

Ensure your opening sentence/paragraph isn’t too long and confusing to read. This will disengage readers and may lead to them clicking off the page without reading it. If the first sentence is too long, readers will not continue to read it.

Ensure the picture posted with the application is relevant and appropriate to the cause. If including children’s faces in the photo, it is essential to get permission from every child’s parents.

Make sure to describe why the items needed will benefit the children and their education and why they need them in the classroom.

Make sure to have short sentences and paragraphs throughout the application, so readers stay engaged throughout.

 Donor One:   This donor did a really excellent job of getting to the point. It was not a lengthy presentation that dragged on. It was a simple and concise explanation of why the classroom needed this money and how the Chromebooks will be used in the classroom. The only thing that could improve this donor is if the teacher explained how this technology would be used with regards to ELA and social studies activities; I was very curious to know what the teacher had planned for her future lessons.  

Donor Two:   This donor page did a nice job of really grabbing the donor’s attention in regards to her students. You can through this page that the teacher really cares about her students’ well being. She recognizes that students bring their home life situations to school and that this relationship shape how students learn. The only tip I would give for this donor is talk more in depth about the tools that are going to help your students with this anxiety. I am curious to know more about how these tools are going to help your students and how the teacher plans on implementing these tools into the school routine.  

Donor Three:   This particular donor page pulled me in with the title “H. Elementary Players Presents Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” I love a good performance, getting to see the kids up on stage acting, singing, dancing, is so much fun. The teacher really sold the importance of this play. It was clear that this performance meant a lot to the kids and the teacher. The advice that I would give to this donor is make sure that your piece has no grammatical errors or run on sentences. You want to make sure that what you are writing is clear and concise.  

Tips:
1.     Make sure to fully explain what you are asking for and how this is going to be used in your classroom.
2.     Make sure there are no grammatical errors.
3.     Include writing that showcases how your students will benefit from these tools.
4.     Include a title/header that will draw donors in.
5.     Be clear and concise.

Donor 1: Mrs. Contreras 
I really liked the title of this one, and the picture of the children in front of the slogan caught my attention. I appreciate her description of the demographics of the children in her classroom, but something that I did not like is that her classroom of first graders are preparing to be "college bound". I think that they are so young that this is a good goal for the background, but not a main focus. I would not donate to this project because her description of what they need does not seem like an essential part of a classroom, and there are other resources she could use to achieve this goal. 
Donor 2: Ms. Eulberg 
Again, the title and the picture of the students caught my eye. I like the way the classroom was described, but I do not like the word "duty". It puts a strange sense of obligation in my mind, and this is not what a classroom is to a teacher. The sentences in her "my project" paragraph are almost abrupt and repetitive, which takes away from the overall project. I would suggest re-writing it and rearranging the syntax a bit to sound more well spoken. 
Donor 3: Mrs. Nunez
The title of this one confused me, I was not sure what her main goal was. I also do not like the way this is written. She claims that they have a decent amount considering where they are from, but that it "would not hurt to have more". This sounds too haughty to me, I would prefer if she were more humble about it. She also uses passive voice too much, which make her sentences seem abstract and hard to follow. It is tough to decipher exactly what she is saying for her classroom. Also, her reasoning for needing the suggested materials is not very convincing. The picture provided is just of some children reading books, which does not move me in any way; it is not relevant to her request, nor is it certain. That this is her classroom.

Overall, I think that a good DonorsChoose page starts with the title; it must be catchy, and it must be descriptive. I'm not sure how the page is formatted when creating a page, but it seems to be split into two sections of 'My Students' and 'My Project'. In the students section, I think it is important to state what grade you teach, what kind of school it is (rural, urban, etc.) and something positive about your classroom. In the project section, it should be direct and to the point about what you need and how it will be useful for the students and the teaching environment. Also, the picture should be relevant to what you are asking for. Either a picture of the students saying thank you, or of the students participating in a relevant activity to the materials requested.

The reason I picked the three I did was because they struck me as important and needed attention. Each of them gave the exact reason why they were needing a donor's choose to help fund their cause. For example, my favorite of the three was the "Building Tomorrow's Leaders: Educational Field Trip to Disney World." In its description, it states that "We are raising money to help fund a middle school culmination trip to the Disney Youth Education Program during the month of May. The program consists of guided, in‐park educational field studies with courses in Applied Sciences, Environmental Studies, Liberal Arts and Leadership Development. Students will participate in 2 courses throughout the duration of this trip: an Energy and Waves Physics Lab and a class on Managing their Brand/ Leadership. This trip will help tie together many key components of the 7th and 8th-grade curriculum as well as prepare our students for high school" (Savage, Mrs. "Building Tomorrow's Leaders: Educational Field Trip to Disney World"). I didn't they needed to fix anything because I felt it was a winning donor's choose; that's because I want girls to feel like they can become leaders if given the opportunity through a little hard work and effort. The "Inspirational Mosiacs to Improve School" had a good idea and I felt it was a worthy cause, but I felt they needed to work on their description a little better; there were some spelling errors and paragraph errors that I felt were a little confusing to the description of what they teacher is intending to do. From what I understood, she's trying to help improve the self confidence in her students of different backgrounds feel good about themselves. To do this, she wants to get art supplies, specifically mosaic tiles and clay for students to get creative. In her description, Mrs. Heckenkemper writes, "By donating to our project, you will not only help to improve the art room for future but you will increase student self esteem." The last one I picked, "Making Magnetic Magic with Blocks," seemed to also do a good job at describing the need for their donor's choose with a passion, which draws me in; I love to see people write in a way that shows passion about their cause, just as "Building Tomorrow's Leaders" did too. 

The 5 tips that I would suggest for a Donor's Choose that is trying to be considered a winning choose would be:
1. Be passionate about your cause
2. Put the children in the classroom first
3. Describe how your Donor's Choose will benefit your cause
4. If possible, include student input to the cause (for example, "Building Tomorrow's Leaders" did this by getting inputs from two of the girls who are earning money for their leadership trip.)
5. Always double check for spelling and grammatical errors (I know it shouldn't be too big of a deal, but when I see a donor's choose that has multiple grammatical errors, like "Inspirational Mosiacs to Improve School," it throws me off. For example, the Inspirational Mosiacs choose already has a misspell in the title; mosiacs should be mosaics.

Rachel Lukaszek

Donors Choose

1.Balancing Through Physical Education
This Donor's Choose page comes from a school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for Pre-K-2nd Grade. In the teachers explanation, she does a great job of elaborating on the children that she sees on a day to day basis and what their need actually is. She also explains what the product will do for students, including working on balancing and coordination, as well as, give them opportunities to work together in groups. Her writing made me feel for her students and want to donate. If I were this teacher, I would have added more explanation of the product. I am not entirely sure what she wants to buy after reading her writing. Also the title of her project, is not very catchy so I would work on that as well.

2. Technology in Physical Education
This Donor’s Choose page comes from Katy, Texas, where my roommate is actually from so it makes me want to donate. The teacher on this page explains that they serve one hundred students at a time and would like an IPad to teach their students about their bodies. I like that the teacher emphasized certain parts of the paragraphs using different sized font. It helped the reader to focus on those main points. They also wrote about how they would use it specifically. To better this post, I would add pictures of his own gym with students or had more of a professional picture as his account. I would also add more details about why the IPad was the chosen tool for his class over other cheaper options. I would like a better reasoning as to why it is a necessity.

3. Physical Education is my Jam!
This Donor’s Choose page comes from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Overall, this page was the most impressive from the three options. She made it more personal by adding her own touches to it. She also used different sized font and size of font which made it easy to read as well. She did a great job of explaining which equipment things she would like to buy and what they would be used for which I think is important for Donors Choose. I would add in some more about what activities she does in class now.

5 Tips for Writing a Donors Choose:

1. Explain Everything. Give a full description on what the need is, why it is needed, and how it will be used.
2. Add personal information about the school and the teacher to give the reader a connection to your project.
3. Make sure all the information is there on the type of school and grade.
4. Keep profile professional.
5. Do not be too wordy. It is more about quality than quantity and to keep a reader's attention, keep the article short but informational.

iPad Minis for Big Learning: The title of this page wasn’t necessarily eye-catching, but it definitely told me exactly what the funding was going to be used for. I think the teacher did well with her page. Her description of the students was clear and conveyed their need for the funding. She also included that many of the students don’t have access to technology at home; this made me want to contribute to the page. Also, the fact that the school is in the “highest poverty” category reinforces the need for the fundraiser. My only critique of the donation page was that the teacher could include more information about what the kids will be doing with the iPads – maybe include some apps they’ll be using.

With White Boards We Can… Write, Learn, and Share Our Knowledge: Out of the three pages I reviewed, I think this was the fundraiser I was the least drawn to donate to. I loved that the project was going to be used for math – yay! I also think the teacher did a good job describing her students and showing the need they have for the funds. However, I feel as though there are alternatives to the materials that are being asked for. In the fundraiser, the materials being asked for are lap boards, markers, and pencils. Although the school is in the “highest poverty” category, I think the funds could be supplemented in different ways than on DonorsChoose. Also, you could use sheet protectors as alternatives to white boards. Another critique I have is that a picture showing how the students work now without the white boards could bring in more donors.

To Creativity and Beyond: This was my favorite page out of all three that I reviewed. First, the title was creative and eye-catching. It drew me in to wanting to read more about the page. Second, the picture the teacher uses color and being creative really pulled on the emotions. It was a sweet picture, and made me want to donate to the page. The teacher also did a great job telling us about the students and the community they live in; since they are from a “highest poverty” school, it also shows their need for funding. Another thing I really like about the project was that it would reach 600 students, which is a large amount compared to many of the pages I found.

5 tips in my opinion that make a winning DonorsChoose application are:

1. Catchy title - draw the donors in
2. Picture of the students showing what they do without the materials they are asking for
3. Describe the students and the community clearly and show the need for funding
4. Clearly describe what will be done with the funded materials
5. Make sure that the materials being asked for are reasonable and don't have cheaper alternatives