Past projects 35
I Miss My Teacher!
Funded May 5, 2020With the beginning of pandemic distance learning on March 13, 2020, little did this student know that chaos and uncertainty would fill his days. Hearing about the promise that every student would be getting a school-issued computer to use during this time, became an unfulfilled promise. After 4 weeks of waiting, this student was finally given a computer that just wouldn't upgrade to the system needed to operate the applications. Despite this set-back, this student waited patiently.
This iPad and Otterbox bundle was able to fulfill the need of this student. Fifth grade is such a crucial transition year, this student was determined to make up all the missing assignments. This iPad has allowed him to do internet searches, online vocabulary, reading, science, writing, and math activities to prepare him for middle school. Having this device has no doubt brought a connection to 21st century learning for this child. It will serve him well in the years to come.
Feeling left out is no longer a problem for this student thanks to the generous donations from Kleenex, Generation Citizens, Sonic, and Donors Choose. Who would have guessed that a simple message from this student saying, "I miss you, Miss Kenaston," would have perpetuated this project and brought technology into the hands of a deserving student? From the bottom of my heart comes gratitude towards all my donors. Thank you very much.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Kenaston
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 3 other donors.Please, Give Me a Chance!
Funded Oct 28, 2019Another Chromebook is here! My students were ready to use this technology tool as soon as it was set up. They are now getting accustomed to online assignments and those that have no access to internet at home are giddy with joy!
Classroom work time is a pleasure for those that want to do their assignments that they eagerly arrive before school and stay after to complete assignments. Some even give up recess time to have a chance to use this Chromebook. The arrival of this Chromebook gave my students a chance to use the EVERFI app that teaches compassion, mindfulness, and empathy. They were all smiles and said they loved it. We are now working on a financial literacy course through EVERFI. Other students are working on our online writing program to further their informational writing skills. Yet another of their favorite activities is Breakout EDU where they are trying to solve a Thanksgiving escape game using reading, cognitive thinking, and math skills to break out of a puzzle. In addition, Google assignments have been easier on this Chromebook than the iPads we have. There are endless uses for this computer.
I am so thrilled and full of thankfulness to each of you for giving all my students equal access to computer technology.❤️”
With gratitude,
Ms. Kenaston
This classroom project was brought to life by Niantic and 2 other donors.Into the 21st Century and Beyond!
Funded Oct 15, 2019My students were super excited to receive these two Chromebooks to further their 21st Century computer skills. We ran into some frustrating snags getting the Google Chrome licenses to get properly added to my school district's network. With perseverance, a third technician arrived and we were up and running! Cheers could be heard throughout my classroom.
My eager students got right to work on their assignments. They have been working on Google Slides, math and reading enrichment, and online testing. I am so proud that each has taken a responsibility to learn technological skills. I so wish for a computer for each student so that I can apply digital learning throughout the entire day. This brings me closer to that goal.
It is with humble appreciation that I thank each of you. You have made digital learning an exciting activity for my students to look forward to.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Kenaston
This classroom project was brought to life by Niantic and 6 other donors.Literature Connections to STEM Science!
Funded Jun 11, 2019The Picture Perfect STEM project book and the accompanying read-aloud texts brought curiosity and excitement to my classroom. Using mostly everyday materials, my students went through their first engineering design process to create a balloon powered car.
I was simply amazed at the different ways students designed their models. Each was unique and showed their prior knowledge about science principles. Then having the students form groups and collaborate on the best design showed excellent 21st Century skills of negotiation and group support despite several 'failures'. With each design failure, groups were very positive about changes they could make.
My little engineers topped this investigation off by saying, "This has been the most fun I have had in science! What's next?" Even my autistic students were anxious to see what we will explore next. Thankfully, there are more activities to come. Our next activity will be about energy and wind-up toys.
These experiences are made possible by some fantastic donors (You) and Donors Choose. My students and I are very thankful for your generosity in making this project possible.
P.S. My students' interest in school has increased and I have no doubt that this has sparked interest in future STEM careers.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Kenaston
This classroom project was brought to life by Kathleen and Chip Rosenbloom and 2 other donors.Stimulate My Mind With Color
Funded Jul 21, 2019Your generosity has made printing in color an added pizzazz to my classroom and instructional activities for my students. I was able to print headers for writing, instructional documents for Breakout EDU, and many more things with the Canon color ink cartridges. Charts were given a boost of brilliant, eye-catching color. This has made my classroom a warmer environment to be in.
My students were so proud about seeing their persuasive writing printed with colored borders and find vibrant headers on their quizzes. It was as though they took more pride in their final products. I am hoping to provide my students with many more chances to experience the wonder of color printing as the year goes on.
It is truly an amazing feeling to have others in the world believe in education and be willing to donate to Donors Choose. I thank you on behalf of my students and myself for your support. Thank you for coloring our world with happiness!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Kenaston
This classroom project was brought to life by Kathleen and Chip Rosenbloom and 2 other donors.Wanted: Reusable Breakout EDU Materials
Funded Jul 21, 2019Breakout EDU activities expand student learning by forcing them to think critically and search for more than one way to solve problems. It consists of one small box with a lock and a larger box with multiple locks. These locks require solving clues to open the directional, shape, letter, number, or color combination locks. Teams have to work together to read, discuss, and brainstorm solutions together. Breakout EDU has a multitude of activities for all subject areas and grade levels. Having more Breakout EDU activities makes my students' review time much more interesting.
Preparing the clues has been time-consuming, especially when running 3 groups competing to break out of the boxes. After laminating or putting the clues in sheet protectors, we are able to write on the clues with Whiteboard markers and still pass these activities on to another class. Cardstock paper has provided sturdy clues which are needed because students get really excited and are rough on the clues. My students enjoyed assisting in the making of the activities because they got a small glimpse of what I have planned for the remainder of the year for Breakout Time.
My first Breakout Time was 'Back to School Boogie'. It was a comforting to see some of my students get frustrated, but then be comforted and encouraged by their team members. They worked together so well. One of their clues was to figure out how to do a modified Hokey Pokey dance for me. Everyone participated and cheered each other on. I have several autistic students in my class and they were giddy with excitement to be part of a team that guided them to success. What a great team of students I have!!! I can hardly wait to have our next Breakout Time with our new materials.
I am sincerely grateful to all my donors that made this project possible. You have made my life easier and it greatly benefits my classroom, as well as other classrooms. Thank you so very much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Kenaston
This classroom project was brought to life by Kathleen and Chip Rosenbloom and 2 other donors.Read to Succeed With Max Axiom! Part 1
Funded Aug 11, 2019My experience in the past has been that students do not enjoy reading. Silent reading time in my class had existed of getting a book, opening it to the middle, and pretending to read between the times they stared around the room. Since I love books, I wanted to instill into my students a joy of reading and learning. I stumbled upon the comic book series of Max Axiom. They are full of color and adventure and teach science concepts.
On the first day of school this year, I uncovered my bin of Max Axiom science comics. I held each book and read the title. I heard simultaneous voices saying, "I want to read that one!" My students were nearly jumping out of their seats to see the titles. This is just the reaction I wanted from this project. My heart was overjoyed! I passed out the books and immediately saw their eyes actually passing over the words and facial expressions emerged. They were actually reading and understanding. Hooked on books...YAY! I have some inclusion students this year and my other students did not hesitate to assist them in the reading of the comic books. I just loved their passionate, bright-eyed looks as they read. Now I wish I had the whole series of books. Each and everyone of the books is becoming a favorite for my students and I am only two weeks into my new school year.
I am so thankful to Donors Choose and all my fantastic donors that gave to support my students in their endeavor to read. I am forever grateful because it allowed me to begin my new school year with a grand start.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Kenaston
This classroom project was brought to life by Kathleen and Chip Rosenbloom and 3 other donors.Read (Write) to Succeed With Max Axiom Part 2
Funded Aug 10, 2019Wow! Comic books sure have a way of motivating students to read and write. These Science Comics and especially the Max Axiom comics have my students wanting to read everyone of them.
Our first attempt at a making our own comics was focused on 'Kindness'. This is what we talked about on the first day of school. It was great to see the variety of topics of kindness my students thought about. We are hoping to find a program that will allow us to upload our comic strip outlines, color, and type in the dialogue. By the end of the year, we are hoping to use a student book publishing company to publish our best comics.
I have some special needs students in my class this year and they still enjoy the comic books and creating their own comics. Some of my better reader assist them with the words. It was a refreshing way to begin my new school year with this activity because it got my students interested in expressing themselves as writers. I can hardly wait to see what they produce throughout the school year.
I am very thankful to all of my donors and Donors Choose for assisting me in getting these books for my classroom. Your generosity is so much appreciated. You can never know which student will one day become an artist or writer because of your act of kindness. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Kenaston
This classroom project was brought to life by Kathleen and Chip Rosenbloom and 3 other donors.Germ Free Appeals to Me!
Funded Jul 29, 2019Wow! I didn't think my students would be so excited over cleaning products! They fought over being the first to wear the gloves and wash tables and then wanted to be the first to try out the spinning mop. It was a hit! It was wonderful to hear them talk about the products. I had to remind them that there would be plenty of opportunities to mop and clean throughout the year and that they were not to purposefully make a mess so they could clean it up.
Although the initial aroma of the Seventh Generation wipes was overpowering, my students were guessing the scent and thought it was oregano scented. They commented on how their desks felt clean and sanitary. It was a positive outcome. The students that were spinning the wet mop made a comment on how great the Mrs. Meyers Lemon Verbena cleaner smelled. They absolutely loved it!!
I am so grateful to all my donors that made these experiences possible. I have no doubt my classroom will always be very clean and smelling fantastic! Thank you so much!!!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Kenaston
This classroom project was brought to life by Kathleen and Chip Rosenbloom and 2 other donors.Build My Confidence With Creativity!
Funded May 13, 2019My students were so used to the drag and drop coding from the Hour of Code and from using the CS FIrst Scratch programs that they were quite frustrated by the complexity of real coding. Immediate words were, " Ms. Kenaston, this is too hard!" My response was, "Hey, what happened to our 'fail forward' attitude?" This brought a stare that could have pierced right through me. I responded, "Wingardium Leviosa! Rise Up!" This brought a smile from some because this is our class motto. After a few days had passed, I brought out the kits again. This time I saw enthusiasm and deep concentration. Then the shrill cry of, "I can make it do Morse Code!" Another response, "Look, I got the siren and headlights to work! This is cool!" One of my girls was so engrossed in learning how to work the circuit board that she forgot everything around her. This usually does not happen because she is very social. We got so immersed in this new coding experience that we forgot to go to lunch on time. Seeing the looks of frustration followed by gasps of excitement was so rewarding. I'm so proud of my students, especially my girls for taking the lead and persevering.
I plan to have my students finish out this school year by getting more knowledge of this new coding and sharing it with others. It is my hope that I can get my students to expand the use of these kits by writing a story where all of the different kits can be incorporated. I can only imagine this right now, flashing lights, rockets blasting off, piano playing, police sirens, Morse code messages, and sound effects. I think that this opportunity to code has shown my students that there are many ways to be unique and that hard things can become easy things.
I am so grateful to all of you that have made this precious learning experience possible for my students. Their self esteem has improved and I have no doubt that they will remember this for a long time. Your generosity has come into this inner city and touched the lives of many 5th graders. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Kenaston
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and one other donor.