Past projects 10
Climbing to Create Community
Funded Apr 9, 2014This project was incredible. On the day we arrived at Irons Oaks we brought a bus packed with fifth and sixth grade students. The kids weren't sure what to expect and neither were the chaperones. After getting to the location we split into groups. Each group had a different leader from the center. Our groups circled through different team building activities. The students were challenged more than they were expecting. Many became frustrated and we were able to have powerful discussions about persevering through problems, and how to deal with challenges.
By far the favorite activity of the day was climbing the wall. Each student was able to climb up the tall wall, using the handholds throughout. Every single student attempted to climb the wall, even several students with some physical disabilities. It was an incredible moment to hear everyone cheer one another on, no matter how high they got on the wall.
The students were able to be pushed in ways they otherwise would not within the walls of the class. We are eternally grateful for this incredible opportunity!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Douglas Swanson
A is for Apps! Using Technology to Learn
Funded Mar 1, 2014It is no small thing to have supportive technology in a classroom. Your donation of two iPads and two sets of headphones has had a tremendous impact on my students! Besides the fact that I now have students from the entire school coming into my classroom before and after school, asking to use the iPads, I have also been able to implement the use of all the learning apps I have purchased. Now I know I need to buy even more apps!
My students' favorite apps so far have been the ones that help them learn how to do computer coding. I love these, because they are puzzle based and work on problem solving skills. Not to mention, they are preparing my students for lucrative careers as programmers and designers! My older students have also been thrilled to design their own comic strips, taking photos of their friends, inserting the photos into text frames, and adding dialog.
My younger students have benefited as well. Just this week I checked my kindergarten students' mastery of their letters and sounds, and every single student has made dramatic improvement. More importantly, they literally shoot out of their chairs to come to reading group. Their excitement and enthusiasm is definitely related to the promise of going onto the Endless Alphabet or Dinosaur Alphabet apps.
By donating to this project, you have been part of building a love of literacy and technology. You have helped students from low income homes have access to technology that will help them in academics and career. Looking through the project photos, I hope you know that you have helped put those smiles on their faces. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Douglas Swanson
This classroom project was brought to life by 100 Women in Hedge Funds and 11 other donors.A B C Us Learn!
Funded Dec 18, 2013I owe you a HUGE thank you for the gift of these materials for my classroom. Part of the grant has already arrived, and I can say with great enthusiasm that my students LOVE working with their new activities! We have gotten to play The Mystery Box Alphabet Game several times now, and you can imagine my excitement when I saw my student who has struggled to recognize any letters start to match letters with objects that begin with the same sound. I knew that giving her the opportunity to interact with letters and sounds in a new way would make a big difference.
The rest of the materials are on the way, and as I start to integrate them into use in our classroom, I will continue to be grateful for your generosity to me and to my students. Please take a minute to look at the photos that I upload and see for yourselves the genuine joy on my students' faces as they get to learn in such fun ways.
Thank you for believing in educators like me, and thank you for making a difference in the lives of my students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Douglas Swanson
Reading With Fluency and Feeling
Funded Sep 13, 2012The excitement felt by my students on a daily basis about their reading has been incredible. Through this generous grant I have a bank of resources for not only my students, but all the students in the building to practice their reading fluency. Using the recording pen, my students have been able to practice reading, listen to themselves read, and then reread for specific fluency points. They love being able to add reading "dots" to our familiar read aloud books. After they have added the dots, other students can go back and read the story, listening to their friend read it aloud.
Having the additional technology has increased the excitement in our classroom about reading. Students are eager to get to read aloud, and I no longer hear them talk about their fear of reading. They love it! I heard one student say, "Mrs. Swanson, we should get our school more of these things!" in reference to the recording pen.
It is exciting to have a classroom full of students that are invested in their learning. Thank you for being a part of making this possible in my classroom. It is a gift that will keep on giving.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Douglas Swanson
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and 7 other donors.Making It Count!
Funded Feb 7, 2012This was a fantastic grant! It was so much fun to get such a huge load of supplies delivered to my classroom. The students could hardly wait to have the math games in their hands. Not only has this grant affected my classroom, but all the teachers in the school stop by the room to check out supplies for their classrooms to use, too!
My students love to play in the math store. They enjoy getting to "shop" for items, and then figure out how much money they need and how much change they should receive. They take turns back and forth and back and forth and groan when I tell them it is time to clean up. Not only are they having fun, but it has significantly improved their understanding of money and making change.
Math has always been a fun time in our classroom, but now the cheers that erupt from my students as soon as they find out it is a math centers day make me appreciate the donations you give us even more. Thank you so much for your belief in our classroom, and for your support. We couldn't do what we do each day without you! ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Douglas Swanson
This classroom project was brought to life by Tony and Nanar Yoseloff and 10 other donors.Future Authors of America
Funded Dec 22, 2011Thank you so much for this incredible project! I was so excited to receive the e-readers, writing materials, and other supplies for the classroom. When I showed them to my students the biggest debate was who got to use all of it first! The impact of this grant will go on way past this year, but you made such a difference to the work that we are doing in our classroom here and now.
The best part of the nooks is having a whole reading group reading the same book at the same time. The students carry their nooks with them everywhere. The hit book has been Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. As a result of reading that book on their nooks, my students have started a fascinating research project about Greek mythology.
The writing supplies have also been put to good use. We are finishing our narrative fiction writing unit. The students have loved using the photo story starters in their centers. They like to come up with the most creative ways to tell the story of what is in the picture.
The truth is that without support from people like you, we could not have these rich learning experiences in our classroom. Thank you so much for your commitment to my students, and to improving education in our country through Donors Choose. My students and I are so grateful. ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Douglas Swanson
This classroom project was brought to life by American Tower and 12 other donors.Put The Fun In Fundamental
Funded Mar 16, 2012Thank you so much for your generous donation to this project! This has been one of the most fun parts of our classroom this year. Preparing students to take standardized tests is something that has become part of teaching and learning. However, having thirty games that teach these skills in a fun way is a treat for both my students and me.
My students' favorite game is the Allowance Game. In this Monopoly-like game they practice using money and making change, all the while learning valuable lessons about wisely saving and spending money. My favorite thing to hear them say is, "I didn't want to have to spend money on that!" Through this game they are learning important financial life lessons.
The reading games have become a fun part of what we do during lunch each day. Groups of students get to come to the classroom during lunch and play games while they eat with their friends. Having an extra half hour to practice their reading skills and community building has become one of my favorite parts of the day.
Without donors like you we would not be able to do these incredible things in our classroom. Thank you so much for believing in the work we do each day and for supporting our classroom. We are so grateful. ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Douglas Swanson
This classroom project was brought to life by * and 2 other donors.Technically We're Awesome!
Funded Dec 9, 2011Thank you so much for your incredible donation to my classroom. My students absolutely love every chance they have to get on the computer and start writing. Part of what has come of this grant is that my students have started a reading blog to write about all the books they have been reading. This is great practice for their writing, and also in learning how to use computers. It's also fun!
One of my goals as a teacher this year was to provide more technology resources to my students. Coming from a low income area, we often have to work with what we have. Thanks to you, now what we have is so much more, and we are thankful for it on a daily basis.
It is with the deepest thanks that I write this. I am very grateful for people like you who believe in educators and the work we do. More importantly, I am thankful for people like you who believe in children, and who support them by giving them the resources necessary to make them successful. Thank you for making a difference in their lives.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Douglas Swanson
This classroom project was brought to life by American Tower and 9 other donors.Traveling the World (Without Leaving Chicago!)
Funded Aug 25, 2011My favorite part of our social studies exploring so far was when we tasted the different foods from Asia. After trying sushi, samosas, miso soup, and mochi the verdict was in: my students can't wait to travel to Asia! One student said that he hopes to live in China one day. Another hasn't stopped reading books about karate. The materials from this grant have done much more than just impacting the learning in my classroom. They have made world travelers out of nine-year-old boys and girls.
Thank you so much for your donation to this project. We have watched videos, decorated flags, practiced with our world maps, learned how to say "hello" in five languages, and gotten our passports stamped from five different countries-and it's only half way through the year. None of this could have happened without the generous donations you made to our classroom.
Thank you for believing in what we do each day in our classroom. It does take a village to raise a child, and you have been part of the village that is raising the students I get to teach each day. Thank you for believing in the power of educating the whole child and making sure that their experiences go beyond test prep skills. Together, we are creating engaged citizens who can't wait to make this world a better place.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Douglas Swanson
This classroom project was brought to life by Lakeshore Learning and 9 other donors.Making Music
Funded Aug 24, 2011I wish that I could invite each of you into our room on Friday afternoons when we have music. it's true that the sounds of twenty recorders playing at once can overwhelm your senses. However, looking around the room, the overwhelming feeling during music class is joy. This is the first time any of my students have had any formal music training, and they love it!
We start each music class by dancing with our rhythm instruments to the music of the culture we are currently studying. Their favorite song is from Senegal. Any time we need a lift in our classroom, I can turn on the song, pass out some rhythm sticks, and the room transforms into playful, curious, and excited students. During rhythm time we practice what we have learned about whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, and eighth notes. The students love it when we go to double time!
The last and most cherished part of music is when we start to play the recorders, or as the students call them: the flutes. To illustrate the way that this has changed my students, I want to tell you about one student, Tyron. Tyron started this year below grade level in reading. He felt insecure about his academics and was therefore very hesitant to participate or get involved. However, Tyron lit up whenever he got his recorder. He couldn't wait for each music class, so he bought a recorder of his own to practice. After only three music classes, he asked if he could perform a song for the class. The look on his face upon completing "Hot Crossed Buns" is what makes people stay in teaching. He was radiant. Since that day, Tyron has become much more social. He has been taking risks in class, making friends, and improving in his reading. Of course he has also been playing his "flute"!
All of this happens because donors like you care about what goes on in the lives of students like Tyron. Thank you for your commitment to arts and music education. Thank you for believing that all students deserve to have learning experiences outside of the core subjects. Thank you for your generous donations. Most of all, thank you for the way that you have helped change the lives of the students in our classroom!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Douglas Swanson