Past projects 165
OK, Google. Help Us Out!
Funded Dec 26, 2018Thank you so much for funding our project! Thanks to you, we are now able to provide another student with technology in the classroom. As soon as we received the package and after charging it a bit, we began using it to continue with our interactive learning. It's safe to say that we are all fans of our new Microsoft Surface Pro!
There are advantages and disadvantages to having a small group of students. As mentioned in my project, my class tends to get overlooked for our weekly computer cart usage time. This is an opportunity for all students to have access to technology when completing assignments independently. Without our weekly computer cart time, we have to piece together existing technology in the classroom to make sure that students are still able to access reading and math websites and apps. Funding of this project has improved our student/technology ratio and we couldn't be happier.
While we are still learning all there is to know about our latest technology win in the classroom, I am already able to identify two pros to the Microsoft Surface Pro. The size of the computer is just what we needed. My students are becoming older and the chromebooks that we currently have are becoming a challenge for students with visual weaknesses. Now, they are able to have a wider screen with amazing graphics. Another bonus is that in a matter of seconds, the laptop converts to a tablet. This makes it easy when navigating throughout the building or quickly connecting it to an adapter for presentation purposes. There is so much utility with the Surface Pro!
I have provided a few pictures of students using the Surface Pro for learning. The ease in which they were able to use the Pro has been amazing and you should see how they go the extra mile to ensure it does not have any "accidents". It's the cutest.
Thank you for assisting me with providing new technology to a wonderful group of children!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Woods
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and 7 other donors.Membership Has Its Privileges Part 2!
Funded Feb 28, 2019Thank you so much for providing me with a Premiere Membership with The Council for Exceptional Children. I rarely create projects that contribute towards my professional development. But after learning about this organization and being a teacher of students with disabilities, I knew that I had to join! Thanks to you, this goal was met much quicker than I had anticipated.
It's been a few weeks since my membership has been active. Already, I receive daily emails targeted towards students with disabilities and how to meet their needs in the classroom. I also receive a book of the month that focuses on special education, reading, social emotional skills and more. Being a member of the CEC allows me to purchase these resources at a very reasonable rate, which for a teacher, is a great thing! I am also able to share information with parents about student needs beyond the classroom. It's clear that not only will I benefit from the membership, but students and families are able to as well.
The true benefit of this membership is the ongoing support from a community of teachers who are passionate about their field as much as I am. I have been thinking about submitting a proposal for a presentation relating to special education. Through my membership with The Council for Exceptional Children, I am able to take the necessary steps in achieving this goal. With so many things happening in the day, I may not have been able to access the tools without this membership.
I have added a couple of pictures of my amazing group of students. I enjoy teaching each and every one of them and I am hoping that this small glimpse of their learning in action will bring a smile to your faces.
Thank you so much for your commitment to public schools teachers and a huge thank you for for assisting me with meeting the needs of my students! Thanks to you, I am able to participate in professional learning communities as well as receive the latest trends in special education!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Woods
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 3 other donors.We Only Like Jam With Peanut Butter!
Funded Dec 13, 2018Thank you so much for providing my classroom with a printer. I can't tell you how much this has decreased having to problem solve with the printer that is used in the front office. When we received the package, the kids were ready to assist with the unpacking. Even though it was heavy, it was a team effort that went very smoothly!
In my project, I mentioned that I am beginning my 18th year of teaching at a new school. When I tell you that all hands were on deck with getting the printer to my classroom, I mean just that! I only wish that I was able to document how two of our maintenance men carried it to my classroom without the use of elevators. I truly appreciated their efforts. It was a further sign to me that I made the right choice in selecting my school home.
There is no way that this printer will fail us in the near future. The project that you funded will provide us with the utmost utility for classroom work, notes home, as well as additional activities that we may think of, and for that we are grateful. One of my students is heavily into art and she is now requesting coloring pages relating to math and reading assignments! This is a big step as this student has not expressed great interest in mathematics. It is my hope that by completing certain worksheets relating to math, she will strengthen her skills with computational skills and mental math.
Thank you so much for thinking of the needs of our classroom as well as for putting a smile on all of our faces. We have already scanned classroom pictures and we are currently preparing for a science project. This resource came right on time and we are grateful that there are people like you who are willing to support public school teachers.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Woods
This classroom project was brought to life by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation and 5 other donors.Healthy Snacks for the Win!
Funded Jan 31, 2019Thank you so much for funding our Healthy Snacks project. From our pictures, you will be able to see students opening boxes with excitement as they discovered that we had edible items versus items that are needed for instruction. You have truly outdone yourselves with funding this project.
Little do my students know, the snacks that you funded ARE actually needed for instruction. Breakfast is the first meal of the day and has the potential to set the tone for how the day will go. With us being in the season of winter, transportation delays have had my students arriving to school late. At times, they miss breakfast and have to wait until lunch for their next meal. Now, I can provide those students with their first meal of the day, if necessary. We also have snacks for students to get a bit recharged during their school day. These work so perfectly when we are having celebrations as well.
It is a must that I share with you some of the comments made by my students once they fully realized how much you have provided! Comments such as "These are my favorite!" and "I like these a whole lot!" were resonating from the kids as they viewed everything out of the boxes. I can promise you this, you have provided enough snacks to get us through the remainder of the school year.
You have exceeded what I could have done for my students and for that, I am appreciative. I truly appreciate you taking the time to make sure that my students are provided with healthy snacks for learning.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Woods
This classroom project was brought to life by Quill.com and one other donor.My Journey To Becoming an Exceptional Needs Specialist Part 3!!
Funded Dec 17, 2018What an amazing school year!! I didn't think that I would be able to have component 3 of 4 funded so quickly. But thanks to you, I can complete this component, along with another one, during the same school year. Should all go to according to plan, I will be closer to becoming an Exceptional Needs Specialist for students with disabilities. Words cannot express my happiness towards attempting this task!
I embarked on this journey last school year when I registered for my very first component. At the time, I wasn't sure if I was ready for such a challenge. However, after receiving the results of my exam in which I passed, I knew that I could take this on for the next school year. I even have the support of my students which is great because after all, I am doing this for them!
I wanted to provide pictures of me and my students to show you how much fun we have learning together and creating memories. They work very hard and I am certainly one proud teacher. Thanks to you, I am not only able to fulfill their needs in the classroom better, but I am also able to cross off personal goals that I have set forth in my career. Thank you so much for helping me reach my goals in education!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Woods
This classroom project was brought to life by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation and 4 other donors.I Have Nowhere to Sit!
Funded Sep 24, 2018Thank you for funding our project! From our pictures, you will see that students were ready to assist with setting the chairs up as soon as the items were delivered to our classroom. It was great to see my young, and usually busy boys, take the time to help their teacher with getting adequate seating.
The benefits of quality seating for students is important as students are able to strengthen posture while being able to learn smoothly. The same could be said for teachers in terms of posture and learning as well. The primary reason for this project was that the previous chairs had limited functioning. They no longer adjusted properly to the height of any individual in the building and the arms were severely worn out. This made it impossible to sit comfortably during small group instruction, to provide learning, with my students. Additionally, as the years progress in education, I have found that adequate seating is needed to support my back. Thanks to your efforts, these needs have been satisfied.
You have helped me more than you know by funding this project. We hope that you enjoy our pictures as well as glimpses of my students and assistant having a good seat with learning. Thank you so much for thinking about my classroom as well as supporting teachers!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Woods
This classroom project was brought to life by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation and 3 other donors.My Journey To Becoming an Exceptional Needs Specialist Part 2!!
Funded Sep 13, 2018Thank you for helping me to take the next steps in becoming an Exceptional Needs Specialist with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. After successfully completing the first component months ago, I am prepared to submit my materials and evidence for Component 2 in the upcoming weeks. Having access to this component could not have been done without your assistance and for that I am extremely grateful!
Completing the steps towards national certification is a bit of an intense process. However, you have helped to ease much of the worry. While this is an opportunity that many teachers would love to pursue, the costs can be greatly. With your funding of this component, I don't have to worry about the financial restraints with saving for this component. I can now continue to focus on additional needs as they may come up in the classroom while being able to provide successful documentation of the skills needed to complete the component.
While this was a professional development project and you have helped me greatly, I can also say that you have provided additional resources to my students with whom I enjoy teaching daily. I certainly hope that you enjoy the pictures of our times together in the classroom. As I look forward to submitting my documentation for this component in the weeks to come, I will also appreciate you providing an outlet for me to demonstrate my proficiency in the field of special education.
Thank you so much for thinking about the needs of myself and my students. Wishing you all the best in the upcoming year!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Woods
This classroom project was brought to life by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation and 2 other donors.Membership Has Its Privileges!
Funded Nov 28, 2018Thank you so much for providing me with a professional membership to The National Association for the Education of Young Children. I have been teaching for nearly 18 years and this is my first time becoming a member of a teacher affiliated organization. With all of the new trends in education, especially in my field of special education, I felt the need to finally join an organization that will provide ongoing communication, resources, and information on local group members who are affiliated with my school district. This is the perfect opportunity for me to grow as an educator.
I have been a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children for about a month and already I have received benefits from the organization. Daily, there is an opportunity to engage in discussions on specific trends in education while providing an opportunity for teacher introductions via the Internet. I have also learned that each month there is a book recommendation, along with a discount, that pertains to instructional and behavior resources that could be readily implemented in the classroom. I cannot begin to express my excitement with not only building my collection of book resources, but also with being able to better service my students.
Speaking of my students, I have provided you with a few images of us in action in the classroom. You are not only helping me with this project, but you are helping them as well. Thank you so much for supporting the needs of my students. We are wishing you all of the best in the upcoming year!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Woods
This classroom project was brought to life by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation and one other donor.STEM Learning With a Twist!
Funded Sep 6, 2018Wow! Thank you so much for providing us with the Cameo Educational Bundle for our classroom. Thanks to you, we will be able to add more color and creativity to our bulletin board displays. We are also able to create party accents for classroom celebrations. Most importantly, we are able to promote STEM learning in an alternate way for my students with learning challenges.
I truly believe that every student has the capability of being taught and can learn the same concepts, perhaps in a different way. For some, information may have to be presented in a way that appeals to various learning styles. Methods that may not be similar to their school age peers. For my students, this is where the Cameo machine comes into place. With this machine, students are able to have an exposure to STEM learning at a pace that is suitable for them. For example, I have a student named Dylan. Dylan is an artist who is looking forward to designing his own t-shirts with the Cameo. He has spent a lot of time working on the perfect design and will be able to begin his project at the end of this month. The interaction with the Cameo will allow Dylan to interact with computer tools and graphics that he has not been exposed to before. Perhaps this method will allow Dylan the skills needed to one day own his own business!
There is also another student named Miracle. Much like Dylan, she is an artist and enjoys creating sketches based on her love of graphic novels. Miracle cannot wait to use the Cameo so that she can create images of her sketches and 3D visuals. She already has some knowledge of the skills needed to operate the Cameo machine and has even volunteered to help Dylan get started. Upon our return from winter break, we will all be able to experience this first hand and it couldn't have been done without your assistance.
In addition to promoting STEM learning, I wanted to also make a few of our bulletin boards come to life. I take pride in showing my students work to visitors in the building as well as colleagues. At the same time, I don't always have the resources to create the bulletin boards that display various colors and illustration. Now, thanks to you, there shouldn't be a bulletin board that I can't accomplish. We are all ready to begin creating our first masterpiece and we couldn't have done it without your assistance. Thank you so much for thinking of the needs of my students as well the needs of teachers.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Woods
This classroom project was brought to life by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation and 4 other donors.Help Me To Communicate With My Students!
Funded Aug 16, 2018Thank you so much for helping me to communicate with my students effectively. When I found out that I would be working at a school in which several students demonstrate auditory deficiencies, I was worried. However, two months into the school year, you came through and successfully put my communication worries to the side. On behalf of myself and my student community, we truly appreciate your efforts!
Transitioning into a new school was a bit difficult at first. I was unsure of the needs of the students, let alone what I may have needed in order to accommodate the children who would be in my classroom for the next three years. It was important that I meet students where they are, in terms of communication. So, if a student communicates through the use of sign language, I want to be able to communicate the same way. As adults, we are able to express our frustrations with lack of communication a bit better than children. But think about a student who has difficulties with communicating and who tries, but to no avail, to communicate. I didn't want this for my students and thanks to you, I can address these needs.
Since I will be partaking in an online course away from the students, I have chosen to submit a few of my kiddos in action. The biggest impact of this project is not only for my current students, but for additional students that I will encounter. You have truly helped with me transitioning into my new school with my new students. I am thankful for your generosity and commitment to public school teachers!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Woods