Past projects 16
Math Minded
Funded May 25, 2012Thank you for the math tools, flash cards, and games you've given our class. The students are engaged in learning their addition and subtraction facts and are able to practice independently while I work with small groups of students. It's wonderful!
The quiz game is the most popular, but the students also love using the electronic flash cards. I have a small group of students who cannot get enough of the Farkle game (always fun just to say the name!) and continue to impress me with their addition skills. Two of my students were able to win while playing against me! The new 100 chart is magnificent and is a welcome substitute for the old, worn one we were using despite the missing number cards. We use it almost daily during our lessons and we have incorporated the box of flash cards into our kick-off routine.
With so many different academic levels in my classroom, it has been a challenge to meet all of my students' needs. I really appreciate your help with that. There is something for everyone and the students have been so thrilled to use our new supplies. Your generosity has meant a lot to us. Seeing my students' reactions to these math games, I am confident that next year's students will be excited to use these items as well. What a gift! Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Donovan
"Leap"ing Into Literature
Funded Dec 31, 2011Thank you so much for the wonderful gift you have given us! The LeapFrog TAG readers and books have become an invaluable part of our classroom. We use them daily during guided reading instruction. My higher level readers are enjoying the nonfiction science-theme cards and my lower level readers can't seem to get enough of the assorted books. I knew the readers would be excellent for encouraging my students during their independent reading time; what I didn't anticipate was the effect the readers would have on my class above and beyond literacy.
I have watched a student in my room struggle with learning basic sight words all year. She is well below grade level and, needless to say, does not look forward to any reading activities. She is quiet and withdrawn in many situations. When the TAG readers arrived, this student shared that she had one at home. I immediately dubbed her our "class expert" and sent all students to her for tutorials on how to use the readers. For the first time ever, advanced readers were asking this student for help during reading time. She loved it! She engaged in conversations with the other students and gained a sense of confidence she hadn't had before. She actually asks to use the TAG readers and is engaged in meaningful reading work consistently where before she would just sit and feel discouraged. The readers you have given our class have helped this student in particular tremendously! Her new-found confidence and her increased interaction with the other students have led to greater participation in class discussions and a number of new, budding friendships with peers.
The readers have also been successful with students from other classrooms. It's not just my students who have been benefiting from them! For different reasons, students from other classes have been sent to our classroom for brief time periods. While they were in our classroom, these students were allowed time with the TAG readers. There have been times when students who were upset and angry were calmed and then engaged by the TAG readers. Reluctant readers from other classrooms have been using our TAG readers and returning to our room, asking to use them again. We are so thankful and lucky to have them! Thank you again for your generous donation. Your gift has been helping us become better readers and, in some cases, has been helping us become more confident, happier members of the class. We appreciate your gift more than we can express! Thank you! We will continue to use the fantastic LeapFrog TAG readers and to share them with the students in the other classes.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Donovan
Steps To Healthier Choices
Funded Jan 10, 2011Our pedometers arrived and we are having fun using them! Unfortunately they did not arrive in time for us to wear them on our walking field trip as originally planned, but we are wearing them at recess and have started a record of how many steps each person takes during the 15 minute break. The data we've collected so far has been fantastic -- shocking students with numbers far larger than they'd imagined, inspiring students to question why some people are "getting" higher numbers than others, and motivating everyone to get outside and move.
The pedometers were ordered to supplement the work we do during our Healthy Choices unit. The unit has passed and we are onto the next one, but this delayed gift has actually been a wonderful thing. Introducing the pedometers now has helped us continue our work and focus on exercise even though we are no longer actively studying it in class. Students whose interest and participation in the school's Running Club has waned are now excited to get back out there. My students have even asked if they can use the pedometers on the track to see how many steps they take while they run! They are predicting and estimating how many steps they think they will take. Yay! It is great to have something to continue motivating them, now that the emphasis is not as strong during class time. During our lesson reflection and planning time, we have made notes for next year to consider waiting to use the pedometers again. It has worked out well to have them after the unit, rather than during as we'd originally hoped.
Having class sets so that every single second grader can experience using a pedometer has been a real treat. Thank you for helping our school get them. Students are being very careful with them, aware that future students will be using them as well. The pedometers are good ones; I have a feeling that they will last us a long time! Thank you!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Donovan
Nonfiction Nook
Funded Jul 10, 2010The books you have donated to our classroom are fantastic! The Jim Arnosky books have inspired some of my students to include sketches with their nonfiction writing and they have helped my class understand what purpose captions serve. (Several of my children get a big kick out of mimicking his "actual size" captions with their drawings.) We read the Lynne Cherry books during a study of natural resources and her stories sparked several thoughtful discussions about the environment. I am anxious to see how familiarity with these nonfiction authors and their writing styles will transfer to my students' report writing later this year. We will be revisiting many of these texts before writing our research reports.
It is crucial for students to have access to great literature in the classroom. It is essential for provoking thoughtful discussions, introducing vocabulary within a context, demonstrating how readers navigate text, and for pointing out examples of writing techniques. Your donations to our classroom library have been an integral part of my lessons. You have helped me influence many young thinkers this year. I was seriously lacking in quality nonfiction literature and I am very grateful that is no longer true. These books will continue to impact student thinking in the years to come; I love these titles and will continue to include them when planning my lessons. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Donovan
Gail Gibbons Galore
Funded Jul 25, 2010Thank you all so very much. These books are incredible! I have been using them as models of great nonfiction writing, showing students how this particular author presents information to her readers. Now that the students are familiar with her writing style two fantastic things have been happening -- they are starting to mimic her style in their own writing AND they are reading more! I couldn't have asked for a better gift for our classroom.
My students have begun to take on some of Gail Gibbons' writing features in their own pieces. (Hooray!) They are able to explain the writing choices they make, including the effects they are hoping to achieve with their readers. They view themselves as nonfiction authors and are making thoughtful, specific decisions about their craft.
I have noticed, too, that our Gail Gibbons books are being read during independent reading time much more often. Now that the class has become familiar with her style and format, the students are anxious to read all of her titles. And we have so many! The students have been able to access the content and have been making exciting connections. They are happy to share knowledge they have learned from their reading with each other and with me.
These books have had a terrific impact. They have helped me enormously with my writing lessons and they have become some of my students' favorite reading choices. I am so thankful for these books, and that I will have them for next year's students too!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Donovan
New Book Tubs Please
Funded Oct 19, 2010Thank you for our amazing new book tubs! My students are able to find the books they want/need quickly. The books themselves are no longer getting bent and torn because the tubs are large enough to properly store a variety of book sizes. The tubs are not so large, though, that students cannot easily pull a tub from the shelf, take it to the carpet area, and select a book at leisure. I LOVE how organized and neat our library areas are now.
This year I have a few special needs students. The color-coded tubs have helped all my students, but those in particular. They know that fairy tales, folktales, and fables can be found in the yellow tubs. Poetry books, anthologies, and collections are in the green tubs. Biographies are in the red tubs. Character and author sets are clearly labeled in the blue tubs. I am noticing that my special needs students are spending more time in the library because they don't feel so overwhelmed. They like having clearly defined genre areas.
All students have learned which area in the room to go to, depending on what they are looking for. Students who use our room and sometimes our classroom library (such as the after school homework club) are even able to help keep order with the aid of the color system. It is a simple visual reminder but one that has proved to be extremely effective for everyone. Books are being returned to the appropriate places and we aren't having to be "library detectives" when it comes to searching for titles anymore. Reading time is now spent reading, not sorting through books. How great is that?
I sincerely appreciate your generous gift to my classroom. You've given this year's students more reading time and future students a manageable, organized library to use. Thanks!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Donovan
This classroom project was brought to life by Wells Fargo and one other donor.Get It Together, Girl
Funded Jul 21, 2010When I first posted this proposal I never thought I'd actually get it funded! When the boxes arrived with the new furniture, I was as excited as if it had been Christmas Day. Honestly, my giddiness was somewhat embarrassing.
The biggest addition to our room, and the one I am the most thankful for, is the large cubbie/book box organizer. I smile every time I look at it! The students are able to sort their own work and store their homework papers, school newsletters, and progress reports in the cubbies. They are perfect, at eye-level height for them. The colorful book boxes, which we store on the shelves below the cubbies, have been wonderful as well. Each box has books at the student's individual reading level as well as his or her reading log. No more ripped book bags. No more messy desks. The boxes are easy to get to throughout the day, whenever a student has time to practice reading or whenever I have time to record a student's reading habits and progress. Because they are kept directly underneath the cubbies, they are out of the way and don't take up valuable space in the room. I am so proud of this storage unit and I literally beam when other teachers ask me about it. It is one of my favorite things in our classroom!
The smaller storage unit and the clear tubs we use for our math manipulatives. With the new math adoption this year, we received many new hands-on tools for students to use. The 2-sided counters, pattern blocks, linking cubes, coins and bills, and place value ones, tens, and hundreds fit nicely in the tubs. It is the perfect height to post our Problem of the Day, too. Our room has more space and, as I had hoped, it is much easier to find things when we need them! We can quickly transition from one activity to the next because the students know where we keep things and can easily access what they need independently.
The blue organizing tubs I put to use on my bookshelf. I have loved having specific spaces for guided reading book sets, for our read alouds, and for shared reading selections. It has made a world of difference being able to have shelves of books at my fingertips throughout the day. It has helped with planning during collaborative meeting times, it has helped when I am working with small groups of students, and it has helped when I have wanted to pull a specific title for a student to study. Having my bookshelves organized has even helped the parent volunteers in my room find materials quickly.
I have noticed a big change this year thanks to the storage units and tubs you helped me get for our room. I have more students than ever before and having my materials and the students' materials neat and organized has made all the difference. Thank you for making my job easier by helping make things more efficient for all of us!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Donovan
Measure of Success
Funded Jul 21, 2010The measurement tools you purchased for our class have arrived and we love using them! The inchworm rulers have been fantastic. The students are having a much easier time understanding just how big an inch is and have been able to accurately measure lengths. My poor students last year had such a difficult time using our worn, old rulers. These are much, much better! My students have not only used the new rulers during math lessons, but have also started using them to create thinking map outlines in their writing journals and to draw figures for artwork. I am pleased that they are familiar with this tool and feel confident while using it.
When I requested the two jumbo sand timers, I had no idea that we'd be using them every day. I had hoped to use them for a few lessons to demonstrate how long it takes for a minute to pass. As it turns out, I have a special needs student this year who LOVES using both the five and one minute timers. We use them on a regular basis to time his "breaks." He likes to flip them over and watch the sand fall. When the sand has run through, he knows it is time to get back to work and there is no more negotiating to continue the break time. They are a wonderful visual for him. His enthusiasm over using the timers has reached the other students and now when we need to time ourselves, they ask specifically to use the sand timers. Recently, students from other classrooms have been using the timers, too.
The wall clocks are amazing. I have placed them low on the walls around the room so the students can easily see the minute marks and the hands. They watch the clocks now and keep us on time for lunch and recess. When I ask what time it is, they are able to look at the clock faces and answer quickly. The Technology Support Teacher has been impressed with our satellite clock and is thinking of getting some for the other classrooms at our school. When the time changed this fall, we didn't have to worry about adjusting that clock. It changed for us on its own!
The students have been enjoying reading the big book and talking about the temperature readings from our giant thermometer as well. You have given us many great tools; tools which help me show my students how to think about measurement, help me model how to speak about measurement, and help me assess whether they can apply measurement to real-world situations. Thank you for making such a big difference in our lives!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Donovan
Life Cycle Literature
Funded Oct 5, 2009Every year I teach a life sciences unit with butterflies, moths, and radishes. It is an exciting time of year for the students and they look forward to being responsible care-givers. The central idea for this unit is that all living things change within their life cycle and while students become familiar with the specific examples they observe in the room, they have been somewhat unsuccessful transferring their learning to other living things due to our lack of appropriate reading materials.
This year, thanks to your generous donation, I was able to provide my class with a number of appropriate texts regarding life cycles. It was wonderful! We have books on all manner of animals and plants and the students could not get enough! They read them during class group work, chose them during independent reading time, and shared them with one another during reading centers. Students from other classrooms came in to read and use our books as well. The books answered many questions and in doing so generated many more!
Finding resources for the research report is always a struggle but for the first time, it wasn't! Students had books at their fingertips and were inspired to choose a report topic from the books at hand -- rather than choosing a topic, hoping to find something at the library only to be let down, and then having to choose a different topic. In the past I had many frustrated students. This year I had excited, enthusiastic students who wrote amazing reports and who were able to use these books to help them create beautiful dioramas.
The books you sent us are quite a gift. They dramatically changed my lessons this year. The class learned both science content and language arts skills. It was fantastic and I can't wait to do it again next year! Thank you!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Donovan
Healthy Choices
Funded Sep 15, 2009We had a very successful Healthy Choices unit this year! Students used the wealth of books you sent us to practice their research skills. They found out about the food groups, different activities for exercising, and the importance of dental hygiene. Having access to such a number of books allowed us to work in teams for our research so the students practiced cooperation and communication while learning content.
As a result of their reading, many students joined our school's Running Club in an attempt to be more active and, for the first time ever, there have been PARENTS running with the kids too! Students transferred their knowledge to the lunch room, opting to choose the salad bar more often. They have been bringing vegetables and fruits as snacks from home rather than chips and cookies and now recognize where their food comes from (hamburgers are made from beef and bacon is pork) when they hadn't before. Students have also been much more aware of the importance of a "good night's sleep" and report to me that they have been asking for earlier bedtimes. Imagine!
The human body apron was a fantastic visual aid in our body systems lessons, especially for the second language learners. Students were able to wear the apron and talk about the various organs while attaching them to the appropriate areas. In the past we read about the digestive system in our textbooks, but this year we were able to "see" where things go. More students remembered the vocabulary words and were able to draw and label diagrams afterward than in years past.
Our class wrote a Healthy Choices song (to the tune of BINGO) using the knowledge gained during this unit to create original lyrics. Thank you for supplying us with such wonderful materials! This unit truly made an impact on my students' lives and the lives of their families as well. ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Donovan