Past projects 4
Captivating Captions
Funded Oct 21, 2021We wanted to express our gratitude for your generous donation to our classroom and overall school environment. It has been very exciting using the Cricut Maker and all of the supplies that came with it to brighten our spaces. The students have loved having hands on materials that they can manipulate as they practice the math skills! And I have enjoyed creating bulletin board and door captions welcoming all of the wonderful students. I have even tried using the vinyl to create personalize gifts for the students and staff. I can not wait to see how impactful this donation will be as the year progresses and I become more skilled in using the materials!
Thank you once again for your unwavering support of teachers and students. We couldn't be where we are today without the generosity and support of donors like you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Garfield
Look at Me Grow
Funded Nov 2, 2018The students and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for providing us with the opportunity to show our growth mindset through the use of an i-Pevo document camera.
We love being able to see our work displayed on the board for everyone else to see too. We feel confident and proud of our representations and strategies and it is invaluable to be able to project our hard work while we talk through it with the class.
There are so many ways to model solutions for math problems and that is probably our most favorite thing to display. Being able to show that we are flexible and using the standards of mathematical practice encourages us to find even more ways to shine.
Students thrive with multiple intelligences so being able to add this dimension to our class toolbox has been beneficial. It is very helpful for me, Mrs. Garfield, to be able to model how to set up notebooks and manipulate concrete tools for modeling math and science topics for all to see clearly. When all of our sense are activated and ready to learn, learning is within reach.
It has been helpful to be able to screen shot the models used too. This way students who either may have been absent or who need more time with a visual can have access to it at various times. And images can be uploaded into google classroom for the students to reference from home as well as school.
The i-Pevo document camera has become an integral part of our inclusive classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Garfield
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and 2 other donors.Speed + Accuracy + Flexibility = Fluency
Funded Nov 1, 2018The students and I would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for giving us the opportunity to strengthen our fluency skills within our third grade classroom. We use the materials provided from the ETA kit on a daily basis.
One of our favorite tools to use is the 100 bead rekenrek rod. Our conceptual understanding has been greatly impacted because we are able to see multiple ways of breaking numbers up into more manageable parts in order to add and subtract larger numbers without the use of an algorithm. It has been incredible to see the students who started the year not understanding the magnitude of numbers based on the place value be able to have rich discussions with their classmates and other teachers. They're thinking more abstractly now that they have had the opportunity to see addition and subtraction modeled on an open number line concretely.
Another favorite tool of ours is the flexible area model mat. We have used it to fold and unfold rows and columns when discussing area as well as multiplication strategies. We have not begun our investigations into decimals yet, but I am anticipating their reaction when they see this familiar tool be used once again to provide them with a concrete model of how to express the magnitude of numbers that are less than one. It has proven invaluable for my visual and kinesthetic learners to be able to manipulate the mat into various representations.
Finally, we begin or end every day with a number talk. The flexibility that the students are able to model and explain strategies for solving multi-digit arithmetic without the use of paper and pencil is a direct impact of the tools provided from the ETA kit. Their confidence in accurately solving equations that once seemed out of reach is blossoming. Several co-workers have asked for support in starting number talks with their students as well. The power of uncovering and discovering just how awesome math can be will stay with these students throughout their lives.
Thank you once again for supporting these students, myself, and the students to come, with important tools and resources for achieving fluency.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Garfield
This classroom project was brought to life by ETA hand2mind and 3 other donors.iLove Learning
Funded Mar 7, 2014We would like to take a moment to thank you for your very generous donation through the Donors Choose organization. The students in my classroom have relished the opportunity to utilize the new iPad mini technology that was made possible by you. Each and every day students were able to log on and practice some integral skills associated with their fourth grade learning. Playing on math fact practice applications, state and capital matching applications, and acquiring new vocabulary while challenging their reading skills has been the favorite of the first wave of students to be impacted.
Students had the opportunity to use the iPad both during the school day and during after school hours. A few students decided that staying for extra help afternoons was longer something they loathed; and I thank the iPad for encouraging the necessary extra practice on some of these foundational skills.
There are an innumerable amount of applications for students that have been developed by educators, researches, and product developers as well as by parents. Many curriculum developers also have technology that supports the students ' learning through iPad applications. It has been interesting finding the right applications for my students but having all of the available resources literally at my fingertips has greatly improved my ability to provide differentiated practice dependent on each student's individual needs.
I look forward to continuing implementing 21st century learning standards with many more students to come. Thank you again for making this dream a reality.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Garfield
This classroom project was brought to life by 100 Women in Hedge Funds and 11 other donors.