Past projects 17
Apple: The Core of Learning
Funded Mar 27, 2018Thank you so much for donating to my project. I am super excited to use my Mac Air Book as much as possible. This is my first Apple product and I can't wait to find more and more uses for it in my classroom.
We have just received a brand new smart board so this is the perfect addition. My prior lap top has gotten very slow and I was finding that I was losing a great deal of valuable teaching time just waiting for it to restart and become useful in my lessons.
We are currently using it to help us prepare for the upcoming state exams. It provides the kids with useful video clips that can help support us in writing responses which can sometimes become tedious and boring for kids. We are also using it for calming relaxation music and energizing exercise clips to help release energy and maintain focus during what is often a stressful time of the school year for kids.
I look forward to our upcoming units in reading and writing where I will be using it within small groups for reading research and to explore fairy tales in writing.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeChirico
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and 4 other donors.Standing Up With Tolerance and Releasing Energy
Funded Mar 27, 2018Thank you so much for your donations for the additional 2 stand up work stations. They have been a huge success in my classroom. At the beginning of this year I noticed that quite a few of my students were having a great deal of difficulty working sitting down. They were often standing slouched over their desks. Some were leaning on their chairs slanting their bodies. They looked VERY uncomfortable.
When we received the first 2 stand up desks they were super excited. They were so thankful that this project got funded. Having these 2 unique desks in our classroom made my kids feel really special. Now that we have 4 it is even better! Sometimes the kids work together in partnerships at these stations as well. They arrived just in time for their first state exams.
Many of the students have chosen different subject areas that the stand up desk would be more beneficial for them to use as opposed to a sitting desk. I have created a rotating schedule for each week based on the kids preferences. It is most popular during math and writing time. The kids are now learning how to share them fairly and rotate on their own.
The swinging bar on the bottom helps them release energy and build stamina and focus. The height of the desk allows them to work more comfortably as well. Several of the students have even started to work with partners using the desk. The desks have also helped me organize some of my more disorganized students. They can no longer hide things inside a desk. They have baskets to keep only what they need on the bottom shelf.
My next steps are to try to encourage and invite other teachers into my classroom to see them in action. My students are becoming more focused and less fidgety while they work. Thank you so much for hearing my voice and helping me get my students what they need!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeChirico
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple and 6 other donors.Flexible Seating To Maintain Focus
Funded Jan 9, 2018Thank you so much for your donations for the bouncy chairs and the wobble stools. They have been a major success in my classroom. Many of my students are constantly fidgeting or are unable to focus on their tasks because of constant movement and distractions. The bouncy balls and wobble stools allows these children to move without distracting other classmates, from getting hurt and knocking things over. These children are able to get their work done and be able to move without making noise.
My students were very excited when they first saw the materials. They were very interested in using the new chairs. Many of the students use the bouncy balls and wobble stools, when all the children are gathered on the floor. It keeps the children focused and keeps them from moving around and away from the group. Now they can move in place and still be engaged in what the rest of the class is learning.
I plan to continue creating a rotating schedule for different kids to be able to experience sitting in these types of chairs instead of hard stationary chairs. They are beginning to choose when these seats are best for them to help them release extra energy and remain on task. Thank you again for all your support.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeChirico
This classroom project was brought to life by The Clorox Company and 9 other donors.Standing Up With Tolerance
Funded Jan 17, 2018Thank you so much for your donations for the stand up work stations. They have been a huge success in my classroom. At the beginning of this year I noticed that quite a few of my students were having a great deal of difficulty working sitting down. They were often standing slouched over their desks. Some were leaning on their chairs slanting their bodies. They looked VERY uncomfortable.
When I told them about my idea for the stand up desks they were super excited. They were very hopeful that this project would get funded. Within 2 weeks the project was fully funded and the materials arrived 1 week later. The look on their faces when they arrived was priceless.
Many of the students have chosen different subject areas that the stand up desk would be more beneficial for them to use as opposed to a sitting desk. I have created a rotating schedule for each week based on the kids preferences. It is most popular during math and writing time.
The swinging bar on the bottom helps them release energy and build stamina and focus. The height of the desk allows them to work more comfortably as well. Several of the students have even started to work with partners using the desk. The desks have also helped me organize some of my more disorganized students. They can no longer hide things inside a desk. They have baskets to keep only what they need on the bottom shelf.
My next steps are to try to encourage and invite other teachers into my classroom to see them in action. My students are becoming more focused and less fidgety while they work. Thank you so much for hearing my voice and helping me get my students what they need!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeChirico
Enriching the Curriculum with Art, Music & Technology
Funded May 7, 2016Thank you so much for bringing more technology into our classroom. The kids are very eager to work together as a team exploring a variety of subject areas in a hands on way. The kids are using the technology they have received to enhance their skills in reading, writing, and math.
The Crayola art studio programs are helping my students use technology to illustrate their writing. For some of my struggling learners they envision their stories through art, sketch across the pages, then use their art to articulate their stories through words.
The Osmo gaming system has been most engaging. The students are learning to work together and support one another in hands on math activities. One we have used so far is the tangram puzzles. They are learning to manipulate shapes and are increasing their ability to see things in more than one way. We look forward to exploring the many other math activities and word work activities the gaming system has to offer.
Thank you so much for supporting me and my classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeChirico
iPads Needed to Engage Students with Special Needs
Funded Feb 23, 2016Dear Donors,
Thank you so much for helping me incorporate technology of the modern world in my classroom. My students are beyond excited to come to school each day, especially when it is their independent I Pad day.
The I Pads were received in perfect timing; right before the state exams. This time of year become very challenging, exhausting, and non engaging for students. I was able to use the I Pads to increase active engagement in small groups, and alter the level of the ELA passages we were working with to support my learners. The students were also able to make choices in which skills they wanted to practice that they were struggling with during their independent time on the I Pads.
Now that testing is over they are using them in much fun and engaging ways. For example, right now we are studying Mexico and the students are learning basic Spanish on the I Pads. They are also using them to boost their math skills by playing Big Brainz.
Future plans are to incorporate more musical and art activities to enrich the curriculum and make their learning more independent and fun for them. I can not thank everyone enough for helping me make these changes in my classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeChirico
This classroom project was brought to life by Disney and 62 other donors.Social Studies Center and Inquiry Groups
Funded May 6, 2014Thank you so much for fully funding our project. The kids were so excited when they saw all the boxes of materials that were sent to our classroom. They felt extra special and the smiles on their faces lit up the classroom. They said they could not wait to begin researching communities around the world and sharing their information with others.
I am using the color printer with my students to enhance our social studies curriculum. They are exploring and learning bout communities around the world such as Brazil and China. They are studying color images that represent the uniqueness of the culture of the people as well as the land, maps, and a variety of statistic graphs that have been printed on our new printer and laminated so they can be saved for future use.
The students are much more excited about researching now that they can type their reports of information and include color images. They also have many more options such as creating a power point presentation that they can save on their thumb drives and share with others not just within our own classroom. We truly appreciate your generosity and kindness. Thank you for your support in making our leaning more fun!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeChirico