Past projects 5
3B Literacy Centers!
Funded Dec 29, 2016I can't fully express my joy, excitement, and thanks for your donation to my project. It is great to see that you share my vision for reaching children. In reading, we so often use provided curriculum which doesn't always provide students with the best way to practice crucial reading skills and strategies.
The resources that you have funded will enable students to create and explain their own ideas. In addition, I will be able to push my students to learn necessary literacy skills such as identifying main ideas across various genres, setting, mood, theme, and what I am most excited about is that these resources are meant to encourage independent learning in a fun and creative way! Thank you for making my very difficult job easier and thank you for making learning more enjoyable and engaging for my students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Balla
Listening to Great Reading.
Funded Nov 14, 2015I can not thank you enough for your generous contributions. As any teacher will tell you, teaching is hard work, especially when you do not have the resources needed for successful teaching available at your school. Many schools in neighborhoods such as mine, do not have enough money to supply classrooms with proper technology and yet we are expected to perform equally with schools in districts with limitless funds.
The portable listening center we received from this project is being used during our literacy block, more specifically during "literacy centers". This is a time in which students break into small targeted groups and work with a teacher to target their literacy weaknesses. The portable listening center becomes another teacher in the room. When groups are at the listening center they listen to books and stories read to them and then complete a related activity. The listening center allows students who have trouble with comprehension and fluency to listen to proper reading, while they follow along in their books.
The students love the listening center. I have purchased a number of stories and I'm noticing how excited and confident my students become when it is time to read!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Balla
Materials for Future Mathematicians
Funded Sep 30, 2015The resources you have funded for our classroom have made such a great impact in our classroom. The bingo game collection is used daily during our math block or whenever we have time to squeeze in a game. The students have so much fun playing they don't realize we're practicing fluency in subtraction, addition, time, and place value.
When the games and books first arrived, the kids were so flabbergasted. They couldn't believe that strangers would be willing to provide them with learning materials. "Why did they do that?" one student asked. I explained how DonorsChoose is an organization that connects people who value education with teachers who need help funding projects and materials for their classrooms.
Thank you for supporting my third graders!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Balla
This classroom project was brought to life by ConEdison and 7 other donors.Read! Read! Read!
Funded May 13, 2015Thank you for your generosity. My students were thrilled when they heard our project was fully funded thanks to your help. They couldn't believe it! They were amazed that strangers would be willing or even interested in furthering their education. "Wow", they said, "Who are these people?".
We just received our new books this week and the students were all over the packages. I've never seen this amount of excitement to go book shopping in our library! I'm so proud of them. They are all being very careful with the new books and silent reading time has finally become an enjoyable activity in our classroom.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Balla
21st Century Classroom Stuck in the 19th Century!
Funded Dec 17, 2014My students were so excited when they found out that we were going to be receiving our tech resources! They knew that we needed a better way to share ideas.
We use our document camera everyday, especially for math and writing. The camera allows me show students exactly how to solve math problems and it provides students an opportunity to quickly share their work. The same can said about writing. My students love to share now! Before, students had to read out loud in front of the class which terrified them. Using the doc. cam. and stand takes that anxiety away, and now when its time to share, all my students have their hands up.
This project has made my teaching more engaging and the students have been motivated and active in participating. My students have learned to be more accountable for their work. They all want a chance to be the "teacher".”
With gratitude,
Ms. Balla