Past projects 6
A Comfortable Place to Work
Funded Oct 30, 2023Thank you for your generous donation to my classroom! My students were so excited to unbox two new bean bag chairs for our discussion area. I think the best part is letting them know that someone cared enough about our community to want to give them this gift.
The structure of the bean bag chairs is such an improvement over our old deflated bean bags. These chairs are supportive and allow my students with sensory issues to feel snug, but not constrained. They are able to sit and attend to lessons longer, and are encouraged to be close to the board and more focused. In addition, they are able to use them more safely than the old bean bags, because they are more clearly structured as "seats", not just as large pillows.
Your thoughtfulness in supporting our students is so deeply appreciated. As a teacher, I hope to give my students the most positive classroom experience possible and you have helped me to create a more welcoming and appropriate learning environment.”
With gratitude,
Ms. T.
Building Our Way to a Better Community
Funded Aug 16, 2023You are a hero to my students! They were so thrilled to receive new building materials, and to be honest, their excitement has not worn off. Engineering time is such a preferred time during our week, and they look forward to it all throughout the day.
These materials give my students new and more complex options for sharing their building skills. I notice that students are gravitating toward the sets that best suit their abilities, so some students are more likely to choose the complexity of the K'nex projects, while others prefer to stack and build with magna tiles. No matter which material they choose, I hear them sharing their ideas with classmates, or admiring each others projects. It is not exaggerating to say that these materials have accomplished exactly what I was hoping for.
Thank you so much for your generosity and support of my classroom. You have made a significant difference in our school year!”
With gratitude,
Ms. T.
This classroom project was brought to life by The SONIC Foundation and 3 other donors.Let's Get the Wiggles Out While We Learn!
Funded Aug 9, 2022I can't thank you enough for the wobble stools that you donated to my classroom! My students were so excited to try them out. They use them in morning circle, and any time they have desk work to do. In fact, because the stools are light as well as stable, students can move them around the classroom during transitions.
I was so pleased that my students have been able to find creative ways to share the 3 stools. When someone has to go to a pull-out service, they make sure to pass the wobble stool they are using to a classmate. It has been so encouraging to see that not only are the stools fulfilling their purpose in helping some of my more restless students stay in their seats, but they have also been part of the community building that we have worked so hard to do this year.
This has been one of the most gratifying donations my class has received because both the students and I have seen such direct results. I feel so encouraged to continue growing my flexible seating options. You have made a direct impact on our experience at school this year and we are so thankful!”
With gratitude,
Ms. T.
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 6 other donors.Interactive Tools for Distance Learning
Funded Aug 22, 2020As we began the school year from a distance, I was concerned about how to keep students engaged, and how to provide them with timely feedback. In the classroom, we circulate, we walk between desks, and we address concerns with students directly. We are able to ask questions about what we see them doing or writing, and we can get them back on track. On Zoom, we are able to collect answers on a white board or in the chat, but we cannot monitor the process as they experience it. For my students with special needs, this can mean that a whole lesson will fail because they do not receive prompts to remind them how to complete the assigned task.
When I heard about PearDeck, I realized that it was a technology that would help me to monitor student work in real time. This was the missing piece to help me foster a classroom community while students are unable to be in the classroom. When I reached out through Donors Choose, I was hoping that others felt the same urgency to give teachers the tools we need to reach our students effectively. Having my project completed was such a joyful experience! I felt like my students and I were truly being supported in our struggle to be successful with distance learning.
Since we have started using PearDeck, I have seen increased engagement from my students, especially in math. Students who are reluctant to speak or have their cameras on are able to show their thinking by drawing or writing their strategies, and I can respond to them. Even though distance learning can be challenging, students are making progress through the standards and their IEP goals, because I am able to fulfill the most important part of my job as a teacher by interacting with their thinking and learning processes. Thank you so much for seeing our need and finding a way to help us make this project a reality!”
With gratitude,
Ms. T.
Understanding Storytelling Through Legos
Funded Mar 9, 2016Dear Donors,
I am so grateful that you chose to give your support to my "Storytelling Through Legos" project. My students were so thrilled when we opened our materials and they were able to see the quantity of Lego building materials that they now have access to in our room. If it was up to them, every day would be a building day! I have rarely seen some of my kinesthetic learners so engaged. One student in particular has shown a talent for following the schematics and building the bird models. Since the directions are a little challenging for some of my other students, he has been showing leadership skills in helping them that I have never observed from him before. You have truly helped to give him an opportunity to shine!
The Legos have been a great resource for showing understanding of different pieces of literature that we have read. Students have been able to show their understanding of setting by building and describing based on their understanding of what they have heard. I think their favorite times are when they get to act out character interactions using the Lego people. This has provided us with so many chances to talk about challenging concepts when their affective filters are low.
Recently, my students have been studying about farms, which led us to an in depth analysis of barns. One of my assessment pieces has been to ask the students to identify the systems that need to be included in a barn, and then to give them the opportunity to plan and build models of what they think a barn should include. I have been so impressed with their critical reflections as they improve their models. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that the kids have the ability to show their learning in a way that is intrinsically motivating to them, and that allows them to express their understanding in a functional way. None of this would be possible without your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. T.
Building Materials Lead to Spatial Reasoning Skills
Funded Dec 1, 2015Your generous donation of building materials to our classroom has inspired such creative, critical thinking in my students. We have designated one short 30 minute block at the end of each Wednesday as "Building Time". During that time, students typically have an opportunity to work with different building materials to complete "challenges". They are allowed to work alone or with partners to complete the challenges. On other days, the students are allowed to "free build", where they are encouraged to let their imaginations fly.
In the few months since we received our materials, I have seen such great thinking, and sharing of ideas between my students. They happily talk about their ideas while building, and encourage each others successes. I am so thrilled when one student uses another student's idea and improves on it or adds their own twist, and says " I got this idea when I saw what ...was doing".
I think the greatest impact of your gift has been the freedom that I see my students experiencing to take risks in expressing their ideas. Even students who didn't want to build in the beginning and only wanted to watch others build have now begun to participate enthusiastically. You have truly given my students a new confidence in their abilities.”
With gratitude,
Ms. T.
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 2 other donors.