Past projects 8
Boards Up! Learning On!
Funded Dec 31, 2024Thank you so much for your support. I am so excited about the materials I will be recieving to share with my students. I know that they will be thrilled! Even though they are middle school students, and like to act like they are grown-up, they still love rewards and using hands on materials.
This is a fantastic Christmas present for us all.
In deepest gratitude,
Donna Walker”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker
Back to Basics
Funded Mar 9, 2023The impact of the items my students received as a result of this grant has been huge. Through the generosity of donors, I always have classroom supplies at my fingertips. When a student needs a pencil or an eraser, boom!, I pull one out of my bag and instruction can proceed seamlessly, rather than students disrupting the learning environment by searching around for what is needed or disturbing classmates.
The more decorative pencils I use as rewards. I am always looking to reward positive behaviors and participation, in other words, I like to catch them "being good." I do this by quietly giving them a "cute" pencil or by praising them in front of the class and allowing them to select a pencil they like.
Additionally, The coloring book has been made available to students who need quiet time to regroup, or as a reward for finishing a task early. The positive affirmation statements and detail rich illustrations provide students and opportunity for constructive quiet time.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker
Color Me Ready
Funded May 6, 2021Thank you for your generous support of my project "Color Me Ready". My students and I are enjoying the art supplies and the flashcards. We are using the items for both academic and fun activities. Since I work with student across all grade levels, I am able to use these materials in different ways. For example, with my third grade student, we are using the flashcards for sight word practice and simple addition facts. For my fourth grader, student created flash cards are being used to reinforce multiplication facts which have still not been mastered. This student in particular loves the multiple colors of the blank flashcards. The rings help us to keep ourselves organized by subject or content.
I envision continuing to use the flashcards across the school year in math, reading, and in subject areas such as science and social studies. They will be a fantastic way to practice vocabulary words, especially the more challenging vocabulary words in content areas. The expo markers and tempura paints are a fun and creative way to improve our class time together, and to help students express themselves using art during this crazy COVID time.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 2 other donors.The Exciting Places We Can Go, In Person, or Video.
Funded Jan 19, 2021I cannot begin to express how the Hewlett-Packard (HP) Pavilion Laptop and HP Pen have changed the teaching and learning experience for my students and me this year. Our instruction has been virtual due to their health conditions and the pandemic. Prior to receiving this laptop, I drove to each of my student's homes and provided them with dry erase boards and markers. We had to use these, particularly in math, so that I could model problems and they could show me their work. It was cumbersome but reasonably effective as compared to trying to hold up responses to the computer video camera.
After I began working with the laptop and pen, our whole world changed! I was able to model work, write notes, and share information with ease. This added a greater multi-sensory and interactive dynamic to our lessons, as well as being so much more efficient. The HP pen gave me so much flexibility in presenting information through the use of colors, shapes, and lines via our virtual platform.
Additionally, my students and I were able to engage in hands-on learning. As I was adapting to using these new technologies, so were they. Some of my students actually taught me how to integrate the technology much more effectively, so it was a shared learning experience. They were actually able to write directly on my screen! Donor's Choose has changed our entire year for the better. Thank you again.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker
This classroom project was brought to life by The Center for Disaster Philanthropy and 6 other donors.STEAM Across the Curriculum
Funded Jan 23, 2020I would like to thank you for your support of my grant request and my students. The wonderful art materials have enabled my students to express their creativity. Since most of my students are from families that are struggling to make ends meet, they do not have access to art supplies beyond basic crayons and paper. They thoroughly enjoyed using the pastels, marker brush pens, and canvas to create their projects. When I see them happy and having fun, it reinforces for me the reasons I chose teaching as a profession.
Since the face-to-face school year ended early, I still have supplies left. Thankfully, my students next year will also be able to benefit from your generosity and commitment to the education community.
Many thanks, again.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker
This classroom project was brought to life by Anonymous Arts Supporter and 4 other donors.A STEM Apple a Day, Creates Learning YOUR Way!
Funded Oct 10, 2018My students and I are enjoying the new pad and Apple pencil so much. The large screen is helpful to my students who have visual difficulties and trouble focusing. The Apple pencil is useful for my students who have challenges using their fingers or experiencing touch. For the students on my caseload who do not have sensory problems, the use of these tools as a means to expand note-taking abilities has been fun. Initially, they were nervous and reluctant, but in relatively short order they were able to create notes on the iPad. This activity also facilitated an overall increase in technology use because we linked to their school-system based email accounts, sent their notes as a PDF file, and downloaded the information to their district issued netbooks.
One unexpected use of the devices that I discovered was as a quasi-Promethean Board. I was able to use the iPad note-taking application to clarify material that we were reading in class. I pasted an image onto a note and used the Apple Pencil to mark up the note and the image to help my student understand the structure of an atom. This was quite unexpected as I had not thought of this possibility when writing the grant request. It was exciting for both my student and me, and will provide the motivation for me to teach students how to incorporate this technique in their own note-taking.
I have used the augmented reality ability, via storybooks I have purchased, for my elementary level students. They love the way the books "come alive" in 3D. It really holds their attention, and is a wonderful multi-sensory approach to teach literacy skills that they are really enjoying.
Thank you again for your generosity in supporting my project. I am always searching for tools and methods to keep students engaged and these devices have absolutely provided the means to do so. They have also helped to foster a teacher/student mutual learning environment. Sometimes when I become "stuck" my students actually help me to solve the "tech" problem. This is such a positive, empowering experience for the students and allows me to model problem solving behaviors and interpersonal skills, again, another unexpected outcome.
If it were not for your unselfish commitment to teachers and students, I would not be able to provide these opportunities to "my kids."”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker
This classroom project was brought to life by Chevron Fuel Your School.Stop -N-Go STEM
Funded Oct 2, 2017I would like to express my sincerest gratitude for funding my project, Stop and Go Stem. Your generosity has positively impacted how I teach, and therefore, how my students learn. We are able to explore the concepts presented in textbooks in much greater depth, and most importantly, in the most individualized manner for my students.
As specified in my grant request, I am a Hospital Homebound Instructional Program Itinerant Teacher. Currently, I have fourteen students on my caseload. Their grade levels range from Kindergarten to twelfth grade. Additionally, most have a special need designation other than their medical condition. Simply put, there is not enough room in my minivan to hold all of the materials necessary for tailoring my instruction to their individual needs. The laptop and printer you so generously provided, have enabled me to use a wealth of resources to improve my practice and engage them in meaningful learning. We are now on the computer more than we are in books thanks to the funding for this, and my prior Donor's Choose Project.
It is a joy beyond measure to watch students as their confidence in using technology devices increases, the more comfortable they become. Some are familiar with tablets only, so a PC is new to them, and they are at first a little unsure of themselves. After a few classes, they are moving right along with new skills. Even my kindergarten student is able to navigate simple PC tasks successfully. For my older, more "techie" students, I am assigning work, via email, and they are completing their assignments using skills that will successfully transfer to the "real" world.
Your support has meant the world to me as an educator and child advocate. In helping me you have helped me to support not just my current students, but many, many more in the years to come.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker
Mobile Technology for Literacy and STEM Enrichment
Funded Nov 20, 2015I would like once again to express my heartfelt gratitude for funding my Donors Choose Project, Mobile Technology for Literacy and STEM Enrichment. It has absolutely changed the way I teach, and more importantly the way my students learn. As I had hoped, the learning process has become more collaborative and personally relevant. I plan the lesson framework for the day, but the actual content of the lesson is dependent upon the ideas which peek the student's interest, abilities, and grade level. For example, as we are now in the primary season, much of our Social Studies content has focused on the ongoing election process. For my seventh grader, his primary concern was which political party would be closest to his personal beliefs. My sixth grade, female student was much more concerned with the Women's Suffrage, both the history and current global status. Within seconds, through the use of my Donor's Choose iPad, we were able to explore their respective interests. Gone are the days of using a textbook as the sole instructional tool. The most challenging consequence of my project implementation is trying to "pull the student back" to the lesson framework. We consistently find ourselves branching out into interconnected tangents via technology, and generally find ourselves having to squelch our collective curiosity as a result of time constraints. All teachers should be blessed enough to experience this problem.
I also believe that an unintended, but wonderful, consequence of implementing this project is that my students have increased their technology device skills. In addition to the iPad we also use a school-issued "dinosaur" laptop. It is not uncommon for us to use both devices during class, with both the student and me, bouncing back and forth between the tablet and laptop. This serves to increase both their skills and comfort level with an array of devices, which serves them well today, and will in the future.
Finally, on a more personal level, this is the very first time in my 20+ year career in teaching that I have been assigned a student who does not speak a word of English. Thank you Google Translate! If I did not have access to this "app" via my Donor's Choose iPad, I would be absolutely lost!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Walker