Past projects 27
Wanted: iPad for 2nd Graders!
Funded Oct 28, 2019Thank you so much for funding the project for my classroom. We are using the iPad and protective case to enhance our technology skills. Students often use the iPads in math to have a new way to use manipulatives when solving problems. We also use a couple of apps in math to differentiate and extend the learning of those students that are more advanced in math. The biggest way that our classroom is using the iPad to enhance our learning this year is through an app called Seesaw. Students are finding new ways to show their learning on this app and they upload this to their online journal that I can view and give feedback on. It also allows their family to log on to view their child's learning that is going on in the classroom. Students have really been excited about this app and look forward to showing new learning each week.
When students first saw the new iPad, they were so excited! We have a few iPads in our classroom that all have come from grants or fundraising efforts and when we get a new iPad it means that more students will be able to use it throughout the day to enhance their learning. Students are sometimes using them independently to research science or social studies topics or to extend their learning in math or reading. Other times students will use them with a partner or a small group.
Students that need more help in math have used this technology a lot to have access to apps with manipulatives. All students have enjoyed using the iPad to have access to a variety of books in an app called Epic! The iPad you provided allows the students to become more knowledgeable and handy with technology. Thank you so much for being a part of this project in our classroom. We really appreciate it!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mitchell
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In.Wanted: iPad for 2nd Graders
Funded Oct 21, 2019Thank you so much for funding the project for my classroom. We are using the iPad and protective case to enhance our technology skills. Students often use the iPads in math to have a new way to use manipulatives when solving problems. We also use a couple of apps in math to differentiate and extend the learning of those students that are more advanced in math. The biggest way that our classroom is using the iPad to enhance our learning this year is through an app called Seesaw. Students are finding new ways to show their learning on this app and they upload this to their online journal that I can view and give feedback on. It also allows their family to log on to view their child's learning that is going on in the classroom. Students have really been excited about this app and look forward to showing new learning each week.
When students first saw the new iPad, they were so excited! We have a few iPads in our classroom that all have come from grants or fundraising efforts and when we get a new iPad it means that more students will be able to use it throughout the day to enhance their learning. Students are sometimes using them independently to research science or social studies topics or to extend their learning in math or reading. Other times students will use them with a partner or a small group.
Students that need more help in math have used this technology a lot to have access to apps with manipulatives. All students have enjoyed using the iPad to have access to a variety of books in an app called Epic! The iPad you provided allows the students to become more knowledgeable and handy with technology. Thank you so much for being a part of this project in our classroom. We really appreciate it!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mitchell
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In.Comfy Rug Needed!
Funded May 31, 2019Thank you so, so much for donating so that our classroom could have a new rug. It is the first time that I have had a rug big enough for all 23 students to sit on at one time. It is where we start our day for morning meeting as we greet each other and ask each other about any news going on in our lives. The rug helps create a more happy and comfortable place in the classroom for this meeting and for our whole group instruction throughout the day.
The students love the bright colors of the rug, and they love that they can see the continents and kids of other cultures from all around the world. The students have used the rug as an example when we have talked about the world and various cultures in social studies.
We appreciate you taking the time to show that you care about others. Our classroom has become a better, more comfortable place to learn each day because of you. Thank you for your kindness!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mitchell
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and one other donor.Construction, Surgery, and Glow- Oh My!
Funded May 8, 2019I want to say thank you so much for your donation to the project "Construction, Surgery, and Glow- Oh My!" My class was able to use the glow supplies from the project today during a glow day review. Students were bursting with excitement to walk into our glow room and get to put on the bright yellow construction vests and glow hats. They were able to play glow Jenga, glow bowling, and glow ring toss while reviewing math, social studies, and grammar skills that were learned this year. Glow in the dark balloons were also used for students to search for the correct answers to their math problems while they searched for a code to solve a riddle. Students worked together in groups and were so engaged in their learning for 2 1/2 hours (which is no easy task for the last week of school!).
The other materials from the project will be used with next year's class. We will complete a text feature surgery in the first 6 week of school, and the construction room transformation will be used in the second semester as we study measurement in math. Thank you for your help in letting my students see that learning is meant to be fun and engaging!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mitchell
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 4 other donors.Headphones & Microphones for Seesaw
Funded Feb 28, 2019Thank you so much for helping our classroom purchase headphones to use with our iPads. Students have been able to use their assigned headphones with their assigned iPad (every 2 students share an iPad) to listen to books read aloud on an app called Epic. They have also been able with the microphone on the headphones to record their voice on an app called Seesaw, which allows students to share their learning with myself and their families at home. The headphones and microphone help take the background noise away while students are recording their voice so it allows students to speak more clearly, and you can hear the student better when you playback their video.
The kids were so excited to have the headphones for their iPads because it allows them to listen to things on the iPad without disturbing others, and it allows them to record their voices on Seesaw without having to step into the hallway or wait to use my office as a quiet place. Thank you so much for your kindness in supporting our classroom!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mitchell
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and one other donor.STEM: Getting Students Ready for Jobs in the 21st Century!
Funded Aug 23, 2018Thank you so much for donating to our project "STEM: Getting Students Ready for Jobs in the 21st Century". Students have been taking home the STEM kits to learn about coding, making blueprints, building roads and houses, designing board games, and more. The kits allow students to read about a real world task, make a plan, create/build, test their plan, and make revisions if needed. Students have also been able to take home books about STEM careers to read and learn about possible careers they might be interested in one day. Parents have loved getting to see their kids excited about science and get to be a part of their learning at home.
When the kids saw the STEM kits and books, they were so excited and couldn't wait to start checking them out to take home. I communicated with parents to let them know about the kits and books that were available, and they were thrilled to have the opportunity to be involved in STEM experiences with their child. Parents have expressed how easy the materials are to use, and they enjoy getting to spend that extra bonding time with their child at home engaged in learning.
The students have been looking forward to making new discoveries and creating new inventions with the STEM kits and books from this project. The STEM projects also allow students to demonstrate and practice persistence when completing their task. This project has helped my students become more interested and engaged in STEM and to see themselves as potential contributors to the STEM community in the future. Since STEM careers are growing quickly in the U.S., it is important we help students build the necessary skills to pursue STEM opportunities. Thank you for helping my students build these skills!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mitchell
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.Let's Get Ready to Glow!
Funded Aug 23, 2018Thank you so much for donating to the project "Let's Get Ready to Glow!" Since receiving the materials, our classroom had a glow day during math a few weeks ago. We combined our glow day with a Breakout activity in math where students worked in groups to solve several puzzles/codes related to 2-digit addition with regrouping. This was a fun, engaging way to get students excited about showing what they had been learning in math.
During the glow day, students walked into the room with the lights out, the blacklights on, glow bracelets & glow glasses on their desks, a video of jellyfish glowing on the Activboard, and highlighters ready to use on their work for the day. Their faces were priceless! They were so excited to start the math Breakout challenge, and they worked hard together to solve the problems in order to "breakout" and complete the challenge in 45 minutes. I often have students that tell me and tell their parents that they can't wait to come to school because they never know what they will get to do, and they look forward to the fun we have while learning. I feel like it is so important for students to want to come to school and be excited about their learning. Having materials like the glow materials you provided allows our class to have special opportunities to celebrate our learning.
We will have more glow days this school year with the materials you provided. I was also able to share one of the blacklights with my team teacher so her class could have a special glow day too. Thank you for your help in providing materials for our students that will help them enjoy their learning and have fun days that they will hopefully remember forever!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mitchell
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.Alternative Seating: Make a Choice, Get Comfy, & Learn!
Funded Jul 28, 2018Thank you so much for funding the project 'Alternative Seating: Make a Choice, Get Comfy, & Learn!' for my classroom. We are using the comfy couch, student lap desks, and soft seats as seating options in our flexible seating classroom. Every student in my classroom has a "home spot" that students can go to first thing in the morning to get the day started. Throughout the day students can move around the room and sit at different places depending on the activity, how they are working- whether it's with a partner, group, or independently, or if they need to move to spot with a little bit of movement.
When students first saw the materials, they were thrilled!!! They thought the couch was so cute & comfy, and it has become a favorite spot for students to sit when they are at the rug for whole group instruction. I have many students this year that love to sit on the floor to work so the lap desks and comfy seats have allowed more students to have the opportunity to sit on the floor to complete their work.
Currently, we are planning to continue our flexible seating classroom because we are loving it! The students express often that they enjoy getting to choose where to sit based on what works for them as a learner. They feel comfortable in our classroom and they are taking ownership over their learning. I feel that my classroom is more student-centered than ever before, and I have been so impressed with how well students follow the expectations that are set for using all materials correctly. We are all happy with our seating options for flexible seating at this point in the year. Thank you so much for being a part of this project in our classroom. We really appreciate it!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mitchell
"A Chick Hatched Today!"
Funded May 17, 2018Thank you so much for helping with the project "A Chick Hatched Today!" I plan to use all of the resources that were donated with my class in the spring as we study the life cycle of a chicken. I have told my students that we will be doing this in the spring, and they were thrilled! I have such a caring, sweet group of students so I know that they will love getting to take care of our baby chicks.
I was talking with another teacher at my school about the resources I received from your generous donations. She lives on a farm and had some quail eggs that she wanted her class to hatch in late August/early September. I told her she was welcome to use the materials and then share with my students what they were learning about the process of hatching baby quail. That is why in the pictures you will see baby quail and not baby chicks! The baby quail hatched this week, and my class got to visit the other teacher's classroom to learn about baby quail and to see the babies while they were hatching. We get to go back next week to see the babies start to grow during the first few days. My students were mesmerized and cannot wait until we get to hatch our baby chicks in the spring.
I wanted you to know that your donations are impacting the learning for many, many students and not just the 22 students I have in my class this year. Thank you so much for supporting education!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mitchell
Bee Cool- Help Us Get Bee Bots!
Funded Jul 28, 2018We started learning about maps and globes this week in social studies. One of our 2nd grade standards is that students can use legends, cardinal directions, and grids to determine locations on different types of maps. I created grid maps that students could use in a small group to program their Bee-Bots to find different locations on the map using the cardinal directions. They had to move the Bee-Bots North, East, South, and West on the map. The kids LOVED this, and they were so engaged for the entire lesson. I loved that not only were they getting hands-on experience using directions and maps, but they were having to work together with a group to figure out the programming. Plus, the students had to figure out what went wrong if the Bee-Bot did not make it to the given location and had to try again (and maybe again and again!) until they got it right. This ended up being a great lesson in that it's okay to make a mistake and that we should persevere when something might be challenging.
I have other plans for the Bee-Bots this year in addition to this lesson that we just finished. Students can have the challenge of creating their own maps for the Bee-Bots. They will have to measure 15 centimeter squares in order to create the maps and make them work. Also, I will plan to use these in math later in the year when we study measurement. It will be great for the students to measure how far the Bee-Bots travel. Also, I have seen lessons where students can use the Bee-Bots to complete experiments involving pushes and pulls when we study force, which is a new standard for 2nd grade this year.
I was also able to share this lesson with my teammate and her class and have offered other teachers in my grade level the chance to borrow the Bee-Bots for their students. Your donation is impacting many, many more students than the 22 currently in my class. Thank you so much for your help in getting this resource for my students (and others in the school!). My goal is always to make learning fun, engaging, interactive, and challenging. You have made a lot of students very happy and excited about their learning.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Mitchell