Past projects 3
Read Like You Mean It!
Funded Dec 24, 2017The impact of my funded project "Read Like You Mean It!" is not immeasurable...it is VERY measurable! Two to three times per week we are reading and graphing the students Words per Minute. They see their improvement on their graph. Most of the time between Cold and Hot reads there is a 30 to 40 word improvement in a timed minute. Mind Blowing!
My students are most excited about being able to read ANYWHERE in the room. Under tables, under desks, against a wall (with cushions), in a corner, or just at their desks.
I can hear improvement weekly, and sometimes daily as the students do their 'Hot' and 'Cold' reads to me. I can hear the expression in their voices as they read that wasn't there before. Everything about their reading improves because they are hearing the correct pronunciation, intonation, and expression as they are seeing it on the written page.
In Mrs. Sherman's room we are all about fluency and accuracy with expression!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Sherman
Let's Get Personal
Funded May 25, 2017My students are thrilled with the new CD players. As you can see from the pictures the students are allowed to sit anywhere in the room to read. They love the freedom to sit at a desk or lay on the floor. With these players they are listening to the text with correct intonation and pacing, following along (tracking) with a finger to keep up with the text, and when they are comfortable, reading along with the text. I cannot always read along with or listen to every student everyday, but with the CD players the students are responsible for listening and following along with fidelity until they come to me to read. They track their fluency and speed and are always happy when they see their weekly improvement.
What is amusing to me is that their favorite thing about the players is the shiny blue color!
The previous CD players were a dull black. It is amazing that a little thing like color grabs their attention - but in a good way.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Sherman
Special Students, Special Needs
Funded Oct 3, 2016The purpose of my project was to create a more equal playing field for my students that have IEP's but are mainstreamed into the general education classroom. Because of budget cuts we usually have fairly large general education classrooms. When using laptops or Chromebooks many times my students are teamed up with another student because there are just not enough computers to go around. Even though they are on IEP's they can be very tech savvie and frequently have taught me how to do something on the computer, especially the Chromebooks.
My students particularly like the fact they can now come to the lab and borrow a Chromebook and call it their own for the duration of a project. Recently 5th grade did a project about the planets. Mark was able to do his three slides of the project on his own and take his time because he did not have to give a computer to someone else.
The lab students love, love, love, doing Power Points on the Chromebooks. They have discovered all the little things that make the projects pop (i.e.) transitions between slides, different fonts and different colors for the fonts. They might not sit still to write a paragraph with paper-pencil but they will spend as much time as I give them perfecting their PowerPoint slides.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Sherman