Past projects 3
Gotta "Get My Teach On!"
Funded Nov 27, 2018I can not thank you enough for your part in helping me attend the "Get Your Teach On" conference this past February. It was an amazing learning opportunity that I will not forget! All of the sessions that I attended were specifically geared for my first grade class. We were presented with exciting new ideas for classroom management, engaging readers and writers, incorporating STEM and Social Studies with Culture, as well as learning research behind incorporating student choice and technology.
My colleagues and I were so fortunate to learn from some of the best educators and leaders in the field right now. Deanna Jump sent us home prepared to lead our students in interactive read alouds, writer's workshop, and ideas to "Set the Stage to Engage." Cara Carrol presented us with a myriad of new ideas to incorporate STEM into our school days with things like Maker Spaces, Wake Up and Wonder mornings, and great suggestions of children's literature that lend themselves to STEM activities. Principal Adam Dovico shared his research and reasoning behind encouraging his teachers to offer Morning Choice activities to students and the impact it had on both discipline and attendance.
Since returning from the conference, I have already incorporated some of the new ideas we learned. My first graders loved being Inference Detectives to solve "The Mystery of the Apple Cart" and participating in one of the many interactive read-alouds. I look forward to continuing to integrate more ideas as the year goes on. This conference was everything and more I had hoped it would be!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Dunnaway
This classroom project was brought to life by An anonymous donor and 9 other donors.Chromebooks for the Classroom
Funded Oct 18, 2017Thank you so much for your part in funding my project "Chromebooks in the Classroom". My students were so excited when our Chromebooks and headphones arrived. My students and I have enjoyed using these daily. Having these Chromebooks has allowed more students to use the different online learning programs during our center time, such as Accelerated Reader, Spelling City, Starfall and Splash Math. The previous technology in my classroom was outdated and often not working. The Chromebooks are exciting to the students because they are portable, small, easy to use, and similar to what they are familiar with using. We are so grateful for the generosity and support of your donation. It has helped make our classroom a more tech friendly environment.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Dunnaway
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 2 other donors."I Teach First"...What's Your Superpower?
Funded Nov 30, 2016Thank you for allowing me to have the opportunity to attend the I Teach 1st Conference this past summer. I had an amazing time and learned so much to implement into my 1st grade classroom. The conference was a four day event filled with hundreds of classes to choose from. First grade teachers from all over the country attended and collaborated during the sessions. I attended many classes on guided reading, math games, fluency, writing, behavior interventions, and so much more.
Each day started with a keynote speaker. I had the privilege of hearing the amazing Dr. Jean speak. She has been involved in education as a classroom teacher, instructor to teachers, an author, and a consultant for over 40 years. Dr. Jean is very interactive and teaches ways to engage students. One idea I took away from her was a morning handshake with each student. I started this with my students this year on the second day of school and they LOVE it. It is part of our morning routine. What a fun way to start the day!!
I am incorporating many new strategies and ideas into my classroom this year, but the main focus I am incorporating is improving the reading fluency of my first graders. Fluency is the ability to read a passage or book smoothly, accurately, and with expression. So far, the students are enjoying the mini lessons and games incorporated with fluency passages. I already see much improvement in my students' reading and I can't wait to see the end result.
Thank you again for allowing the chance to learn so much! I will forever be grateful for this opportunity!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Dunnaway