Past projects 10
Enhancing Numeracy Skills Through Math Manipulatives
Funded Feb 19, 2024I wanted to take a moment to express my sincerest gratitude for your incredibly generous donation. Your kindness and support mean the world to me.
Thanks to your thoughtful contribution, students will have the opportunity to delve into the fascinating world of numeracy using manipulatives. This hands-on approach will undoubtedly help them develop a profound understanding of numbers, laying a strong foundation for their academic journey ahead.
Your support of education is truly commendable and will undoubtedly make a significant difference in the lives of many students. Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your invaluable support.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Solis
Reading Comprehension Groups
Funded Dec 30, 2021Time and again, I am moved by people’s willingness to help fund school projects. Your generosity is truly appreciated. Now, I will be able to work with all my students in small groups, addressing their individual needs. Returning to in person school from distance learning, makes the need for intervention and enrichment more important than ever. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Solis
Flexible Seating: Lap Desks to Allow Collaboration, Choice, Individuality
Funded Aug 12, 2021Thank you for your tremendous generosity. My students adore the lap desks you helped fund. They enjoy writing outside, reading with partners in classroom nooks, and solving math puzzles on the carpet.
During reading time, students often sit outside. They help each other sound out long words. They take turns reading paragraphs from our language arts book (Benchmark) to each other. This allows every child the opportunity to read aloud to someone on a daily basis. Much like learning to shoot hoops, reading, though invisible, improves through practice, practice, and more practice. Having lap desks allows my students this valuable practice.
How wonderful it is to look out at a sea of students enjoying learning from each other!
Thank you again.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Solis
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 2 other donors.For the Love of a Good Book
Funded May 23, 2021Thank you for your generous support of classroom books. Returning to the classroom after distance learning, it is so important to foster a love of learning, a love of school. What better way than to enjoy beautiful literature?!
The variety of books can teach figurative language, symbolism, code switching between languages, code switching with different fonts, perspective, and so much more. So often in school, we assign daily silent reading, without explicitly teaching students how to handle foreign language words woven into a story, or that books can switch narrators every other chapter. Without any guidance students often stall confused. It is wonderful to have a variety of literature to set students up for success.
Furthermore, with class sets, I can assign partner reading. Students can be fantastic teachers to each other. This also means students daily read aloud to someone. For all of the reasons above, I am so excited to dig into the novel "The One and Only Ivan" in January, and I know my students are too. Again thank you for making this possible.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Solis
For the Love of a Good Book
Funded May 5, 2021Picture this: You are sitting on a bench in the garden. The sun warms you and a slight breeze refreshes you. All around the sounds of nature can be heard in the call of birds and the buzz of bees. Beside you sits a classmate. Taking turns reading aloud a wonderful book, you practice reading with expression; trying out different voices, reading some parts slowly, speeding up in other places. Reading feels safe and friendly. My students love, love, love partner reading. This is exactly what I will do with these books; give more opportunities for partner reading.
My third-graders positively light up when they discover new ideas; like symbolism in literature, understanding figurative language, knowing how a setting affects a storyline or analyzing how a character changes the course of a story. I love to share that aha moment of finding the meaning of the title embedded in the heart of a story or realizing the ending circles back to the beginning. With the literature from this Donors Choose project, I will be able to structure book conversations to teach such lessons.
This gift goes beyond the books purchased in this project. Some students will discover a beloved author and read other books by the same writer. Some struggling readers, with the support of a peer, will access high-interest chapter books. So you see, these are not just books you have funded, they are freedom; they are joy; they are an open door.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Solis
Classroom Computers: A Necessity In Any 21st Century Classroom
Funded Aug 14, 2019It is with great gratitude, I write this letter. Your donation purchased Chromebooks for my classroom. These Chromebooks will allow me to run stations, permitting greater small group instruction. It is a constant struggle with 26 students to maximize my attention to individual students. Groups of students can now work on projects (research projects, sideshows, blended learning sites...), while I work directly with small groups on skills tailored to their individual needs. Additionally, students will be able to develop higher level research skills, typing skills, general computer skills, and they will be able to work collaboratively using Goggle Apps. Furthermore, students with reading and spelling difficulties will be able to access concepts and curriculum thanks to voice typing, computer-enabled reading of math problems, and such like. Many computer-based curricula allow for individual setting of student level (both enrichment and reteach). Such programs also link to teaching videos and slides like Khan Academy giving students greater independence to learn at their own rate. The immediate feedback given by such sites increases students attention to precision. Even though the current generation is the generation given iPhones and tablets to entertain themselves as toddlers, using technology in a working environment isn't intuitive. Knowing not to overuse the space bar or caps lock is something we have to directly teach. Learning short cut keys for cut and paste, zoom in and out... is something we have to teach. Appropriate use of slides v. docs and then how to use them creatively is something we have to teach. Granted this young generation is a pretty quick study when it comes to technology. To close, your generous donation will allow my students to be prepared for careers, but more immediately for upper education which requires the use of technology on a daily basis in a majority of subjects. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Solis
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.Classroom Computers: A Necessity In Any 21st Century Classroom
Funded Aug 10, 2019It is with great gratitude, I write this letter. Your donation purchased Chromebooks for my classroom. These Chromebooks will allow me to run stations, permitting greater small group instruction. It is a constant struggle with 26 students to maximize my attention to individual students. Groups of students can now work on projects (research projects, sideshows, blended learning sites...), while I work directly with small groups on skills tailored to their individual needs. Additionally, students will be able to develop higher level research skills, typing skills, general computer skills, and they will be able to work collaboratively using Goggle Apps. Furthermore, students with reading and spelling difficulties will be able to access concepts and curriculum thanks to voice typing, computer-enabled reading of math problems, and such like. Many computer-based curricula allow for individual setting of student level (both enrichment and reteach). Such programs also link to teaching videos and slides like Khan Academy giving students greater independence to learn at their own rate. The immediate feedback given by such sites increases students attention to precision. Even though the current generation is the generation given iPhones and tablets to entertain themselves as toddlers, using technology in a working environment isn't intuitive. Knowing not to overuse the space bar or caps lock is something we have to directly teach. Learning short cut keys for cut and paste, zoom in and out... is something we have to teach. Appropriate use of slides v. docs and then how to use them creatively is something we have to teach. Granted this young generation is a pretty quick study when it comes to technology. To close, your generous donation will allow my students to be prepared for careers, but more immediately for upper education which requires the use of technology on a daily basis in a majority of subjects. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Solis
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and one other donor.Classroom Computers: A Necessity In Any 21st Century Classroom
Funded Nov 27, 2018Thank-you for supporting my classroom. Words can't express my gratitude for the chromebooks purchased with your donation. We use chromebooks almost every day for blended learning, classwork, and projects. Most recently, my students have been enjoying typing and illustrating their adaptations of fairy tales on the chromebooks. Once the typing is done, they will record themselves reading their books with expressions and add sound effects. What a wonderful way to work on writing and reading!
Chromebooks also allow me to offer blended learning in class: While students are working on material at their individual level, I am able to work with small groups of students. Additionally, students are learning to touch type. Knowing how to touch type is a gift that will help through high school and beyond. With your gift of computers, my students receive more immediate feedback, more individual learning opportunities, and participate in more technologically creative projects. Thank you for giving to education.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Solis
Classroom Computers: A Necessity in any 21st Century Classroom
Funded Mar 27, 2018It is with great gratitude, I write this letter. Your donation purchased Chromebooks for my classroom. These Chromebooks will allow me to run stations, permitting greater small group instruction. It is a constant struggle with 26 students to maximize my attention to individual students. Groups of students can now work on projects (research projects, sideshows, blended learning sites...), while I work directly with small groups on skills tailored to their individual needs. Additionally, students will be able to develop higher level research skills, typing skills, general computer skills, and they will be able to work collaboratively using Goggle Apps. Furthermore, students with reading and spelling difficulties will be able to access concepts and curriculum thanks to voice typing, computer-enabled reading of math problems, and such like. Many computer-based curricula allow for individual setting of student level (both enrichment and reteach). Such programs also link to teaching videos and slides like Khan Academy giving students greater independence to learn at their own rate. The immediate feedback given by such sites increases students attention to precision. Even though the current generation is the generation given iPhones and tablets to entertain themselves as toddlers, using technology in a working environment isn't intuitive. Knowing not to overuse the space bar or caps lock is something we have to directly teach. Learning short cut keys for cut and paste, zoom in and out... is something we have to teach. Appropriate use of slides v. docs and then how to use them creatively is something we have to teach. Granted this young generation is a pretty quick study when it comes to technology. To close, your generous donation will allow my students to be prepared for careers, but more immediately for upper education which requires the use of technology on a daily basis in a majority of subjects. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Solis
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple.Classroom Computers: A Necessity in any 21st Century Classroom
Funded Dec 12, 2017It is with great gratitude, I write this letter. Your donation purchased Chromebooks for my classroom. These Chromebooks will allow me to run stations, permitting greater small group instruction. It is a constant struggle with 26 students to maximize my attention to individual students. Groups of students can now work on projects (research projects, sideshows, blended learning sites...), while I work directly with small groups on skills tailored to their individual needs. Additionally, students will be able to develop higher level research skills, typing skills, general computer skills, and they will be able to work collaboratively using Goggle Apps. Furthermore, students with reading and spelling difficulties will be able to access concepts and curriculum thanks to voice typing, computer-enabled reading of math problems, and such like. Many computer-based curricula allow for individual setting of student level (both enrichment and reteach). Such programs also link to teaching videos and slides like Khan Academy giving students greater independence to learn at their own rate. The immediate feedback given by such sites increases students attention to precision. Even though the current generation is the generation given iPhones and tablets to entertain themselves as toddlers, using technology in a working environment isn't intuitive. Knowing not to overuse the space bar or caps lock is something we have to directly teach. Learning short cut keys for cut and paste, zoom in and out... is something we have to teach. Appropriate use of slides v. docs and then how to use them creatively is something we have to teach. Granted this young generation is a pretty quick study when it comes to technology. To close, your generous donation will allow my students to be prepared for careers, but more immediately for upper education which requires the use of technology on a daily basis in a majority of subjects. Thank you.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Solis