Past projects 3
Engineers, Observers, Explorers
Funded Oct 21, 2023When the materials began to arrive, my students were filled with excitement. What is in all these boxes? Slowly, I began to introduce new items to our classroom. One of the the first things to join the rotation were the Legos, and they were an immediate hit. A variety of kids, who had never before gravitated to building, were suddenly examining the instructions and experimenting with unique contraptions and fantastical vehicles. I am amazed by what they come up with and I can see them transferring the knowledge they are gaining in engineering class to what they try with the Legos in our classroom.
The drawing and observing materials have also become favorites. I requested a class set of shape stencils, which the students are using to review shapes and draw new things. Kid who before might have been reluctant to attempt to draw on their own are now realizing that they can break down whatever they're working on into simple shapes, and they feel so empowered. I'm noticing them examining a photo of what they want to draw in order to figure out what the parts are, and I'm so excited to see their persistence and problem-solving get challenged. Combined with magnifying glasses, watercolors and markers, suddenly their observations are getting more detailed and interesting. As the spring comes, I'm excited to see them get outside and discover even more things to observe!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Larson
This classroom project was brought to life by 3M and one other donor.You Can't Learn What You Can't See
Funded Sep 2, 2013The day the document camera arrived, it sat in its tidy shipping box under my desk. None of the students noticed, but to me it was covered in blinking neon lights that said, "Open me!" The next day, when it was out of the box, my students did get curious; "What is THAT?" they kept asking. Once it was plugged in and running, however, all this chatter stopped. I put an example story that I had written under the camera and suddenly, what had been a tiny pencil-drawn book became a movie, and my students hushed each other accordingly. Everyone could read the story together and see the details, rather than just hearing them described. After that, sharing a story at the end of our writing time went from being a chore that others had to endure to a treasured privilege; "Can I share???" has become a constant refrain.
For me, having a document camera has simplified my routine on a daily basis. Instead of spending time each day to enlarge, rewrite, or otherwise modify my materials in hopes of making them more visible, I can just show students exactly what I want, and I don't have to worry about whether they'll be able to do it on their own later. Gone are my frantic, five-minutes-before-students-arrive trips to the photocopier to enlarge one last example. When it is time for students to try something new independently, I don't have to field endless questions of, "What are we supposed to do?" and I can spend my time focusing on each student instead of re-teaching. Thank you all so much for your contribution to our classroom; your kind investment is helping us see, and learn, better each and every day!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Larson
Learning to Read is a Hard Job: It's Harder Without Books.
Funded Jan 26, 2011I am writing to thank you all for your generous donations to our classroom library. Each package, as it arrived, thrilled me with varied, exciting books which I knew would pique the curiosity of specific readers in my class. Last week, when we unveiled the inviting additions to the room my students gasped with delight at the covers: dinosaurs, motorcycles, mermaids, astronauts, kittens: what could be better for a seven-year-old! These colorful books glittered from two rows of new blue bins, making it easy for students to thumb through the boxes to find something that interests them. My students are simply thrilled to be reading such fascinating texts.
The most telling moments, however, are ones like this: the day after the books arrived, a student strode up to me at my desk. Brandishing a new book about fish he proudly boasted, "Teacher! I can read this WHOLE book!" Those are the sorts of moments my students so desperately need, and that your books are making possible. My students cannot thank each of you personally, but I hope you can tell from the photos how excited they are about these books. I am so grateful to all those who supported this project because it has given these great kids access to materials that excite them and show them the wonderful possibilities of books. Twenty first-graders are getting jazzed about reading and you each made it possible: on behalf of all of them, thank you.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Larson