Past projects 12
Introduction to iPads!!
Funded Mar 27, 2018Thank you so much for providing my classroom with iPads and the necessary materials to go with it. As students growing up in a world of technology, it has become necessary for students to be competent at using different forms of technology. My students learn in several different ways. Some students require more visual support, while others benefit from listening to directions. The gift of iPads and headphones allows my students to learn in a way that best suits them. There are incredible apps for kindergarten such as ones that teach letters, numbers, and word work. There are also valuable websites that help my students learn in an interactive way.
The new product most exciting to my students is the actual iPad. Some of my students have iPads at home, but several do not. Therefore, this is some of their first time using technology. Some students who have been reluctant to learn in a way that is not "fun", are now able to learn, without realizing it. The applications we use are catered to young learners. They include colorful pictures, songs, animals, etc that are stimulating and motivating to my students. Students have been able to work on their handwriting without even realizing that they are creating letters. We use the iPads in a center during our literacy time. This time allows students to practice taking turns.
I teach in an ICT classroom. This means that some of my students have a learning disability that inhibits the way that they learn. Traditional methods of teaching may not work for them as well as it would for others. Therefore, they benefit greatly from the ability to learn in an interactive way. A teacher is not available to be with each child one on one. Having an iPad that is able to monitor if a student is correctly doing the work and prompting them to figure it out allows for more support than a student would get without the iPads. Some students who have also really taken to the technology are students who are rewarded at home with using iPads. They consider it a treat at school as well and are so excited to play on the iPad. They truly don't realize that they are strengthening their skills relating to letters, sounds, writing, numbers, etc. I am so grateful for this gift to my class. It is helping them tremendously.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Goldstein
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple.Help Us Create an Inviting Space to Learn!
Funded Nov 23, 2017Thank you so much for your donations to my classroom. My children had so much fun learning about and using the new materials. I introduced the bean bag chairs and allowed each child to take a turn trying out how to sit on the chairs. Each child cheered as they all got a turn and they could not stop smiling. One bean bag then went to the calming center. That is an area in my classroom for children who may need a break from being with a group and can relax. The other bean bag is used as an alternative option for children to take turns sitting at the meeting area. They love having a comfortable place to sit in our classroom.
I used the Lego's in two ways. One was as a choice time activity. The other is where I took some of them to make sight word games where there are letters on the small Lego's that spell a word that is on a larger Lego. The children must match the letters to create the big word. They know they have it right if the letters match to spell a word. I am proud to say that even children that I am typically unable to engage in sight word work were very motivated to play and practice spelling the words. In another attempt to motivate children in a unique way, I used the sight word circles. I created several hopping games where children read each word to be able to jump to the next one. All children were laughing as they played. I have one child who never wants to participate with the group, even if I call it a game. He was jumping and practicing this game for a very long time! Thanks to these materials, I have been able to teach reluctant learners how to spell several new words. My next step is to make the games even more complex. With the laminating paper, I was able to create many games relating to beginning sounds. There are matching games that after I taught them, my students are able to play with each other. They motivate each other to play and figure out the sounds. By the end of each game, several of the students have mastered more letter sounds with confidence.
The most popular gift to my class was the kinetic sand. There were major cheers all around when I introduced the sand. We had a period of testing out and getting familiar with the sand. The children had so much fun exploring the sand and watching it slide. We used this as a great time to prompt children to use descriptive language and really explore their senses. It was a great motivation and team building activity. My next step is to use it in centers as a material to spell sight words and do other activities. Thank you to all of my donors for their generosity. Myself and my students are eternally grateful! Thanks to you all, my students are able to have fun and learn at the same time.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Goldstein