Past projects 3
The Literate Math Mind Begins in Kindergarten
Funded Oct 30, 2023I am writing in appreciation of your generous donation to class T12. With your help, our class had access to math manipulatives that were colorful, bright, and engaging. As a kindergarten teacher in a special needs classroom it meant the world to us being able to provide our students with the hands- on kinesthetic learning that they need to thrive.
Our students had so much fun learning about shapes and making connections to the real world around them. They learned about how shapes are everywhere. They loved using the shapes to build, make pictures, and use shapes to make new shapes. They learned how to identify shapes and orally describe shape attributes. Being able to interact with their 2D and 3D shapes allowed them to create, make connections to bigger ideas and problem solve.
We are now moving into addition and fluency with counting, and I can not wait to use the new manipulatives for our next unit. The light up counting boards and fun counting items (buttons, links, connecting cubes, bears) that we now have because of you will get our students excited about being able to count to 100. Just seeing their faces when I take out our exciting materials is what I live for. Watching them use their hands, think, and connect ideas is everything to me. Thank you for helping make their learning more meaningful and memorable.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bauer-Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by Equitable Foundation and 2 other donors."Blossoming" Engagement at Home
Funded Dec 23, 2020My gratitude runs deep because you have singlehandedly reached my learners by bringing their learning to the next level. As you could imagine, teaching my students 'remotely' from home poses huge challenges in that it is hard to get important concepts across virtually. Hands-on learning is an integral part of knowledge acquisition, so if the students are home they simply do not receive that necessary tactile element. Utilizing a document camera has been a complete game changer, thanks to you!
Having a document camera enables me to effectively teach lessons with tools and manipulatives that students use inside the classroom. Through 'live' instruction I can use numbers lines, counters/ten frames, and base ten blocks in 'live' time to demonstrate key concepts. In the classroom during in-person learning, students can come up to the document camera to actively engage in the activity as it projects in front of their peers. This provides the class with the opportunity to communicate their ideas, provide feedback with each other (comment on their peer's work), and promotes accountable talk. This pushes all learning to the next level both remotely and in-person.
All of my students love the document camera because they love to share their work on it to show everyone! It helps build their confidence and allows them to understand that constructive feedback from their peers helps them grow and learn.
My students and I will forever be grateful to you. Thank you so much for helping us.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bauer-Smith
We Need “INK” to Help Us “THINK”
Funded Jan 1, 2018I am writing this letter with deep gratitude for your generous donations towards my class' education. The money you donated was used to buy an almost endless supply of color ink for our 1st grade classroom printer! When the package arrived, I opened the box filled with ink cartridges in front of my students and they were like, "What is that?" Laughing, I explained that it was something important that would help aide our learning and make our classroom a beautiful colorful engaging place!
I took some of the cartridges out of the box and held it up. I explained that a very special organization called Donors Choose is responsible for this wonderful gift. I said, "There are very generous people out there who want to help you learn at your best. So, I wrote them a letter. Next thing I know, we have all of this ink that will help your teacher print out beautiful pictures and activities in color for us to do!" The whole class just started cheering their heads off and jumping up and down screaming, "Yay we have ink, we have ink!"
Our students have been very busy applying reading strategies and problem solving difficult words during our guided reading groups, and the ink you have provided for us allows me to print out vibrant visuals that the students can work with when they do word work. I have printed out long vowel magic e word games, a sight word game called 'Secret Sight Words', and reading strategy posters! Our classroom mathematicians have also had the experience of playing math games to reinforce their skills on colorful ten frame place mats and game boards like 'Subtraction Slide game.' In addition, having ink readily available to me for making on the spot decisions based on student needs has helped my students progress even further.
There are so many resources out there to be used in the classroom but constantly buying ink to be able to print these resources times 25each time can be costly. You all have made a big difference in these students' lives at this very moment in time with something as simple as ink! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts in Class T-01 for bringing more color into our learning and growing lives ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Bauer-Smith