Mr. Allen's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 13

• Chromebooks Create Collaborative Children

  Funded Mar 18, 2015

  Thank you immensely for your generous donations. My students are using the Chromebooks to collaborate on research projects involving explorers, weather topics and more. They also benefit from access to fiction and nonfiction ebooks, writing applications and reading programs designed to work on strategies to improve higher-order thinking skills.

  I am really pleased to see several of my students that are reluctant to read, show interest in online books. Having a significantly larger variety helps me identify books that engage my students and even encourages them to want to visit public libraries.

  I am truly grateful for these wonderful resources. Thanks again.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Allen

• RAZ for Kids Online Reading

  Funded Oct 15, 2013

  Students are excited to use the RAZ for Kids Online Reading program. It gives them many books at their current reading levels, incentives to read and comprehend at a high level to allow for advancement and allows them to record their reading, take quizzes to demonstrate understanding and earn stars they can use to buy things for their "space room" and to create online robots.

  Teachers gain valuable information such as quiz scores broken down by individual skills (ex. cause and effect, inference, etc.). Students can, and often do, use it at home where parents can access the information as well.

  These licenses, for every classroom, have brought great positive energy to our school's learning environment. I am extremely grateful for this.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Allen

• Who Am I Biography Books

  Funded Sep 11, 2013

  Thank you so much for the Who Am I Biography books. The kids love reading about such a diverse collection of individuals. My students point out these books whenever we discuss one of the people in class such as Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We just recently purchased the edition pertaining to Steven Spielberg to add to our collection. From the Beatles to Steve Jobs to King Tut, these books are about people from all walks of life.

  Students enjoy reading them in pairs and comparing their lives to the Who Am I people. They are surprised to find that the background of some of these people is similar to their own. It has also inspired them to ask questions about space, music, science, etc.

  I have used these books to encourage students to read and they are presented in a way that is very kid-friendly. Thanks again.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Allen

  This classroom project was brought to life by Southeast Area Kia Retailers and one other donor.

• Non-fiction Reading Made Fun

  Funded Jun 21, 2013

  My students were so excited to use the non-fiction materials provided by your generous donations. These hands on activities focus on topics that generate interest including a timeline on great toy inventions, many different stories of notable people from all walks of life and various science topics including plants, animals, weather, etc.

  We use these resources in both whole group and small group instruction. The kids use dry erase markers to underline and make relevant notes on the passages as well as to demonstrate understanding by answering questions about various non-fiction topics.

  This project has created an interest in people students did not previously know about as well as topics that they want to explore further in the library and online.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Allen

• Language Arts Centers

  Funded Jan 3, 2013

  The language arts resources such as the activboard games target specific areas of need such as cause and effect, inference, main idea, sequence and other skills which make practicing such skills more engaging. This center is one of the favorites of my students and each game is different thereby preventing loss of interest.

  Students work together to analyze strategies, relevant reading material and the ability to differentiate between important information and extra details to better equip themselves as readers who use higher-order thinking skills.

  Thanks to you, my students have the skills necessary to grow as students now and in the future.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Allen

• Book Club Book Sets

  Funded Feb 3, 2012

  Thank you so much for the Time for Kids news magazines. The kids love reading about current events and are always asking relevant questions about the stories they read. Earlier today, students asked me about how bananas grow without seeds. It is this type of curiosity that inspires them to set goals for their future and research topics further. This is all made possible by providing resources as you have made possible. Thank you for your generosity that makes this all possible.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Allen

• Interactive Math Centers

  Funded Feb 3, 2012

  Thank you very much for the donations towards the interactive math centers. They have been a huge hit and have been extremely helpful in allowing students to practice particular skills in various math areas. Students enjoy the hands-on manipulatives especially in the geometry kit. The place value center has helped students make connections between numbers and base ten blocks. The operations kit has helped them differentiate between addition, subtraction, multiplication and division word problems which can be very challenging at times for most students.

  We are grateful for the resources and it is all because of your generosity.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Allen

• Microscopes and Science Tools for Investigation

  Funded Dec 2, 2011

  Thank you so much for the science microscopes and other tools. My students have enjoyed using them to understand things at a much deeper level. For example, we used the microscopes to view different types of seeds up close. They asked many different questions sparked by their curiosity of not only seeds, but how a microscope works. We used the magnets to understand the concepts of repel and attract, used the measuring tape to identify inches, feet and yards and used the compasses to comprehend direction as well as make connections to magnets.

  It is with support such as yours that these students equip themselves with the skills and the desire to succeed in school.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Allen

• Interactive Math Centers

  Funded Jul 27, 2011

  Thank you so much for your donation for interactive software. The students love using the activboard to enhance learning with fun games that target specific math and science skills. So far, they have enjoyed using them to learn more about states of matter, time, addition regrouping skills, place value and graphing. It is a real asset to use engaging technology to keep students focused and allow them to be independent learners. Your generosity made this possible and for that I feel truly blessed. ”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Allen

• Reading and Writing Made Fun

  Funded Dec 26, 2010

  Thank you very much for your donations toward the reading and writing made fun materials. The recorders are a big hit. Students play back their reading and gain a better understanding of their reading patterns, fluency and volume. Students always find it difficult to find a topic and get started writing. The writing center gives them the tools to build their skills in a variety of different techniques (ex. persuasive writing, humorous stories, writing to educate others, etc.). Your support makes this all possible and for that I am grateful.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Allen