Past projects 5
Grab That Microphone and Name That Tune!
Funded Sep 22, 2024Thank you to everyone who donated to my project!
I encourage students to create and perform jingles using their vocabulary words, as setting new words to music can significantly boost retention. For shy students with soft voices, the microphone provided a way to help them speak up and gain confidence.
This year, my class is a mix of shy, reserved students and expressive, outgoing ones. For their final project, I allowed students to conjugate verbs they had used in sentences and gave them the option to turn those into a jingle, performing it with the microphone. This activity encouraged the shy students to come out of their shells and feel more comfortable being playful and creative in front of their peers.
Using a microphone in class isn't just fun—it also promotes language articulation, develops public speaking skills, and motivates active participation. For the extroverted students, it transformed classroom activities into an exciting and engaging experience. For the quieter ones, it was rewarding to see them open up and even laugh along with classmates creating jingles out of verbs in the present tense.
I'm excited to continue exploring new ways to use the microphone in my lessons!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Rozo
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org Teen Mental Health Initiative.Welcome Newcomers!
Funded Feb 14, 2024The new resources have been a game changer for my classroom! Let me share a recent project to illustrate this.
Classroom Project: "Snack Shop Success"
Project Overview:
To motivate my students, many of whom face significant challenges including lack of basic necessities like food, I introduced a "Snack Shop." Here's how it works:
Earning Fake Money: Students earn fake money for completing assignments, participating in class, and working hard both individually and in groups.
Shopping Experience: Once they accumulate enough fake money, they can "buy" snacks and other small items donated to the classroom.
Student Reactions:
When my students first saw the materials and understood how the Snack Shop works, their excitement was palpable. Many students immediately focused on their tasks, eager to earn the fake money. Some of them, who often struggled with motivation, showed a remarkable change in their attitude towards their work. They couldn't stop asking when the snack shop would be open next!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Rozo
This classroom project was brought to life by Center for Disaster Philanthropy and one other donor.Supporting the Community of My Students
Funded Dec 4, 2023Many of my students come from different parts of Latin America, and others have parents who emigrated here. They look forward to seeing their work printed in color. This year, we worked on numerous projects that involved learning how to create a trifold to incorporate various elements of an assignment. Having a color printer allows them to take their projects home and show their parents their work in full color, which is much more meaningful than black-and-white prints.
The moment they turned in their work, I printed it for them. This immediate feedback was very exciting for the students. One of the most exciting aspects of the new technology for my students is the ability to see their hard work vividly brought to life in color. Many students who might not have been as engaged were motivated to complete and submit their projects, which contributed to an increase in the number of students passing my class this year.
I have over 150 students, and the color ink went fast once I started printing their projects. Those who didn't get their projects printed in color were visibly disappointed when I had to tell them we needed to order more ink cartridges. Nevertheless, the motivation to turn in their projects was high, thanks in large part to the support of our generous donors. I know I could not have achieved this without the help of every single donor.
Thank you for your continued support and for helping make a significant impact on our students' learning experiences.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Rozo
This classroom project was brought to life by The Allstate Foundation.Where's My Sombrero?
Funded May 7, 2023* We are using the notebooks to write stories, take notes, and find evidence for comprehension questions. As you can see in the images uploaded, students are writing about a student in second grade that is having difficulties keeping her desk clean and organized. We read the story together as a class and I ask them comprehension questions during the read aloud. The questions are then written the following day as a warm up and they must highlight where they found their answer in the story. The notebooks and highlighters are being used from the beginning of the school year!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Rozo
This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors and 4 other donors.¡Manos A La Obra!
Funded May 27, 2023* The notebooks were put to use immediately. Many students are learning how to write in complete sentences to a specific story prompts. These notebooks were so useful, as they were able to use it on the first day of school. Without these notebooks many students would have had to wait to go purchase them and many would simply not have the means to buy the necessary materials to class. Being prepared is part of their success and builds self confidence.
* Many students were grinning ear to ear. For the first time, I got to see their teeth! Just because they smiled. I never knew notebooks and highlighters could make a students smile. I thought a good joke might but even then it takes times before the students can feel comfortable where you can say a joke and they will respond with a chuckle.
* The next lesson will entail learning the capitals and countries of Latin America. We will be using GimKit and Kahoots to make it fun. But the best part is using the large Post it notes for jotting down new vocab words learned in the lesson.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Rozo
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Supporter and one other donor.