Past projects 2
Learning Through Tech in 2024!
Funded Dec 23, 2023Working with English Language Learners is not easy by any means. As a teacher I want my students to have the same opportunities as other students when it comes to experiencing learning.
The purchase of this monitor (along with the speaker I purchased myself) has allowed me to play videos, show movies, and engage my students visually and in an auditory way that helps them feel closer to their new language. You have made it possible for learning to become alive and engaging!
My students are super grateful for this gift and have made wonderful Thank you cards, which I have photographed. They understand that kind people are everywhere and that we can all show kindness to anyone we see needs a little of it. You see, you not only help me teach them academics, but also how to be productive kind members of our community.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Martin
Learning English Through Our Art
Funded May 29, 2023"Learning English Through Our Art"
My students do not have Art class at our school and I am a big believer that Art provides children with happiness.
It is important to me that my students are able to experience new things, and that they are able to create their own stories about those new things. Now, the fact that my students are English Language learners can make it more difficult to reach them emotionally and academically, depending on their English proficiency, and I believe that providing them with musical instruments or paints and brushes can be a key strategy to allow them to feel seen and to want to learn.
As soon as they came into our English as a New Language (ENL) room they saw the brushes, paper plates, cups with water and the little canvases. They didn't want to touch anything as they thought it was not for them, but I told them that I had a special project for them and that as long as they took care of the materials, they could do whatever they wanted. It was the beginning of the school year still and I told them we would work on a Self Portrait. Hands went up immediately asking "what is that?" We talked about what makes each person unique, what we think of ourselves and how do we show others what matters to us. That all those ideas combined makes us who we are.
I decided to show them 3 different types of portraits: a pencil drawing, a self-portrait by Van Gogh, and a surrealist portrait. They got a kick of each one! Asking question like "why three eyes? why no color? or how do you paint like that?" Nothing would have prepared me for how they reacted to the project. They were immersed in coloring/painting. I always ask my students if they want "writing music" playing on my computer when they do a writing assignment and this time, they actually asked me if they could have some "painting music"! It was an incredible feeling to see them enjoy the work, use the materials be so caring with their "self-portraits" and to look at each other's paintings and use kind words to describe what they saw on their peer's portraits.
My students were able to connect to their peers, their classroom and the project in a way that it elicited them to use their words to explain why they chose a color, or how amazed they were when they accidentally mixed two or more paints and made new colors! They bonded with each other, they used their new language, and respected each other's choices for their portraits.
Thank you, donors, for helping me to purchase all these materials
and for allowing me to inspire my students in this small way. As their teacher, I am just their guide in this school world and I hope to prepare them for their future. They are amazing children, and they are looking forward to using the paints again this semester.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Martin
This classroom project was brought to life by Happy Brands and 3 other donors.