Mrs. Burns' Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 11

• Feeding the Brain Through the Snack Access

  Funded Dec 22, 2023

  Thank you so much for your generous contribution to bring tasty, exciting brain power and motivation to our students. I always share once our project is fully funded, but leave the contents as a mystery until we open the boxes together. Their faces were full of joy as we pulled out the boxes of food and snacks with the students excitedly sharing what they recognized, which items were their favorites, and a few questions about a handful of less familiar items.

  We have set up a snack area near our breakfast table and filled it with the foods that offer well-rounded support to start their day. While some of the students bought in right away and happily choose a supplement on days when they preferred another option for breakfast (most often a beef jerky stick!), others waited a few days to ask a little more what was going on with our breakfast bar and confirm if they could really eat their favorite peanut butter bar. It took another student a bit longer to take a look at the newer items and become comfortable with the options before discovering a love for raspberry fig bars.

  We've also been able to create a well-stocked incentive pantry. The students earn tickets throughout each day for work habits and effort, completing homework, helping adults, reading, and being an overall engaged and active learner. Every other week, the students can redeem their tickets in our class store and we've run out of 4 of 6 flavors of Popcorners, along with a shrinking number of party mix, fruit snacks, and more. We've also been able to make our weekly homework incentive mini-movie a theater-like experience with comfy cushions, punched admission-tickets, and individual popcorn buckets for the students to see their hard work pay off on a regular basis. Since our boxes arrived, we've had more weeks with all students being able to participate compared to before.

  Thank you so much for the opportunity to feed our students brains to support their learning!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Burns

• A (Book) Set of Their Own

  Funded Sep 20, 2023

  My students were so excited to get their own copies of the texts that we've been reading in class. We had been struggling with sharing one text between the class while trying to engage meaningfully with the text. In addition to the limits of all using one book, any absence or schedule change that impacted our ability to all work on the same chapter made it difficult to promote independent work.

  The students keep their books ready to go in a sleeve on the back of their chairs and quickly pull them out when they are ready to start working. With their own copies, they have been able to reference their texts to cite evidence in what a character said, find direct answers to questions, and work on developing the skills to read between the lines at their own pace. Each desk has a book open as our students work on answering questions and writing about what we have read.

  It has been wonderful to watch their excitement in reading and rereading to make meaning from the texts. Every so often we get to see that "aha!" moment when everything clicks and they've found what they were looking for in their book and begin to write it down without help. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to foster the love of reading and growing comprehension in our room!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Burns

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 2 other donors.

• Background Visual as a Solid Foundation

  Funded Aug 26, 2021

  Thank you for helping us to bring a projector screen back into the classroom. We've loved having the screen in order to help bring the videos we watch into focus and clarity in a way we were not able to achieve before. The students are learning to advocate for their own needs and will remind us to pull down the screen if they can't see the content we're sharing.

  We also have greater flexibility in adding to the content we share in class. When we need to model and expand on a concept, we can put the projector screen back up, write directly on the content being shared, and then pull it back down to reference again later in the lesson. We're also able to leave our notes up if we need to share a quick image or video to expand on the necessary background knowledge to access a topic (something that happens often with our students).

  We truly enjoy being able to provide this level of flexibility and support. With the addition of the projector screen and short throw projector from our previous project, the visual support and access in our class has never been stronger. We are able to maintain the flow of our classroom and routines with minimal interruptions. We are so touched with the support given to our class and students from our donors, which continually supports our ability to remove barriers to learning.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Burns

• Just a Short Throw to Visual Projection

  Funded May 4, 2021

  Thank you so much for your support in bringing the short throw projector to my classroom this year. As we're still working through the pandemic, the ability to keep the projector in the front of the room has been a game changer. I'm able to stay in front of the students as we view notes, content, videos, and more and provide support without having to spend the time moving into my students' line of sight. The class flow continues, uninterrupted, and moves more smoothly than in previous years.

  We're also able to continue to provide social distancing within the classroom to keep our students safe. The students are able to sit with a gap between them and the students next to them without our projector taking up an extra desk. Everyone has access to the materials being projected without having to compromise on their safety.

  The students have become more active and enjoy using our projector each day. They'll remind me if they can't see (whether it's because our wires are not plugged in or because I forgot to turn off Eco-Mode), share if they need something enlarged, or if the projector has moved to a bad position. Their confidence to speak up for their needs and give feedback to their teacher is a wonderful step towards increased independence and advocacy. Thank you for giving us the perfect tool to bring learning to life.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Burns

  This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 8 other donors.

• Small Group Challenges With Dash and Dot

  Funded Feb 17, 2020

  My students were so excited to be able to work in small groups with the Dash robots, accessories, and challenge cards. These are one of their favorite content areas and we've been able to use their motivation for the Wonder Workshop materials into additional technology content areas and see the connection within the coding.

  Previously, it was common for one or two students to take over the group of six or for students to disengage in long wait time between their turns. In working with groups of three or less, collaboration increased and students were able to pick up new skills consistently through extended trial and error.

  We were able to introduce obstacle courses and items to navigate around, all while figuring out how to program the launcher to shooting all three balls in a target cup. The students worked through the challenge cards together and were able to continue their progress from one day to the next. Our class was struggling with the sketch kits at the time our campus closed in March, but I know this will resume as one of the most popular and motivating challenges to work on when we are able to come back together. Thank you for providing such a treasure to our class.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Burns

  This classroom project was brought to life by An anonymous classroom supporter and 4 other donors.

• Bringing School To Life From Home During Distance Learning

  Funded Apr 30, 2020

  Thank you for giving me the resources to transform the way I teach from home. The stand and clips for the green screen have allowed the space behind me become our content in the closest approximation of "hands on, in classroom" teaching that I've experienced since our schools shut down in March. Screen sharing everything that we are learning about can get repetitive and mixing things up by displaying an image as my Zoom background had an instantaneous impact with my students. When showing a map of the continents, I was able to interact with the image behind me to help show how the shape and location of some continents has influenced their sign names in American Sign Language (ASL) by directly tracing onto the image. They remained patient with me as I worked to master the skill of flipping my movements from the image I saw on-screen, sharing in my laughter at my silly mistakes. In some ways, this worked even better than a projector in the classroom, as the image wasn't impacted by my shadow and my signing wasn't obscured by the darkened room that's necessary when using a projector. My students remembered all the signs (some continents have more than one) the next day and have continued to learn more about the world around them each time we explore with a new background.

  This would not have been possible without the green screen stand and clips. If you've tried to use a virtual background without a green screen, you know that movements are blurred and obscured as you move. With our classroom using ASL, this would have made clear communication impossible. The stand and clips have provided a steady foundation to keep communication open in new ways.

  I had been ready to jump into storytelling with the book behind me and was excited to interact with books at a new level. These new stories as fun for students and adults. And beyond that initial vision, we are still continually surprised as we find new ways to use the green screen stand, and clips to create fun moments (such as hiding an envelope behind a green paper and "magically" pulling an invitation out from the inner cover of one of our books) and exciting and engaging ways to learn with our content.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Burns

• Dash and Dot Into STEM

  Funded May 28, 2019

  Thank you so much for helping us bring Dash and Dot robots into our classroom. Before we even started with the robots, we began working with coding with the students on code.org. The students were immediately engaged in the activities and moved along at their own pace with independence. They worked without relying on adults, offered help[ to peers, and showed persistence after making mistakes. Code.org helped with a smooth transition, as the visual nature of the coding program used in both code.org and Blockly provides full access to all my students, including those on the alternate curriculum were able to engage with minimal support.

  The class as a whole is fully engaged in their ability to use coding to make the robots move. They are working together to troubleshoot, using key vocabulary, and learning to revise their thinking in order to meet the goal of each new activity. Each student is engaged and eager to learn how to engage with both Dash and Dot.

  We have large groups in our coding lessons and it has been supporting the students in learning to communicate and work collaboratively. We've talked about the different ways that we can take turns, help each other, and share in order to include each group member more equally. Dash and Dot time is definitely one of the most engaging times in our classroom. Thank you so much for giving our students the chance to interact with technology on a higher level!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Burns

  This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 6 other donors.

• Playing on the Same Team: Mainstreaming DHH Students in PE

  Funded Feb 7, 2019

  Thank you for contributing to this collaboration between classrooms. When we unwrapped the equipment in my classroom, my students were in awe. Later, we shared with our mainstream classmates and all students were excitedly discussing which sport they wanted to try first.

  We have started sharing the badminton and volleyball equipment with our students, who are rotating between the two sports. They have been learning foundational skills and have been excited about learning about what is different for each sport. It's unique for our classes, as this is the first exposure to both volleyball and badminton for practically all of the students. I have one student with autism who is reluctant to join most group activities, but has been so excited with these new options that the student is participating with a wide range of peers in both classes. We're learning about the bump, set, and spike in volleyball and how to serve and rally the shuttlecock in badminton.

  Our students have been extremely respectful of our new equipment. We hope to be able to continue to teach our students new sports and skills in the future.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Burns

  This classroom project was brought to life by ESPN and 5 other donors.

• Becoming Lifelong Readers: Reading A-Z

  Funded Dec 6, 2016

  My class gathered in a circle as I prepared to tell them that this project was fully funded the morning after we met our goal. I barely got through "I have some good news," when one of my students yelled and signed out "Reading A-Z!" As the whole class figured out our good news, hands and cheers flew up! As I tried to explain that I didn't know how long it would take to get the email with the account information because we were just funded the previous day, the same student calls out "Can you email them today?!" I took a moment to say that we still needed to wait and was met with "Well, can you them them? Can you call right now?"

  Needless to say, the students were ecstatic from the get-go.

  The best thing about this subscription is that the kids are already familiar with Kids A-Z. They know their levels, they know where to find their favorite (and new!) books, and they know how to earn their stars on quizzes. We have actually been fortunate enough this year to receive access to noise-canceling headphones for the students to use with read-aloud books. Whether or not they benefit from voicing, I know they the headphones make them feel cool, rocking out like a DJ during reading time. My favorite part of the read-aloud with the headphones is the modeling of appropriate reading pace with karaoke-esque color changes as each word is read.

  Each and every student loves reading time when it is their day to go on Kids A-Z. No one wants reading to end (and they really don't like to be absent on their day). The students with technology at home enjoy being able to access unlimited books. In class, they help each other log in and will stop to talk about their reading. The students are learning test-taking skills and how to persevere when their first answer isn't correct. They let us know when they earn new stars and use their stars to buy new goodies for their robots. The immediate feedback and incentives are individualized no matter where my students read.

  Your donations have helped breathe life into our reading time each day. The excitement and enthusiasm my students exude is inspiring and contagious. Thank you for allowing me grant the wishes of my students in the best way possible!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Burns

• Visual Engagement For Deaf And Hard-of-Hearing Students

  Funded Aug 24, 2016

  To all our wonderfully generous donors,

  We don't have the words to express the depth of our gratitude for your help in adding to our classroom. We have been working to add this new technology to our classroom routine and the students have enjoyed every minute of it. The message writing board catches the eye of each person that visits our room. It is a bright guide to upcoming events, positive encouragement, and schedule changes each week. If I ever forget to plug our sign in before school starts, the students never fail to remind me to light it up. There is a central hub for information that is unique to our classroom.

  The IPEVO interactive whiteboard system is absolutely amazing. It was incredibly easy for both the students and me to learn to use. They are extremely careful and gentle with our pen. With the IPEVO pen, we are all able to look at the same screen and engage with the same information. The feel of writing on the projected image is naturally engaging and allows the student to see their work and the reactions of their peers. We have used the IPEVO for writing, math, social studies, and science. We have even combined it with new programs and apps, such as Nearpod, that help the students to learn how to use different technology that is crucial in our technology-driven society.

  One thing I've noticed, that is perhaps overlooked by many of the students, is the communication that this technology inspires. The students know they will have to wait their turn to use the pen, so they are eager to help their classmates learn how to use the pen correctly. They are helping each other with both technology and content skills in order to spend as much time using the IPEVO as possible. I see more patience in the students and some have emerged as leaders, working to guide their peers. This system works beautifully and I look forward to exploring it more with the students. Our experiences and growth would not have been possible without your support! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Burns