Past projects 15
First Graders in Need of Technology
Funded May 10, 2019Thank you so much for donating to my "First Graders in Need of Technology" project. Thanks to you, my students can now use this iPad during small group rotations. Students are using applications like Starfall and AmplifyReading, to review phonemic awareness and phonics skills, spelling patterns along with practicing reading fluency and comprehension. We also use the iPad during Math instruction. It is used as a new way to introduce concepts and review procedural math skills. Again, I use it as a math center, where students watch videos that explain the main math concept we are working with. I use applications to review skills and build math fluency such as IXL and ProdigyMath. We also use the iPad for science research. Kids work in collaborative groups and learn to research a specific topic ex: mammals, the moon etc and we use this format as a way for independent study and research.
What's most exciting to my students is that we are using the iPad to learn about Robotics. We have a Dash robot and needed a new iPad with bluetooth capabilities to use the WonderDash application to learn to how to code (computer programming) the robot. My kids are so excited every time we have robotics and they get to work in teams to solve a coding challenge using Dash the robot and the iPad (application). My students are also learning to create their own documentaries using iMovie!
Not all of my students have access to this type of technology at home and having access to up to date technology has been especially special for this students. They appreciate every minute they have working on the iPad and exploring all learning possibilities.
Thank you so much for your kindness and for making a difference in the lives of my students!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Navarro
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and 3 other donors.21st Century Technology
Funded Oct 28, 2018Thank you so much for providing resources for our classroom. We appreciate your kindness and generosity. The kids have been enjoying the two new iPads you provided for our class, for a couple of months now. They absolutely love the iPads!
We use the new iPads in class during small group instruction, where the kids rotate by groups and all have equal access to using the iPads during reading time. The children use reading, spelling, and writing applications on the iPad to learn new sounds, decode words, read stories. They love to listen to different digital stories, like Dr. Seuss's Collection or read ebooks using the tablets.
During our math instruction, the students also use the iPads to reinforce mathematical skills and problem solving skills. I was able to find 1st grade applications that are aligned to mathematics common core standards and the kids love these visual, game-like learning applications that make learning math fun! They also use Prodigy Math on the iPads which adds an extra challenge to their experience.
These iPads have given the children access to use technology more often and is making access to technology equitable for all my students. They now have access to applications that explore human anatomy, space, the world with an interactive atlas. It's amazing all the educational content that I can now provide for my students thanks to you.
These new iPads allowed my students to learn to code (computer program) by using code.org and participating in the hour of code. I had invested in small robots for the kids to start coding but the one iPad we had was so old that it didn't have bluetooth capabilities and could not link to the robots. Thanks to your kindness the kids are so excited to learn to code with the iPads you provided and the robots. They love using technology and robotics.
One of my goals is to teach my first graders how to create their own iMovies (documentaries). I know I will accomplish my goal because the kids are so savvy with technology.
Thank you all for your kindness. You have made a great impact in the lives of my first graders by providing this new, updated technology.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Navarro
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and 11 other donors.Please Help Us Upgrade Our Library
Funded Jul 29, 2012My students and I want to thank you for helping us get the Magic Tree House Book collection and book bins to organize our reading material. Your donation has helped my class and students in many ways.
First of all, I have been using the Magic Tree House collection for read alouds during my story time in class. Everyday the students come to the carpet after lunch and I read one or two chapters a day. They love the Magic Tree House! The adventures, mystery and drama these short stories portray, really captivate the attention and imagination of my students. Many times they want me to read more than two chapters a day and they literally can't wait to find out what happens next. Now that many of my students are beginning to read independently, they are starting to read the Magic Tree House chapter books during independent reading and are hooked on reading thanks to you. Those that are still working on reading skills are eagerly trying to get better s because they want to improve their reading so they can read the Magic Tree House!
The book bins that you helped provide have made a tremendous improvement in the organization of our class library. I have used them to sort our class library books by theme. Students can easily look at the book category or theme and return the book back to the appropriate bin when they are done reading. I have also used these beautiful blue bins to sort our leveled readers. These are the leveled books I use when I meet with groups and is a way I differentiate instruction to meet the needs of each group. I have been able to keep all group books and activities organized because of these organizational tools!
My students and I thank you so much for you kindness and contribution. We love our Magic Tree House book collection and our organizational bins. Thank you again!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Navarro
Little Mathematicians
Funded Jan 26, 2012I'm writing to thank all the wonderful donors who helped fund my "Little Mathematicians" project. We have been using all of the resources you provided such as, clocks, hundred chart with number tiles, spinners to use with our math games, measurement tape and liquid measurement materials, graphing paper, number lines and magnetic money, fractions and place value manipulatives. All of these resources have made it easier to teach difficult mathematical concepts and have made it easier for my students to comprehend. The resources you provided have made an ever-lasting impact in the lives of my little problem solvers.
I have used the resources provided through out my math lessons, small group instruction and independent centers. These resources have also been used across content areas in order to make students understand that we are always problems solving. The magnetic money, magnetic fractions and magnetic clock have made it easier for me to introduce the skill I'm focusing on and have allowed my students to practice and manipulate math problems. Usually, I have students go up to the white board and use the magnetic coins to make the value I'm looking for. My students loved using the magnetic tens and ones. These made teaching place value more comprehensible and a lot more fun to review. We use the small clocks during our whole group lesson where I ask the student to show me 3:30 for example, or 5 o'clock. Once they move the minute and hour hand to what they believe is the way the clock should look, they show it to me and I confirm it's correct with a thumbs up or tell them to try it again. Students have been using the number lines to solve addition and subtraction problems using their counting on or counting back strategies. We have used the hundreds chart to conduct whole group games, where students takes turns reading two digit numbers and find the spot they belong on the hundred chart. Math time in my classroom is full of math games, which my students enjoy. We really needed the spinners you provided and now Math Game time is more conducive. It really gives my students the opportunity they need to master the skills required. During our measurement chapter, the gallon, half-gallon, litter, quart etc. made it easy for my students to comprehend how we measure liquids and made it easier to make the connection to the gallon or half-gallon of milk their parents buy from the store. These resources allowed me to also make a connection between a whole and the full gallon vs. the fraction 1/2 and half a gallon vs. 1/4 and the quart of liquid. Making these sort of connections makes learning applicable to real life experiences. Using the tape measure was also very helpful because the size of it was perfect for young children and they loved measuring different things around the classroom using inches. We have been using the graphing paper for so many projects through out the last months. My students have conducted surveys about our favorite fruit, favorite pets and favorite ice cream flavor. They keep track on responses using a tally chart and then they transfer the data to the graphing paper. We have also used the graphing paper during our art lessons. During one lesson, students used geometric shapes to build a picture (ice cream cone, flower etc) and then made a graph showing all the shapes they used and the frequency each was used. Finally, my students loved the graphing center game you provided along with the fraction game. Both of these were used during a whole group lesson, when I introduced the concept for the first time. Students have learned to play the games and now use them during small group instruction or during center time.
All of these resources have made the introduction of difficult mathematical concepts easier for me to teach. They have insured that I make these concepts comprehensible, especially since they give students a visual representation and the ability to manipulate and solve problems. Both my students and I are extremely grateful and appreciate your kindness. Math is a difficult subject for most people, but when you give children the opportunity to use resources that make learning comprehensible and fun, we all win. I strongly believe the it is vital to give our children a strong foundation in mathematics. We need to make them feel confident about themselves and help them understand that they can solve problems. Thank you again for making our school year a successful one and for caring so much about our children's future.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Navarro
This classroom project was brought to life by Wasserman Foundation and 19 other donors.Listening Center: Help Us Improve Our Language Skills
Funded Jan 25, 2012For several months now, my students have had the great opportunity to use all the resources that you generously donated to our classroom. Your donation has made a tremendous impact in the academic progress of my students. Through out these months, I have seen how each and every resource you provided has helped me as a teacher provide the support my students need. All of these resources have allowed my students to reach their language and reading goals.
The listening center has served many purposes across curriculum areas. Students use the listening center to read all the wonderful stories you donated on CD such as, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack in the Beanstalk. We use these to build fluency skills and comprehension skills. The students love this station and are always fully engaged. They also love to read all the books you provided during our small group time. I have recorded myself reading comprehension stories, fluency stories, alphabet/spelling reviews and following directions activities, among others. By recording myself, I've given students the opportunity to practice and eventually master the skills required. My biggest accomplishment this year, has been using the listening center with a CD- of 1,000 words I recorded . This is a program I've established in my class called the Rainbow Words. Each color of the rainbow has 100 words (high frequency, sight and decodable words) and students advanced to the next 100 (color) when they can read all words correctly. I gave each student a copy of my CD to practice at home and I have groups of students listening to the Rainbow Words daily using the listening center. You will not believe the fact that these little ones couldn't pass the Red Words (100), which are kinder words, during the first two months of school. Now I am proud to report that the majority (19/24) have reached the 1,000 words. The rest have passed their 600 words which is what is required for our grade. This listening center has allowed me to "clone myself" and provide support in so many areas. It has made a miraculous difference in my classroom.
The other materials, such as all the Greg and Steve CD's have helped my English Learners practice their English language skills through music and movement on a daily basis. The kids love all of the songs and this has helped them improve their speaking skills. They have learned to speak in a clear voice, use new vocabulary and can speak in complete, complex sentences. Finally, the recordable microphone has allowed me to record my student's oral presentations or fluency reads and save them so that students can later self-assess themselves using a student friendly rubric.
Both I and my little ones are eternally grateful for your generosity. I see the growth that all my students have made academically this year and it completely amazes me! I know that you were all part of this and it makes me feel so proud of our community. Thank you so much for caring and making a difference in our children's lives. It truly does takes a village!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Navarro
This classroom project was brought to life by Wasserman Foundation and 24 other donors.