Past projects 2
Tick Tock- Telling Time!
Funded Dec 19, 2013It's a proven fact that young students learn by exploring, finding patterns, and applying those patterns in their learning. The items that your donations funded did exactly that for my students. One of the most difficult math subjects for 1st graders is learning how to tell time on analog clocks.
The geared analog clocks that were purchased allowed the students to find the patterns of a clocks movement as time passed. They discovered what the minute and hour hands did, studied their movement, and found patterns- such as where the minute hand is placed for "on the hour" and "on the half hour" times and also the placement of the hour hand when it is half-past the hour.
My students were able to use the clocks in whole and small group learning, centers, and independent work. The large teacher clock was great to use for quizzing games because I could make the time on the analog clock and reveal the digital time to the students delight.
The centers materials were so student friendly! They were age appropriate, ELL friendly, and FUN! They didn't require much intervention on my part, so I could focus on the small groups for more individualized teaching. These clocks and centers materials were just so appreciated by both students and myself.
In the pictures submitted, you can see the students using the clocks, centers materials, and extending their learning with other time-telling learning activities. I believe that their joy of learning is easily seen in the pictures. Thank you so much for your contribution to our classroom and students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Wiesemes
This classroom project was brought to life by Disney and 6 other donors.Sound System for Increased Engagement
Funded Jul 30, 2013I cannot begin to thank you enough for the generosity you have shown with your donation to our classroom. Especially as times get harder and budgets are cut, people like you are proving to be the saving source for our schools. Our classroom has a unique set of needs- needs that I did not foresee when I originally created this project on DonorsChoose.org.
The microphones and speakers have certainly helped in motivating student participation and creating a sense of pride that these English Language Learners have not experienced before. I can see it in their faces when presenting, in the number of willing participants in a given day's lesson, and hear it in their voices as they grow stronger.
This school year has had it's challenges. I had a student come to me in August that clearly has a unique outlook on learning. The chance of participating and presenting when the microphone is present has proved to be valuable in making him feel like a valued part of our classroom community. Not only in presenting his work, though. It has proved difficult for this child to focus long enough to write for an assessment and even a three-word sentence. So, having these microphones on hand have made our days much more productive and functional. I'm able to record him doing his spelling tests aloud into the microphone and have that data on file as proof of his abilities. He's able to spell wonderfully, but no one would have known that because he had trouble sitting down to focus for a ten-word assessment. We are currently working on social stories that he is narrating with the microphone. We are going to set the recordings to photographs of him acting out appropriate behaviors on a PowerPoint, and print it out as a book for him to keep.
Along with the on-the-spot recording opportunities, I have been able to do more for my ELLs than I have been able to before in a timely manner. For instance, many students struggle with reading and practicing sight words at home because their parents not only do not speak or read English, but many do not read in their native languages. With that information, I used the microphones to record the sight word lists and fluency practice to burn onto CDs. The students have many opportunities throughout the day to practice on a classroom portable Discman (haven't had to use one of those in about a decade!!!) and "check out" the CDs to take home and practice on a CD player there. Many do have that ability. I have seen such an increase in the retention and accumulation of sight word knowledge. The picture of the purple folder and CD displays what I have explained.
Every week I feel like a new idea pops up with how I can use the microphones and speakers. Listening centers, class books made with PowerPoint, language acquisition activities- the possibilities are endless. They would not have happened without you, though. Again, thank you many times over- and Happy Holidays!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Wiesemes