Past projects 8
Fun With Math!
Funded Aug 14, 2019Thank you so much for the algebra tiles and games to play with my students. We have most recently used the algebra tiles to model quadratic equations. While students typically learn quadratic equations as abstract algebraic ideas, my students with special needs can see concrete examples of how quadratics apply to area models. Students derived the quadratic equations for various visual models, with the ability to touch and move various "parts" of the equations.
The games have allowed our students to practice the skills they learned in a fun and engaging manner.
Because of your support, my IEP students are more engaged in the work, and are better prepared to independently demonstrate their knowledge.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Dinowitz
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and one other donor.Individualize and Differentiate with Technology!
Funded Dec 20, 2016The impact of your donation can not be overstated. As soon as the Chromebooks came in, the students immediately began to use them. With our subscription to a website that allows students to practice various topics in mathematics online, students can practice questions at various levels and for various topics. For example, one student in a class had been hospitalized and missed many weeks of school. Because she had access to the Chromebook you funded, she was able to start to catch up on her work. She practiced and reviewed skills she did not previously have a chance to practice when she was out while other students were able to continue to build on our current skills.
While there were other students who were able to practice their basic skills, other students were able to move on to more challenging topics. My students had taken a unit exam on inequalities, but almost all of them struggled on the exam. As a result, I decided to review the topics on the exam again. There were a couple of students, however, who performed well on the exam and did not need to review the previous topics. For those students, they used the Chromebooks to try more challenging questions on the same topic.
Both the struggling students and the higher achieving students expressed their excitement that they were able to work in class on questions and topics that were adapted to their specific skill level, and not feel like they were left behind or that they were bored with the pace of the class. I look forward to using the Chromebooks to allow students to work at their own pace, and the students are excited to use them so they can stay engaged in the class no matter what the level of work.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Dinowitz
Books for Geometry Success
Funded Mar 9, 2016Dear Donor,
Thank you so much for the books. They served a variety of purposes. For the students, we were able to give all of them practice books, which contained geometry problems that aligned to what we were doing in class. This was especially valuable to students who do not have access to a computer and would not otherwise be able to access supplementary materials
In addition to the class set of workbooks, for student activities, the teacher resource books were also invaluable. Because of the resources your funds provided, I was able to design engaging, hands-on lessons and projects that allowed my geometry students to become more deeply involved in their content. In some activities, students interacted and assessed each other in stations. In others, students created projects that reflected the geometric concepts in real-world scenarios. At other points, the books gave ideas for hands on activities for transformations over a coordinate plane.
Because of the tools you provided, my students were able to complete the year and their final regents exam with confidence, and acquire higher grades that will follow them through to college.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Dinowitz
Hands ON Math!
Funded Dec 23, 2015Thank you so much for providing funds for the new classroom materials. The students that have used them have had a greater engagement in their learning, and their exam results have reflected that engagement.
One of the most engaging tools your funds provided for were balances. Many of my special needs students struggle with the concept of equations. The balances allowed my students with IEPs to engage and experience kinesthetically and visually the effects of manipulating various components of an equation. These specific balances allow students to add positive and negative numbers, represented by chips, which allows them to explore the effects of different of different manipulations of equations. Because of this interaction, my students more deeply understand the function of equations.
In addition to the balances, the funds you provided allowed me to purchase books with hands-on activities. These activities have allowed me to engage different types and levels of learners, and have allowed my students to more fully engage in the curriculum. With this engagement, they have shown their ability to succeed and have felt that success themselves.
Because of your generosity, my students are on a trajectory of engagement and success. I thank you for your kindness.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Dinowitz
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and one other donor.Individualize With iPad For Special Needs Students
Funded Feb 18, 2015Thank you so much for donating toward the iPad, case, and headphones. The students who have used it have become so engaged and excited about the math practiced on the iPad.
During every class, my coteacher and I continually assess our students and determine each of our students' needs. As we assess them, we have the ability to group the students based on their needs. While some students prefer whole class or small group instruction, other students who are still struggling with their basic skills can use the iPad to practice their requisite skills. My special needs students love one of the games, "Agent X," where they have to catch a spy and "hack" computers using math skills as basic as multiplication to skills as complex as square roots. Another app, simply entitled "Algebra," allows them to manipulate equations and move terms around to solve for variables in varying degrees of difficulty. This fun practice allows them to practice their math skills and receive instant feedback, while having fun at the same time. They are starting to catch up and are starting to do more grade level work.
I thank you for allowing my students the opportunity to practice their skills in a more individualized level.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Dinowitz
Welcome to Book World!!
Funded Jan 18, 2015Thank you for your kind donations that helped expand the library in the resource room. Already, students have looked at the new selection and taken a book home to read. There is really something for everyone! In the few short hours I've had these books, a dozen students have already borrowed various titles.
It is really something special to see a student walk into your room and watch as his face lights up because he is excited about a book. In one case, a student who has trouble focusing spent an entire class period reading "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie." In another case, a girl who struggles with decoding read through the first two "entries" of "If I Stay" and was so excited that she has committed to reading the entire book, even though it will be a challenge.
I thank you for providing these tools not only to improve students' literacy, but to augment their love of reading. These skills and this love will considerably and permanently improve their lives.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Dinowitz
Help Engage Special Needs Students in Current Events
Funded Oct 17, 2014Thank you so much for your donation to our classroom. Because of your generosity, my students are more learned and more engaged in current events and their academic subjects than ever before.
When the magazines arrived, my students were immediately drawn to the photos on the cover. One math magazine included a skier which immediately engaged the students who were athletic. They found ways to apply slope and graphs to sports. Other students were drawn to the french fries on another cover, and immediately found scientific relevance in their daily lives.
2014 was a tumultuous year in current events, and there was no better way for the students to comprehend the difficulties of the year than with their subscription to UpFront. My students were actively engaged in the news of the world and debated key issues, mostly revolving around of civil rights.
Because of your donations, my students are now able to more actively engage in their academic subjects and in the world around them. Every month they get to find new meaning in what they are learning, or investigate subjects on their own, and their lives are better for it.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Dinowitz
This classroom project was brought to life by Wells Fargo and 5 other donors.Want To Be A Rock Star?
Funded Sep 29, 2014When we opened up the silver suitcase with the wireless microphones, my students' jaws dropped. They could not contain their excitement for the upcoming concert and performances. One student said "wow, I'll finally get to perform like Usher." Another was excited to learn about the intricacies of performance technology. The discussion of the technology eventually led to mini-lessons about feedback in sound systems, the physics of overtones, and the biology of producing different tones and sounds with the human voice and body.
The microphones have already been put to good use when they were utilized for the students during our school's Latin Grammy's. In December, students will have their first full-fledged performance during the winter concert. We have practiced with them, and the students have learned the steps of setting up the microphones, and the relevancy of different frequencies on which signals can be sent.
The students already feel the adrenaline pumping through their veins. They are gearing up for their concert, and the microphones will take them to a level of professionalism they have not yet experienced in their lives. They have already learned so much about physics, technology, and biology, spurred by the use of these microphones. We are excited to do and learn more with the technology that you have provided.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Dinowitz
This classroom project was brought to life by an anonymous donor and 4 other donors.