Past projects 56
Help Build a Classroom Library, Book by Book!
Funded May 16, 2014Thank you very much for bringing the power of MK Asante's writing to my students. They love *Buck* and *It's Bigger than Hip-Hop.* It's only the second week of school, and every single copy of the books is checked out. Maybe I'll need to get more.
The reason that MK Asante's books are so popular among my students is that Mr. Asante writes extremely well, and my students identify with him closely. *Buck* is particularly resonant with some of my struggling readers. It's like Mr. Asante is my students' big brother or cousin. For more advanced readers, or those who care deeply about music and politics, *It's Bigger than Hip-Hop* is perfect. What I like is that the book is separated into essays, so even though the writing is at a high level, students can take it on chapter by chapter.
I believe strongly that students should read what they want. But also, as an English teacher, I love it when what students want to read is also extremely well written. I think that Mr. Asante is a huge role model for my students.
Thank you so much for getting Mr. Asante's books in front of my students. In *Buck,* they see themselves. In *Hip-Hop,* they see what they'd like to become.
Thank you again!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Isero
This classroom project was brought to life by 100 Women in Hedge Funds and 5 other donors.Help Me Build A Classroom Library, Book by Book!
Funded Aug 22, 2014I've been teaching "re-emergent" readers for several years, and I've found that one thing -- more than any other -- gets students excited about reading: new books. It doesn't matter how many books (and Kindles) I have in the classroom. When a box comes to the classroom, it means that new books are here.
Thank you so much for your generous donations to complete this DonorsChoose project. *Steelheart,* *We Were Liars,* *The Fault in Our Stars,* and *Dream Thieves* are all books that students wanted and requested. There is already a waiting list. Students want to be the first person to read their favorite book.
It's exciting when there is a buzz about reading. The other day, I book talked *The Maze Runner,* a book that is coming out as a movie soon. "Oooh!" students said. The tension and excitement were palpable. The same goes for the books that you donated. When the box comes, I'll slowly open it to unveil its contents. There will be oohs and ahhs and applause. My students love knowing that there are generous people who care about them and their reading lives.
Thank you again!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Isero
This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation Back To School and 6 other donors.Help Me Build a Classroom Library, Book by Book!
Funded Apr 28, 2014Now that the movie for *The Fault in Our Stars* is out, students are going certifiably crazy.
Most have seen the movie, but not all of them have read the book yet. That's because there were only two copies before your generous donation. Now there are seven -- and because the books came before school ended, I was able to loan all of them out to students over the summer break.
It's a beautiful thing to see students clamoring over books. Thank you for making that happen!
The other two titles (*Perks,* *Reasons*) are also favorites. What I'm finding out is that it's better to have multiple copies of fewer titles than the other way around. For ninth graders in particular, the key is to build a community of readers. Because of your thoughtful and generous contribution, students found reading "cool" and "fun" again.
I can't wait to see what happens next year! Thank you again.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Isero
This classroom project was brought to life by 100 Women in Hedge Funds and 14 other donors.Help Me Build a Classroom Library, Book by Book!
Funded Apr 9, 2014Thank you so much for your wonderful and generous contributions! There is nothing better than receiving a box of new books. My students were extremely happy to receive them!
The titles you helped purchase are extremely popular, especially among boys. They are very excited about *Diary of a Wimpy Kid.* Too often, teachers tell students to choose what they want to read but then discourage students from certain books. *Diary* is one of those titles. But for boys who have never felt confident as readers, it is a book that is funny and that re-introduces them to the joy of reading.
The other titles have been hits, too. For example, *Drama High,* even though some people say it's "dated," is perfect for ninth grade girls. They gobble it up and want to read the entire series. Books in series invite students to read a bunch of books in a short period of time. Finishing multiple books quickly helps students feel like accomplished readers.
Thank you again for your generosity. My students are grateful, and so am I!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Isero
This classroom project was brought to life by 100 Women in Hedge Funds and 12 other donors.Help Me Build a Classroom Library, Book by Book!
Funded Apr 1, 2014Thank you so much for your generous donations. My students are very grateful, as am I!
When the boxes of books arrived, there was a cheer in the classroom. For a ninth grader, there's nothing better than receiving new books, especially when those books are relevant, engaging, and high-interest. One student asked, "Are they really new?" New makes a difference. It demonstrates to students your deep care and interest in them and their reading lives. They were very appreciative.
The students were also surprised that there were five copies of each title. The shock was palpable. "Really?" one student blurted out. "There's more than one?" another asked. Students are used to getting just one copy of each title, which means that they usually have to wait while their friend finishes the book before checking it out. Sometimes, this takes a long time, and a window of possibility passes. Your help in getting five copies means that the most-popular titles, as these are, can more likely be simultaneously in circulation as well as on the shelves.
Since the day the books arrived, there has not been a lull in enthusiasm. In fact, the momentum has picked up. Part of what's happening, I believe, is that students are seeing that the titles are all excellent. There's trust involved. Because they see these books as worth reading, they are much more excited to try something new. "Are there more books coming?" one student asked. Of course there are!
Thank you again.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Isero
This classroom project was brought to life by 100 Women in Hedge Funds and 8 other donors.Help Me Build a Classroom Library, Book by Book!
Funded Apr 4, 2014Thank you so much for your generous donations. My students are very grateful, as am I!
When the boxes of books arrived, there was a cheer in the classroom. For a ninth grader, there's nothing better than receiving new books, especially when those books are relevant, engaging, and high-interest. One student asked, "Are they really new?" New makes a difference. It demonstrates to students your deep care and interest in them and their reading lives. They were very appreciative.
The students were also surprised that there were five copies of each title. The shock was palpable. "Really?" one student blurted out. "There's more than one?" another asked. Students are used to getting just one copy of each title, which means that they usually have to wait while their friend finishes the book before checking it out. Sometimes, this takes a long time, and a window of possibility passes. Your help in getting five copies means that the most-popular titles, as these are, can more likely be simultaneously in circulation as well as on the shelves.
Since the day the books arrived, there has not been a lull in enthusiasm. In fact, the momentum has picked up. Part of what's happening, I believe, is that students are seeing that the titles are all excellent. There's trust involved. Because they see these books as worth reading, they are much more excited to try something new. "Are there more books coming?" one student asked. Of course there are!
Thank you again.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Isero
This classroom project was brought to life by 100 Women in Hedge Funds and 6 other donors.Help Me Build A Classroom Library, Book By Book!
Funded Mar 26, 2014Thank you so much for your generous donations. My students are very grateful, as am I!
When the boxes of books arrived, there was a cheer in the classroom. For a ninth grader, there's nothing better than receiving new books, especially when those books are relevant, engaging, and high-interest. One student asked, "Are they really new?" New makes a difference. It demonstrates to students your deep care and interest in them and their reading lives. They were very appreciative.
The students were also surprised that there were five copies of each title. The shock was palpable. "Really?" one student blurted out. "There's more than one?" another asked. Students are used to getting just one copy of each title, which means that they usually have to wait while their friend finishes the book before checking it out. Sometimes, this takes a long time, and a window of possibility passes. Your help in getting five copies means that the most-popular titles, as these are, can more likely be simultaneously in circulation as well as on the shelves.
Since the day the books arrived, there has not been a lull in enthusiasm. In fact, the momentum has picked up. Part of what's happening, I believe, is that students are seeing that the titles are all excellent. There's trust involved. Because they see these books as worth reading, they are much more excited to try something new. "Are there more books coming?" one student asked. Of course there are!
Thank you again.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Isero
This classroom project was brought to life by 100 Women in Hedge Funds and 5 other donors.Help Build a Classroom Library, Book by Book!
Funded Mar 17, 2014Thank you so much for your generous donations. My students are very grateful, as am I!
When the boxes of books arrived, there was a cheer in the classroom. For a ninth grader, there's nothing better than receiving new books, especially when those books are relevant, engaging, and high-interest. One student asked, "Are they really new?" New makes a difference. It demonstrates to students your deep care and interest in them and their reading lives. They were very appreciative.
The students were also surprised that there were five copies of each title. The shock was palpable. "Really?" one student blurted out. "There's more than one?" another asked. Students are used to getting just one copy of each title, which means that they usually have to wait while their friend finishes the book before checking it out. Sometimes, this takes a long time, and a window of possibility passes. Your help in getting five copies means that the most-popular titles, as these are, can more likely be simultaneously in circulation as well as on the shelves.
Since the day the books arrived, there has not been a lull in enthusiasm. In fact, the momentum has picked up. Part of what's happening, I believe, is that students are seeing that the titles are all excellent. There's trust involved. Because they see these books as worth reading, they are much more excited to try something new. "Are there more books coming?" one student asked. Of course there are!
Thank you again.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Isero
This classroom project was brought to life by 100 Women in Hedge Funds and 14 other donors.Help Build a Classroom Library, Book by Book!
Funded Mar 7, 2014Thank you so much for your generous donations. My students are very grateful, as am I!
When the boxes of books arrived, there was a cheer in the classroom. For a ninth grader, there's nothing better than receiving new books, especially when those books are relevant, engaging, and high-interest. One student asked, "Are they really new?" New makes a difference. It demonstrates to students your deep care and interest in them and their reading lives. They were very appreciative.
The students were also surprised that there were five copies of each title. The shock was palpable. "Really?" one student blurted out. "There's more than one?" another asked. Students are used to getting just one copy of each title, which means that they usually have to wait while their friend finishes the book before checking it out. Sometimes, this takes a long time, and a window of possibility passes. Your help in getting five copies means that the most-popular titles, as these are, can more likely be simultaneously in circulation as well as on the shelves.
Since the day the books arrived, there has not been a lull in enthusiasm. In fact, the momentum has picked up. Part of what's happening, I believe, is that students are seeing that the titles are all excellent. There's trust involved. Because they see these books as worth reading, they are much more excited to try something new. "Are there more books coming?" one student asked. Of course there are!
Thank you again.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Isero
This classroom project was brought to life by 100 Women in Hedge Funds and 9 other donors.Good Writing = Rewriting
Funded Feb 28, 2014Success! Because of your generous donations, ninth graders are loving their new Chromebook. Thank you so much!
Even more important than that, ninth graders are learning that hard work leads to better writing. More specifically, your contributions have made a huge difference in convincing students that it's worth it to revise. With this Chromebook, students have used Google Docs to make changes to their drafts, offer feedback to their peers, and track their modifications and improvements.
Having another Chromebook in the classroom -- that's dedicated to the classroom, not as part of a mobile lab, not as part of a separate tech lab -- sends the message that technology isn't just a treat for sometimes, it's a tool for always.
Thank you again for your support of this project!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Isero