Mrs. Pociecha-Sparkman's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 29

• STEM: Connecting Nonfiction Text to Hands-On Experiments

  Funded Oct 20, 2015

  You are AMAZING! I can't thank you enough for your donation. Today my students and I were creating a bulletin board about engineering and STEM. They were begging me to do another STEM challenge with them. Tomorrow I will get to tell them that not only will we be able to do one, but three! The STEM notebooks will be a great way for them to show their thought process when completing the challenges from the kit. Thank you again for your generosity!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Pociecha-Sparkman

• High Interest Texts = Highly Interested Readers

  Funded Aug 28, 2014

  My students absolutely love the resources they received from you! To be honest, I had my students choose the materials they thought would be beneficial. We looked through descriptions and reviews until they made a good, solid argument for the materials they chose. They requested these resources, because they said they struggled with nonfiction text and were unable to identify the different types of nonfiction texts. Also, the students said they were doing a lot of comparing and contrasting, but not like they were used to. Now they were being asked to focus on aspects of the text, like point of view or theme instead of just two characters.

  The High-Interest Nonfiction Text Sets have exposed the students to colored versions on Internet pages, magazine articles, newspapers and brochures. The most significant learning experience we have had is synthesizing and summarizing all four components. The students are able to recognize how information about the same topic is presented differently based on the type of text. We have also been working on the difference between taking a direct quote and paraphrasing nonfiction text. Citing evidence is a huge component of Common Core and with these resources the students have been able to practice using information from the text in the correct way. They love the topics included in this set, but dangerous animals has been the overall favorite.

  The What's the Point Comparing and Contrasting Text Centers have been a valuable resource. These kits compare fiction to fiction, nonfiction to nonfiction, and fiction to nonfiction. Both stories are on the same card so the students can easily see both at the same time. Each set of texts has a purpose for the students to focus on, which really guides their learning. They are able to focus on one aspect of the text at a time and ensure that they are learning. The students have enjoyed comparing the folktales and fairytales provided in the center. My favorite as a teacher has been comparing story elements. We have been working on how the same information can be presented in different ways and then determining which way is more effective for the author's purpose.

  Thank you again for your generous donation!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Pociecha-Sparkman

• Brighten Up Our Reading Room with a Whiteboard

  Funded Aug 24, 2014

  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! My room truly is brighter now! My students love having a new whiteboard in the classroom. Prior to receiving this board I had covered the wall with bright paper. No matter what adhesive I used the paper kept falling and disturbing us. The whiteboard actually serves a purpose. I am able to model phonics skills and writing on the board. The students are able to use the whiteboard to collaborate with their peers and use it as a graphic organizer. We recently used it to create an attribute chart to compare and contrast traditions from around the world. We also used the bulletin board to display our opinion writing. My room is so small that every inch is important. Thank you for giving me a tool that enhances my students' learning and makes my room more inviting.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Pociecha-Sparkman

  This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation Back To School and 7 other donors.

• Swivel Chairs for Sophisticated Readers Part 2

  Funded Feb 25, 2014

  My students absolutely loved the swivel chairs! Your donation made them feel like responsible students. My students asked me to create this project so that they could all benefit from the swivel chairs. You made their year by providing them with something they wanted.

  The chairs helped my students greatly with working together. Common Core requires the students to work together often. These chairs made transitioning easy and made learning more enjoyable. The students loved the vibrant colors and being able to move about the room freely.

  The students felt like they were adults with these chairs. The students enjoyed using them in the classroom. They were able to follow my movements throughout the room. They were also able to swivel when they needed to focus. I found that my students focused more with the chairs because the small movements helped them to concentrate. Thank you again for your donation!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Pociecha-Sparkman

• Getting to the Core of Writing: A New Approach

  Funded Jul 30, 2013

  My class and I greatly appreciate your donation of the writing journals! My students were initially weary of receiving something that required them to write a great deal, because like me they find writing to be a daunting task. The best way to become a better writer is by writing, which was my goal for this project. I explained this to them and they were still uncertain. It was not until the journals arrived that they realized how special they were. They automatically gravitated to the spiral bound book that was their own. It was not a packet, nor a plain piece of white paper, but rather a colorful and informative writing resource.

  My students use the journals to practice writing the type of writing we are learning in our unit. For example, we were working on opinion pieces. The journal provides the students with two examples of exemplar writing to show them what their writing should look like. Each page gives the students four different writing prompts for an opinion piece. The students really like being able to choose their topic and not being stuck with the one I provide the entire class with.

  When my students are writing you could hear a pin drop! It is fantastic! They are invested in the writing, because they take ownership over their entire journal and take pride in what they are writing. The students also trade their journals with their peers and read them. When I read their journals I write comments on every page, which they get a kick out of. I put in reminders for them and compliment their strengths. Since this is a spiral, the pages stay together so that they can reference my notes when they write their next piece. They could not do this before when they wrote on separate pieces of paper.

  This quarter I am working on informational writing, so we will be moving on to a new tab in the journal. The students are ready to start using them and often ask me if they can work on them. Thank you for sparking an interest in writing for my students and motivating them to do their best!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Pociecha-Sparkman

• Swivel Chairs for Sophisticated Readers

  Funded Aug 19, 2013

  What a difference these chairs have made!!! I even went out and bought two more of them! When the boxes came, I unpacked them with the students. The chairs were unassembled and had directions on how to put them together. I had each group of students follow the directions and put together a chair each. It was amazing to watch them work together and they were so excited. It was a great learning experience for them to build something and make sure that they read the instructions closely.

  I had to make a rotating schedule for the chairs, because the students love them so much! When I work at my back table with small groups they use the swivel chairs, but when I am teaching the whole group the students who are scheduled for the day get to use them. I must say that I am pleasantly surprised at how responsible they are with the chairs. They do not zoom across the room with them, but rather use them to maneuver around their group more efficiently and to turn and listen. I incorporate so much group work into my day that the chairs just make transitions run smoother. They have stopped complaining about how uncomfortable they are when sitting for longer periods of time. Also, my students who struggle with sitting still will sway gently from side to side in the swivel chairs. It has helped them to focus without disrupting their classmates.

  I think the biggest impact came from the fact that you chose our class to donate to. They really took it to heart and felt very special that someone who doesn't know them decided that they deserved the swivel chairs. Our class often gets compliments on the chairs and the students don't even hesitate to say that they were donated by someone who cares about their education. I believe that this is why they are so responsible with them. They want to show their appreciation for the chairs and to make you proud.

  I was nervous about creating this project, because it can be difficult to see the educational need of chairs. The students and I knew it was something we needed in order to improve the learning environment. The students are actually the ones who came up with the idea. Now that you have helped me to address one of their needs I can see that they are more focused and engaged during lessons. The chairs allow them to move more freely and are much more comfortable than their old chairs that were too short and cracked. Being able to change the height of the chairs is the best aspect of them. The students can quickly change the height of the chair so that it is comfortable for them. The students always rave about how nice it is to be able to touch the ground or that they finally don't feel too big for their chair.

  I can't thank you enough for your generous donation. We greatly appreciate your kindness in helping us create a stronger classroom environment!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Pociecha-Sparkman

• Help Stop Plagiarism! Using Summarizing to Write Nonfiction

  Funded Sep 4, 2012

  I cannot thank you enough for the hardcover books! The project turned our better than I ever could have hoped and it is all thanks to you!

  The students created their own book about astronomy. I noticed that my students were struggling with summarizing nonfiction texts they were reading. They often copied their answers word for word. I started by giving my students multiple texts to read. As a class, we would read the texts and then summarize the main ideas about the topic with important supporting details. As we moved through the unit, the students then did the same procedure, but in small groups, then partners, and eventually individually.

  Besides summarizing, the students also used text features in their book. Their pictures had to have captions and each section needed a title. They also included a table of contents, an index, and a glossary. Since the students had to make these text features in their books, they recognized the importance of them and what they are used for.

  The students were very excited and begged me everyday to work on their book. They were engaged by both the process and the content. The best part was that they took ownership of what they were doing. They put forth extra effort and spent a great deal of time making their book look professional. Once again thank you for your generosity that helped my students realize the importance of taking ownership and using your own words when creating something.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Pociecha-Sparkman

  This classroom project was brought to life by Kia Motors America and 4 other donors.

• A Reading Journey Through Genre

  Funded Apr 29, 2012

  Thank you again for your donation to my classroom. My class did a major book study on "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief". I introduced the genre journals after we read the book. We went through the explanation for each genre and discussed which genre the book would be classified as. This started our genre journey.

  I then began reading various picture books and certain chapters from longer books. The students and I would then go through the genre journal to discuss which genre the book belongs to. I used the journals to introduce the students to genres that they were unaware existed.

  Finally, I had the students track the books they were reading independently. This was the best part of having these journals. Although I told the students that they mostly read realistic fiction, it wasn't until they tracked their books that they realized that they were sticking to one genre only. My students began to choose books from different genres in order to fill in the blank pages of their journal. My students truly began to explore genre because of your donation. Thank you again for supporting my students.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Pociecha-Sparkman

• Enhancing Reading Skills with Interactive Games

  Funded Dec 29, 2011

  You made my classroom come to life! My students love the interactive games you sent us.

  One of the best features of these games is that when used for whole class instruction, the students have to be in teams. It provides a meaningful experience for the students because they are working on their social skills and their academic skills. The best conversations, I believe, are between students and I thoroughly enjoy listening to them explain why they think they are right when their team doubts them.

  Another reason I personally adore these interactive games is because they are excellently made. I thank you for providing me with various activities I can use with my students that I did not have to sit down and make on my board. These resources give the students practice in the skills I have taught them all year. It was a really big time saver for me and I was able to use the time I saved on another activity for them. Therefore, thanks to your generous donation, my students benefited greatly. My students and I appreciate your commitment to education!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Pociecha-Sparkman

• Books Versus Movies: Which is Better? Let The Kids Decide

  Funded Dec 18, 2011

  I can not even express in words the impact that your donation has had on my students. It is the last month of school and they come in my classroom begging me to read "The City of Ember" to them. It has sparked their interest and increased their motivation.

  You provided each of my students with a copy of the book, "The City of Ember". They are able to follow along with me as I read. I also assigned chapters to students in the class so that they could practice reading it aloud at home and then read it aloud to the class. It helped to boost their fluency and their confidence.

  I also did an activity where the students visualized parts of the story and drew pictures to match the descriptions from the book. I also had them predict what would happen at the end of the book and what the main characters would find. They had to draw conclusions to come up with plausible answers to my questions and they did a spectacular job in explaining why they chose to draw what they did.

  After reading the book, we watched the movie. The students were so disappointed in the movie! They went on and on about how the book was so detailed and well written and the movie did not do it justice. They also did not like how the director left parts out and added random details in. You helped me to prove that books are better than movies and that reading can be more fun than watching a movie. Thank you again for your support!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Pociecha-Sparkman