Past projects 3
Hands-on Learning for Students With Moderate Disabilities!
Funded Mar 26, 2019I am so grateful for all the support I received in funding my project that focused on "Hands On Learning for Students with Moderate Disabilities." In this project, I requested a number of hands-on materials designed to help my students connect to the concepts they are learning and practice their skills. I received books, games, and visual supports that help to make math and reading concepts more accessible, realistic, and fun! The students were so excited to have all of our new materials and to get to use them with their peers all the time.
This project focused on a couple of important skills, reading fluency, money math concepts, and functional math skills. I ordered some new reading books like "Lord of the Flies" and "A Little Princess" that are written at a reading level that is accessible to my students. I requested math games that use money like "Money Bags" and "Pay Day" so my students can have fun counting money and learning how to add coins and dollars. I also received "Tell Time Quizmo" to help practice telling time by manipulating clocks to the right time. My students have been having so much fun using these games with their peer tutors and friends, but they are also reinforcing the skills they are learning in class. With the "Mark my time" bookmarks, my students have been able to track for themselves how much their reading fluency is improving as they time themselves while they read aloud.
These tools are so valuable to my students. They make learning more interesting and put much of the experiences into their own hands, which is how most of my students learn best! I appreciate all of you who have supported my classroom, my students, and me as a teacher. Thank you for your generous donations.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. McKenna
Make Reading Fun for Students with Special Needs!
Funded Nov 7, 2016I am so thankful to each and every one of you, who donated to my classroom project to "Make Reading Fun for Students with Special Needs!" Reading is a skill that almost every single one of my students struggles with daily. By the time they have reached high school, they have begun to loose interest in reading and they forget that reading can be fun! That is why I put this project together. I wanted my students to remember what it is like to read a story that makes them laugh, like "George's Marvelous Medicine," or one that inspires them to never give up, like "Outcasts United," or one that makes them think about their freedoms and choices, like "The Giver." These books, along with the supplemental materials that you all donated, have already made a world of difference in my classroom.
My students are divided into small groups for reading instruction, so each group is reading a different book at their own pace. The groups are small, only 3-5 students per group, so they feel comfortable reading aloud, even if they may stumble on some words. When we were reading from the textbooks, before our wonderful project was funded, I would constantly have to encourage the students to pay attention, give multiple prompts to answer questions, and the students would be reluctant to engage in discussion. Now, with the new books, the students are excited for the days we get to read aloud. They have even made comments like "Can we keep reading?" and "This book is so funny." I don't have to call on them to read aloud, because they are volunteering to do it. I don't have to ask the same clarifying questions over and over, because they are enjoying what they are reading and are excited that they know the answers!
The student materials that were provided also make it so much easier for the students to understand the reading. They have worked on so many new vocabulary words, learned to use graphic organizers to learn about setting, plot and characters. They are building important skills that will strengthen their overall reading ability and help provide them with a great foundation in functional reading skills for their future. I know that many of them don't even realize how these skills will help them as adults, but I know by making them stronger readers, and critical thinkers, they will have much greater success later on. So, again, thank you for your support of my students. It is such a joy to see a student smile or laugh while reading, or hear them say "I like this book," and I couldn't have done it without your help.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. McKenna
Bustling Classroom Business!
Funded Mar 4, 2016Dear Donors,
I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your contribution to my Bustling Classroom Business! project. My students have worked so hard to create and manage their classroom microenterprise and are so proud of the work they have done. Your contributions have made it so much more enjoyable by helping the students to organize and manage their business tasks in their new employee binders!! The students no longer need to stress about finding materials, having visual supports, and knowing the steps to take, because the materials you provided have created an individualized guidebook for each of them.
The binders you provided are being used daily. When they arrived the students were so excited, they took out all the packages and began passing out each of the items to the group. We began creating our work binders immediately! For the very first step, each student received a copy of the business logo to put right in the front of their binder. Then, the students created sections inside using the dividers for Vocational Skills, Community Skills, Daily Living, and Personal Life. These sections will contain important information and resources to create a Transition Passport for my graduating students. They can take all the information we have collected in the binders and use it to be successful in the adult world when they leave high school at the end of the school year!!
There are many challenges that students with disabilities will face when they graduate and being prepared is one of the most important skills I can teach. By providing me with support and the materials I needed, I feel we have set my students up for success when they leave school in a few weeks. They have organized their work experiences, references, and job forms. They have gathered community resources and references. They have determined their areas of interest and how to engage in their community. All by putting together the wonderful binders that you provided. So again, I thank you and my students thank you, for your support.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. McKenna