Past projects 11
Reading Shapes the Way We See the World
Funded Jul 17, 2020The response to the new books added to our classroom library has been enormous. Even though our 4th grade classroom has been virtual since the beginning of the year, I have been able to hand out 4-5 books to every child every few weeks. Your contribution helped expand the diversity of our library, enabling me to meet the variety of interests in my diverse classroom.
Some books we have used as class read-alouds to talk about character traits and theme. But these stories have also helped my students to gain a better understanding of both their own culture and the cultures of others. When I read aloud the book 'Proudest Blue' about a girl and her new hijab, a student whose mother wears a hijab, helped us learn how to pronounce the word correctly.
Thank you so much for your generous donation to our classroom library.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mc
This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 5 other donors.A Book in the Hand
Funded Jun 11, 2020The response to the new books added to our classroom library has been enormous. Even though our 4th grade classroom has been virtual since the beginning of the year, I have been able to hand out 4-5 books to every child every few weeks. Your contribution helped expand the diversity of our library, enabling me to meet the variety of interests in my diverse classroom. 'Action Presidents' and 'History Smashers' have so far been the most popular choice of students. But I look forward to our historical fiction reading unit later this year when I can pull out 'Lifeboat' and 'Prairie Lotus.'
Thank you so much for your generous donation to our classroom library.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mc
Coding Stars
Funded May 1, 2020We received our project materials at the beginning of September. The plan was to get our robotics club up and running by the first of October. Our new robot meant that we could add one more team to our club and compete in the Wonder Robotics Competition. Sadly, due to COVID-19, our school did not open in September and we are teaching virtually.
When I showed my students the new robot we received and the other robots I have stored in our classroom they were very excited. Students are often so surprised and grateful that there are people outside of our school that support them and want them to be successful. We are looking into apps that will allow us to learn more about coding the robots virtually so that when we finally get back to school, our students will be prepared to get started right away.
We are not giving up on our robotics club. We plan to continue working with students in coding to grow their ability to work collaboratively in problem-solving situations. Thank you so much for your donation to our robotics club and your support.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mc
My Not-So-Wimpy Readers
Funded Dec 13, 2018Thank you so much for supporting our classroom. The excitement from my students on the day the box of books arrived was priceless.
In my classroom, reading is the most important thing you can do in the day and I always make time for my class to read. Students quickly claimed their book of choice and settled in. The books have been circulating around the room, student to student. A few of my readers who are still struggling a little with the process have really been enjoying the new 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' books. I had owned a few books in the series, but now the classroom library has a complete set, and a few of my students are working their way through the series. New books can be extremely motivating!
Thank you for donating to our class. My students are always so surprised and also grateful that someone outside our classroom would donate something for them to use. You helped to improve our classroom library and your generous gift will help so many students discover the joy of reading!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mc
Robots Teach Math!
Funded Mar 27, 2018Our new Dash Robots from Wonder have really taken off. Over the summer, I was able to use them to teach coding to 4 classes of students ages 9 to 14. Students were actively engaged all summer as they created obstacle courses, jousting tournaments, and games for the robots to compete in. Students used the Blockly app and the Wonder app to learn more about coding, and many completed the entire course.
In September, I introduced the robots to my incoming fourth-grade class. Most were beginning coders, but everyone was very excited to begin coding. I now see my students working on problem-solving, critical thinking, as well as collaborating with others as they learn how to operate their robot through block code. Many of my students have formed teams and entered into the 2018/19 Wonder Robotics League Competition, an international competition for the Dash and Dot robots.
Thank you for helping me to make my classroom an engaging and exciting place for my students to come every day. They love learning and we appreciate your support!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mc
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple and 5 other donors.Inspire Collaboration and Creativity With Coding
Funded Jul 8, 2017The Dash and Dot robots have been a tremendous hit in our 4th-grade classroom. When kids learn computer coding, the focus can be primarily on screens, but using the Dash and Dot robots students are able to see their programming come to life. Using the Blockly App, students enter codes that command the robots to move, light up, talk, and detect objects. The children are able to test their code in a hands-on way, observing the robots and working through problems visually, which is a huge benefit for many of my students.
Another advantage I have found using Dash and Dot is the collaboration it has inspired in my students. I admit I did expect some arguing over who gets to use the robots and who holds the controls/iPad. But to my surprise, during class time small groups of students have excitedly been collaborating to work through the puzzles or free explore. In addition, students are helping and teaching each other, without teacher intervention.
I am just beginning to use these adorable 'bots in my classroom but already I am seeing huge gains in problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration skills. I look forward to learning more about how to use them in cross-curricular lessons to integrate math, language art, science, and engineering.
My class and I are so grateful for your generous donation to our classroom. You have given us a learning experience that is fun for all levels of students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mc
This classroom project was brought to life by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and one other donor.Creating a Comfy Classroom for Wiggly Workers
Funded Feb 21, 2017The chairs arrived and students were very excited. With the addition of the 4 new stools, we were finally able to get rid of the last of our blue molded plastic chairs. For the first week, we had to have a sign-up sheet for the stools because they were so popular. Kids would race into the room so they could be the first one to claim one of the new stools to sit on for the day. Things have calmed down a bit now, but they are still the most popular seat in the house, even more than the yoga balls.
The stools come with a lot of benefits I hadn't expected. They are actually very light weight, and students can easily move them to other tables when they need to collaborate with others. In addition, they can be quickly wiped off and the colors are fun and bright. These stools still look brand new after a few months of wear. The students really love the way they brighten our classroom.
One evening last month, we had our annual open house and we were able to let parents try out the new seating. I think parents were a bit scared of just how wiggly these stools are. In fact, it is difficult to actually sit still on these stools! The students love sitting on them. They balance on them and wiggle around in circles while working at their table. I think it has really helped the focus of many of my students.
Thank you so much for your donation. My students and I appreciate your generous contribution to our classroom. It has made our classroom a very comfortable place to learn.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mc
Needed: Nonfiction Books for Passionate Young Readers
Funded Apr 9, 2016Thank you so much for your gift of books to our classroom.
When the books arrived students were extremely excited to help me open the boxes and find their favorites. Most of the books were claimed by students before they were even out of the boxes. Some titles we had to raffle off first-reading rights because they were so popular.
These new non-fiction books have helped me to reignite my students' interest in reading non-fiction. The most popular are the graphic novels. Students are reading about historical events and Greek myths in the form of comic books. Students find the 'comic-like' pictures engaging, but the pictures also help to support their comprehension of the text. After reading these books, many students ask for more information about the topic and I can steer them towards more traditional informational reading.
Since I have a new class this year, I showed the children the books that were donated to our classroom library last year. Students are always amazed that complete strangers would give something to them so they could learn. Thanks to you, my students have not only learned more about new non-fiction topics, but about what it means to be kind and generous. Your gift is not just a box of books, but a great example of giving that will hopefully be paid forward by my students in the future.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mc
The Computer Crisis: A Call for Classroom Chromebooks
Funded Apr 13, 2015Thank you so much for donating to our classroom project. Our new Chromebooks arrived towards the end of our school year and I apologize for the delay in getting out our thanks for your generous gift to our classroom. My new class has been in school for one week now, and they were very excited to see our shiny new Chromebooks sitting in the front of our classroom. Our antique, boxy Macs have been taken away- giving us considerable more space. Another bonus!
Many of my students do not have working technology at home, so their main technology experience has been their parents cell phones and our classroom computers (and some video games!). Last year's class was astounded by how fast they were able to load up new pages on the Chromebooks as compared to our old MacIntosh boxes. In my new class this year, a few of my students have Chromebooks at home and were very excited to see them available to use here in our classroom. Everyone is looking forward to using the Chromebooks and start working on our classroom blog.
I look forward to using the Chromebooks to help improve my students' writing ability, but this is not the only lesson my students will learn from your gift to our class. Both last year's class and my new class have been so surprised to find out that someone outside of our school would care enough to help us upgrade our class technology. Your generosity sets an example for these students to look outside their own lives and see how they too might be able to help others. We will pass it on.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mc
Sharing out Loud with White Boards
Funded Jan 8, 2014When my students found out that people had donated whiteboards and dry erase markers to our classroom they were very excited. They couldn't believe that someone would give them something so nice. When the box arrived, we carefully unwrapped each board. Every student wanted to be a part of the unwrapping. These new white boards were so shiny and clean compared to our old beat up ones!! We all had to give them a try that very first day, and immediately started using them.
We now use our new boards everyday in class. Students love using them. They are an invaluable part of our math routine. Students' work is easily visible and they can share and help each other as we work through and practice new skills. I can quickly see and assist those students who are struggling. This month we have been working through fractions, and students have been using the boards to draw models of mixed numbers and equivalent fractions.
The students have been so cute about taking care of these new boards. A few of my kids will get out the board cleaning spray and diligently wipe down each of the boards. They quickly report to me when someone has used a red or orange marker that is not coming off quite as easily (it eventually does, and what is the fun of using the boards if you can't use color?!). The care they take with them is an indicator of how much they value having something new and nice in our room.
Thank you so much for your donation and support. It means so much to my students that someone would care enough to donate such a valuable gift to our classroom.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Mc
This classroom project was brought to life by Disney and 5 other donors.