Mrs. Browning's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 7

• Forging Ahead with Classroom Technology!

  Funded Apr 19, 2018

  Thank you for the generous contribution to our classroom. The technology that you donated has already made a big difference! With the additional Chromebooks, this spring, more students were given the opportunity to research our animal reports without waiting in a long line for access. They were thrilled to be able to get to the information when they needed it most. The new technology also provides more opportunity for educational language arts software, math practice, and the ability access to other research tools that were harder to access before.

  The microphone system that you also donated has been a game changer in my classroom! With all the group work and business of discovering, the microphone has made communicating with students a snap! Even with a moderate noise level, the microphone allows me to call for attention, insert instruction, and do so with a soft voice. I am left at the end of the day feeling more energy than ever before!

  Thank you for teaching my students about generosity and community involvement. When the boxes arrived and we opened them together, many of the students said that it felt like their birthday. Then one asked, "Why would someone donate so much money to our classroom when they don't even have a child who is in it?" This led to a wonderful conversation about community and generosity. Thank you!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Browning

• The World at our Fingertips with Chromebooks!

  Funded Dec 21, 2016

  Thank you for your generous donation to my class project "The World as Our Fingertips with Chromebooks". Our class is ecstatic about having easy and more frequent access to technology in our classroom. With the four Chromebooks I was able to purchase with your donation, my students are eager to do research on topics that we are studying in the classroom as well as take advantage of the variety of supplemental programs available for math and language arts.

  One example of how motivating and engaging these tools are, is a lesson that I will be teaching tomorrow during our Science lesson. Students will be able to use "Narbada" and work their way through a guided lesson that explores the parts of a plant. They will be able to move from slide to slide and click on videos of a flower blooming or an example of seed dispersal. They will use drawing tools to make predictions and then research the correct terminology of plant parts. Student knowledge will be assessed throughout the lesson and information will be redirected according the the results. At the end of the lesson, my students will be begging for more because of the highly motivating design of the program.

  Another example of how my students have been affected by your generosity, are the math supplemental programs that are being used on the Chromebooks. One of the Second Grade standards is to learn the addition and subtraction facts with automaticity. Once students have the concept, the memorization part can be tedious and boring. There are several games that make this process enjoyable. You can actually see the students grow in confidence as they proceed through the levels, mastering the facts along the way. In addition, there are programs that push students further with challenging mathematical concepts, allowing differentiated instruction to occur on a regular basis.

  The list of ways that your donation has impacted my classroom goes on and on! Thank you for supporting me as I work to provide the most engaging education for my second graders. The way that students can learn, research, and grow with this added technology will only multiply in the months and years to come.

  Thank you,

  Melissa Browning”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Browning

  This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 16 other donors.

• Four Chromebooks to Inspire Young Writers!

  Funded Oct 13, 2015

  Thank you for your generous donation of four Chromebooks for our second grade classroom. The impact this donation has made on my students' education is far exceeding my expectation. In second grade, students often focus on the mechanics of writing, which tends to take away from creative story telling. Using the Chromebooks for writing has enabled my students to "think outside the box" and create stories and informational presentations in a digital format.

  Presently, two of my gifted students are working on researching two topics that interest them; the solar system and planet earth. They have been able to research these topics using the Chromebooks and then work on a presentational format that they will eventually present to our class. They are using a digital story maker to create slides and insert pictures with audio and typed information. Not only are they gaining knowledge about topics that interest them, but they are also learning technology skills in the process.

  This year, I have several limited English-speaking students. Using the Chromebooks, these students are able to listen to stories and use phonics-based programs to gain vocabulary and syllable type knowledge. We also find ourselves running to the Chromebooks several times a day for information on science and social studies, dictionary use, photos to support the new vocabulary, typing practice, and math practice games. Having these Chromebooks at our fingertips has transformed our classroom and has engaged students in many ways. I can't imagine teaching without this tool!

  Thank you for your generosity and making this transformation possible!

  Sincerely,

  Melissa Browning”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Browning

• Special Needs Met Through Integrated Technology!

  Funded Oct 10, 2014

  Thank you so much for your generosity in donating to our iPad center project. My second grade students were ecstatic to receive such an amazing gift. When I described how Chevron donated the money to fund the iPads for our centers, the children had many questions about why Chevron would care about their education. This led to further discussions on communities and corporate responsibility. They were truly amazed and thankful for the donation.

  The impact that the four iPads have had on my students is immeasurable! Each child has math and language arts programs that are tailored to meet their individual needs. Within the rotating system of our centers, the students have equal access to iPad use throughout the week. The visually appealing and motivating applications have kept my students excited about what they are learning and what is being painlessly reinforced. The beauty of the iPads, is that each child's needs are being met in a different way.

  When writing the Donors Choose proposal, I knew that I would use the iPads daily at specific times of the day. What I hadn't planned on was continuous use of them during unscheduled center time. My advanced students often finish their assignments early, and having the iPads on hand has given them another way to advance and challenge themselves further. In addition, our class has used them to do research, make paper slide shows, and record skits and other events within the classroom.

  Thank you for your generous donation to my classroom. It has energized not only my students, but my teaching and enthusiasm for finding new ways to educate students!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Browning

• Incorporating Art, Literature, & Technology

  Funded Feb 19, 2013

  Thank you for your generous donation of colored pencils and ipods for my classroom. The students have just completed their first project using the supplies you donated. After reading the anthology story for the week, each student chose one of the vocabulary words from the story to illustrate. Using the colored pencils, students picked an illustration that would help their classmates remember the meaning of the word. After illustrating, they took a picture of their illustration and recorded their voice reading the definition and a sample sentence. (Using Sonicpics) The result was a student made artistic power point that was used throughout the week to reinforce the vocabulary words students needed to master.

  I wish you could have been present in my classroom as students worked on their illustrations and used the technology to create the power point. They were so excited and took pride and ownership in their illustrations. Each time we played the power point, wide smiles could be seen throughout the classroom. The reading group I work with is a group of struggling readers. However, many of these students love art and creating. The tools you donated have enabled me to motivate my students to incorporate their artistic ability into the reading process. Our next project will be to use the same technique for character, setting, and plot. My students, who previously have shown little motivation for working on reading, are now begging to create this bigger project with our next story.

  Thank you for your generous donation and for helping to create an electricity of excitement for learning in my classroom.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Browning

• Inspired Young Minds Through Technology

  Funded Oct 24, 2012

  I am writing to let you know how much my second grade students are benefiting from your generous donation. The two iPod Touches have created an amazing level of excitement and drive amongst my students. They are ecstatic each time I announce the day's iPods users and look forward to their turn.

  Each day two students get to use the iPods for educational applications that are directly linked to our goals and objectives. They are able to use the iPods during a specified time in the morning and then throughout the day when they have completed other work. Students love using the variety of math, reading, art, and social studies apps. As they master the skills they earn rewards that allow them to use the camera and photo apps for designing characters. Students are motivated to excel and feel privileged to be learning in a new and exciting way.

  Thank you for your generous donation to our classroom. It's with these iPods, that my students have increased their enthusiasm and love of learning.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Browning

• Ralph S. Mouse Riding Into Our Students’ Lives

  Funded May 20, 2011

  Dear Donor,

  Thank you for your generous donation through Donors Choose last spring. With your help, every student in our class had their hands on an interesting novel that further excited the students about reading and exploring literature.

  The day the box arrived, there were several gasps of joy over receiving a class set of Ralph S. Mouse books. With a book in hand, each student charted the plot and was able to do an in-depth character study. Not only did my current students benefit from the donation, but many more classes will in the future. Thank you for your generous donation!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Browning