Past projects 39
Core Balls for Core Instruction
Funded Feb 1, 2012Thank you so much for the materials you have donated! We use the electric pencil sharpener everyday to make sure we have sharpened pencils to write with. It has solved the problem of not having enough sharpened pencils during writing time.
The new listening center junction box has made it possible for my students to use our listening center again. At least once a week, every student has a chance to enjoy a Read-Along book on CD at the listening center. They then work in teams of four to analyze and write about the stories they have read. With the help of the listening center, my students are improving in their ability to analyze literature.
Last, the balance balls have been an incredible benefit to my students, especially those with shorter attention spans. Those of my students who had a hard time sitting in their seats for more than a few minutes, are now able to stay seated 95% of the time with the aid of the balance balls. All of my students love the balance ball chairs! They agree that the balance balls are more comfortable than their seats and that the balls help them focus better on learning. We are very grateful that you helped fund these materials!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Alvarez
This classroom project was brought to life by Wasserman Foundation and 4 other donors.21st Century Tools for 21st Century Skills
Funded Dec 7, 2011Thank you for your donations! My students have been using the materials you helped fund for a few weeks now. They use the earphones when working on the laptops that were donated by other generous DonorsChoose.org donors. They use the earphones when working with games that help them develop their typing skills, to listening to short videos that review math concepts, and to play other learning games. They also use the earphones when working with educational apps on the iPads.
We are using the iPad covers to protect our iPads. The Apple dock connector allows me to connect one of the iPads to our LCD projector and project videos from various websites including Envision and BrainPop to introduce or review concepts.
These are just a few of the ways we are using the materials you helped fund. We are very grateful for your generosity!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Alvarez
This classroom project was brought to life by Wasserman Foundation and 10 other donors.Help Us Create a 21st Century Classroom
Funded Sep 18, 2011800x600
I
am thrilled that you chose to fund two Hewlett-Packard laptops for my
classroom. My students use the laptops every day. In January, they used the laptops to take the Accelerated
Reader Star Test. This test helps
determine their current reading level and provides me with data on whether they
have grown in their skills. My students have
also been using the laptops to learn or to improve their typing skills. In the near future, they will be using the
laptops to prepare their own PowerPoint presentations for science projects and
they will start using Word to publish their writing. The laptops you donated are making a huge
difference in my students' learning.
Thank you so much!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Alvarez
The Joy Of Listening To A Story
Funded Jan 16, 2011800x600
The read-along books you have funded have had a powerful impact on my students' reading skills. Every day a group of four students sits at the listening center and reads along with the narrator on the CD. They then discuss the story and write short book reports describing and analyzing the characters, setting, and plot of the story.
Many of my students read at a first grade level or lower. However, the read-along books allow them to access literature that is at or above grade-level. Just as importantly, my students really enjoy hearing the stories read to them as they read along.
The Read Along Books have also had a positive impact on their academic performance. According to formal and informal assessments I have conducted, many of my students are reading faster, more accurately, and with richer expression than they did earlier in the year.
Your donations have enriched my students' learning and for that I am very grateful!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Alvarez
This classroom project was brought to life by American Express Members Project and one other donor.- This classroom project was brought to life by American Express Members Project and 3 other donors.
Tools for Success
Funded Oct 19, 2010Thank you so much for your generous donations! My students have been using the tools you helped fund on an almost daily basis. They use the dry erase boards to practice spelling and to answer math review questions. The clipboards give them flexibility in where they complete their work. They have been especially useful to one of my students, who has a very difficult time working at her seat but is able to focus and complete her work by taking her clipboard with her to the rug.
The read-along books you have funded are also having a powerful impact on my students' reading skills. Every day a group of four students sits at the listening center and reads along with the narrator on the CD. They then discuss the story and write short book reports describing and analyzing the characters, setting, and plot of the story.
Many of my students read at a first grade level or lower. However, the read-along books allow them to access literature that is at or above grade-level. Just as importantly, my students really enjoy hearing the stories read to them as they read along.
The Listening Center has also had a positive impact on their academic performance. According to formal and informal assessments I have conducted, many of my students are reading faster, more accurately, and with richer expression than they did earlier in the year.
Your donations have enriched my students' lives and for that I am very grateful! ”
With gratitude,
Mr. Alvarez
Tools for Success, Part II
Funded Dec 29, 2010Thank you so much for your generous donations! My students have been using the tools you funded on an almost daily basis. They use the magnetic manipulatives to practice counting money, making new shapes, and identifying fractions. Each of these is an important math skill in second grade.
The read-along books you have funded are having a powerful impact on my students' reading skills. Every day a group of four to five students sits at the listening center and reads along with the narrator on the CD. They then discuss the story and write book reports describing and analyzing the characters, setting, and plot of the story.
Many of my students read at a first grade level or lower. However, the read-along books allow them to access literature that is at or above grade-level. Just as importantly, my students really enjoy hearing the stories read to them as they read along.
The Listening Center has also had a positive impact on their academic performance. According to formal and informal assessments I have conducted, every one of my students is reading faster, more accurately, and with richer expression than they did earlier in the year.
Your donations have enriched my students' lives and for that I am very grateful!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Alvarez
This classroom project was brought to life by American Express Members Project and 3 other donors.An Image is Worth a Thousand Ideas
Funded Aug 16, 2010My students and I are very grateful for your donation. The projector you helped fund assists my students in their learning in the following ways. On a weekly basis, I use the projector to show PowerPoint presentations that help my students review the academic vocabulary for that week. I also use it project images or video clips to build a background for the selections we will be reading. In math, we use the projector on a daily basis to enrich vocabulary, concepts, and strategies.
These are just a few of ways your donation has improved learning in our classroom.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Alvarez
The Power of a Spoken Story
Funded Aug 30, 2010Thank you so much for funding a Read-Along Listening Center for my classroom. My students have been using it on an almost daily basis to build their reading skills. Every day a group of four students sits at the listening center and reads along with the narrator on the CD. They then discuss the story and write short book reports describing and analyzing the characters, setting, and plot of the story.
Many of my students read at a first grade level or lower. However, because of the Read-Along Listening Center, they are able to access literature that is at or above grade-level. Just as importantly, my students really enjoy hearing the stories read to them as they read along.
The Listening Center has also had a positive impact on their academic performance. According to formal and informal assessments I have conducted, many of my students are reading faster, more accurately, and with richer expression than they did earlier in the year.
Your donation has enriched my students' lives and for that I am very grateful!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Alvarez