Past projects 15
Kindergarten Wiggles III
Funded Sep 1, 2017Thanks to your generous donations, our classroom has become a place of learning in comfort and opened the door to allowing CHOICE in determining ones best way to learn!
Transforming a classroom into a flexible Seating environment cannot happen overnight. (Especially in kindergarten!) Introducing the new seating choices was an incremental process. I implemented he transformation in three phases.
The first big reveal was lowered tables and two different types of cushions to sit on (square chair cushions and round, sensory "button" cushions. The children came into the room the morning I changed things up and were so excited about the change! The thought that it was "OK" to sit on the floor was almost too much for them! Children at this age are so mobile, and true to my project title, "wiggly". Sitting close to the floor has helped with keeping the children centered and focused. The amount of "falls" out of chairs has diminished!
The next phase in the flexible seating transformation was the introduction to the wobble chairs and exercise balls. These were perhaps the most exiting introductions because they look NOTHING like traditional chairs! I was very happy to discover that my students, though constantly moving while in these chairs, were able to maintain focus and follow along with instruction better than they had in the past.
The last phase of implementation was the bean bags in my Book Corner and the bath rugs for reading time. In addition to a couch and pillows for the floor I now have three very sturdy and comfortable bean bags that are so lightweight they can easily be used in any area of the classroom. The children love to use them when they are reading and working on iPads. The bath mats are a perfect addition to the classroom when children are listening to stories on tape. Everyone loves to lay down while listening, and now they can do so in comfort and they can know they are staying clean!
The items I was able to purchase using your generous donations have quite literally transformed my classroom! I am very excited about these materials, they will last for many years to come!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeMille
Kindergarten Wiggles!
Funded Aug 23, 2017Thanks to your generous donations, our classroom has become a place of learning in comfort and opened the door to allowing CHOICE in determining ones best way to learn!
Transforming a classroom into a flexible Seating environment cannot happen overnight. (Especially in kindergarten!) Introducing the new seating choices was an incremental process. I implemented he transformation in three phases.
The first big reveal was lowered tables and two different types of cushions to sit on (square chair cushions and round, sensory "button" cushions. The children came into the room the morning I changed things up and were so excited about the change! The thought that it was "OK" to sit on the floor was almost too much for them! Children at this age are so mobile, and true to my project title, "wiggly". Sitting close to the floor has helped with keeping the children centered and focused. The amount of "falls" out of chairs has diminished!
The next phase in the flexible seating transformation was the introduction to the wobble chairs and exercise balls. These were perhaps the most exiting introductions because they look NOTHING like traditional chairs! I was very happy to discover that my students, though constantly moving while in these chairs, were able to maintain focus and follow along with instruction better than they had in the past.
The last phase of implementation was the bean bags in my Book Corner and the bath rugs for reading time. In addition to a couch and pillows for the floor I now have three very sturdy and comfortable bean bags that are so lightweight they can easily be used in any area of the classroom. The children love to use them when they are reading and working on iPads. The bath mats are a perfect addition to the classroom when children are listening to stories on tape. Everyone loves to lay down while listening, and now they can do so in comfort and they can know they are staying clean!
The items I was able to purchase using your generous donations have quite literally transformed my classroom! I am very excited about these materials, they will last for many years to come!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeMille
Making Learning Accessible to All
Funded Mar 4, 2016Thank you so much for your generous donation that made this project possible! Learning has truly become accessible to ALL through this grant! Our new television has enhanced learning and helped motivate all the students in our classroom.
My students now can watch me model lessons and can follow along step by step. The fact that they can see me modeling the activities on the very same paper they are working on has improved their skills immeasurably. Penmanship has improved, math skills have increased, and listening skills have been fine tuned. Additionally, since I am able to connect to my laptop, I am able to access instructional videos through Discovery Learning which have helped motivate my students and allowed them improved access to this resource. I have also purchased a tool that allows me to connect my iPad to the television. By doing so, I am able to model use of educational apps, and drawing programs such as Pixie.
Thank you again for bringing learning to life through your generous donation!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeMille
Technology Across the Curriculum
Funded Sep 24, 2015Words cannot fully describe how amazing it has been to have four new iPads in the classroom! These four additional iPads have made it possible to incorporate this technology in daily classroom routines such as centers. With a total of six iPads available for use, we are now able to work in a small group to complete special assignments. Each child in the small group has an iPad available, and is able to participate independently!
We have completed numerous projects throughout the year using these new iPads. We frequently use a drawing app called Pixie to publish our work. When we were learning about numbers and number sense, we used the iPads to create number pictures to help visualize that numerals represent quantities. When we were learning about winter, we used this same app to create a circle map with images of winter. We also created stories about snowmen and illustrated the stories using the iPads. Once the stories were complete, we inserted the images into an iMovie and created an iMovie of our stories! Now that we are studying teen numbers, we are again using iMovie to create movies using pictures of the students with collections of items representing each number. As we approach the end of the year, we will be publishing special sharing projects using photographs taken with the iPads and writing published in Pixie. We are looking forward to this exciting task!
The introduction of these new iPads has also made it possible for more students in my classroom to log on to our math program, ST Math when they are done with classroom assignments. This added time on this program has allowed more of my students to progress further in this program than any year in the past. It is truly exciting to see the growth these students have made throughout the year thanks to this added technology!
Thank you for making this possible. IPads and technology are now an integral part of my classroom. I truly appreciate your support in making this possible!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeMille
"Hands-on" Technology
Funded Nov 15, 2013I cannot thank you enough for contributing to my Donors Choose project and making technology available to the students in my classroom! I wish I would have taken a picture of the looks on the kids faces when I placed the new iPads on the table the day I received them. The kids could hardly contain their excitement, particularly those students who do not have access to this tool at home. Fairly managing the time spent on the iPads has been a challenge since all the students are so eager to have a turn. My hope is that I can write another grant soon so that we can have five iPads in the classroom, enough to support one small group.
We are using these iPads in a variety of different ways within my classroom. The most common way is upon completion of my small group instruction to practice language arts and math skills independently. I have purchased a variety of apps that support my daily instruction in addition to a school-wide math program called ST Math that has been purchased by parents of students in my school.
Additionally, we have worked on numerous class iMovie projects. Following a two week unit on The Gingerbread Man, my class worked together to write their own version of the story. Once the story was written, the students chose their favorite part to illustrate on a computer program called Pixie. I printed each of these pictures, took photos of them using the iPads, and then inserted them into an iMovie. I narrated the movie, and now students watch it during iPad time. Students learned that they too could be authors and illustrators and they take pride in their work!
I have also made many iMovies focusing on the teen numbers (these numbers are often the most difficult for kindergartners to learn). Each child was given a teen number and asked to find something in the room to count that many of. I took a picture of each child with his/ her set and then added music to the compilation (I have songs about each number). I often find the students searching for and watching each movie during iPad time. They LOVE being the stars of the show!!
I have also used the iPads as teaching tools: I have taken pictures of our district adopted reading program's teacher manual and now, instead of trying to balance a bulky manual on my lap during instruction, I am able to hold the iPad instead! I have also "revived" old books that have become tattered and torn. I created iMovies using pictures from the books and added my narration. Kids are engaged in a whole new way!
I have noticed a huge jump in the motivation of my students to create, explore and practice skills now that these iPads are available on a daily basis. I look forward to the next step in the process: allowing my students to create movies on their own! Thank you for making such a dramatic impact on my classroom this year!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. DeMille