Past projects 124
Double Down on Real Time Learning
Funded Aug 2, 2023Thank you for supporting this project. My students and their families were so very thrilled to receive the mirror cams at the beginning of school this year. Several people said that they wished they had these in previous years. During our live class sessions, these devices have made it much easier for me to see student work and offer immediate feedback.
The metallic markers and postcards allowed me to make connections with my students before school began. It can be challenging to build relationships working with students from a distance in an online environment. Simple gestures like the mirrorcams and postcards make a huge difference.
Thank you for your support.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Kaiser
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 2 other donors.Happy Belly, Happy Student
Funded Jun 28, 2023We are so touched by your support of this project. Although our third-grade students had to face the unfamiliar situation of arriving at a building to take a standardized state reading test within the first few weeks of school, they felt supported and cared for in part due to the snacks and drink boxes that were available only as a result of your generosity. Even though only a few pictures were shared, I think you can get the sense that those huge grins were a sign that students were happy and their nerves were settled so that they could focus on doing their best on the test. Thank you for making that a possibility!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Kaiser
Real Time Learning
Funded May 11, 2023I cannot begin to express my full gratitude for your support of this project. When the students in my class received their supplies this year, the mirrorcam was an immediate hit! Parents and learning coaches were full of enthusiasm for these new tools. Everyone recognized the benefit and the tool has been so easy to implement. Not a day has gone by during these first weeks of school where the mirrorcams haven't been used to make student learning visible in real-time during our live online class sessions. The simplicity of this tool makes it almost too good to be true! Thank you so much for filling this need.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Kaiser
This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors Corporation and 3 other donors.Still Teaching, Still Learning
Funded Apr 11, 2023Thank you for providing me with the professional development books and subscription to KYTE Learning. During the summer, I dug into the books and made some specific plans for the new year and adjustments to my thinking. ChatGPT in particular is a "hot topic" that I wanted to take time to formulate a teaching philosophy about. Each of these tools helped me to reflect on my previous practices, consider my new students and the pedagogy that would best suit their learning, and acquire some new knowledge about unfamiliar educational technology tools. I truly appreciate your support in my quest to be better prepared for this new group of students.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Kaiser
Let Us Lead by Serving Others
Funded Apr 11, 2023Thank you so very much for supporting this project which allowed us to provide special recognition for our student leaders. Since we are a fully online school, our in person events are very limited. That is why our 5th grade team worked so hard to give our students a crossing over awards ceremony that had all the bells and whistles. During that ceremony, we were able to honor the extra effort that our Beta Club student leaders exhibited throughout the year. They were stunned to receive the Beta medallions that will forever commemorate their service during the 2022-2023 school year. We simply couldn't have added that special touch without your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Kaiser
Digital Equity for Online Students
Funded Nov 7, 2022Thank you for helping bridge the distance between teacher and students. The document camera has simplified our class sessions tremendously. People often assume that teaching online is inferior to teaching in a face to face setting. That is not necessarily the case. I would argue that an important factor in successful teaching is quality tools, regardless of the teaching and learning environment.
Both the document camera and subscription to BreakoutEdu are tools that help engage students. I have used these tools in brick and mortar settings prior to teaching students online. When students can get a clear view of teacher modeled note-taking and problem-solving, they are more successful in their own attempts. I have seen huge improvements in the performance of my online students on assessments since acquiring the document camera.
Another common misconception about online learning is the belief that building community and relationships among students is difficult. In reality, there are many ways to build community and relationships while teaching and learning online. BreakoutEDU provides students with opportunities for teamwork. They especially enjoy the lock of the day activities.
This year has been filled with success stories and your donation contributed directly to many of those. Thank you so much for investing in my students!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Kaiser
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Funded Aug 9, 2022Thank you for providing headphones for my virtual learners this school year. In the photos, you will see several students either receiving their pair of headphones or wearing them in class. I have personally seen a huge improvement in learning this year and I believe that the headphones are a significant contributing factor behind that improvement. In the past, student complaints about difficulty hearing and lack of participation due to distractions in the learning environment have limited learning for online students. This year, I am finding that students are much more focused on their learning during our sessions and distractions have diminished significantly. Thank you so much for making a difference in my students' lives!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Kaiser
This classroom project was brought to life by Charles Schwab and 2 other donors.Gearing Up for '22-'23
Funded Aug 9, 2022What a wonderful start to our 2022-2023 school year! As a virtual school, the few times we are able to come together in person throughout the year are so very important. Thanks to your support, we were able to offer a really great welcome back event for our students this year.
In the photos, the smiles on their faces speak volumes. Our students and their families were so very grateful for the supplies that we were able to provide, the welcome back gift bags, and the fun photo op.
Our year is off to a great start and that is in no small part thanks to your help!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Kaiser
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 2 other donors.Weather Wise
Funded Aug 9, 2022The study of weather is traditionally a difficult topic for 5th grade students. The basic concepts pose very little problem, but when it comes to understanding all the intricate nuances of jet streams, local winds, and global weather patterns along with climate shifts, it all gets to be a bit much.
Each year, I give students the opportunity to create their own personal weather station but not all students have the materials to make even the simplest of tools like a rain gauge. That is why this weather station has been so important to us. Since we are an online classroom, every student had access to the same data that was custom for our class. They have been able to analyze it and incorporate the information across the curriculum into math class.
The screenshots I am sharing with you show how these 5th grade students were able to collect data and turn it into real world math problems that use line graphs to show change over time and to compare weather conditions in different locations of the United States. I am absolutely certain that they will not forget the experience and that they have learned more about weather factors and implications. In fact, we recently completed a unit test and 44% of the students either showed mastery of the skills or progress toward mastery. This number is significant because this concept is one of our most difficult topics. Historically, fewer students show mastery on this unit test. Thank you for helping us to meet the needs of our students.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Kaiser
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill Gates and 2 other donors.Quality and Quantity
Funded May 3, 2022I cannot begin to adequately describe the impact that having this Espresso display touch monitor system has already had on my classroom and the new school year hasn't even begun yet! As the title of this project says, it is about both quality and quantity. I have already created 24 spiral math reviews for the first marking period. With this equipment, I was able to capture hand-drawn math solutions for use in these review videos. Hand drawing the solutions incorporates a realistic and personal connection when working with virtual students. Another benefit to having this technology is the ability to draw, label, and make notes in real-time with students during small groups online.
Your support of this endeavor is much appreciated!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Kaiser
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 2 other donors.