Past projects 18
Trusting Little Mathematicians: Hands-On Investigating
Funded Aug 24, 2014Thanks so very much for the mathematics supplies for my students. They bubbled over with excitement when the package arrived and spent the next hour taking turns using them! For example, even though we haven't started our geometry unit this year, students began discussing the attributes and names of the shapes. Next, we set up an art station where they could draw 3D shape sculptures. They loved it! These shapes will benefit our geometry studies tremendously, especially during the culminating Jeopardy game contest! Each team will have shapes in front of them to help them during the contest.
The Tangrams are amazing. These challenge students to think outside of the box, so to speak, while they try to match 7 distinct shapes to a Tangram template. It requires them to study the shapes carefully and try and try again until they succeed. My more advanced students have begun creating their own templates and stories to accompany each set!
An emphasis in the primary grades is learning place value. Students use the number cards to create a 100s chart, which allows them to discover number patterns and to discuss place value.
All of these activities (and more) are done during math centers and have richly improved the learning opportunities for my students. Students are learning through hands-on, engaging materials, and I am able to walk around the room giving direct help as needed. It's exactly what we needed in our classroom to improve math time. Thank you so very much for thinking of us and making this project happen. We are very happy with the supplies!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ray
This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation Back To School and 2 other donors.Nonfiction Library!
Funded Mar 3, 2014This has been an exciting year for my students because of the many new opportunities to read that have come their way. I requested a non-fiction book library for two main reasons. First, the new state standards (Alaska's are almost identical to the Common Core) require much more reading of non-fiction books than ever before. And second, non-fiction books are excellent ways to engage boys in reading voraciously. There has been a lot of attention nationally on the high incidence of low reading scores among boys and thus much questioning about why this is so and how to change it. From my experience, if you give boys a book about bugs, animals, how something works, gooey things, or adventure, to name a few, they will read. Of course girls will read those too. They'll read anything! It's an understatement to say that these books have increased the reading level and love of books for each one of my students. I don't know how to adequately portray to you their improvement (other than sharing their end-of-year reading test scores). Rest assured, you have made a difference.
This set of books was the second set we received. (We also received the fiction library of books with sorting bins through Donors Choose.) When this set arrived, and students had already tasted the exciting books we'd received in the fiction library earlier, they simply could not restrain themselves! They begged me to open them right away, so I actually stopped teaching and had them help me unpack the books! Hooray for non-fiction books!
Giving books is probably the greatest way to impact a child's learning and well-being. I sure have seen a difference in my kiddos this year due to the simple fact that they have been given so many fantastic, new books! What's even better is that these books will help my future students every new school year. Thank you so much for contributing to all of their lives so abundantly!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ray
A Classroom Library That Works!
Funded Mar 6, 2014This has been an exciting year for my students because of the new opportunities to read. My classroom fiction library was very old, with most books being ones used by teachers in our school more than 20 years ago. The large selection of new fiction books and the sorting bins that came with them have added such a freshness to the students' eagerness to read! The leveling system is fantastic, with books placed in lettered bins according to reading level. My struggling readers all the way up to my advanced readers know exactly which bins to go to when looking for a just-right book. The frustration and long faces I used to see in my struggling readers is gone. The boredom in my advanced readers is gone. Every day, my kids look forward to silent reading time and to reading group, which are prescribed times when they are able to delve into these books. There are other times when they have opportunities to read throughout the day as well.
This set of books was the first set we received. (We also received the non-fiction library of books with sorting bins through Donors Choose.) When our custodian carted in the first set of boxes, everybody dropped everything and cheered! During the next couple of days, I had to unpack and organize the books, which meant the boys and girls had to wait before they could begin reading the new books. That was hard for them! They nagged me several times a day! Once it was ready to go, off they went!
Giving books is probably the greatest way to impact a child's learning and well-being. I sure have seen a difference in my kiddos this year due to the simple fact that they have been given so many fantastic, new books! Thank you so much for contributing to their lives so abundantly!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ray
Genius Hour
Funded Nov 21, 2013The resources for this project trickled in over a few weeks' time, and every time a new box arrived, my students could not focus on current tasks because they knew the box was full of "edu-goodies!" That became our new catch phrase for the neat stuff we received through Donors Choose! We received Snap Circuits, a SAM Animation kit, a microphone, and push-button robots.
The Snap Circuits have been so important to Genius Hour teams who learned about electricity while having fun. They built things that made noise, flew, and lit up!
The SAM Animation is something we're currently using to create stop-frame or stop-animation movies that illustrate the life cycle of plants. This is a rather a large project that is being done with parent volunteers and six different groups of students. The end products will be shared on YouTube and in other relevant places. This is a fantastic way for students to seamlessly integrate technology into learning in a fun, meaningful way. They are making animations using a variety of materials, including cloth, Legos, pipe cleaners, and nature. What a bunch of geniuses!
The microphone has been one of the most useful tools, and I think every classroom should have one. My students presented their Genius Hour and Science Fair projects in front of the class with the microphone. This enabled my quiet students to be heard! We used the microphone any time a student spoke in front of the class, and over time, the kids have become confident speakers.
The push-button robots have been creatively used during our geometry unit. Teams had to draw specific geometric shapes to specific large-scale measurements, then program the robots to race around the shapes! They'll never forget the names of shapes after these races!!
The impact of these gifts has been huge, resulting in multiple hands-on, creative activities and the sharing of those in front of groups. Another result of having these items is that I have been able to plan lessons for my students that consider learning styles and capabilities, making sure that each child is motivated and engaged in the lessons.
Thank you so very much for your support of my students and classroom! Together, with the tools you provided and the creative planning I undertook, these students actually experienced learning. Not only does the learning become permanent in this way, but this type of schooling creates eager learners who want more! Additionally, I will be able to use these tools year after year to continue reaching even more students. As you can see, the impact is phenomenal. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ray
Fresh Start
Funded Sep 1, 2013We are all so very thankful for the support you gave our classroom this year! We needed a fresh start with supplies such as a decent stapler, real watercolor painting paper, and a writing journal for each student. I loved the students' reactions when the supplies came in! They were so excited with the easy touch, never fail stapler and found every excuse under the sun to staple things! This has made a big difference to me as a teacher because I am able to staple papers together quickly and easily. Compared to the old stapler I've struggled with for the last two years, I'm actually saving time now! Little things like that make such a big difference to students and teachers.
Of course the watercolor paper is an even bigger hit! We have had so much fun so far this year experimenting with our artistic skills. Recently, we tried using oil pastels on the watercolor paper in a Matisse style project, and the heavier paper allowed students to color darkly. The results were stunning (see the photos I uploaded). We have done O'Keeffe flowers in watercolors, as well as freestyle painting to accompany stories written by students.
That leads me to the writing journals you provided. These have become special places and little treasure books that the students are quite proud of. We "free write" in them for 15 minutes every day. This allows students to build writing stamina, experiment with styles and ideas, and gives a complete picture of students' improvement and growth in various writing skills.
You also provided us with hand sanitizer and a staple remover. These have given us a fresh start for sure! I must add that I do have students use soap and water prior to lunch, but the sanitizer is used in-between to freshen up. We have had lessons on germs and how to wash hands properly, and we have talked about using sanitizer when soap and water isn't on hand (pun intended!). It's better to be safe with all the germs that float around a classroom!
Everything you provided for us has made such a positive impact in our classroom in both little and big ways. The children wish me to tell you that they "send big hugs and thanks." So do I!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ray
Skyping Without Static!
Funded Nov 2, 2012Support from donors like you has made a tremendous difference in my classroom in ways worth sharing with the world! First, my students have made friends around the world! They are in a global pen-pal group with students in Colombia, Cyprus, Lebanon, Finland, Colorado, and Australia. Skyping with other countries requires staying after school for a late pizza party, and we're working on those arrangements now. Most recently, we Skyped with a 4th grade classroom in Indiana that wanted first-hand knowledge of the Iditarod and of living in Alaska! We've Skyped with classrooms in Massachusetts, Colorado, and Pennsylvania!
Second, we have used our Skype camera to offer a student in our classroom who has disabilities the best opportunities to learn from the teacher (me) and the other students. This student processes information out loud, and this became problematic for other students and interfered with their ability to listen to the teacher. So we set him up in a small room with an aide, and he Skypes into our classroom (with his sound muted). We use our camera, which you provided for us, to give a wide-angle view of the classroom. He is able to see the Smartboard, the teacher, and some of his classmates during a lesson. He responds to questions by holding up answers on a small whiteboard in front of his camera, which we can see on the side of the Smartboard. In this way, he is totally integrated into the learning environment in the most beneficial way for everyoneânot to mention that he LOVES technology and thinks it's a blast to Skype the classroom.
I believe in a cooperative learning environment, so I spend as little time as possible standing up front being a talking head. I always think back to Charlie Brown's teacher and the sound she made (on the cartoon) that went something like this: "waaaaaa wa wa waa waaaaa." If I catch myself talking too long, I switch to my Charlie Brown teacher-voice as a signal to my students that it's THEIR turn to learn together. This is when our student with special needs comes back into the classroom to participate in Learning Stations. During the Stations in the early morning, one group of students is responsible for using the Internet to look up the weather forecast, convert Fahrenheit into Celsius, and post this information on our global Wiki to share with our pen pals around the world. Currently, we are also putting sunrise/sunset information on the Wiki too. This group uses the wireless keyboard and mouse from the back table, which is their Learning Station, to access the Internet and type in their data.
We have also used the wireless keyboard and mouse in a rhyming game, where students pass the keyboard and add a rhyming word to the open document on the Smartboard. We have other lessons that also give students the chance to manipulate the Smartboard from their desks, using the wireless keyboard and mouse (including learning games).
Last but not least, we are so happy that we can "Skype Without Static!" If you recall, my original request mentioned that we had an old camera (borrowed from someone) that was so full of static and problems that Skyping never worked. To be able to freely Skype with the assurance that it will work makes us feel like a 21st century classroom (instead of one stuck in the 90s, when equipment was bulky and erratic).
As you can tell, we have found many creative ways to use the equipment that you so kindly donated to our classroom. It has enriched our learning environment in many, many ways. I am so grateful for your kindness! I am thankful that you felt my request for help was worth your time and donations. You HAVE made a good difference in the lives of my 22 students. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ray
Daily 5 Listening Center
Funded Oct 10, 2012The mp3 players you donated to our classroom add such a meaningful component to the students' daily routines in many, many ways. For example, during our Language Arts/Reading class, the students rotate through different learning stations. The mp3 players are used in two ways during this time. In one station, all of the stories from the student anthology are loaded on the mp3 players. Small groups of students listen to the assigned story, then discuss it together and write responses to the story. In a second station, students select a book from the listening library, find a cozy spot, and read along while listening to the story on the mp3 player.
Additionally, students use digital recorders to record poems or stories that they're reciting or reading. These get loaded onto the mp3 players as well. This helps our listening library grow, and the students are tickled to listen to stories recorded by classmates!
As mentioned in my initial request on donorschoose.org, adding a listening component to a reading program (such as the Daily 5) is a proven method of increasing reading fluency and comprehension. As a teacher, I'm glad to know there is research backing up what is happening in my classroom. But more than that, I am delighted to see how interested the students are in stories now that they can listen and read along. I am also aware of how much the kiddos enjoy using mp3 players. There's something cool about having those nifty little electronic gadgets in their hands! They really like them!
Thank you so very, very much for being a part of this learning opportunity for my students. I can tell you they are very pleased to have such tools in the classroom--tools that make learning fun, easy, reliable, and comfortable. It pleases me too. Once again, thank you very much for making a difference in so many young lives! They're on their way to becoming better readers, speakers, listeners, and writers!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ray
Our Own Digital Stories
Funded Oct 5, 2012I would like to thank you for the digital recorders that you helped fund for my 2nd grade classroom. We are so pleased to be using these in our classroom for many reasons.
First, the impact on student learning is tremendous. My students have been able to improve their fluency in reading aloud by recording themselves and then listening to the playback. They are often surprised to hear their lack of expression and then work to improve it after listening. After a second recording (and sometimes third), they get instant feedback on their improvement. Students need this to encourage them to continue reaching higher.
In addition, I benefit in many ways as a teacher. For example, I have recordings of my students' voices, which helps me when I'm planning lessons or preparing for a conference with parents. Also, I am able to let some students who have trouble getting ideas out of their heads and onto paper record their thoughts. After playback, they write! This is a time-saver for me and allows me to work on conventions, voice, ideas, or any of the other traits of writing instead of spending too much time with kids who are "stuck." In other words, recording their thoughts and ideas helps them get "unstuck."
Finally, students are having fun while using digital technologies to enhance their learning experience. How could it get any better than that? We are currently matching students to storybooks for recording and uploading to our website. These stories will also be added to our mp3 players so that many students can benefit at the listening center. Similarly, I am beginning to upload their poetry recordings to our class blog. It tickles them to hear themselves--especially when their expression is so lovely!
All in all, these digital recorders are a wonderful addition to our classroom. The flexibility and variety they add to the students' daily routines is newsworthy, and I've shared the successes of my students with many parents and other teachers. Thank you again for supporting learning. Your kindness reaches many and will continue to do so for a long time.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ray
This classroom project was brought to life by NEA Foundation and 3 other donors.