Past projects 211
ISTE Inspires Part 2
Funded Dec 11, 2017Two weeks ago you sent me to the conference of a lifetime. I can only imagine how it is going to impact my students. You have created a ripple effect in my classroom and I am looking forward to this fall and all the new and exciting ideas.
I can only give you a small view into my experience but through this conference I was able to meet face to face over ten teachers I have connected with for years online. This face to face connection will forever change our relationships and only make them stronger.
I am looking forward to implementing new BrainPop features that I learned about, try out new stand up desks that I was given, and ignite student excitement through so many wonderful ideas. I am currently reading two new books about student choice and engagement. Although I am still taking the summer to relax, I am so very excited for this fall.
I am thankful for every donor that gave to this project! A special shout out to Charles Schwab for matching every donation. This project wouldn't have been possible without that match. Thank you for dreaming with me and helping this dream come to life. Without YOU, this would have never been possible. Thank you for growing me as an educator and in turn impacting my students. I can't wait to show you where they go and all that we do this year! Come follow us on Twitter, @SmithTweetTales and @mrssmithingr3!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by Charles Schwab and 44 other donors.We Are Special
Funded Mar 28, 2018WOW! So amazing. This kindness lesson was spot on and so perfect for my students. This was a perfect refresher for the end of the school year. We are so excited to finish the year on the RIGHT ROAD! Paula's excitement radiates through the screen. I would recommend this program for any teacher and I look forward to hopefully having her again next year at the beginning of the year. I can now ask my students if their decision is helping them be on the right road and they immediately know the answer. Thank you for bringing this exciting program to our classroom. You are making a difference in the lives of my students and impacting who they are in the future!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
Shop To Learn, Play And Grow
Funded Apr 27, 2018For the past three weeks students have learned about economy through a classroom economy and through a mix of economic activities. We read The Get Rich Club by Dan Gutman together and learned about profit, loss, business, needs, wants, goods, services and much more. In our classroom economy students got paid in Spooner Bucks for their classroom jobs as well as attending school each day. They also had to pay for school supplies, rent their desk and hook, and even had to pay taxes. Students kept their own check register.
This past Thursday students finally exchanged their checkbook for real Spooner Bucks. They then had to plan out how to spend their money in our third grade stores, or whether to save it for classroom rewards. Students had 45 minutes to shop, and they had 45 minutes to work our classroom business. In third grade we had a toy shop called More Modern Toys, a Wii bowling and popcorn business called Strike Zone, a bakery of gourmet cookies called Frosting Lovers, and my students ran a shop called Smith DIY Necklaces + slime.
Students set up the shop, decided on jobs, and even decided on the prices. The shops were bustling and all stores had busy and slow times.
I am so thankful for the opportunity you gave my students to bring economics and money to life. Thank you for investing in a hands on activity that was so engaging and taught them so much. When my students look back on their third grade year, I am sure that the Economics Fair will be one of their favorite activities. Thank you for that. Thank you for making a lasting impact.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by Charles Schwab Foundation and 5 other donors.Spring Into Sports!
Funded May 7, 2018You are amazing. This is amazing. My students are so excited for recess every day and they are even more excited now. They are playing catch, building towers, competing in healthy bean bag toss games, learning all about basketball, volleyball, football, soccer, and baseball in their own way.
It is a beautiful sight to see 86 students joyfully playing with the equipment that they so longed for. We have had less behavior incidences since introducing this new equipment. These life skills are so vital. I get so many awesome thank yous in the hall and I happily say, "It's from amazing donors on DonorsChoose.org." They are so appreciative and can't believe they get to keep it all.
Thank you for investing in my students. Recess is such an important part in our day. It allows students to get out and run before coming back inside to focus.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by Herb Kohl Philanthropies and 46 other donors.That Bot Can Move!
Funded Apr 25, 2018On Thursday we opened up our boxes from DonorsChoose.org. The students were immediately excited and immediately wanted to start using our new robots, Botley! I informed them that they needed batteries, but that I would have them ready for them in time for MakerSpace the next day.
The exposure to different kinds of coding and different kinds of robots is key. On Friday we had Botley all ready to go. They built, designed, and problem-solved different ways to use Botley. They raced the two robots. My favorite part? I watched my students interact Dash, BB-8 and Sphero with Botley. They can't wait to do more with them. They also discovered how to use one remote for two Botleys.
Thank you Learning Resources for such a wonderful match that would bring such a simple coding activity to my students. Thank you for helping me to create future computer programmers and engineers. They will forever be impacted.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by Learning Resources and 2 other donors.MUSICians for life!
Funded Mar 27, 2018Coding Jam is a new student favorite. I love hearing the songs coming from each small group and I love it even more that I know that they coded and created that song. Osmos Coding Jam gives my students another opportunity to bring music into our classroom. It makes me so excited that music and science are incorporated together! The cases make it so nice for students to get their iPads ready for Osmos quickly! Our students got wind that we had recorders to give them as a surprise after their May concert and they are so excited. They'll be able to continue their practice over the summer and get even better at their songs. I'm working on getting all the music copied and ready for them. I love hearing them practice their songs for the spring concert. In a few weeks they'll get to share their songs with elders at the local nursing home. I can't wait for them to share this experience with them. Thank you for supporting my students during Music in Our Schools Month! Music is so important and I love that I am able to include so much music into classroom. You have inspired future musicians.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple and 17 other donors.Smith Alive
Funded Feb 8, 2018Tadpoles, hermit crabs, plants, and more! Thank you so very much for bringing this project to life.
Friday was one of my favorite days of the year. We delivered our painted pots to 40 local businesses! This week was state testing and our students were able to paint their pots and plant their plants during our non-testing time. It was a perfect stress reliever and they loved it so much! For two hours we walked around our downtown business district and delivered these plants. It was amazing to see our students interact with business owners and the joy and excitement that filled their face as my students said, "Happy Earth Day!" I am so thankful that my students were able to learn more about our little town while also giving back. Thank you for giving them one of their favorite days of the year too!
Our tadpoles and new hermit crabs are definitely a huge delight in our classroom. They had so much fun coming up with names. Mr. Moss, Mr. Spike, Shadey, and Sandy are already at home with our other hermit crabs. We are patiently awaiting them switching shells.
Our largest tadpoles is called, "Big Belly Grandpa," and we've been waiting to name our smaller ones until they get a little bigger. We can't wait to see their life cycles advance! This first stage is already so exciting.
Thank you for making hands on learning a reality in our classroom. These are experiences they will not forget. I can't wait to see where my students go from here. You are changing their view of learning and I am so thankful for that. Keep the ripple going!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by UPS Foundation and 8 other donors.Spring Us Forward
Funded Mar 27, 2018It is amazing what a new set of Magformers, Legos, flair pens, and sharpies will do. My students were so excited for their freshness and it was perfect timing with state testing. They quickly decided to create a Ferris wheel using the Magformers. The Legos became cars and worked together with our Dash robots. These Legos will be used for so many future MakerSpace moments!
The lamination created beautiful geniuses for our doors and will laminate so many other neat things before the school year is over. My students were most excited to try out the Versatiles and already LOVE using them during our math centers. It excites me to have something that they truly enjoy doing and learn so much from. I also love how they can self correct their work using the puzzles.
Thank you for investing in these simple, but so necessary items for our classroom. They have already made such a BIG difference. I so appreciate you! Thank you for helping end our year with success!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by UPS Foundation and 37 other donors.More Magical MakerSpace
Funded Feb 13, 2018Tomorrow is my students' favorite day! It is double science day, which means they get one full hour of MakerSpace. They'll get out the hot glue guns, unplug the robots, pull out the Legos, get all the creation station bins off the shelf, and decide which center will allow them to design, create, and build their imagination!
For the past few weeks my students have been blessed with new items to add to our MakerSpace and refill our bins. The clay, colored hot glue sticks, duct tape, and craft sticks are some of their favorite materials during MakerSpace. I love seeing their creations and designs come to life. I've seen dice, new inventions, turtles, and more built right in front of my eyes!
Next week during state testing we are taking some of the stress off by hosting a Genius Hour. During this Genius Hour students will be creating a diorama based on a biome of their choice. They will take information that they've gathered to design and build a life-like model of the biome. They'll create animals and plants to add into their biome. I know these materials will again come in handy. I'm not sure what we would do if our creation station materials ran out. MakerSpace and these materials have become a vital part of our classroom.
Thank you for giving my students the chance to reach their full potential as a person through problem solving, teamwork, and creative design. Thank you for exciting them to become even better engineers, artists, and designers! Your impact on my classroom will be felt for years beyond this year.
A special shout out to Infosys and 3M Gives for continuing to impact so many classrooms in so many schools around the nation. You are continuing to keep science alive!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by Infosys Foundation USA and 28 other donors.Bump, Set, Spike Again!
Funded Mar 12, 2018These balls and cart have already making a world of difference. We have over 70 girls 4th - 8th out for volleyball this spring and because some of our teams practice at our elementary school it is nice for them to have their own cart and balls. Our girls show up for practice excited and ready to learn about teamwork, basic skills, and how to love the game of volleyball. Their excitement and joy comes through each and every practice. Thank you for teaming up with our youth programs and showing them just how much you care. We would not be able to do near as much without you! It seems so simple, but a cart and balls show EVERY player is important!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa Smith
This classroom project was brought to life by DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation - Sports Matter and 3 other donors.