Mr. Tortora's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 10

• A Few Loose Ends

  Funded Sep 24, 2021

  Thank you for taking the time to donate to my classroom. My students love having the resources you provided them this year.

  First my students received mice for their computers. It helps them navigate around much easier than using the trackpad on the laptop. They are able to quickly use the computer as efficiently as possible.

  Secondly my students received a great assortment of books just below the 5th grade reading level. This level of book was a little lacking in our classroom library but now they have a great selection to help them become better readers and hopefully get to grade level before June. Thank you for always supporting my classroom.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Tortora

• Reading and Learning Spanish and English

  Funded Oct 22, 2020

  Thank you for donating to my project. This is the first year that I am teaching ELL student and at a level where they are first learning English. I have a large English library in my classroom but didn't have any books for my students that are learning English. These books have served 2 purposes in my classroom. They have allowed the on grade level English learners an opportunity to read popular books in their native language and they have allowed my below grade level learners to slowly learn the English language by reading basic level books.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Tortora

  This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Donor and 2 other donors.

• Maneuver Around the Online Classroom

  Funded Sep 16, 2020

  Our school has always had a 1:1 program for students with Chromebooks but we have never used them the way we have this year during Covid. Having students maneuver using the Chromebook trackpad can be so difficult it has become much easier to do now with computer mice. Students can create and control their computer much better now and don't have to struggle to get around the internet on the small Chromebook screens. Thank you so much for donating to our project. My students were so excited to be able to have access to mice!”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Tortora

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose 20th Anniversary Fund and 4 other donors.

• Help Us Leave B3 During Covid

  Funded Sep 16, 2020

  Thank you so much for providing the funds for these VR sets. I was excited to get these and use them with my students but didn't realize how amazingly they would incorporate into my class lessons. There are so many expeditions that my students can go on and I can quickly look up while we are in the middle of a lesson. We have been going on a lot of virtual field trips but have also looked up different things as we learn in science and social studies. The students are amazed to get to experience these things in the middle of our lessons!”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Tortora

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose 20th Anniversary Fund and 6 other donors.

• Reading What You Want From a Screen

  Funded Jul 28, 2020

  This project has been awesome! I am able to put students in book clubs and easily assign books to them to read. Students love reading on the books and also enjoy being able to get new books instantly as they finish reading. I have ELL Students and these Kindles have been awesome in being able to share Spanish copies of the same book students are reading in English. Thank you so much for helping fund this project and getting these Kindles in the hands of my awesome 5th grade class, this is a different school year for them for sure but this is one thing making reading a little easier.”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Tortora

• Read, Read, Read All About It!

  Funded Aug 23, 2017

  I have a great class that has a lot of diversity in it. They come from very different home lives. Some students have books to read at home and have a variety of stories that parents read to them and they can read to practice skills. Other students in my class have a very limited amount of books to read and sometimes can become very unmotivated to read. These graphic novels are awesome! My kids love to read them and are very interested in what they are all about. I can send them home with the children that don't have books to read and they love sharing them with their parents!!!”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Tortora

  This classroom project was brought to life by TOON Books and 3 other donors.

• Ink For Our Chromebooks!

  Funded Mar 29, 2017

  Thank you for your donation to my classroom for our printer. My students love using Chromebooks for different class activities. Chromebooks are very simple to use computers that give my students access to the Internet and a special website we use in school called "Google Classroom"

  Before having our class printer my students would type work and do activities on the computer but would never be able to print or publish classwork onto paper. Your donations have allowed my students the ability to print and publish work that they have done online in our Google Classroom.

  My students now select assignments that they have worked especially hard on and can print to publish them.

  Thank you for allowing my students to have this technology inside the classroom!”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Tortora

  This classroom project was brought to life by Aspect Ventures and 8 other donors.

• iTV needed for You and ME!

  Funded Jan 26, 2014

  My students are very excited to hear that our project was fully funded for our own Apple Tv. The students know what opportunity they now have and can't wait for the mail to arrive with our new class technology.

  Students are excited to not only use the applications that I select at school but they are ready to download the same apps at home to reinforce what they have seen/learned in the classroom too.

  Having this technology has opened up a whole new dimension to my teaching. I have now been given a endless supply of resources to help support any lesson that I teach in the classroom. I will now have access to massive amounts of apps, itunes videos and documentaries on Netflix. That you so much for your support for education!”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Tortora

• LIVE from the Red Carpet, Mr T's 5th Grade

  Funded Oct 8, 2013

  Thank you for donating to my class project. My students are in love with the new rug and cannot wait to be called to sit for group lessons. They hang out and read during independent reading time on it as well. It is going to be a perfect addition to my classroom and make the kids feel comfortable to be in my classroom. It is very easy to see what students are engaged when they are all sitting together on the floor during my whole group lessons. It gets them out of their seats and ready to learn! You are all awesome and my students and I Thank You for being so generous”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Tortora

  This classroom project was brought to life by CA Technologies and 7 other donors.

• Reaching ALL Readers

  Funded Feb 10, 2013

  Thank you for the donation to my classroom. My students were so excited to have new books to read that were on their reading level. The struggling readers loved that there were chapter books that they could read, while the above level readers received books that challenged their reading abilities. The books received were also beneficial during small guided reading lessons. My new incoming students will be reading these books for years to come. Thank you again for your support in providing children with what they need to succeed!”

  With gratitude,

  Mr. Tortora