Past projects 22
Tech Tools of Success
Funded Apr 17, 2019I would like to express my gratitude for your support in these projects. We have so many resources that can be targeted to the specific needs of individual students, but when we lack the technology or the technology is having issues due to age and wear on the device it makes it difficult to teach using these resources. Your support ensures that students will have access to the resources they need for success, with the technology being an asset rather than a liability.
I appreciate all of those who are willing to give of themselves to help students with significant needs. Your support will go a long way toward helping them find a little more success in their learning.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Yardley
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and one other donor.Scratching the Surface of Ability!
Funded Mar 18, 2019The devices purchased with your generous donations will support student learning in a variety of ways. Its primary purpose is to be used with and assessment system that makes it easy to monitor students progress towards goals on a frequent basis. The data received from these assessments help us fine-tune our instruction to help students reach their greatest potential. In addition to the assessment systems, the touch device can be used to make educational software and websites more accessible to students who struggle with fine motor control to use a touchpad or mouse. This will be a powerful tool in helping us succeed in the classroom.
Thank you so much for assisting us in helping these students with significant challenges. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Yardley
This classroom project was brought to life by Microsoft Corporation and 4 other donors.Calming the Storm
Funded Oct 26, 2018Thank you so much for your generosity in helping my students. While your gift has helped many of my students in many ways, I would like to focus on the progress of one student. In the first part of the year, the ability to focus for this student was so diminished that he was unable to complete more than a few problems in the given time on a math program. Using the tools you provided and a little instruction on controlling focus he has gradually improved to a point that he is actually learning at a pace that he can catch up to his peers. Up to the point that we received the materials he had completed one and a half units in the math program. That has been gradually improving and now in the last two weeks, he has finished four units. The materials you provided have helped this student and many more to calm the storm in their mind and gain control over their focus and ability to get things done. Thank you! you are changing lives.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Yardley
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose.org Community and 3 other donors.Individual Education for Expanded Horizons
Funded Jan 25, 2018I would like to thank everyone who donated for these computers. These computers provide a great benefit to our students and open up students to many great learning opportunities. I would like to explain a few of the ways that you have helped to improve and expand the learning of these special students.
First we use these computers to assess and track progress weekly on each students individual goals. For students that have had little success in the traditional classroom, watching their own progress as the progress steadily moves toward their goal brings a much needed boost in confidence.
Second, The students work in a variety of programs that have instruction directly targeted at their level and needs. It helps fill in learning gaps, and helps them progress toward their goals. By adding more computers we are seeing much greater gains in students performance especially in reading. I have one student that was almost two grade levels behind her class, and with personal instruction and the help of a phonetics based reading program, she is nearly on grade level now.
Finally the pen tool, touch interface, and audio tools provide a great deal of accessibility for many of my struggling students. It has helped students improve fine motor skills, and made programs accessible for students that lacked the meter skills necessary to use a mouse. Voice recognition in Windows 10 has made it possible for students to express their ideas through writing.
Thank you again for supporting my classroom. You will never know how much of a difference you have made in the lives of these students.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Yardley
This classroom project was brought to life by The First Million Fund and 2 other donors.Fire Up Reading!
Funded Aug 29, 2016The Kindle fires you have donated have made a significant impact on student learning. It is fun to hear some of my reluctant readers get excited about the books that are now accessible to them. Using the audio book with the kindle book students are able to follow along with the words being highlighted as they listen. The vocabulary that they have been exposed to has increased significantly.
I have seen improved fluency in our day to day reading assessments, and I expect to see significant improvements in end of year testing as well. Thank you for providing the support needed to open up the world of great books to struggling readers.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Yardley
Kinect With Learning (Overcoming Challenging Behavior)
Funded Aug 22, 2015I would like to thank all of those people who made this grant possible. The audience that this is serving is a group of students who face significant challenges when it comes to learning and adapting to the school environment. Positive reinforcements of many sorts can be used, but the time used on the Xbox is very motivating for this group of students. I have one student in particular where everything else we tried has failed. They had simply given up on school and refused to do any more work. Using candy, treasure box toys, time away, meetings with parents, modifying assignments, and many other techniques have failed. Using Xbox time at the end of the week when he has completed a certain number of assignments has gotten him moving again. The progress is slow, but still moving forward.
We're also beginning to use fitness apps to encourage some of our ADHD students to exercise a little bit more. When they start the day with exercise it's amazing how much more focused they become. I generally like to have them get outside to exercise, but we live in a cold climate and that becomes impossible during the winter months. With the Xbox we have no problem keeping kids active and focused year-round.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Yardley
Frogs Hopping up the Mountain of Success
Funded Nov 10, 2014Learning can and should be fun. Review however often is not very fun. Fortunately though with the right tools review and practice can be the most fun part of the week. The tools provided for in this grant are games and fun center based math and language practice, that have made our classroom practice and review fun and exciting.
Students work on the centers through the week and often help each other in figuring out answers to the questions. These questions are key grammar and mathematical concepts that they need to be successful in the future. The format of the programs does not have a lot boring repetition so it stays fresh and fun for the students.
The games are played every Friday, and the kids love it. It comes in a variety of levels so students can feel successful, and sometimes be very challenged. These games are trivia like games that cover key language, math and critical thinking skills.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Yardley
A Bargain for the Success to Come!
Funded Aug 24, 2014I would like to express my thanks to the many people involved in helping this project succeed. Because of this project we were able to keep a Windows Lab working in our classroom. With this lab each child has access to the websites that we use to support learning in the classroom. It has been amazing to see the progress that students have been making in the short time when we have had this system has been very encouraging.
The computers are now running a more modern and secure operating system, that allows me to better manage the students work on the machines. The rest of our computers are chrome books, and while they are very nice and do most things we need, they do not do everything they need to. By keeping our Windows computers we can run software that is very helpful and effective.
The students love their schedule, and using technology in our classroom. I had a student get very excited when he received 95% on a quiz that was on his level. This child struggles and is significantly behind the class. Most of the time his scores are closer to 20% because the regular grade level materials are simply beyond his ability at this time. His enthusiasm for learning has increased, and he is rapidly moving up and beginning to close the gap between him and his peers. Technology in our classroom is changing lives for the better.
Thank you all for your support in making the lives of my students a little bit better.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Yardley
This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation Back To School and 4 other donors.High Tech Express to Success
Funded May 13, 2014We now have a computer in the hands of every child in our classroom! That is an amazing and powerful statement. We not have no limitations in making sure that each child has the tools they need to perform at the best of their capability. Through careful instruction and guidance our students can go at a paces that matches their ability in math, language, science, spelling and more. In addition to the practice sites we also open their world to a virtually unlimited amount of information. Best of all they now have access to tools that give them many ways to share their learning and creativity. While the computers alone will not change everything about how they learn, it provides us with a great tool to help us in making a better learning experience for our children.
This powerful change in our classroom is only possible because of your generous donations. My students and I want to express our gratitude for your generosity. Thank You!
Achieving greatness in the classroom is not only possible, but is now happening. Please keep giving to make even more amazing things happening.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Yardley
This classroom project was brought to life by 100 Women in Hedge Funds and 8 other donors.Exploration Packs & Discovery Resources
Funded Sep 4, 2013I am grateful for the donation to the classroom. The kids are very excited to take the discovery backpacks and explore the world around them. It allows them to discover the native habitats both near our home, and for some students a little further away. It is fun for them to come back and share what they have learned and discovered. The Microscope has been fantastic for them to look more closely at the things they collected, and being attached to a computer monitor makes it easy for these younger kids to see clearly and share their findings with others.
As a bonus we are finding many other uses for the equipment provided. It has helped us in exploring other subjects that I didn't originally plan on. For example when we are looking at the different rock types we can actually show the difference in the particles that make metamorphic and sedimentary rock.
Your generous gift has done some amazing things to make the learning experience for these kids more exciting and memorable. Thank You!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Yardley
This classroom project was brought to life by Kia Motors America and 13 other donors.