Ms. Calo's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 5

• In Need of Upgraded Tech

  Funded Jan 18, 2022

  Thank you SO much for your generation donations. The Macbooks have been a HUGE part of our every day teaching. Planning day to day lessons are so much faster and go so much more smoothly. We've taken the kids on virtual field trips during this pandemic, and we were able to use the Macbooks to have a smooth connection, use the clear camera so the children can be seen, have amazing audio allowing the kids to hear everything, and a microphone to allow them to speak to the coordinator(s) of the trips and communicate effectively. The Macbook has also helped me, as the Special Educator, write my Individualized Education Plans for my students with special needs. I am able to write all of my narratives without any glitches and save them without the computer crashing! It really is the little things that make this job so much easier and, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for that!”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Calo

• Students Can See What I See...With A Document Camera

  Funded Sep 12, 2020

  Thank you so much for your generous donation to our remote learning class. Your donation went towards a document camera to use during our every day lessons. Remote learning and remote teaching is not easy. We, as teachers, spend so many hours prepping for our every day lessons trying to make it as hands-on and engaging as we possibly can. Writing things down on paper and holding it up to the camera expecting kids to squint their eyes at the screen to see it clearly is just miserable for both them and for us. With the addition of this document camera, the kids are able to see what I see in a crystal clear, as zoomed in as needed, way. I am able to clearly guide them through the steps to take when solving math problems. I am able to assess the students' reading levels 1-on-1 by providing them with the story right in front of them and using my finger to scan the words to keep them on track. I am able to engage them with read alouds by showing them the book, the vibrant colors of the pictures, as if they were right in front of me on the rug. This pandemic has not been easy for any of us, and being so distant from my babies makes it ten times harder as our relationships strengthen day by day. This project you guys have generously donated to our class"room", I feel, has brought us even closer. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Calo

• Cultivating Creativity with Cricut

  Funded Jan 25, 2018

  We want to thank you all so much for your generosity and your donation to this project. The Cricut has made our classroom just that more inviting, fun, and colorful. We have used the Cricut to liven up our bulletin boards, create personalized gifts for the children, add inspirational and motivational quotes to our walls, and the children even used the machine, if they chose to, to create personalized items and t-shirts of their choice. The Cricut has given us a new way to expand our creativity and make things within the classroom more visual for all of our learners. We couldn't thank you enough for bringing this new form of technology in our classroom.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Calo

  This classroom project was brought to life by The First Million Fund and 6 other donors.

• iPad mini 2 Needed to Support Students in ICT Class

  Funded Dec 6, 2015

  Wow!! The students and I are so excited that this opportunity for the students in our classroom has been made possible all because of you and your thoughtful donations! Having the iPad in our classroom has significantly helped our English Language Learners, children with special needs, and even our general education students. For our students who are learning the English language, we have introduced a new program in the classroom called Imagine Learning. Imagine Learning is an innovative language and literacy software program for ELLs, struggling readers, early childhood education, and children with special needs. It enables us teachers to quickly identify students who need more help and skills that need more work. Since our strugglers are now able to use the iPads to access this touch-screen enabled software, it is easier for us teachers to group students by skill and form instant intervention groups. The software on the iPads also gives us access to printable supporting worksheets for small-group instruction or for students to practice at home. The iPads have made a huge difference in our classroom for that reason alone. We have also used the two iPads to do research for our explorer projects, and will continue to use them with the rest of the class to give us more information for our Colonial Day projects. Once my co-teacher and I are able to get the cord that attaches the iPad to the smartboard, we will begin downloading educational games and other resources onto the iPad to incorporate into whole-group instruction.

  Again, from all of us in 4-206, thank you SO much for your generosity. We appreciate your kind hearts and willingness to help us achieve our goal. It means more to us than you already know.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Calo

  This classroom project was brought to life by Google.org and 9 other donors.

• Technology in the Classroom

  Funded Dec 17, 2014

  Thank you so much for donating funds to our classroom to enhance learning through technology. With your generous donation, we were able to get tablets and use them for a variety of activities with our students. For example, for our English language learners, we downloaded an app that included Read Along stories so our students can read along with the words on the screen while also hearing the words out loud. Our students can now experience literature and other reading selections in audio form as it reinforces and inspires literacy skills and enjoyment. Our students need to learn, and practice using, content-specific language so they can successfully learn, communicate, and extend academic content-area learning.

  This tablet has encouraged our English language learners to familiarize themselves with a large selection of nonfiction and fiction texts. Our students love to read, so this tablet has given them a new way to look at a text and enhance their vocabulary, while keeping them engaged throughout. We have also been able to turn our devices into a listening center by attaching a pair of headphones or by allowing the audio storytelling feature to be played aloud. Independently, in partnerships, and in small groups, students were able to use the read-to-me feature to hear a fluent read of the book.

  Our students have also used these tablets to enhance their research on the American Revolution. The class was divided into groups, and each group did research through texts to learn more about their topic which was based around the American Revolution. Some topics that were chosen were: Leaders during the American Revolution, Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre, Paul Revere, The Declaration of Independence, etc. While most students were able to conduct research from texts in front of them, others were disengaged and unable to focus through standardized book-researching. We tried out the tablets for researching purposes for our students who have difficulty focusing because of their individual needs. Many computer-based applications—such as the Internet, communication technologies, CD-ROM reference materials, and multimedia presentation tools—provides our students with opportunities to use their skills to engage in projects that address real-world problems. The students who used the tablets for their research on the American Revolution did so at a faster pace, and were fully engaged as they read articles and looked at images that related to their topics.

  The students are greatly appreciative for your generous donation to our classroom. They have been more excited to complete their tasks independently. They have also been asking to come up during lunch to further their learning through the use of technology. My students are completely thrilled to have the chance to be able to use these tablets for various activities and couldn't thank you enough. We appreciate your generosity and thank you for sharing your love for learning by contributing to our love for learning.”

  With gratitude,

  Ms. Calo

  This classroom project was brought to life by Kia and 5 other donors.