Mrs. Coward's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 10

• Welcome Back to School Decorations!

  Funded Aug 7, 2024

  Thank you very much for your support, my students. The students are so grateful for your help making their classroom a lovely place to enter. It is also a place where they feel welcomed, safe, and therapeutic. The students are happy to learn in an environment where lights and materials fill the room, making their classroom an exceptional place to learn.

  You helped give my students the materials they needed for a therapeutic classroom. Because of your generous donations, the classroom is filled with materials supporting their writing. The students' writing center is filled with Post-it notes, colored pencils, pens, pencils, and erasers. The lights you bought for the students are on the walls, which lights up their classroom library area. Each day, the materials you contributed to the students are used to write summaries, highlight the main/central idea, create graphic organizers, and annotate a text.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Coward

• Give Books to Our Book Club!

  Funded Oct 22, 2023

  As a teacher, reading as part of a book club enables me and my school to create an environment where my students can read numerous books, ask questions, and learn among their peers. The students are provided an environment where they can discuss what they read, develop ideas about what they read, and enhance their understanding. It's also an excellent opportunity to engage with students by looking into the deeper meanings of texts and exploring new theories. It is also wonderful to help students discuss their favorite book parts each time.

  In addition, our book club allows my students to share recommendations on texts they enjoy using a "Book Report" organizer, which helps them tell other readers about the book and if they would recommend it. Students can choose different books that appeal to their interests, work in small groups, and participate in "Book Group" when they read the same books. These small group activities allow students to change partners after every book, encouraging relationship-building.

  Since you have provided the students with a range of genres and titles, my students can choose books they love the most, which also means they're more likely to be more engaged with their book reading. Thank you for donating to my book club for all these reasons. Thanks for your kindness. The students and I appreciate your generosity.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Coward

  This classroom project was brought to life by A Donor Who Loves Teachers and 9 other donors.

• Help Students Write Poems, Literary and Information Essays!

  Funded Oct 8, 2022

  Before I start writing about how impactful your donation was for the students, let me say, Thank You in advance.

  Now, let me explain how the students are using their new resources. The students use the resources you donated to help them write short and extended response essays. For example, the students recently read the text "The Watson Go to Birmingham" by Christorpher Curtis and had to write a five-paragraph explanatory essay about the book. Using the materials, you donated to the students, they were able to write exemplary essays with your help.

  For example, the students use their colored paper, pens, pencils, highlighters, post-it notes, and other materials to read, annotate, and write their five-paragraph essays. My students' ability to write numerous summaries throughout their learning has been enhanced because of your donations. The students' essay writing has been displayed in the hallways of our school, and the students are super proud of their work.

  I hope you see how your donations are helping to improve students' ability to read, write and grow as scholars. Continue to give and support teachers and their students. Keep giving because we need people like you.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Coward

  This classroom project was brought to life by Smarties Candy Company and 3 other donors.

• Headphones Are Essential to Students' Learning in Math and Science!

  Funded Sep 21, 2022

  First, let me say thank you for your donation to my students. We have been quite busy because the students are using the headphones you donated to them for testing. The students are using their new technology to listen and follow directions given to them during testing.

  Concentrate. The students love using their new headphones in technology. Our new headphones are used daily to listen to audiobooks and recorded materials geared to help them follow instructions. Students use their headphones to block out the noise in their surroundings and help them concentrate.

  Many of the students are struggling readers, and they need headphones to help them listen to audiobooks. For example, I will call her AG if we have a new student. AG is unique to our country, and she doesn't speak English at all. Having the new headphones allows me to give AG the headphone to listen to words from Spanish to English. I also have a student who is reading far below grade level. To support his decoding and comprehension of grade-level texts, he uses headphones to listen to the reader while he reads a hard copy of the exact text. All because you donated to our class. Thank you.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Coward

  This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and 19 other donors.

• We Need Keyboards! Make it Possible to get Computer Keyboards.

  Funded May 3, 2022

  As you might be aware, many donors like you use technology at home, work, and in everyday life. Unfortunately, not all of our students are as advantageous as you. Sometimes the only place students have opportunities to interact with technology is in the classroom. Often students are using dated technology with missing parts. Our old computer keyboards and mouses were just like that; missing keys or not moving around the computer the way they should because of the wear and tear of everyday use. Due to your generous donation of computer keyboards and mouses, students can now navigate the internet, create documents, and do assignments in the Google Classroom.

  What is more exciting about the computer keyboards and mouses you donated to the students is that now the students are working with updated materials. The students are using their new keyboards and mouses to learn. There are no missing keys on the keyboards, and their mouses can move from one area of the internet without the students having to bang them to get them to work. There is less frustration navigating the internet for our special-needs students because the keyboards and mouses are easy to use and cater to their needs. I wish you could see how much the students can now get to assignments with reassurance and effortlessly; that is a joy to see. None of this would be possible without your generous, kind heart and commitment to leaving the world better than you found it, and I am grateful for that. Keep giving and making the lives of others. Continue to support schools and students like mine. We would not be the same without people like you.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Coward

  This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 2 other donors.

• Chromebooks Help Facilitate Reading, Writing, and Discovering!

  Funded Feb 6, 2022

  I cannot express your impact on my students with your donations. First, let me say thanks for your generous contributions in the form of our Chromebook. The students are learning to use technology to help them improve their academic outcomes. The students use technology to access their science, social studies, math, and ELA classes. Without technology, students cannot take assessments (Mostly done on electronic devices), participate in virtual learning, or learn how to use technology consequentially. In science, students experiment on their devices by changing the temperature to see how heat affects items, piecing together puzzles to complete mazes, or visiting faraway places virtually. Students use technology to conduct research about topics they are interested in and write their perspectives about the social issues they are passionate about.

  Our new Chromebooks are most exciting to my students because they each have their own now. The students no longer have to borrow devices from other teachers. The students are excited to see their names on their Chromebooks. Each period in ELA, students would go to the computer cart to take their computers and go into their virtual classroom to work. It is lovely to see the pride that comes across the students' faces as they use their Chromebooks to write in the electronic journals and search the Web to find articles they can use to write short or extended response essays. Students can participate in group assignments with other students hundreds of miles away. Excitement is evident on their faces as they discover pictures from the internet to put on their interactive notebooks or create a Google Slide or Powerpoint Chromebooks.

  For some students, navigating the internet and technology has been challenging; they didn't trust their ability to use them or to find them help or rewarding to use. I have seen how students who were initially timid to use their Chromebooks grow to love them. They preferred to use the traditional paper and pen method for writing. Over time though, they witnessed the other students' work on the Chromebooks; they saw their friends copying and pasting great pictures and inserting videos into slideshows. They started to see how easier it is to save a document in Google Docs and not worry about losing it. Gradually, my technologically timid students started to warm up to the Chromebooks and use their devices to help them learn. The students helped each other navigate those devices and their applications. Each one was teaching one. I am happy to report that every student in my classroom has been using technology to learn in my class within the last month. Thank you now and always! The Chromebooks you donated to the students will continue to build their knowledge and go to the next class, the next class, etc. Your humanitarianism will live through these students for the rest of their lives and benefit the incoming 6th grades for the 2022-2023 school year in the same way. Many thanks!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Coward

• Help Me Foster A Love Of Reading In My Students!

  Funded Sep 7, 2021

  We often do not get the chance to thank the people who do simple things for us. We mean to, but we forget because we are inundated with the issues of life. Today is not the case, and we couldn't walk away without saying thank you for your generosity. I wanted to start my book club for students who couldn't afford many of the books, didn't have access to a local library, or who had little exposure to books and home, and you came through for them. I want you to know that before any students knew what I was doing (Started the book club), they took a survey informing me about their access to and love or lack of passion for books. The students were invited to join our "Two Sisters Book Club" based on their passion and interests in books.

  We started our book club with only five students, not we have fifteen students coming to my lunchroom each day to read for an hour. Your donation to my classroom of books from different genres and authors has made it possible for my students transformed each afternoon. Students go on a journey each day to places only a book can take them. We learned about the Great Depression during the 1920s and about a little boy searching for a place to call home in "Bud, Not Buddy." Students get to read, form lasting friendships, make text-to-text and text-to-life connections in our books. Students get to participate in informed discussion, wait and take turns, and empathize with the charters and their experiences each time they read. Our next book will be Kwame Alexander's "The Crossover." We can't wait to continue to read the rest of our books.

  You are the reason for our book club! You and your generous way of giving to strangers. You don't understand how much reading the books you've donated to use has impacted the students. The students look forward to coming and reading each day. Thank you for being so kind to my students. You have opened the doors to the world of different cultures, languages, traditions, and nations to my students, and I thank you from my heart. Continue being who you are, Kind, supportive, selfless, and super generous.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Coward

  This classroom project was brought to life by The Allstate Foundation and one other donor.

• Help Build Our Classroom Library

  Funded May 6, 2018

  I believe that it's important to have books for children of all ethnic groups, especially young, and black children, to relate to. As a teacher who is constantly working to find books that my multiply cultured students can read and relate to. It was a joy to create this project and to have you give with such willing hearts. For example, I believe that a classroom's library should consist of the following...

  Books about people that represent different languages, cultures, and ethnicity's. Books about different cultures, immigrant and refugee experiences. A classroom library should have books about different lifestyles, family structure, and across multiply generation. A library should have books that portray children with disabilities positively, energetically, and capable, main characters. I also believe that a classroom's library should have books that display female characters in progressive, active roles that destroy gender stereotypes. Finally, I believe that classroom's library should have books that feature men of color in a positive light with opportunities to serve as heroes and in roles as fathers, uncle, granddad and/or friend.

  Our country, classrooms and cultures are changing. Therefore, we must grow and develop with the changing times. The books you help purchase for the students will help them to recognize such changes, and eventually, help them become kinder Americans and world citizens. Your generosity towards us and the great amount of books you bought for our library with help us to start building such a library.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Coward

• Integrating Technology In Our Classroom!

  Funded Feb 11, 2017

  It is with gratitude that I write to you. You are some of the kindest people to walk our earth. Sometimes it is difficult to get to know generous people like you. Although you've never met my students and some of you have never met me as a teacher or as an individual you opened your arms to all of us in X01. How is it possible that you are so kind towards the students in my class, willing to support them even though you do not know them? Where did this desire to give so freely and generously? Your generosity and kind ways have really impacted my students and for that I am grateful.

  When our classroom SMART Board stopped working we were filled with respire. We had become so dependent on the smart board because it is vital to the students' learning. When the bulb blew out we worry that we might not be able to afford a new one. We did not know where to turn and we were in disbelief that we might have to resort back to a traditional white board. For more than two months we did not have our SMART Board while we waited for you to kindly help purchase a new one for us. We had to use paper and dry-eraser markers to write, which we often ran out of. It was difficult to hold the students attentions or to get them involved in coming up to the board to write or to share.

  Finally and fortunately, two week ago the bulb/lamp that you so generously helped to purchase for the class came to us. You should have been there to hear the shouts of pure joy that came out of the students as the screamed, "Yeah."

  Now because of your openhandedness I am filled with pride as the students in the classroom can once again do the following with their SMART Board.

  I can adapt the screen itself, using a pen or a highlighting tool. The smart board touch screen feature to run programs directly from the screen merely by tapping the application with my finger and even makes scrolling easy. Students are once again able to come and write important points on the SMART Board. Once again I am able to help my students gain digital and presentation skills by taking turns manipulating the SMART Board. Once again my students are able to respond better to instruction especially if it includes movement and hands-on action, such as getting up to answer a question or demonstrating how to use a tool on the SMART Board. Having the smart board working again the students are also respond well to the imaginative graphics that are much easier for a large group to view on a large screen. The students are able to once more demonstrate their knowledge by taking multiple-choice tests with the help of SMART Board. Now that we have it again I can help the students understand that the Smart Board is tomorrow's technology and is certain to change the look of our classrooms. Having the Smart Boards in the classroom is helping my students stay ahead with technology that could make their education process simpler and perhaps even more productive. None of this would be possible without your generosity, so THANK YOU.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Coward

• Using Technology to Enhance Students Academic Success

  Funded Dec 5, 2013

  Hello everyone,

  Thanks for your great kindness towards my students and I. You really are a unique bunch of people, and the world would be a better place if we had more generous people like you. Your contribution(s) will help my students acquire the projector and projector screen that is desperately needed for learning. The students will learn how to use their new projector and screen to learn about rocks, the weather, natural disasters, pollution, global warming and other scientific ideas. They will visit new worlds, looking for places that are unique only for that regions such as mountains, waterfalls, volcanoes, oceans, and out of space. They will view PowerPoint Presentations, open documents, and make presentations with their peers using their new projector and projector screen.

  None of this would be possible without your generous kindness. Before applying to Donors Choose, I had no idea how I was going to get a projector and projector screen for my students. I am humbled by your kindness and commitment to improve the lives of America's students. The students and I will use the projector and projector screen to improve learning and goodwill among each other.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Coward