Past projects 71
21st Century Listening Center (Part 2)
Funded Oct 8, 2010Our new books on CD are fantastic!
My students love being able to quickly and easily get back to the beginning of the story to listen to it a second time. Not having to rewind between each center is keeping us on track and focused.
Best of all, our pitiful supply of books on tape has been supplemented by wonderful new stories. All of my students love listening to stories. Listening to stories helps to build their fluency and reading skills.
Thank you all for your generosity and support. Thanks to you 27 wonderful second graders are able to enjoy 21st century materials. ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Keenan
This classroom project was brought to life by Donor and 10 other donors.21st Century Listening Center (Part 1)
Funded Oct 4, 2010Thank you for your incredibly generous gifts to my classroom. This year I am the lucky teacher of 27 students. My students speak over 14 different languages at home and over 85% of them receive free or reduced lunch.
They loved getting the brand new CD player with the wireless headphones. The wireless headphones mean students can effortlessly start listening to a book, as there are no cumbersome wires to untangle.
Using the CD player is also effortless for my students. They press play and go. No more rewinding tapes to find that they have broken!
Listening to books is a favorite activity of students in my class. With your help we are now able to listen to stories in a 21st century way.
Thank you for your generosity and support!!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Keenan
Reading Rocks
Funded Jul 16, 2010The reading games and activities arrived last week and my students couldn't wait to see what was in the box! When they saw the new games they got SO excited.
We have begun playing the different games and the students don't even realize that they are working on learning sight words!
Each year my students become more diversified in their reading levels. This year I have students who are just learning to read all the way to students reading two years above their grade level! The sight word board games cover the very first sight words through the third grade sight words. Having high quality, fun activities for all my students to use is incredible.
Reading word families and sight words help students by improving their reading skills. Your gifts have provided my students with fantastic activities to help throughout the school year!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Keenan
Build Our Brains With BrainPOP Jr.
Funded Aug 21, 2010As soon as my students see the Brain Pop, Jr. page appear through the projector they all edge up on their knees. "Brain Pop!" they whisper to one another, excited to see what they will learn about through this video.
Annie and the very funny robot, Moby, have taught my students about short vowel sounds, what a map key is, how maps work and what landforms are. The students listen very closely to Annie and Moby (much closer than they listen to me!).
Students have also later reviewed the videos on their own to really understand the topics. Our next unit of study is the human body and there are great videos and activities to be enjoyed from Brain Pop, Jr.
Your gift has helped bring an incredible resource in to my classroom. My students are excited to learn in this format and Brain Pop, Jr. provides amazing resources to supplement our learning. Thank you for your help in keeping my classroom an exciting place to learn!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Keenan
Can You Hear Me Now?
Funded Sep 9, 2010My school year is off to a fantastic start! Twenty eight second graders have found their place in our classroom community.
Students love to read to themselves and others, especially when they can do it without bothering anyone else! This year my students are going to participate in Buddy Reading during centers thanks to the Whisper Phones that facilitate partner grouping. It is so nice not to hear my students shush each other out of frustration.
More importantly, students can hear themselves read aloud. This builds fluency and comprehension, which are crucial skills for being a great reader. All of my students, particularly my English Language Learners, benefit from being able to read aloud.
A quality learning environment is crucial for students to get the best education and with your generous gifts my students have a wonderful (and quiet) place to learn!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Keenan
Building Language With a Laptop!
Funded Aug 8, 2010Thank you for your continued support of my classroom.
This year each of my students will get to use the computer daily. That would not be possible without your generous support.
Learning in the 21st century must involve utilizing technology. By the end of the year my students will be able to create digital stories, a wiki page and Voicethreads. They will also learn how to operate and troubleshoot computers. These are crucial skills for students in the 21st century.
Throughout their process in making digital creations they will also develop their reading and writing skills. All of this is made possible by you--thank you!!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Keenan
Will I Get to Use the Computer Today?
Funded Jun 27, 2010Thank you for your very generous gifts to my classroom! We have had a fantastic start to the school year. One of the best things so far is that every time one of my twenty eight students ask me, "will I get to use the computer today?" I get to answer "yes!"
Teaching English Language Learners means that I need to be creative to bring as many ways as possible for them to read, write and speak. Our class has been creating a wiki where students can post messages and reply to other people's messages. Writing in this way is a fun alternative to traditional paper and pencil writing.
Your generous gifts are making a tremendous impact on a wonderful group of second graders!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Keenan
Hearing Makes Happy Learners!
Funded May 26, 2010If you want to see a student's eyes light up, all you have to do is let them know that it is their turn with the Leap Frog Tag Reader. Students listen to stories and interact with the text all through the use of the Tag Reader. Your gift of two tag readers means that each of my students gets to use a Tag Reader each week!
Peering in to my classroom windows would also let you see students listening to a book on tape and working on laptops. They all have headphones that protect their ears with plentiful padding and help them actually hearing what they are working on!
My second graders, many of whom are English Language Learners, benefit greatly from hearing the text that they are reading. Your very generous gifts have helped provide a classroom where students benefit from building their auditory and reading skills in fun ways!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Keenan
Make It Last!
Funded Apr 16, 2010Thank you for the incredible gift of my classroom laminator. Since I have gotten the laminator I have been laminating everything possible and it has had an immediate impact on my classroom. Games that I had been nervous to allow the students to use (they were cardstock) have quickly become new favorites now that they're laminated!
Seven and eight year olds can be rough on the classroom and its materials, especially students who are excited to learn. My students enjoy school and learning and thanks to your support they (and my future second graders) will have more durable and long lasting materials!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Keenan
Students LOVE to find the books they LOVE
Funded Mar 4, 2010My classroom library has become the pride and joy of my classroom. Before the mismatched bins caused confusion between myself and the students. None of my students knew where to return their books because it was not clear for them. Now, my classroom library is beautiful and my students know exactly where each book goes.
Second grade is an important year for readers, especially the many English Language Learners that I teach. My love for reading is something that I work to instill in my students. Once they find an author that they like students want to read more of that author's books. Thanks to your generous gifts, my students know exactly where to find their favorite books.
Thank you for supporting literacy (and organization!) in my classroom.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Keenan