Past projects 21
Safety First for SEL
Funded Mar 23, 2021What an amazing addition to our classroom. As we began back in-person, there was no way for me to exit the classroom if needing to make copies. The in-class printer allowed me to be there for my students and for me to make quick copies for individual learning. Lessons where before we shared materials, now needed individual copies or printouts for each student. The in-class printer allows me to immediately make separate copies and also print out PDFs of reading materials and visuals for lessons. The students didn't even notice the added step to keeping the lessons flowing. They were just thankful to be learning in person. As long as we had individual materials for each student, we could be in-person and back to our usual learning. Thank you donors for supporting our students' learning and for supporting teachers' efforts to keep our kids healthy and safe.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Loeser
This classroom project was brought to life by Allstate Foundation and 3 other donors.With a Breath of Fresh Air
Funded Mar 22, 2021What a wonderful addition to our in-person hybrid classroom. The students were already hesitant with school opening, yet they were so excited to return to in-person. It was important for me to create an environment were students didn't need to focus on the safety and health of the classroom, but on their social emotional state and their academics from learning loss. They felt very comfortable being in the room with the doors closed when I turned on the air purifier. Students could hear the air pumping into our classroom and knew there was another procedure being put into place for their health and protection. Thank you donors for seeing the importance of our students mental well-being and knowing something as little as an air purifier was going to benefit them greatly!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Loeser
Instant Social Emotional Learning
Funded Mar 31, 2021With the arrival of a new device, students were given another access point to interaction that would be safe for them all to use. I began using the iPad in the classroom immediately for students to access progress monitoring for reading fluency. Students would find a passage they wanted to use for practice and time themselves for reading fluency. They would then use the iPad to answer a series of questions pertaining to the passage. It would score them and they would immediately find ways to help them practice for improvement. Having the tools in the students hands increased their understanding of growth mindset and social emotional learning. Students saw they had the power to control their learning and saw the ways they could help with learning loss from virtual learning over the course of the year. As they began to return to in-person for hybrid teaching, they wanted ways to catch up academically and prepare for middle school. The iPad Air allowed them to do this independently, wipe it down, and share with their fellow classmates. Thank you donors for always trusting in us teacher and our constant desire for all our students' well-being.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Loeser
This classroom project was brought to life by Allstate Foundation and 7 other donors.SEL through Physical Therapy
Funded Apr 7, 2021The students received their yoga exercise balls and were verbally grateful for the differentiated seating. Over the school year, virtual learning was taking its toll on the students. They were trying to remain motivated and kept up with their academics, but the need for physical movement was necessary. Once we started doing organized exercises using the yoga exercise balls, students' mental health began to improve. They began desiring the SEL breaks with these different stretches and poses meant to increase mental health. Some students were even using the yoga balls as their regular seating at home in front of the computer and this was a motivation to continue on this virtual learning. We are so thankful for your continued support for all students and helping us through this difficult time in education.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Loeser
This classroom project was brought to life by Allstate Foundation and 9 other donors.A Monitor to Enlighten Minds
Funded Oct 12, 2020With an entire year being taught virtually, technology, and access to technology, became the most challenging obstacle. Where ever I was teaching I needed equipment to help reach my students. Every little bit helped, especially a desktop monitor. To visually see my lesson, share screens, and students all simultaneously allowed my lessons to run smoothly leaving less time fumbling around with split screens and connections. It seemed and looked flawless to my students through Zoom allowing them to focus more on what I was teaching and not have their attention on the technology malfunctions, because there were none. As always, I am blown away with the support we continually receive for our classroom and for the students. Thank you donors for always showing that children do come first.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Loeser
This classroom project was brought to life by Two Screens for Teachers and 3 other donors.Helping Students Connect to STEM Careers
Funded Oct 16, 2020This year was one for the history books and we needed to adapt to the ever changing environment. Making our virtual classroom feel as much like a real classroom was very important. As we switched into hybrid, students needed to not only gain access to all of the tools they were used to in their curriculum, but they needed to feel safe as well. The Apple TV has allowed me to share a number of visual realia necessary for my lessons with my students instantly making the curriculum come alive for many of them. Getting to use the Sphero Mini was a fun distraction and allowed for students to practice skills without needing to handle much equipment. And the plexiglass shields provided protection really creating a comfort level between students. We are so thankful for all of you who donated. You saw our need for these items in the classroom and how it would improve these students' quality of education. We are always blown away with the amazing support you all continue to give. Thank you so much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Loeser
This classroom project was brought to life by IF/THEN, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies and one other donor.A Mac for iMovie Magic
Funded Feb 13, 2020What a difference technology makes! This year has started unlike any other, but due to your generosity, it has been better than expected. The laptop donation has made distance learning a breeze. The hard drive capability and software have made creating lessons and running Zoom work flawlessly. Back in March 2020 we began this journey of virtual teaching and I had no idea the MacBook Pro I had requested from DonorsChoose would be exactly what I needed to assist me in teaching my 32 students remotely. With the kindness of people like you, the goal was reached and I was able to obtain a new device for assisting in teaching my precious students. So, thank you for all you have done and continue to do. There's no way we'd be where we are without your support.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Loeser
This classroom project was brought to life by An anonymous classroom supporter and 23 other donors.Our Adventures in Reading
Funded Aug 14, 2019Our independent reading time has become our favorite time! With our new Gregor the Overlander books, our beautiful umbrellas, and our rolling shelves for organization, we have made reading a priority. The students can't wait to get outside to enjoy the fresh air and greenery, but stay protected from the sun. They really enjoy reading their novels outdoors with their classmates. The umbrellas provide the perfect amount of shade while letting in just the right amount of light for reading. Every student has a book for our independent reading time and we are so thankful for each student to get to read at their own pace. The cart organizes a number of materials for outside use allowing our tables to be free from clutter and available for reading. Thank you for all of your support, we could not have done it without your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Loeser
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 4 other donors.Traveling to the City of Ember
Funded Aug 13, 2019What an amazing opportunity to each get our own copy of The City of Ember! My students have already dived right into readying this wonderful novel. The adventure, the imagination, and the theme all roll into one to make a great piece of literature for my fifth grade class. We have really enjoyed getting to know the characters and their traits that attribute to their actions. Every time we sit down with this book, we are taken to the city underground and we follow along with the characters to get to the surface. The most important thing about this wonderful gift of these books is that each student has their own copy. They can take as long as they would like on any particular chapter and not have to share their independent reading time with another student. Thank you for your generous support. As always, I am so grateful for you all.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Loeser
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 4 other donors.Coding Our Way Into the Future With Robots
Funded Apr 9, 2019The use of the Ozobots has really opened my students' understanding of programing and computer engineering design. They have come to know the need for organized data and how to use code for a specific purpose. My students have practiced and designed paths and actions for the Ozobots to perform, and they have even created strategic lines for multiple actions. This understanding of directional paths has transferred over to their computer coding. They see that a connected path with create a program to perform a specific series of actions. Who knew the use of these tiny robots would change the way my students understood coding and programing. Thank you for giving them access to these amazing resources. They are definitely taking their new knowledge into the 21st century. These students are striving for college and career readiness.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Loeser