Past projects 7
Picking Up Good Vibrations
Funded May 20, 2018Thank you again for your donation and patience! When the box from Donorschoose arrived my students were beyond thrilled to find out what was inside, then they discovered the vibrating cushions. You would think that we were at a spa by how many "ooo's" and "ahh's" the kids said after trying them out. They immediately wanted to take turns sitting on them doing work, resting on them to read and leaning on them to work. What was especially impressive is that while using them the kids remained on task and kept to their seats. For children with attention issues, this is a great accomplishment!
Students also use these cushions when they go to the school Snoezelen room. The Snoezlen room is a relaxed atmosphere with pleasant surroundings, soothing sounds, captivating aromas, tactile experiences, massage and vibration, vibrosonic sensations, and gentle movement. Interesting light effects and comfortable seating allow your client to self regulate by choosing sensations. Further, the Snoezelen environment provides opportunities for interaction and engagement. Students use the cushions during meditation and mindfulness activities to help them remain focused during the guided tasks.
Now that students are experiencing these sensory materials and increasing their focus, we hope to direct that focus towards increasing their reading stamina with texts that grab them and make them want to read. We will be compiling lists of high interest books, like graphic novels,that get students reading independently.”
With gratitude,
Ms. M.
Under Pressure
Funded May 10, 2018Thank you again for your generous donation and your patience in updating you. My students are huge fans of the glittery and squishy weighted lap pads that came into our classroom. You may have noticed them being implemented on a big bean bag, that's our calm corner, a special space for students who need a moment to reset, calm down and return to classwork. The lap pads are super helpful in providing kids with a bit of weight to ground them and soothe while the gel is a great distraction for forgetting issues and relaxing.
Meanwhile, our compression vests have made a great impact in the learning of our more significant special needs population. The consistent pressure provided by the vests gives students a feeling of comfort and great sensory input; this input oftentimes gives a sense of grounding which can be very calming and focus inducing. While wearing a vest or sitting with a lap pad, students are figuring out strategies to be mindful.
Our next projects in the classroom will involve finding lots of interesting books and graphic novels that will grab student attention and be at a level that they can feel successful. In doing so, my co-teacher and I hope to inspire them to become lifelong readers.”
With gratitude,
Ms. M.
Let's Learn...Fonix?...Phonix? Phonics!
Funded Dec 13, 2017The purpose of this conference was to give teachers an overview of the Wilson "Fundations" Phonics program, a program geared towards students with dyslexia who struggle with basic word structure. From attending this professional development, I learned how to create and implement lesson plans in order to teach students phonics skills like sound segmentation and blending.
This entire event was a highlight for me! I loved every aspect of this program and have already begun using parts of it with my students. Specifically, the keyword/sound combinations that serve as reminders to my students for their vowel sounds, for example: i itch /i/. Combined with this vowel sound knowledge, my students tap their fingers to represent each sound in the word.
It's amazing seeing them use this phonics technique during guided reading to help decode or sound out a word they're not sure about without my prompting. Thank you for granting me the opportunity to attend this professional development.”
With gratitude,
Ms. M.
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 8 other donors.Winter Is Here, Recess Is In.
Funded Feb 27, 2018My students and I have been loving our new indoor recess materials! For the last 2 weeks, state testing has been taking place at our school which means no recess due to scheduling. Instead of sitting in front of their computer screens for another period as a "break", my students got to use our awesome recess games and activities. Some of the games you see in our photos include: tabletop soccer, Uno, basketball shots, and Googly Eyes. Each one has been so fun for my students, they love having competitions over soccer and Googly Eyes is hilarious to watch! They can't wait to have a turn trying to draw a picture wearing the silly vision-changing glasses.
When they first saw our new games their eyes lite with excitement, they couldn't wait to try them! They now look forward to earning extra time with these games as a reward for work completion and good behavior. Having these activities as incentives and alternatives to their computers has made a positive change for several of my students, they're such a great way to get them moving and thinking.
Thanks to your kind donations, you have made free time fun my students next I"m aiming to increase focus and calm. I am currently in the midst of developing a project to acquire sensory materials, activities, and tools for my students. Many of my students have social emotional and sensory needs that would be met through the implementation of sensory tools like weighted vests and compression shirts. Giving them access to these items would help them to regulate emotional states and increase focus in the classroom. Stay tuned!”
With gratitude,
Ms. M.
A Blank Sheet Of Paper = Endless Possibilities
Funded Oct 13, 2017Thank you so much for your generosity and thoughtfulness, my students are so lucky to have you. They have been using these materials constantly since their arrival and we don't see an end in sight! Some exciting ways we've been implementing the paper and printer ink include personalized character trait dictionaries, phonics flashcards, and adapted writing booklets. My students have grown so much because they have materials available to them at their level; they can look back in their dictionaries to remember the word "determined" or "clever" and participate in their general education class without feeling lost or overwhelmed. Next up, we'll be focusing on persuasive writing, meaning lots of graphic organizers to help them sort out their opinions, reasons, and evidence. Also, division and decimals are right around the corner and, because I have plenty of paper and ink, I'm able to provide structured and adapted work to help them learn and practice these skills.
Thank you again for your incredible impact in my classroom!”
With gratitude,
Ms. M.
Looking High and Low for Hi/Lo Books
Funded Sep 17, 2017My students have put your donation to great use! They have checked out and begun reading the high interest, low reading level books you helped me to acquire. When speaking with them about the books they picked I received comments like "It's really interesting, I like it!" and "I can read it no problem.".
By far my favorite was the excitement over a popular celebrity being included into the story itself, my student was able to connect to a text in a way that he would never had the chance to had he been reading a typical independent leveled book. My students and I are so grateful for these books and the confidence it gives them. Now when their class is told to take out a book and read quietly, my friends can join in and read something that looks just like their classmates, it's fantastic!”
With gratitude,
Ms. M.
EXPOsure to Learning with Dry Erase Markers
Funded Mar 8, 2017I'm so grateful for your amazing contribution! My students have not stopped using these materials since they arrived. They have used these expo markers to demonstrate their math fact knowledge on the board while racing one another and to help them solve equations and word problems on their Chromebooks. My favorite way we've used these materials, thus far, was to help my students practice "Menu Math" activities. As special education students it's important that they also have practical math knowledge they can implement in the real world. In this activity, students take orders, find their customer's total and determine how much change should be given. The dry-erase markers allow them repeated practice with a menu organizer without wasting paper.
When my students first saw the materials they were astounded by the sheer number of dry-erase markers we received and love the erasers that came with them. They love finding any excuse to use them for their work, it's great to see!
As the school year draws to a close my students will still be using our donation in more fun ways while they learn. For example, math games like "math battleship" to work with coordinate planes and "Area & Perimeter" planning lessons. Can't wait do develop my next project, thanks again donors!”
With gratitude,
Ms. M.
This classroom project was brought to life by Stavros Niarchos Foundation and 4 other donors.