Past projects 12
Teaching Children To Converse
Funded Feb 14, 2009Thank you so much for your generous donation. It took me a couple of weeks to figure out how to use our new camera, but now we are up and running. I have been taping student conversations during reading time and then watching selected videos with the kids. It is so amazing what the kids notice and how much this project has impacted their conversations during reading partner work and whole class discussions of books in just a few short weeks.
At first, the students tended to notice mostly how they were sitting, holding books, and looking at each other (or not!); you'll see some comments about this in the thank you notes from the kids, since we wrote them a few weeks ago. These are things I have been speaking with the students about all year, but with very little result. Thanks to the video camera, the whole look of partner and discussion time changed dramatically in just about a week – it still keeps getting better. As soon as the kids started sitting and focusing on each other, their conversations got increasingly more animated and partner time became a really exciting part of our reading workshop. Not only were the kids getting more out of their partner conversations and reading, I was able to pull more kids for focused small group work.
From there, the kids started really focusing more on the content of their conversations and we have been working hard on how we can use our partner time and conversation time to really work hard on the hard parts, savor the fun parts, dig deeper, and share our ideas and opinions about the books we read.
Not only has it been a pleasure to watch the kids enjoy talking about their books and develop and share wonderful ideas together, my students' reading levels have suddenly been shooting up in the last couple of weeks and mostly, because they understand their books better!
Last year, we did a similar project, but with a regular camera and the quality of the video clips wasn't as good. It has been such a pleasure to see how we have gone further in less time, thanks again to your generosity.
I am so looking forward to doing this same project next year and to starting at the beginning of the school year. Next year, I will be teaching 3rd grade – I can't wait to see what happens.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Woolley
Learning Social Studies Through Art
Funded Sep 22, 2008Thank you so much for funding our "Social Studies Through Art" project. I have two really fun and creative groups of students this year. Already, the art work I have been doing with the few old supplies that I have in my room has really been getting the kids involved in some writing projects we have been doing. I have been talking to the students about some of the art projects we will be doing in our Brooklyn Bridge study (thanks to your helping us out). I haven't even mentioned the watercolor pencils and they are SO excited.
I find that it is so difficult to get money and supplies for special projects like this, especially with funding cuts at schools. In general, the parents in our community really value education for their children and they try to help out, but it seems to be a little bit harder for them this year (and a little bit harder on my budget!).
We can't wait to get started drawing bridges, buildings...
Again, thank you so much,
Rache”
With gratitude,
Ms. Woolley