Past projects 3
Help Me Build My Home Classroom
Funded Aug 9, 2020Thank you for your support in this uncharted territory of all-virtual learning. While this semester has presented its unique challenges, your support has provided some of the resources necessary for the success of myself as a teacher and of my students.
The mat for my standing desk is allowing me to teach engaging lessons all day from my apartment, and the wireless earbuds allow me to move around as I teach. This makes class as fun and engaging as possible, even through a computer screen.
I plan to use the stationary to send cards to each of my students between now and the Christmas holidays. This will strengthen the bonds between the school and our students' families, and hopefully provide some encouragement to our students.
Thank you again for all your support!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Pierson
This classroom project was brought to life by A Generous Donor and 2 other donors.Yes, They Can! Novels for Level 1 English Learners
Funded Oct 22, 2019My students and I are so grateful for your contributions that brought class sets of two graphic novels to our classroom. Both GHOSTS by Raina Telgemeier and EL DEAFO by Cece Bell are recently published, highly engaging texts for young readers with language that is understandable and themes that are relevant and thought-provoking. Even at first glance, my students were intrigued by the opportunity to read a "comic" in school instead of a traditional novel!
As my students are learning English, I want them to be able to do more than complete worksheets and read simple sentences. I want to see them with books in their hands, soaking up language and getting lost in a great story. Graphic novels are a powerful way for even my newest English learners to get wrapped up in the English language and understand a new plot line because of the visual support. I read aloud using the document camera while my students follow along in their own copies of the book. We refer to the pictures to help us decipher the meaning of unfamiliar words. Beyond basic reading comprehension, we are analyzing characters, identifying plot structure, searching for themes, and making text-to-self connections.
It is so rewarding to see my students with books in their hands. Many times, I find myself asking them to "wait, don't turn the page just yet!" Again, we are so grateful that this project was fully funded. Thank you for helping my students learn to love reading.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Pierson
Chromebooks Make Learning Accessible for English Learners of All Levels!
Funded Aug 13, 2019My classroom is unique in that we are made up of students from all over the world, with a wide range of languages, educational backgrounds, cultural experiences, and English proficiency. I have students who have attended prestigious advanced schools in their home countries with all the resources they needed, and I also teach many students who come from countries with struggling educational systems and severely under-resourced schools. Every year, I welcome into my classroom no less than two or three students who have never touched a computer before. While my school does not have the resources to provide every classroom with a set of laptops, we do use computers for almost every assessment, including our state standardized assessments every year. Our ESL teachers take time to sit with these new students and teach them how to type with the keyboard and how to use a mouse and a track pad to move the cursor and click. We introduce them to Google searches and virtual classrooms, and we strive to provide them with many opportunities to use technology as a tool to help them learn the English language.
In previous years, our ESL classroom has not been given a laptop cart permanently, so we were very limited with how much time we could have our students using technology. This year, with the set of ten Chromebooks from Donor's Choose, we are incorporating technology into almost every lesson. For example, our division uses an online program called Imagine Learning, which is an adaptive program that teaches English language and literacy specifically for English learners. It provides audio support in the student's home language and guides the student through fun activities that teach phonics, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. I am able to track my students' reading level and grade level progress as they use the program regularly. For the program to be effective, it is recommended that students spend 60 minutes on the program each week. Because of the new Chromebooks, this year is the first year that we are meeting (and sometimes superseding) that goal every week!
It is true that using technology in the classroom is engaging and exciting for students. For example, my seventh-grade class enjoys coming to my class much more when the laptops are involved in the lesson! However, the benefit of these Chromebooks goes so much deeper than novelty. Even in these first nine weeks of school, I am already seeing my students move forward in their English proficiency at a quicker rate than students in previous years. Yes, the Chromebooks make learning fun, but they also make learning individual, effective, and transformative. We are grateful for your generosity in making this project come to life. My students are reaping the benefits, and I am so proud.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Pierson
This classroom project was brought to life by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 33 other donors.