Mrs. Alldredge's Classroom Edit display name

Past projects 3

• Building Creativity and Problem Solving That Lasts

  Funded Aug 2, 2019

  Thank you so much for your generosity in helping to build creativity and problem-solving in my classroom. This year my students have greatly benefited from my donors choose project. The first day I introduced my students to the fast finishers, they were really excited. It was an immediate motivator for students to finish their work and improve quality so they can play with them. I have seen productivity increase as students who usually don't care about finishing quality assignments suddenly have a reason to get done.

  Not only has it provided great motivation, but it's been a place of connection. For example, I've had students who have really struggled with science get really excited to show me their progress on a Rubix Cube. We were able to use a lot o the pipe cleaners to help build our class Chinese dragon. So many students were able to contribute, even if art is not their strong suit. They were able to bounce ideas off of other students and together collaborate to make something better.

  It really has been amazing to watch the motivation, creativity, and problem solving happen in my classroom in a way that motivates my students. Thank you!”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Alldredge

  This classroom project was brought to life by Yellow Chair Foundation and 8 other donors.

• Seeing the World Through a Scholastic Newsweek Subscription

  Funded Dec 13, 2018

  Thank you so much for your generous donation! It has been so fun and inspiring to incorporate Scholastic News and Science into my reading block. I have used them multiple ways, checking individual comprehension, teaching in a small group and as a springboard for writing prompts. However, even above the help with reading skills, my favorite thing has been the connections that students make to various articles. This morning one of my students came up and talked about how he experienced Holi (also known as the Color Festival) at the Hindu temple in our community. He had read about the Indian holiday in the most recent Scholastic News magazine this morning and was so excited to share with me his text-to-self connection. Our community is neither very large nor diverse and I know connecting with something global like that felt really meaningful to him. Further, he is a student who can quickly put up walls and emotionally distance himself. It was great to have such a non-threatening and authentic thing to connect over (I went to the same festival a few years ago and were able to talk about experiences).

  When I teach reading, one of the most important things for me is to get a text in my students' hands that they WANT to read. If students find something they are interested in they will focus on what they are reading and build both accuracy and comprehension. Scholastic articles have been great for finding a sweet spot for various students. Not only do my students who struggle feel like they can access the smaller articles, but usually every student can find at least one article that he or she is interested in. I have a few students who don't really like fiction books very much but have enjoyed reading about real things in the lives of other kids.

  Thank you again for the incredible generosity that has allowed my students to develop their love and aptitude for reading. I know that it has made a difference in the lives of my students. It has also helped me to rethink how I want to teach my reading block in a way that allows for more diversity and authenticity for my students.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Alldredge

  This classroom project was brought to life by Wells Fargo and 5 other donors.

• Stepping Up Learning with an iPad

  Funded Nov 10, 2015

  Thank you so much for the money you donated for the iPad 3 and Otterbox Defender Series cover for my 3rd grade classroom. The day that the iPad arrived and we opened the box, my entire class started cheering.

  One of my favorite things has been finding new ways to use our iPad to help students. The most recent and beneficial discovery came when I learned that a student is struggling with dyslexia-like symptoms. Because of this, board work is very difficult because letters change in his mind from the time that he looks at the board to time he looks down at his paper. When we discovered this, I immediately thought of our new iPad. Every morning I take a picture of the board work with our iPad and put it on his desk. He is now able to look from the iPad to his paper without loosing as many of the letters or getting as confused. He can get the work done quickly and move onto other tasks. I have seen an increase in his confidence and understanding.

  My class also uses it for different learning games to increase reading and math skills. Two students in particular, who are very low readers, are able to access text and work on reading skills in ways that they couldn't before. When the work that we are doing as a class is above their reading level and comprehension, they can still meaningfully be engaged in reading on their own level.

  Thank you so much for your donation to our classroom. It really has made a dramatic difference in the lives of my students.”

  With gratitude,

  Mrs. Alldredge