Past projects 25
Bring Back Technology Safely with Keyboard Skins!
Funded Aug 21, 2021We are finally back in our technology lab and could not be more excited! Students have been used to having clusters in their classrooms or remotely through Zoom for the last two years. Transitioning back into our space has been exponentially rewarding for them. One of the key elements to making this successful was ensuring our classroom was Covid-safe. We were able to wipe down the surfaces with Clorox wipes, but not our keyboards. For starters, students are *obsessed* with the colors of these keyboard sleeves. Secondly, they ensure we are able to wipe down each keyboard at the end of each day so they are sanitized prior to the next day. Who knew?! The most efficient and easiest way to keep our classroom safe. Without these sleeves, our students would not be able to access the lab. We are ecstatic! Thank you, thank you, thank you...”
With gratitude,
Ms. Yaqubie
This classroom project was brought to life by SONIC Drive-In and 4 other donors.Mic Check, 1, 2, 3... We Need Headphones!
Funded Aug 17, 2021Thank you so much for assisting with providing our students with headphones for their instruction in the Technology/Makerspace Lab. This has been such a monumental project and our students are already reaping the rewards. They use the headphones daily in the lab to listen to engaging research videos, coding lessons, translation services and much much more! The headphones are in compliance with our Covid protocols as they are disinfected with the alcohol wipes at the end of each school day. Students were so excited to learn that they have access to their own headphones each day in the lab. Thank you again, immensely.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Yaqubie
This classroom project was brought to life by Kleenex® Brand and 5 other donors.Equitable Education for All - iPad Edition
Funded Feb 28, 2021This year has been quite the whirlwind and with it brought about new challenges and obstacles. However, as teachers and educators - we always work on making the best out of each of these scenarios. Students were in desperate need of devices this year for both remote learning and for the situations where classes had to quarantine and continue learning remotely. Our school was able to previously receive a grant for iPads that these students could utilize at home, however when they were received we realized they did not come with cases to ensure they were durable and would withstand the normal wear and tear that comes with it belonging to an elementary school student. Well - our donors here on DonorsChoose acted quickly to become our heroes! These cases arrived in no time and were directly placed in the hands of our students needing devices. The cases protected their devices as students engaged in their Zoom meetings, extra curricular meetings and worked on assignments with their peers. They have been a huge asset to our school.
Thank you so much!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Yaqubie
Enhanced Remote Learning With Document Cameras for All
Funded Mar 3, 2021Thank you so much for your support in funding document cameras for the teachers at our school. Currently, our school is functioning in either a fully remote or a fully in-person scenario. However, students and teachers can go remote at any time and we've seen this happen several times due to quarantine. The document cameras are light, portable, and easy to navigate. Teachers have had great success using them across subject areas. In math, students communicated that they loved being able to see their teacher write again on paper as opposed to digitally on the iPad or whiteboard function. They were able to understand what was meant by "note-taking", or learning from our own notes, by mimicking what they say their teachers doing. When we were reading stories to the students, it was fascinating for them to finally be able to see the pages of the books AS the teacher was reading it - just like they would in a traditional classroom. These document cameras have assisted us tremendously in providing the most authentic experiences for our students both inside the classroom and inside their living rooms. We are sincerely indebted to each of you for your generous donations in making this vision possible.
Thank you so much.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Yaqubie
Inspired by Literature: Chris Van Allsburg
Funded Mar 16, 2021Thank you so much for helping to complete this project. My students are fully remote and have been so captivated by Chris Van Allsburg's stories. They created their own versions of "Two Bad Ants" capturing their creativity in their picture books as they imagined they were their very own little creature navigating through an unknown world. We read Jumanji and Zathura and then discussed how authors take their books and create the movies inspired by them. This was a favorite! They even watched the 1995 version of the movie and were pleasantly surprised to realize the actors/actresses were still alive! Each of the students has communicated that they missed hearing their teacher read them stories aloud, as they used to in the lower primary grades. This has been one of the best parts for us all... watching the students' eyes tell their own stories as they listened to the magical world Chris Van Allsburg illustrates for them. We are still working our way through this author study, but so far - it's been such a wonderful surprise for us all. Thank you again, for making this all possible and for believing in our students.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Yaqubie
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose Community and one other donor.Fill Every Shelf - STEM Edition
Funded Mar 14, 2020Thank you so much for your support in fulfilling the literacy needs of our STEM department at P.S. 193Q. We are so excited to have these accessible to all of the students to ignite their imagination. The books are filled with endless possibilities for the students to tinker based off of. Each book is related to a theme or overarching unit that students in grades K-5 can connect to.
When participating in STEM challenges, students are either reading the books independently or having it read to them. During the time of COVID-19 that we are in right now, this means that students are able to continue working on their projects and responses from home, virtually, or in the classrooms.
As we all know, each of our learners has their unique preferences when it comes to learning - but they all love exploring and tinkering. Thank you for giving them that world.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Yaqubie
This classroom project was brought to life by A group of anonymous donors and 12 other donors.You'll Never Guess What I Did Today! Makerspace Time!
Funded Aug 4, 2019This school year has been a wonderful experience for both my students and I alike. First impressions are very meaningful to children and when they walked in through the doors of my classroom in September, they knew they were going to be immersed in a world that was both unfamiliar and creatively motivating. Children loved that there were so many different possibilities available to them while learning. There were tables set up with our computers that allowed them to work collaboratively in groups or in partnerships. There were low tables that made laptop, iPad or hands on work possible for them. This included discovery of our STEM bins and VR technology. Students additionally love having the couch in the classroom as it provides them with a space to call "home away from home."
My smallest students in Kindergarten enjoy sitting at their new tables to build, construct, imagine and be creative while exploring content that is new to them. Some of the skills they are working on are mouse control, identifying letters on a keyboard, scrolling with the mouse and working collaboratively with their classmates. My 3rd graders started the year researching continents and oceans. They have now moved on to coding online using websites such as CSFirst, Scratch and Kodable. Their curriculum also involves creating recipe books using traditionary meals from their cultures and sharing with one another. This will be done more efficiently with the new set up of our classroom. My 5th graders are immersed in their Genius Hour research studies. This means that each student is able to pitch their passion project, something that makes them beam with excitement. They then research the topic and create a presentation to share such information. Sometimes their presentations are on the computer, other times it's a book they wrote and other times it's a PSA they filmed using our green screen technology.
The furniture in our room really brightened up our 2019-2020 school year. Each child has only wonderful things to say about the new layout and furniture. I have kids in the hallways shouting their praises for the space that is provided to them. What a wonderful feeling of joy!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Yaqubie
This classroom project was brought to life by Yellow Chair Foundation and 32 other donors.Robotics? Coding? Research? iPad, Lead the Way!
Funded Sep 14, 2019Having an iPad in our classroom is a true gift to all 500 students that walk through my doors throughout the week. We use the iPad in a plethora of ways including VR technology, filming green screen projects, coding in the primary grades and maneuvering our robots (Dash, Sphero). The iPad is also used to communicate with parents and the community through our school website and Class Dojo. We use pictures taken frequently to highlight their wonderful work and share with the families.
My students were most excited about coding with the iPad and exploring virtual reality. With our DonorsChoose funded robots, Dash and Sphero, students are able to code paths for the robots to explore and learn from. They are also able to code using apps such as Kodable, which my Kinder and 1st graders are obsessed with! For some of my students who struggle with using a mouse, the platform and delivery of an iPad is extra beneficial. Recently I invested in VR cards geared towards transportation, animals and space. To be able to have these come to life is wonderful for children. We also have a globe that incorporates VR technology, bringing to life countries that children may have never explored before. Lastly, students love when we color using Quiver Vision and then bring their own illustrations to life using the app. The opportunities are endless and each day brings a renewed purpose, opening doors for kids.
Technology is a wonderful asset to our classrooms. With the hopes of having more than 1, I know that this form of technology benefits from children with disabilities, my English Language Learners, my gifted children as well as the general population. Each group demonstrates their excitement differently and for different aspects. The iPad provides an avenue to learning that these children may not have known before. For my children who don't have access to an iPad at home, this is their rare opportunity to explore like their peers - and that is priceless.
With sincere appreciation, thank you - from the bottom of my heart. My children and I are ever grateful.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Yaqubie
This classroom project was brought to life by Verizon and 5 other donors.Attention All Makers! Our First MakerSpace in the works!
Funded Aug 14, 2019In the first few months of school, my students in grades K-5 have been so immersed in our Makerspace. This is the first year that our school has introduced this space and immediately upon first sight, you could tell that children were blown away by the concept. Many of my students rarely have the opportunity to build and explore using their hands and minds throughout the day. To have this space available for them is both inspiring and encouraging. Children who never heard of the phrase engineering or the career choices involved with engineering are now TALKING about it and continuing those passions in their own homes.
Various grades use the resources given to them in different ways. For example, my 2nd graders are currently learning about different communities in New York (urban, suburban and rural). They have used the STEM bin resources to build different animals, landmarks and community features in these communities. My Kindergarteners are currently working on letter formation and recognition. They are building letters and starting to form words, such as their names with the different STEM resources available to them.
As the year progresses, we will be working on developing our coding skills in conjunction with our robotics unit. Within these units, students will be asked to build obstacle courses and run their robots through them with the correct codes. I look forward to each session I have with each class, as it shows me their strengths not only academically but also with working collaboratively, respecting one another and thinking creatively. Their imaginations are wild!
Thank you so much for your support and outreach. On behalf of my 500 students, we look forward to paying it forward.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Yaqubie
Schoolwide Leveled Libraries
Funded Mar 17, 2016The donations we have received for our school leveled library has been overwhelming and outstanding. Upon receiving the books, we took the time to level each book and sort them into an organized manner. We then found a central location that would be suitable for the books to be housed. The children were so excited to see so many books pour into our school! It really ignited their passion for reading - which was our goal.
With these books, teachers will be able to better familiarize themselves with guided reading. They can help their students build on their fluency, accuracy and comprehension skills through the use of sets of guided readers. The books range in content and fiction vs. non-fiction. Students are reminded of strategies they need to become stronger readers as they read the texts.
These books are especially useful for our emergent readers who are just discovering the skills they need to become strong readers. The ELL's have the support they need through the use of visuals. Students can have a CHOICE in the content of the books they are interested in. Overall, the library has been a pleasant reward for our students and our staff. We are looking forward to continued success in the years to come.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Yaqubie
This classroom project was brought to life by #BestSchoolDay and 35 other donors.