Past projects 9
Learning English Through The News
Funded Mar 12, 2021Thank you for supporting this project. My students are enjoying reading "Upfront Magazine" by the New York Times. This subscription has been a great addition to our classroom resources.
"Upfront" gives my students a chance to read real-world, current events articles that are relevant to their lives. This creates interest and provides well written content that they can use to practice reading comprehension and build vocabulary. The also analyse the information and respond in writing to issues that are brought up in the articles.
The subscription in available to us in print and online, which has been ideal during these pandemic times. Thanks to you, we are able to access quality reading materials no matter where our learning space is.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Davis
Remote Learning is Better with Headsets
Funded Sep 16, 2020As you probably know, remote learning has been a challenge for students in schools throughout the country. Many of my students live in large households where it is difficult to find a quiet place to work. This means they might not be able to hear the teacher, or they might not be able to un-mute their microphones to ask or answer questions during class because of the background noise in their house. Headphones also make it easier to focus if there is background noise around you.
The headphones you helped purchase have helped to solve problems like this for many of my students. Students were very happy to receive their headphones. I drove around town to deliver them to any students who requested a set or who were recommended by a teacher who noticed that a student's home seemed noisy.
The students have been very grateful for their new headphones, and their teachers are grateful too. We have often worried that these students might not be able to hear us or that they might want to participate more, but were unable due to noise. I have a number of students who are happy to un-mute now and participate in class in ways that weren't possible before this gift.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Davis
This classroom project was brought to life by The DonorsChoose 20th Anniversary Fund and 11 other donors.Bilingual Dictionaries for English Language Learners
Funded Feb 6, 2019Thank you for supporting our Multilingual students. They have traveled far, metaphorically and often literally, to access this level of education. Accessing education through a language that is not one's native language can be very difficult. My students are working hard to succeed and your donation toward these bilingual glossaries will only help.
We have students from many different language backgrounds. This means that the teachers are unlikely to speak the languages of our English language learners. Having a bilingual glossary at hand will allow students to look up vocabulary immediately, when they encounter it in class. When working on normal assignments, students can often use a computer to look up translations, but state testing accommodations do not allow the use of electronic devices. These bilingual glossaries are acceptable for use during state exams, and allow English language learners to perform to their best ability on exams.
Students are especially grateful to receive these glossaries early enough in the year that they have time to become accustomed to using them. They will be able to practice using the glossaries so that when test time comes, it will be of help. Thanks to you, I look forward to seeing my students succeed in their high school studies.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Davis
Button, Button! Who has a button!
Funded Sep 30, 2017We are a brand new school and together we are building our school culture this year. Two of our goals are to encourage our students to be "SHARKs" (Studiers, Hard-Workers, Attentive, Responsible, and Kind) and to build pride in our school. This button maker is helping in both of those goals. With the help of another teacher, I have created a shark template that represents our school and we are using this template for students to decorate and make buttons. So far, students have been given the opportunity to make a button as a mark of a job well done. When a student embodies the values of our school, when they act like a SHARK, they might get the opportunity to make a button. So far the students love the button maker! They love using it and they love collecting buttons. It is a physical representation of a job well done and a symbol of pride in our program.
Thank you for helping us to get this fun way to reward students for doing their best!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Davis
We're Independent Readers!
Funded Nov 1, 2016We are so thankful for your donation toward our leveled reading library. This year, my 4th grade students have really grown in their reading ability. Because we were able to buy books on many different reading levels, students are reading books that aren't too easy nor are they too hard. This encourages them to read more because the level of challenge is appropriate. Also, we now own books on all different topics so that students can find books that interest them. They have become enthusiastic readers. I can see this in their excitement to visit the lending library and trade books and their stamina for independent reading has also increased this year.
Without all the new books in our leveled reading library, this would not have been possible. I am so proud of how far my students have come this year in their reading ability and it wouldn't have been possible without you. Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Davis
We're Independent Readers! Building a Leveled Library
Funded Oct 4, 2016Dear Donors,
This year Mrs. Hill and I have started using a program called the Daily 5 to teach English Language Arts. One of the major goals of the program is to improve students' reading proficiency through independent reading. I tested each of our 85 students to find their current reading level and now we can give each student books to read that are not too easy and not too hard. This way they will find success in reading and become more fluent readers. Throughout the year, they will move up as they master reading levels.
During Daily 5 time, students rotate through specific areas like working with a teacher, reading independently or with a partner. Each student knows which bin to go to for books on their level and they can sit anywhere in the room (desk, table, floor, cushion, etc.) and read for the allotted time.
With 85 students, we need A LOT of books. You have helped us to get more books for the classroom so that we can implement Daily 5 correctly. The students are very excited for the new books and appreciate the idea of having books right on their reading level. We look forward to the success we think this will bring to the school year!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Davis
Portfolio Pandemonium
Funded Sep 25, 2015Thank you so much for donating toward the carousel bookcase for my classroom. We are beyond grateful that you were generous enough to help us reach our goal.
I wish you could have seen the look on the students' faces when I unveiled the bookcase! When the large boxes were delivered to my classroom, the students were all curious about what it was inside. They knew that the Donors Choose project had been fully funded but I don't think they really knew that this wasn't going to be a regular old bookcase. When it was assembled and put in place, they were so excited to see the new addition to the classroom. We began the year using binders as portfolios to show students' progress throughout the year, but the binders were crowded onto the bottom level of some bookshelves and were difficult to access. The binder carousel is so easy to use and it keeps each homeroom's binders separate and orderly. And best of all, the bookshelves where the binders were originally stored is now perfect for our classroom lending library!
Again, I thank you very much for supporting my students. Your generosity makes a world of difference.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Davis
It's Easier to Concentrate with Headphones!
Funded Dec 8, 2014Thank you very much for donating toward our headphones. The students were very excited to receive them. Each student has a pair which they take good care of, knowing that having a personal set of headphones is a special thing that only the 4th graders received. Many of the headphones in the lab are broken or flat out missing. The students are so happy that they don't have to worry that they might not have a set and they take pride in being responsible for transporting to the lab and collecting the headphones on their selected day.
Twice a week, we visit the computer lab to work with a reading and math program called iReady. The program has many listening features which are nearly impossible to complete without headphones when you are in a lab with 25 other people. Before we had the headphones, many students were frustrated because of the headphone shortage in the computer lab. Now, no one gets frustrated that they can't do their work.
With your help, our students are making gains in reading and math because they can use iReady successfully thanks to their headphones. We have also used them in the classroom to allow struggling readers to listen to reading passages. This has been a great help in differentiating for their learning needs.
Overall, these headphones have made a big impact on my 4th grade students. I cannot thank you enough!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Davis
This classroom project was brought to life by Disney and 10 other donors.Reading and Writing Corner
Funded Sep 2, 2013My students were so very excited to receive the bookcase and thesauruses for our classroom. They especially like the order the bookcase brings to the classroom. Something as basic as a bookcase may seem unimportant but it has been very helpful to us this school year.
We keep all of our writing portfolio-style throughout the year. Binders are the most convenient way to keep these portfolios which show the students' growth, but storing 17 binders in a room with only one already full bookshelf is difficult. Having a bookcase for the binders, and one that is specifically designed for binders keeps the room organized and makes the work easily accessible.
When we are writing, we also use our new thesauruses to improve our writing. Our school is focusing on a writing initiative and we are working specifically on essay writing skills. The thesauruses help the students to create more interesting sentences. I have been thrilled with my students' progress this year.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Davis