<a "href= http://www.thisisgoingtobebig.com/">This is going to be BIG</a> is supporting the Social Media Challenge.
The proposals on this page encourage digital/media literacy, personal development and entrepreneurship and getting technology resources into the classroom. Check them out, below.
Thank You very much for your generous donation. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your generosity. With your extremely kind donation my students will be able to create paintings and various printmaking projects. We will be using clay in the spring to make pots and three dimensional forms. Art is so important for my students. It allows them to express themselves freely and be creative thinkers.
My students really look forward to coming to my classroom to express themselves and explore their creativity. It helps them escape from their daily struggles of life in the Bronx. You would be surprised how a little color in a world of gray goes a long way. I try to teach them to express their own feelings and create their own artistic vision. Thank you for helping me do that.
Please keep donating to the arts because my students are in constant need of generous people like you. Thank you for helping to make a difference in the life of a child. ”
Thank you so much for your extremely generous donation! I was so excited to learn that my proposal, Molding Creativity and Motor Development, was funded. I knew my students were going to be thrilled, therefore, I waited to open the box until they were present with me! To watch their faces light up when they saw not one but SIX different choices of clay dough was absolutely outstanding. I loved hearing them yell "WOOOOOAHHHHHH!" when they saw the variety of clay tools they would be able to use.
Watching them use the clay dough along with the tools was so great! Not only were my students building upon their creativity by making pizzas and various animal shapes, but they were also building upon their literacy skills by using the letter cut outs to make their names! I was so thrilled to watch them "read the room" and create words using the letter cut outs. One student even used the number cut outs and put numbers in order from 1-10!
In just a short time, an abundance of learning has occurred and it's all thanks to your generous donation. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity! :)”
I don't even know where to begin this thank you note. Out of all of the projects I have had funded on DonorsChoose, this one is probably having the most impact in the lives of my students and their families.
The children's books in Spanish that you funded have become part of a daily take-home lending library. Every Spanish-speaking student in my class takes home a Spanish book three times a week. My students eagerly discuss the books they read the night before when they come into school each day and excitedly pass them on to the next children who will take them home.
I met with my students' parents before starting this program and spoke about the importance of reading together in their native language. Some parents told me they had been worried that reading together in Spanish would confuse their children who were learning to read in English! Other parents told me that they had been frustrated after being unable to discuss English books with their children because they didn't understand them well. They were so appreciate and grateful for this opportunity to read children's literature with their children in a language they speak and read.
This program is unbelievably powerful and having a true impact on my students, not only in their interactions with their families but in their reading skills in English, as well! Thank you so much for your generosity. We are all so appreciative.”
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Your support and generous contributions towards funding a necessary project for my students is overwhelming. When I first submitted the project I was a little nervous because I had to raise such a large amount of money. Every time I got a notification email that someone had donated money I literally squealed with delight and kept my students abreast of the progress our project was making; they too were excited. When the project was funded I shared the good news with them and every day they asked me when we were getting the "new calculators". The day before Thanksgiving, students were done with their midterms and I wanted to introduced the calculators by having the students explore in groups of 2 or 3 and complete a calculator scavenger hunt. When they entered the classroom and took a calculator, I heard a lot of "wow...these are so cool" and "oooh so high tech", and one "these are awesome!". Students were nervous and excited to start using them and within a few minutes were so engrossed in the activity. It was such a joy to see these kids working so hard. The pictures posted are from our scavenger hunt. Students had to answer 21 questions and then write a thank you note on the calculator when they were done. They worked until the bell rang and were so respectful of their new tools. I must share with you a little bit about the students you helped. This year I teach two incoming freshman classes, and these students are truly the best I have ever had the pleasure of teaching. Most teachers do not like to teach freshman, because they can be difficult due to the transition from middle school to high school and their lack of immaturity. However, these kids are the sweetest, most respectful, kindest and hardest working students I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. In both my freshman classes we have developed little communities and have truly become mini-families for 45 minutes a day. These children are excited to come to class, and though some may hate math, they work hard and never give up. Not once have I heard "this is stupid. When am I ever going to use this? I hate this" from any of their mouths thus far. They work together and help each other out when needed, they do not tease one another if someone has the wrong answer, and they have tremendous patience for the autistic children we have mainstreamed into our classroom. They are truly gems and with your help I have so much confidence in them passing their Regents in June and succeeding in high school. Teaching in an inner-city school is exhausting. As an educator you take on so many roles and fight so many battles. You must become an instructor, a guide, a resource, a disciplinarian, a parent, a role model, and a verbal punching bag. You are constantly fighting with copy machines, thousands of kids in the hallway, administrators, bureaucracy, students, parents and other staff members. In some classes you struggle to get through the period and in others you are sad when the bell rings. You are asked to bring struggling students up from elementary levels to meet state requirements for high school and to do it in a short amount of time. You have students who live 8 people in a 2 bedroom apartment or in a shelter or in foster care, or with grandparents, or who have a dead parent or one in jail. You are feel sympathy for them but are forced to put aside these feelings, not make excuses for them and to push them to overcome such obstacles and hardships. In an environment where I cannot give my students textbooks, where roaches and mice scurry about and where the roof leaks, I have been able to provide my students thanks to your generosity with something new, something "cool" and something to help them succeed in class. We are all so grateful for your support. ”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Cummings
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 50 other donors.
Words cannot express how grateful I am for the overwheliming support from all of you! I was delighted to see that not only my family helped me, but that complete strangers who are interested in improving our educational abilities. Our class did an amazing job participating, creating and presenting amazing projects that reflected what they learned about Geography and Economics in New York City. The materials provided were so helpful and made the artistic process so much more fun for my students!
As a teenager, I got into a lot of trouble. I made bad decisions, and I often wondered what my place in the world would be. When I look at my students, I see these same concerns, coupled with an acknowledgment of the bleak futures that have been prescribed for them. However, many of them are refusing to swallow this prescription of a life of hopelessness. They are acutely alive and filled with as much hope as they are filled with misgivings about their futures. Taking them on field trips, reading their poetry, advising them about college, and participating in group discussions, I see their joy as clearly as I see their fear. And in order for them to have hope, they need someone to look up to. The election of Barack Obama gave them a new kind of role model. Thanks for giving them the chance to analyze his life experiences, and thanks for investing in public education.”
With gratitude,
Ms. C.
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 6 other donors.
I thank you from my bottom of my heart for your generous donation to my classroom. The materials arrived recently and the children are using them on a daily basis. The big blocks have been used to enhance my students' interpersonal relationships and gross motor skills. Small groups of students have used the big blocks to dramatize favorite stories such as The Three Billy Goats Gruff, to build an airplane, a bus, and a zoo. The arched blocks have been used to create caves, parking garages, and tunnels. The bead and sand blocks have been added to our classroom light center and have been used to explore color and light. The opportunities are endless and my students have begun to realize this. The blocks have also had a positive impact on my students' critical thinking skills.
I'm looking forward to interacting with my students as they engage with their new block materials for the rest of the school year. Thank you for thinking of us and for helping to increase the learning opportunities in my kindergarten classroom.”
With gratitude,
Teacher
This classroom project was brought to life by The Pumpkin Foundation/Joe and Carol Reich and 12 other donors.
I can not thank you enough for funding this project! All children need coping strategies for all the stress that is put upon them academically these days. I feel that YOGA is a great way for students to release stress and to channel their energy so that they are completely focused for their daily academic endeavors.
My class will especially, benefit from this as they are surrounded by "Negative" ways to deal with stress/anger/anxiety. My goal as their first grade teacher is to teach them strategies (YOGA) in hopes that they continue to use them throughout their academic careers.
I just wanted to take this time to let you all know how much of a difference you've made in my classroom. My students were lost for words as I displayed the new learning centers, new books, and the plant and root grower. The big surprise was the fish aquarium. Some of my students have never had a pet at home or in a class. This is truly a new experience for most of them. We even had a contest to name the fish. I am so excited to be able to show them another example of a living thing in our classroom.
The impact this project has made on my students is huge. My classroom has truly been transformed to a real science lab with engaging materials. My students now have proper materials to explore and manipulate so they can test their own hypothesis.
I could not have done this by myself, or it would have taken me to the end of the school year to buy these items. Your support is so appreciated. All of you have truly helped me as a teacher prove science is not just reading books and answering pre printed questions. Science can be fun, interactive, exciting, and teachable.
Our brand new AP Statistics textbooks have arrived!!!!!
Having this resource for the students to practice what they have learned daily will be an enormous help to them on the AP exam. This course uses graphic displays heavily, and having examples to refer to while working on their homework will benefit them immensely.
Prior to the books arriving, the only complete class set of books I had was for an outdated book that focused on mechanics rather than concepts. Statistics is all about the meanings behind numbers, and your contributions will help make my students statistically literate, opening their eyes to these concepts.
Thank you for helping to work towards this goal.
Your generosity is greatly appreciated by myself and this hard-working group of students. ”
With gratitude,
Mr. Catalano
This classroom project was brought to life by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and 5 other donors.
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