Thank you so much for all the donations for my classroom. The learning centers are used every day during group time. We use them to learn the letters of the alphabet, practice syllables, and learning through play.
When my students first saw all the new centers, their eyes opened wide with excitement! They love to play with the letter and shape bingo. They don't even realize how fast they are learning!
The students love exploring and learning new things. Now they have great centers that help them practice some of the fundamentals they need to conquer for the upcoming years. Thank you again for helping my students make the most out of their free time and learn while they explore!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Booth
This classroom project was brought to life by Goldman Sachs Gives and 5 other donors.
The technology that you donated to allowed for me to teach using my laptop and various educational websites. I was able to show videos and had PowerPoint presentations that allowed my instruction of many lessons to flow smoothly. I was also able to take pictures of handwritten problems that I present in math class without having my back turned toward my students.
My students felt that because we had the project and document camera, all of them were able to view the lesson on the board clearly. I was able to refer back to a math problem when using the document camera because it was just a matter of changing paper notes and not having to rewrite the problem on the board. I was also able to upload handwritten notes to my website for the students that missed class.
Students always enjoy new technology. If it wasn't for them, I would have taken weeks instead of days to learn how to hook up the project and document camera and then take pictures with the document camera. I think the class that enjoyed it the most was the Math 4 class. They were teaching one another at one point using the technology. I was proud to see them helping one another and knowing that some were understanding the lessons well enough to teach it back in their own way.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Cosby
This classroom project was brought to life by Zeist Foundation and 10 other donors.
Thank you so very much for your contributions. The children run in the door from breakfast and beg to get on the Nooks and they aren't ready to leave when they have time at the end of the day to use them. Even our daily learning has been impacted by your donations. Children look forward to their least favorite rotation in literacy centers. We now use the Nook as a part of self selected reading and the children love it. Whenever we have a free minute the children love to read, play math games, and research inquiries that arise from the days studies. We can never say thank you enough. That you for making an impact on my classroom. These children now look forward to reading and have been able to find a way to read and enjoy it and use it over the next years in their education. Happy New Year and thanks again!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Harrelson
This classroom project was brought to life by Goldman Sachs Gives and 4 other donors.
Thank you for supporting my student's literacy. Students need engaging books to peak their interest in reading. The Perks of Being a Wallflower has been one of those books that engages even the most reluctant readers to read an book from cover to cover. Not only do students improve their reading comprehension, students also analyze plot and characters. Because we're a medical magnet high school, one of our focus points honed in on mental health related issues. In the end, students were able distinguish the differences between healthy and unhealthy ways to cope with stressful situations.
In my classroom, students read silently and in small groups; additionally, students also participated in small group discussions, whole-class discussions and one end-of-the unit essay and presentation analyzing a major character in the novel. Students were actively engaged in their small groups, and although 9th grade students are typically reticent during whole-class discussions, this book inspired even the shyest students to contribute to our Socratic Seminars.
My English Learners (EL) especially enjoyed reading the book, some even shared that this was the first book that they had ever read on their own. My EL students also tend to be the most introverted, but discussing the plot and characters helped support my student's self-confidence which contributed to their view of themselves as readers and writers. Students freely expressed their opinions, but the most amazing part was that they were able to support their analysis by referencing the text in writing and in their discussions.
Again, thank for your support. I really wish you had been in my classroom to see my EL students engage in academic discussions, write a mutli-paragraph essay and deliver a mult-media presentation expressing their analysis of the novel.”
It is always such an amazing gift to receive new materials for our classroom and children's learning. The children are so excited to try out new learning activities and in this case new stories for our leap frog pads.
Everyday our students have an opportunity to practice their reading using these leapfrog stories. They are not only fun to use but focus on the exact phonics lessons that we, the teachers, teach in first grade.
This practice on specific phonics tools has notably helped our students learn to read and at the same time offer an opportunity for the teacher to read with small groups.
I apologize for the delayed response. We are deep in the trenches of senior projects.
My students have been reading the books you donated for four and a half weeks now, and I can sincerely say that I am blown away by how engaged they are. They are reading their books every single day in class, and during transition times I see them asking questions and bouncing ideas of each other about what they are reading. I quiz them on their reading every single week, and scores have been unfailingly high - between 75 and 85 percent on average.
But the most exciting part for me are the literary circles. Every Friday I put them in their book groups and turn them loose, letting them take the lead and drive the conversation wherever they desire. I admit I was extremely nervous the first week about giving them this much freedom, especially my lowest-achieving class, which is a chaotic group of 32 mostly "D" and "F" students. I needn't have worried. This class, which is usually in danger of falling asleep, were shouting over each other in their excitement to have their ideas heard.
I can't tell you how much I enjoy listening to and participating in these conversations. My students aren't always the best writers, but during these discussions I can see that they have deep and complex ideas about the world around them, which they are accessing through some very engaging literature.
None of it would have happened without you. Thank you so very much for your generosity.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Harmon
This classroom project was brought to life by Gates Foundation Back To School and 8 other donors.
Thank you so much for funding new Chromebooks for our school library. The students were thrilled to receive them, and and are now enjoying conducting research and searching the library catalog.
The students now have more opportunities to increase their computer literacy skills, allowing them to become 21st Century Learners. The Chromebooks have also raised the overall level of interest in the library, resulting in more students choosing to use the library in their free time.
Our library is very small, and outdated desktop computers consumed too much precious space. The Chromebooks are portable, and take up a smaller footprint, allowing the space to be more flexible. Students can focus comfortably on their work when needed, and we can move the Chromebooks and store them safely when they are not in use. The Chromebooks are a huge step in the right direction toward teaching my students computer literacy and internet safety, and preparing them for the information age in which they live. Thank you again for bringing my students into the 21st Century!”
My students are so amazed at the fact that you donated resources for us. We typically have to use books that are beyond tattered and from the 1970s. Pages are literally missing from most of our books. So, to be able to read brand new books is such a gift for my students, especially since it inspires them to read more as it makes reading more enjoyable.
The Laramie Project is such an important book. It inspires tolerance, and more than tolerance it inspires empathy. Teenagers go through a lot and this book is a vital asset to their social development. Without your donation to our classroom, this would not have been possible. I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
I am so grateful to you for being such a giver. We are fortunate to receive your donations. The children are able to have work tables that fit in the classroom and help them to be in small learning groups. I will send you pictures of the children at their tables working and learning.
Thank you for believing in public education. I am passionate about being a teacher and your generosity makes me feel so supported.
The children are not as squished as they were before with these new tables!
Thanks for making a difference in my classroom and in our school.”
Thank you SO much for your support in providing Chromebooks for my classroom! My students were absolutely THRILLED to see such shiny, new technology in their classroom. The day the Chromebooks arrived, I had a few students working in my room over lunch when the call announcing my delivery came through to my room. My kids heard and mimicked my enthusiasm and we all skipped down to the main office for our new treasures. They each got to carry a brand new computer to my room and be the first to see it in action. Their excitement was palpable! The technological joy continued in the following weeks as students had the opportunity to use their Chromebooks to create various Google documents, research issues for upcoming debates or read eBooks during silent reading. My students now have access to computers IN MY ROOM at any given time! It is wonderful to be able to say, "Yes!" when a student asks if he can check his grades during advisory (self-motivation? yes please!) Or to encourage them to share and edit documents together for a group project - all without having to fight the testing schedule for use of the computer lab! We are ever thankful!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Rose
This classroom project was brought to life by 100 Women in Hedge Funds and 16 other donors.
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