Past projects 17
Bringing Math to Life
Funded Sep 22, 2015Thank you donating to our project "Bringing Math to Life" hands-on math games. My students were so excited when I pulled out the tray of 36 dice and couldn't wait to get started! "Cool!" echoed throughout the room.
By using this hands-on method, students gained a deeper understanding of place value and comparing numbers, not to mention it was fun! Students also gained practice in working with a partner and talking about their mathematical thinking. We look forward to exploring more games and using other manipulatives such as dominoes and playing cards. These games will be used all year long as the skills taught span the range of 2nd grade learning.
Next up for the Ware's Warriors, we will put our place value knowledge to the test and work on double digit addition and subtraction. There are many games from the sets I ordered that will support those concepts. The students can't wait to see what's around the bend and the math games have inspired them.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ware
Giving Books a Home
Funded Sep 8, 2014Reader's Workshop is one of the most important (and favorite!) times of the day in our classroom. The Mountain Climbers have become avid readers who long to spend as much time reading books as they can. The book bags that you helped to donate have supported our love for reading.
The day that our new book bags arrived was a big day in our classroom. As soon as I showed the new Book Bags, a collective, "whoa!" was heard throughout the room. The kids were so excited to have a special place to house such special items - their books. They immediately got to work transferring their books from their old, ripping baggies into their "shiny", new book bags. The level of respect for those bags was amazing.
Readers use the bags everyday in the classroom and at home. The book bags allow teachers to send books home without the fear of books falling out or getting lost because of low quality containers. The book bags also give readers a place for all of their reading supplies. They don't just keep books in their bags; additionally they keep pencils, post-its, book marks, their Reader's Notebooks, and resources to help them think while they are reading, all of which fit in these spacious book bags.
Our new book bags are perfect for our needs. We are so thankful to donors like you who value learning and have supported us to become even stronger readers.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ware
Hands-On Math
Funded Oct 22, 2013Thank you so much for supporting our project for math supplies. We have already begun to use the manipulatives and games and the students are so excited. As soon as I showed them the materials, there was a collective "Cool!" that erupted from the group. Their energy continued as we opened the materials and began to explore. These hands-on games give our class the opportunity to get to know the math concepts by exploring and manipulating objects. Some of the materials and games had rules already outlined in the box and the students followed those rules as they practiced the math concepts. Other supplies, such as timers, dominoes, number lines, dice, etc. didn't come with rules. This allowed students to use the math concepts they have learned so far this year and to make up their own activities to go with them. The room was a-buzz as our mathematicians created board games, computation games, and word problem games with our new supplies. Not only were the students enjoying math, but they were using skills that align with the 8 Mathematical Practices such as: problem solving, critical thinking, making sense of problems and persevering in solving them, modeling with mathematics, using appropriate tools strategically and attending to precision. Math has definitely taken on a new excitement in our classroom and math concepts are becoming much more concrete for the students. A deeper understanding is being provided by the opportunity to practice skills in a hands-on way.
We can't thank you enough for supporting our mathematical learning.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ware
Listen Up!
Funded Apr 5, 2013Thank you so much for your donation toward headphones for our classroom. We use the iPads three times a week and integrate them into our classroom curriculum in various ways. From writing science books in the Book Creator app, to making a collage of the butterfly life cycle in Pic Collage, to reading leveled books on Learning A-Z, the children can't get enough of the iPads.
It can get quite noisy at times, especially when children are trying to read or record on the iPads. Although they are on task, sometimes the noise creates unnecessary distractions. By having individual headphones, children are engaged and tuned in to their specific assignment. It certainly helps with the individualization and differentiation of their learning. Each child is a given a pair of headphones to "plug in" to their iPad and can work uninterrupted.
Thank you for valuing the use of technology in learning and for supporting our class in using our iPads.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ware
Make Reading Magic!
Funded Oct 2, 2012Thank you so much for donating to Make Reading Magic! One of the biggest challenges of teaching kindergarten is the reading component. Children come to kindergarten with so many different reading experiences so teaching reading can be very tricky. Emergent Storybooks are the perfect way to make reading accessible to all learners. When reading an emergent storybook, young children are taken on an adventure of a good story. Complete with strong characters, a solid storyline, and a message being taught by the author, readers hear the books multiple times and are then able to reread the story themselves by using the repeating lines that are carried throughout as an anchor. In addition, when retelling, the children become the characters by changing their voices and adding some dramatization to the book. These early stages of reading increase children's confidence and help to instill a love for books. This is the foundation that other reading thinking work is based on.
Reading truly is magic and now that my kindergartners have so many copies of these emergent storybooks, their reading journey will continue on.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ware
Little Picassos!
Funded Mar 26, 2012Thank you so much for your generous donations to our class for the project Little Picassos. As soon as the easel arrived, our class was so excited to use it. As soon as it was out of the box and assembled, every child was in line to use it! Each day, different children use the easel and create masterpieces of their own choosing. From painting simple pictures to writing birthday messages to siblings, the easel has become the most popular attraction during Choice Time in our class. Children are able to practice fine motor skills, brush control, and crossing the midline while deciding on their own subject matter. The creative expression that the easel encourages is inspiring.
Easel painting is such age-appropriate activity. It helps to balance the rigorous curriculum of today's more academic kindergarten.
Thank you again for your donations to support the arts in kindergarten.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ware
Now Hear This!
Funded Nov 8, 2011Thank you so much for the generous donations to my kindergarten classroom. The technology items have made the learning much more engaging.
The speakers that are connected to my laptop allow my students to watch online videos and our school newscast without having to strain to hear. The messages they are being taught are now loud and clear. In addition, the headphones allow for students to spend time in differentiated programs on computers without being distracted or getting distracted. Finally, the boom box invites children to move their bodies and participate in music and the arts.
As we move into 21st Century Learning, technology is playing a key role. Your donation has put my classroom on that path. The learning is more meaningful and available to all students. Thank you for your support of education and for helping to reach all learners.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Ware