Past projects 4
Learn and Grow With Osmo!
Funded Dec 3, 2018I want to begin this letter with a huge thank you! Thank you for supporting my students and letting them know they are important. Without donors like you, many teachers and schools could not afford the materials needed to make learning fun and inspiring.
When my students first saw our new Osmo Genius kits, they clapped and cheered! I explained that these new materials were given to us by a community of people that believe in them. One student said, "Wow, that's so nice. They must be some really nice people!"
Students are loving the Words, Numbers, Tangram, and Creative apps and games. Using the Words app, I am able to customize the game play to meet the needs of each individual student. I have some students still mastering letter sounds and others who are reading well above grade level expectations. Being able to customize the game and add in my own content allows everyone the opportunity to play the game and feel successful. Students love playing alone or with a partner. I have several students who play competitively spelling words and finding missing letters. They race the clock and their partner to see who can spell the word in the fastest time.
During independent math stations, students regularly choose to play the Osmo Tangram and Numbers games. I have seen great improvement in my students' abilities to count with one-to-one correspondence, count on from a given number, and compose/decompose numbers with more fluency and accuracy. I believe this growth is due, in part, to their love of the Osmo Numbers game which includes all of those skills within the various levels of game play.
I hope this letter has shown, in a small way, how much these new materials mean to my students. Thank you again for your support and generosity.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gonzalez
Coding Materials to Spark Students' Critical Thinking!
Funded Mar 27, 2018Thank you for supporting my project! My students love their new coding and critical thinking materials. We've been able to use our new Bee-Bot to incorporate coding into literacy and math workstations. In our literacy workstations, we use Bee-Bot to practice sight word recognition, letter recognition, and rhyming. In math workstations, we use Bee-Bot to practice number recognition, matching numerals to their set, and fractions.
The Engineer A Coaster kit has been a hit with my students! They love using the challenge cards to build different types of tracks for the gears to follow. The Create A Path magnetic center has helped my students deepen their critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills. They enjoy working together to create complex tunnels for the foam balls to flow through.
The magnetic whiteboard stand is awesome! We use it with the Engineer A Coaster and Create A Path kits as well as with literacy stations. During literacy stations, we use the magnetic whiteboard stand to match rhyming words, read and write sight words, and create silly sentences.
Thank you again for helping my students access new materials and opportunities for collaboration and critical thinking!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gonzalez
This classroom project was brought to life by Ripple and 2 other donors.Wiggle While You Work!
Funded May 23, 2017I want to begin this letter with THANK YOU! Without your donations, my students wouldn't have the amazing classroom community these materials offer. My students come into the classroom smiling and ready to learn each morning! They love the freedom to choose a spot in the classroom where they can do their best work. They are able to work comfortably and take they're materials with them.
When my students first saw the wobble stools and lowered tables with comfy cushions, their faces lit up! One student turned to me and said, "This is the 'funnest' classroom ever!" Now that we've used the flexible seating for the last few months, I can't imagine going back to a traditional seating style. I can feel the energy in the room as my students are working together comfortably. Our classroom has inspired other teachers in my school to try flexible seating options for their students as well!
With your donation, not only have you inspired my students, but you have inspired an entire school! Thank you so much for being a part of this journey. You make a difference is the lives of children!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gonzalez
STEM, Stools, and Clipboards, Oh My!
Funded Jul 18, 2017I want to begin this letter with THANK YOU! Without your donations, my students wouldn't have the amazing classroom community and inspiring lessons these materials offer. My students light up each time they come into the classroom! They love the flexible seating the clipboards offer. They are able to work wherever they're comfortable and take they're materials with them.
My students have enjoyed exploring the STEM materials as well. We've begun utilizing the materials in our math workstations to reinforce key concepts in the area of geometry. Right now, one of my math workstations is a 2D and 3D shape sorting/building station. After the students work with their partner to sort the given objects/shapes as 2D or 3D, they are able to use the Skoolzy Straws to build representations of 3D shapes. The students have gained a deeper understanding of 2D and 3D shapes in working with the Skoolzy Straws.
My next step in using the STEM materials is to create STEM tubs for morning work. Every morning when students come into the classroom, they'll have the opportunity to build, create, and code. I think the STEM tubs will energize my students first thing in the morning and help them sustain a high level of engagement throughout the rest of the day.
Thank you again for your support in helping me build an inviting classroom community filled with engaging materials and active learners!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Gonzalez