Chromebooks for Learning. Metropolis Elementary School

Here was Mrs. Crim’s project.

We were one of seven donors.

My students need Chromebooks to help expand their educational needs. The benefits of computers include improved motor skills, increased math skills, increased creativity, and higher scores on standardized tests.

My Students

My students are creative, thoughtful and full of questions! They absolutely love hands-on, active, engaging projects and challenges that allow them to think outside the box to find solutions! They come to school each day ready to try new things and take brave chances in order to grow both personally and academically. Truly, they are my inspiration!

Our school is nestled in Southern Illinois, home of Superman.

We have had a lot of factories that have closed. Now, with many of them closed, our families often struggle to find employment and opportunity.

Each child in my classroom absolutely loves learning, although the method and environment in which they learn best vary greatly. We incorporate a variety of learning strategies, group work, and alternative seating and learning options to ensure that each student's needs are met, right where they are! They are truly an incredible group, and I am so lucky and thankful to have a new group of learners that are excited and ready to learn each year!

My Project

The use of Chromebooks is almost a daily activity in my classroom, especially in math. Using the workshop model in math, students come to the rug with Chromebooks for guided practice and to record modeled strategies. The Chromebooks allow me to see exactly what they are doing, as well as provide an easy place for them to show and share their work.

By donating to our project, you will not only help to improve and increase student attention and focus, you will ultimately help to increase their academic achievement.

Students will be able to simply focus on the academic material at hand, and not whether their materials are going to work or not. Plus in this technology literate world, any interaction with updated technology will increase their literacy as well as their desire to learn and use the new technology!

December 6, 2018: We Need Technology!

We were one of nine sponsors for this project!

Mr. Wright’s Classroom

4th grade at Carlisle County Elementary School. Bardwell, Kentucky.

Information about this project as written by Mr. Wright.

My students are extremely talented, hardworking and love to be challenged. They soak up information like sponges and crave knowledge. They thoroughly enjoy the science activities that we perform on a weekly basis and have great ideas on how to make changes to produce different results. My students make teaching an enjoyable experience every day. However, we are lacking in the area of available technology to help them grow and get the most out of their science curriculum. Please help these wonderful students to become the best and brightest they can be.

My Project

Stemscopes is a great science curriculum with tremendous online capabilities. There are many fantastic activities and learning videos that students can access. They can even take quizzes and tests online, including short answer and extended response questions. Tablets limit the capabilities slightly and printing off the activities does not fully engage the students.

I am trying to build a classroom set of laptops so that students can get the full effect of the science curriculum and get the most out of learning.

These Chromebook laptops can also be used to perform research, create learning opportunities, and develop skills that will last them a lifetime.

March 5, 2018: Mrs. Bark' Classroom. Reidland Elementary School in Reidland, Kentucky.

There were 8 donors for this project.

This is the project in her words.

My Students

I have a great group of 3rd grade students who are eager to learn through hands-on technology. As a teacher in a low-income/high poverty school district, our students are faced with many difficulties both in and out of the school setting. Our whole school is now on free lunch due to the fact of low income in the area. Our students do not have the opportunities that most children have because of the challenges that come with their families because lack of money.

My Project

Five Amazon Fire tablets with cases will help my students in many ways. First, they will be able to do Reflex Math. This program allows students to memorize multiplication and division facts by the use of games. Moby Max is another program that I love. My students get to practice reading skills, math, science, social studies, and vocabulary, all in one program. The best part about it is that is is customized to each child's level. IXL is another program that my class likes to use. This program has math content for each grade level. All of these programs allow skills to be reinforced after I have taught them.

January 12, 2018: Document Camera. Carr Elementary School. Fulton, KY

Weather Talk was one of three donors to this project.

Here is the project in Ms. Brian's own words.

My Students

My students are amazing! I teach special education so all of my students have an IEP. I teach in a low income school, which means most of my students have a difficult background. My students are unable to afford many daily necessities. Each one of my students has a different personality, but most of my students have trouble focusing. This is very common in special educational students. Our school works very hard to meet the needs of each student, but because we are a low income school it is very hard to meet the needs of the students all the time.

My Project

Let me start off with what a document camera (or elmo) does. A document camera is a camera that allows you to put objects underneath it, and project the object onto a screen. The students are able to view what the teacher puts under the document camera on their white board. I will use the document camea in my classroom to do the students assignments and projects along with them. Often times my students have a very hard time focusing, and loose track of what I am telling them to do. If I am able to show them what I would like for them to do, and they are able to have a visual the students will stay focused on their project or assignment.

My students have many different diversities because it is a special educational classroom.

Many of my students are visual learners. This would benefit them by allowing them to have a visual of what is expected of the student. This will always benefit my students by giving them directions with visuals. Often times I tell the student to do something, but the student does not understand. If I am able to show or present what the student should be doing, the student will understand more clearly. This piece of technology would meet many different needs in my classroom such as visual learners, working together, and helping the student stay focused.

These type of projects can be found at
These type of projects can be found on this website https://www.donorschoose.org/

December 21, 2017: Mrs. Thompson's Headphone Project

This project was for Reidland Elementary School in Paducah, Kentucky.

We funded this project.

This is the project in Mrs. Thompson's words

My Project

We are blessed to have access to nine computers in my classroom. My students use them to take Accelerator Reader tests, and complete several other computer programs that we are, once again, blessed to have access to! We desperately need headphones, in order to have a private learning experience. We have access to several computer programs that allow students to master skills on their own level, and at their own pace. Learning needs to be private, and without headphones, it is not! My students deserve to learn in a private setting. Please help us! We use our computers everyday! Thank you so very much!

December 2017. Mrs. Trovillion’s Classroom. Children Love Coding!

This project was for Jefferson Elementary School in Massac County.  Mrs. Trovillions 2nd grade classroom.

We were one of three donors to this project.

Here is the project in her words.

Kids Love Coding!

My students need the Dot robots and an iPad to learn about coding.

My Students

A day in our 2nd-grade classroom is filled with learning and hard work. Our school is in a rural area, and the students that I teach come from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Our class motto is "Work hard, try hard, never give up." I set high expectations in the classroom and students strive to do their best, be creative and work hard to meet their goals!

I look forward planning creative lessons and projects as much as my students enjoy working on them!

My Project

My students need Dot robots and an iPad to learn about coding. Children want to learn how to code. They want to learn how to make tablets do useful things. They want to learn how to build websites and control robots. It's actually a very cool thing to them.

What really matters are the lasting benefits of building skills such as logical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and communication.

The earlier we introduce children to coding, the more comfortable they will be when presented with more in-depth learning opportunities in middle and high school.Early exposure to coding helps teach children how important it is to understand computers as the valuable tools they are rather than just fun playthings.We plan to use coding in our classroom as part of our STEM projects to promote problem solving and other important skills the students need to be successful.

Fostering a Love of Reading With TOON Books! Paducah, Kentucky.

• Paducah, Kentucky.  McNabb Elementary School
• 4th grade
• We were one of two donors to this project

Here is the project in Mr. Wyman's words.

My students need TOON Graphics reading materials that are meaningful and authentic to their experiences and interests.

My Project

I am hoping to purchase the “10 Prize-Winning TOON Graphics for Middle Grades.” These books will enable my students to gain a wealth of information, entertainment, imagination, and emotion. These books will stimulate my student's growth in reading and imagination. Through a mix of genres, including narrative and informational texts, students will be able to meet their literary goals and expand their knowledge base. They will also be exposed to many of the great myths and stories of classical literature in a format that is both fun and relevant to them. These books will not only establish and update my classroom library, they will also be valuable resources that my students, many of whom do not have access to books outside of school, will cherish and benefit from, not only this year,  but for many years to come.