Past projects 11
Magic Carpet Ride Through Third Grade
Funded Oct 8, 2023THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I am over the moon excited to give my students this rug as a gift, thanks to all of your generosity. I can’t wait to tell them how so many people came together for a special cause and showed up for THEM! They will be so happy. Your kindness will not be forgotten. ❤️”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Lizer
Readers Make the World Go Round
Funded May 25, 2018I am overwhelmed by your generosity! Thank you so much for donating to my project. My students have loved having their book bags this year and I know my new class will enjoy them just as much next year! The chair back covers will be an asset to our classroom as well, helping my students stay organized.
Thank you!!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Lizer
Education at Their Fingertips: Technology in First Grade
Funded Sep 21, 2017This year we were fortunate enough to receive a grant where each one of our students was given a chromebook that will travel with them through their elementary career. On these chromebooks we are able to work on both literacy and math. The district funded two research based programs where students are each learning on their individual level. Students struggled using the touch mousepad in the beginning so the mice were essential for our classroom.
My students are the only ones in the school who have a mouse they use personally! They have done such a good job taking care of it and putting in the pouch each day. It has also been a great way to work on our responsibility in the classroom.
All of my students have enjoyed this resource in our classroom. It has really proved beneficial when we go into the computer lab to take standardized assessments because my students are familiar with how the mouse works and comfortable using it with the desktop computer. I am very thankful for your generosity and I want you to know your donation as truly impacted the learning of my students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Lizer
Making Readers: Wikki Stix, Magnetic Letters, Whisper Phones, OH MY!
Funded Dec 21, 2017The resources donated to our classroom are used on a daily basis, I don't know how we were able to survive without them! In the classroom we use our whisper phones during independent reading time to read quietly and practice fluency. We use our magnetic letters to practice our CVC and diagraph words, sight words, and spelling words. Students use the CVC practice as an independent station to build CVC words and write sentences. These are just a few examples of how we use our resources in the classroom.
When my students saw the materials their eyes lit up! They could not wait to use the resources in the classroom. They love having the opportunity to work with all of our new materials funded by this project.
Next steps in the classroom will be for me to request materials for later in the year. I use a lot of the resources for beginning level skills in the classroom, such as the CVC words. I need higher level materials for my students advancing to the next level in their reading. I would also love more fluency practice for my kids to do during their independent reading time. I appreciate your generosity more than you will ever know!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Lizer
21st Century Learners: Chromebooks in the Classroom
Funded Sep 27, 2017In my classroom students are able to use their chromebooks to help them with their literacy and math using two research based programs purchased by our district. Each of the programs teaches students at their independent point of need. They reteach students when there are misconceptions and after too many failed attempts, it notifies the teacher of lessons students need one on one from the teacher. It is a great way to collect data for students making great improvements as well as for students struggling over the course of the school year.
These USB adapters were a necessity according to our district. We were told the only headphones students could use must be a USB port but students already had purchased headphones previously with a plug in instead of USB. I It would be unfair of me to ask students to send in another pair of headphones after getting the ones we already had.
All of my students use the resource daily to work their chromebook. There is a place to plug in headphones and microphone so students can read books on another website we have, raz-kids, to practice their fluency. I am extremely grateful for your donations so we were able to purchase the missing link to accommodate our students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Lizer
Building Independent Readers
Funded Jan 25, 2018My students are using their book bags on a daily basis, multiple times during the day. During our center rotation, students get their book bags from an easily accessible space and read for 20 minutes. The books in their book bags are "Just right" books, which means they are on their independent level and will enhance their fluency. It does not take away instructional time to pick books on a daily basis because they have exactly what they need in their individual bags.
When my students first saw their book bags they were thrilled! I allowed them to pick the color of their bag. I gave them an index card with their name on it and they were able to put it in their clear pocket, giving them ownership of their bag.
In the future, I plan to continue asking for literacy resources to enhance my students' abilities and increase their love for reading and writing. I absolutely love reaching out to donors to bring well deserved resources to my students. I truly appreciate your generosity with donating towards our project. The book bags are truly being put to good use.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Lizer
This classroom project was brought to life by The First Million Fund and one other donor.Oh the Places You'll Go: If You Have Number Sense
Funded Aug 11, 2017Thank you so much for donating these math resources to our classroom. Having these resources has helped meet the individual needs of my students in a very hands on way. I am able to use these resources in both whole group and a small group setting.
When I was introducing part/part/whole, I was able to use the number bond boards for students to have visual counters to move as they counted the different parts to make their whole. We also use these to find the missing addend in our equations.
Students love using the paddle boards to show numbers 0-20 using the magnetic counters. Students are able to use the two different colors to show the different parts to make up the whole and then make it into an addition or subtraction problem.
These resources have positively impacted my classroom and I am very appreciative of your giving hearts. These foundational skills students are learning now will help them as they grow and learned more difficult concepts.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Lizer
This classroom project was brought to life by Lakeshore Learning and 2 other donors.Flexible Seating: Where Do I Want to Sit Today?
Funded May 25, 2017Thank you so much for your donations towards our flexible seating! The students in my classroom absolutely love the different options they have during the school day. When they first saw the materials their mouths opened! They were so excited to see the different color yoga balls they could sit on at their seats.
Students are learning how to sit at the different tables. Three of my tables have the yoga balls where students can sit and bounce as they are learning and working on their assignments. I have always been a teacher that, as long as students are working, I don't mind if they are standing, kneeling, or sitting. My main priority is they are learning and becoming the best version of themselves. Another place they can sit is on the floor with the amazingly soft pillows purchased with your donations! It is their favorite place to sit. Not only do they sit on it during their work time at their tables but they also drag it around the room to read on. It is a beautiful sight. We use the clipboards almost daily, students complete projects during whole group on the carpet together and it is their work surface anywhere around the room.
Flexible seating is a passion of mine. I love letting students have options and take control of that part of their learning. I hope to continue this for years to come and I hope to add different options in the classroom in the future.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Lizer
Classroom Engagement
Funded Dec 31, 2015Thank you so much for funding our project and getting our classroom whisper phones, a Bluetooth speaker, and bilingual books!
We use all of these resources on a daily basis. Students are enrolled in the Spanish immersion program and are learning to speak Spanish. In my classroom they have a lot of time to read independently and students love reading these books. On the top of the page it is written in English and on the bottom of the page it is translated into Spanish. It's a great way for students to learn additional Spanish vocabulary! I have to say, using the Bluetooth speaker is one of my favorite times during the day. When it is time to transition to the carpet from doing other activities, I play a song and students know to come to the carpet. One of our favorite songs to play is "Count on Me" by Bruno Mars and "ABC" by Michael Jackson. The kids love to sing and dance their way to the carpet. It is a great way to build a good culture in the classroom and we all enjoy it! It also helps my transitions to be smooth and managed because the students love to sing the songs. The whisper phones help us in so many ways. Students at this age can comprehend better when they read out loud, the problem with that is 24 students in one room reading out loud can get too noisy. The whisper phones help manage the voice level and allow students to hear themselves read therefore comprehend what they're reading.
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When the resources were delivered to my classroom the students couldn't wait for me to open the boxes! They were so eager to get their hands on the things inside. We had been using my phone to transition so when they were able to hear the music loud and clear on the Bluetooth they were so happy.
As far as future projects go, I would love to look into getting new materials for my students that go along with our new reading series we started this year. I have seen various resources that allow students to be independent while learning about the common core standards. My goal is to make my students independent, self-motivated learners. I want to find materials to help that happen in my classroom for years to come!
Thank you so much for donating to our classroom! We are so thankful for the resources”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Lizer
Class Rug
Funded Jan 15, 2016The classroom rug has been a great asset to our classroom! Not only is it absolutely beautiful and cheerful when you walk in with all the different colors but it also serves as a management tool for me to use in my lessons.
When students come to the carpet, they now all have a spot to sit on the rug! Each child has plenty of room to sit "criss-cross applesauce" comfortably. They love coming and choosing the color they want to sit on. At the same time, if necessary, I can easily assign spots for students who have a hard time sitting next to certain classmates. This really helps students stay on task and be the best learner they can! I use the colors to easily assign partners to discuss information during whole group time. It cuts down on a lot of wasted time because students know exactly who their partner is depending on the color they are sitting on at the time. During independent time I notice the majority of my kids will drag a pillow to the rug and sit with their favorite book and stuffed animal to read quietly. It has become one of their favorite places in the classroom. When we are doing our movement breaks and students get to dance, the squares allow them to have enough room to move around and be a safe distance from each other.
To say the kids were excited when the rug got delivered would be an understatement. We were sitting on our old carpet reading when the FedEx delivery man walked in with the huge delivery. All of the kids got a huge grin on their face and started cheering! I have never seen them so excited! We had to stop what we were doing to unroll the rug immediately. The kids were clapping and giggling the whole time. Right away, they all took their spot and couldn't wait to get busy learning again once the rug was down. It was one of the highlights of my year so far.
As far as future projects go, I plan to look into getting new materials for my students that go along with our new reading series we started this year. I have seen various resources that allow students to be independent while learning about the common core standards. My goal is to make my students independent, self-motivated learners. I want to find materials to help that happen in my classroom for years to come!
I can't begin to thank you enough for donating to my classroom and my babies! We truly appreciate your giving heart!”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Lizer