Past projects 6
A Magical Gift: Books!
Funded Aug 24, 2016Dear Donors,
My students and I are overwhelmed with gratitude. When we opened the boxes and saw all of those bright, shiny new books, cheers erupted and smiles were born! The kids were SO excited to have all these cool, new books and they couldn't wait to get their hands on them.
After I first received them, I stayed after school for a few days going through them all, labeling them and leveling them. We use an A-Z+ leveling system, so students are tested and told their level, and that's how they know which books are "just right" for them to read. Once all the books were labeled and leveled, students were allowed to "shop" for books they want to read. They select 1-3 books on their level to keep in their book baggie. During our reading workshop time is when they really get to dig into their books. I do a quick mini-lesson on the rug, where I model a reading strategy that they need to learn. I use a book and think aloud, modeling exactly the type of thinking I want them to do. Then, they go back to their reading spots and dive right into their independent books, post-its in hand, to do some reading and thinking work. While the whole class is doing this, I will pull a small group and do more intensive instruction. Once a week, they return the books they've read and shop for new ones!
If you walked into my classroom during reading time, you would see kids spread out all over the room in their "reading spots." Some students are reading at the rug, some are on cushions on the floor, some are in our "concentration center", and some are in a small group with me or my student teacher. Some might be nose deep in a book, some might be jotting down some thoughts they're having on a post-it, but ALL students are complete engaged in their new books, thanks to you!
More specifically, these books have helped my reluctant readers jump right in. Many of the books I choose were books that were updated and had story lines that could happen today, many I choose because they're "funny", and many I choose because they're the classics that we all love. Because these books are so engaging and new, even the readers who always dreaded reading time are starting to become more engaged. They love the new-ness and relatable story lines of these books. It had made a world of difference to them!
Thank you again from the very bottom of our reader's hearts!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Herbig
Give Us a Break!
Funded Oct 13, 2016I am so humbled by this kindness! My students really need this resource, and I know that it will make a huge difference in my classroom. I cannot wait to set it up so they can have their break center as soon as possible!
You have made a huge difference in their lives!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Herbig
Pedaling Our Way to Success!
Funded Sep 30, 2016Thank you so much from the very bottom of my heart! My students were overjoyed when I told them that they each were getting an exercise peddler! I really cannot wait to see what happens when each student in my class has the opportunity to try these out. My 5th graders are so incredibly grateful!
Again, thank you so much!! :)”
With gratitude,
Ms. Herbig
This classroom project was brought to life by Target and 3 other donors.We Need to Learn, but We Also Need to Move!
Funded Nov 11, 2015Our fitness seat cushions have been an amazing resource for our students! They have helped improve hyperactivity and attention issues for so many learners. Each student has their own seat cushion, and they use it to sit comfortably, or bounce and move around if they need to. It keeps them at their seats and working, allowing them to be more productive throughout the whole day!
My students were SO excited when they first saw the seat cushions. On the first day, we explained their purpose and went over the guidelines for using them. Each student got to try it out and talk about how they felt about it. They were so excited and couldn't wait to get their own! The next day we passed them out, and it was incredible what a difference it made. The students were all focused and quietly working, using the seat cushions to bounce around and wiggle as needed. At the end of the day, students AND teachers were so thankful for them!
Moving forward, I am excited to try new things with the fitness seat cushions. I would like to try allowing students to bring them places around the room as they move around. I believe that by letting them take it with them to the rug to read, the back table to work, or to the computers, it will help improve their ability to learn even more. By giving them this responsibility and allowing them to take them wherever they learn, I believe that the impact of this resource will be even more significant.
Thank you again so much for making such a difference in the lives of my students!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Herbig
The More Organized We Are, the Better We Learn!
Funded Jul 23, 2014My students were SO excited to receive the seat sacks! They loved decorating their name tags, and getting organized by putting all their notebooks and folders in the pockets! My students loved having their own space in the classroom to keep their precious learning tools!
By giving them the responsibility to keep each seat sack neat and organized, they felt important and mature. They were able to learn the valuable lesson of being responsible for their own belongings. This helped them have a sense of independence in their own learning.
My students keep all their notebooks, workbooks, folders, and pencils in the seat sacks. Transition time improved dramatically, which resulted in hours of increased learning time. Being able to access everything they needed right away helped decrease distractions, helping them focus on the lesson right away!
Again, thank you so much for your generosity!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Herbig
Give the Gift of Technology to Low-Income Students!
Funded Oct 13, 2015Dear Donors,
Wow! These tablets have made such a significant impact on my students. We have used them in so many ways. Firstly, we use them to work on the IXL app, which is a program my school bought to help improve math skills. For many students, working on the app instead of the computer is more engaging, and easier to manage! Also, since we often have laptops that don't work, having the extra tablets in the classroom means that all students can work on IXL every day, leading to improved math scores. Additionally, we have been taking advantage of eBooks, and it has made a world of difference! Many of my lower readers have been using a tablet to read engaging books that are on their level. Using the tablet not only gets them excited about reading, but saves them from other students noticing they're reading lower level books. Additionally, we have been using these tablets in centers, where kids are practicing valuable skills on different apps. We even had a student who broke her arm, and she used the tablet to write for the few weeks she was in a cast!
My kids are MOST excited about the eBooks though! Because we've been able to buy or rent eBooks for much cheaper than regular books, our students have been reading in books that are more engaging and culturally relevant. This has helped them all move up reading levels! It has even inspired them to get their parents to rent and buy eBooks on their own personal tablets at home, engaging them in reading even more!
Most importantly though, this technology has helped the students who have special needs in my classroom. The students who have lots of energy and a harder time paying attention have especially warmed up to the tablets. Just the idea of doing work on the tablet is so engaging to them that they hardly realize their doing work at all (haha)! It has made it easier for us to differentiate our instruction, ensuring that we reach all learners!
Thank you again so much for your generous donation! You have truly made a difference!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Herbig