This teacher needs your help!

Ms. M. from is requesting technology through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

Fully Funded

Ms. M.'s classroom raised $493

Seeing is Believing

To help literally close the achievement gap for each of my children, I am requesting a smoothly-functioning digital camera and memory card as well as a color printer, photo paper, and photo pockets for printing and preserving high-impact photos of students and their work.

Ms. M.

Grades PreK-2

Our Kindergarten is home to wonderful, growing 5-year olds. Approximately 85% of our school’s students receive free/reduced lunch, and 100% identify as African or African American. As a D. C. Public School, we don’t always have an abundance of resources, but we are blessed with an enthusiastic, talented staff who work hard and creatively to ensure each of our children reach high levels of achievement. THE BOTTOM LINE: During children’s first formal schooling experience, a digital camera will help put students on the path to lifelong academic success by allowing us to: 1) Display pictures of every child in the classroom within the first week of school, building students’ sense of ownership, 2) Post actual photos of children modeling classroom procedures and rules, making expectations as concrete as possible, and 3) Capture student work for individual academic assessments and student portfolios. MORE DETAILS: 1) For many low-income students, school can be an unfamiliar, even unwelcoming place. I plan to reverse this trend by prominently posting pictures of each student and their families in the classroom, helping students see themselves and their experiences as an integral part of their classroom community. By building a positive association with school early in students’ lives, these photos will help set them on the path to lifelong academic success. 2) Though important, positive feelings towards school are not enough for students’ success. Each child must understand exactly what is expected of them behaviorally and academically, know they can meet those expectations, and be motivated to do so. Thoughtful use of digital photos can achieve each of these objectives. As I introduce classroom rules and procedures such as how to use the literary listening center or participate in a small math group, I will ask students to demonstrate these behaviors and photograph “model choices.” The photographs will then be posted on the direction charts generated in class, serving as a real-life illustration of smart choices. Students are empowered by knowing they CAN succeed (I will carefully track these photos so every single student serves as a model,) and motivated by the wonderful feeling of leading and teaching others. Finally, very young students will build habits of academically productive behaviors, again setting them on a lifelong path for success. I have seen many bright, older students held back by lack of proficiency in classroom behaviors; together, we can help prevent this fate for my kindergarteners. 3) Finally, a digital camera will be instrumental in tracking students’ progress on each objective I teach, helping to ensure every student is on track towards the lofty academic goals we have set for the year. Early childhood assessments, though no less critical than those in later years, look very different from familiar pen-and-paper tests. Daily use of a digital camera can be a powerful assessment tool, allowing me to capture students’ level of mastery on objectives through activities ranging from retelling a story on a felt board to designing ABB patterns with colored counting bears. I intend to involve students in their own assessment by helping each child build a portfolio, strengthening each student’s ownership of his or her own academic growth. By driving students to constantly improve their foundational academic skills and understand their own progress, a digital camera will help complete the puzzle of setting Kindergarten students on the path to lifelong academic success. You can help close the achievement gap for these kindergarteners!

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

25 students impacted 5 donors

Project tagged as

Grades PreK-2
Literacy
Literature & Writing
Mathematics
Technology
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households

Ms. M. Grades PreK-2

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

25 students impacted 5donors

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes

Materials Cost Quantity Total

CANON PHOTO PAPER PLUS GLOSSY 3.5X11 20 SH/PK -- Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy; 8-1/2x11", 20/Pack • Quill Corporation $17.09 1 $17.09

CANON IP3500 PHOTO PRINTER -- Canon PIXMA iP3500 Photo Printer • Quill Corporation $79.98 1 $79.98

MEMOREX 1GB SD MEMORY CARD -- Memorex SD Memory Cards; Travelcard , 1GB • Quill Corporation $24.99 1 $24.99

CANON POWERSHOT SD1000 SILVER DIGITAL CAMERA -- Canon Digital Cameras; PowerShot SD1000 • Quill Corporation $199.99 1 $199.99

4-PHOTO HOLDERS,4"X6" -- Storage Sleeves For 6x4" Horizontal Photos; 4 Per Page • Quill Corporation $2.69 2 $5.38

Materials cost			$327.43
Vendor shipping charges			$32.74
Sales tax			$18.83
3rd party payment processing fee			$8.19
Fulfillment labor & materials			$17.00
Total project cost			$404.00
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms			$88.68
Total project goal			$492.68
How we calculate what's needed
Total project goal			$492.68
4 Donors			-$475.29
Donations toward project cost			-$404.00
Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms			-$71.29
Excluded support for DonorsChoose			-$17.39
Still needed View calculation Hide calculation			$0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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Project Activity

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. M. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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This teacher needs your help!

Seeing is Believing

Project tagged as

Boost your odds

Top rated for efficiency and transparency.

TEACHERS, FEELING INSPIRED?

Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes

How we calculate what's needed

Project Activity

Project Activity

DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

Help teachers & students in your hometown this season!
Use code HOME at checkout and your donation will be matched up to $100.