"Don't we all pay attention to how our voices sound when we hear ourselves on camera? I teach English as a Second Language to Kindergarten through 6th graders in a very high-need community in an inner-city area in Indiana.
These cameras, as with all technology, help pull students out of their shell...
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"Don't we all pay attention to how our voices sound when we hear ourselves on camera? I teach English as a Second Language to Kindergarten through 6th graders in a very high-need community in an inner-city area in Indiana.
These cameras, as with all technology, help pull students out of their shells. This is especially important for my students, as they are hesitant to speak in front of others.
They can use the camera to record themselves in a more private atmosphere (either with myself, a small group, or one other student). They can watch the video on the computer quickly and easily as many times as they want.
You will make it possible for my students to identify their own English errors and independently try to fix them.
My students need 2 digital flipcams so they can record each other reading and speaking.
See Mrs. H.'s class participating in this project!
(Enlarge photos)
Oct 7, 2009
Dear Martin Ruiz, Cynthia, Katherine and Wayne Township Education Foundation,
I want to thank you all so much for your generous donations to my classroom. The flipcams that you donated have helped my students to identify their own weaknesses while reading aloud. It is amazing how quickly they can identify their own errors when they are watching themselves and following along in the same book. They can see where they omitted, substituted, and transposed words that were in the text.
Without your help, my students would not have had access to these valuable resources. My hope is that, by consistently identifying the errors they are making, they will start to correct them on their own. Their reading levels should raise, and hopefully they will end up on grade level by the end of the year.
It is encouraging to me that even in this economic crisis, and with our schools facing budget cuts, there are still people are willing to step up and fill these gaps.
With gratitude, Mrs. H.
Mrs. H. sent this note after the project was fully funded:
Sep 24, 2009
Dear Martin Ruiz, Cynthia, Katherine and Wayne Township Education Foundation,
I can't fully express my joy, excitement, and thanks for your donation to my project. It is great to see that you share my vision for reaching children who are learning English as a Second Language.
The FlipCams that you have funded will enable students to understand more fully how to judge their fluency and expression while reading. In addition, I know that these FlipCams are extremely user-friendly, and the kids will easily be able to use them independently.
Thank you so much. I can't wait to introduce these tools to the children.
Reviewed the project essay and sent follow-up questions if needed.
Carol V. (volunteer)
on Aug 13, 2009
Verified the cost of the requested technology and posted this project.
Scott C. (associate)
on Aug 14, 2009
"I gave to this project because learning a new language is a brave and, often, difficult thing to do. I was also excited to see media being used as a tool to help youth engage in their own education. "
Katherine
from Indiana
gave
on Sep 1, 2009
"I gave to this project because my daughter Sarah is a great ESL teacher and my other
daughter Kate is running the marathon on behalf of teachers and children. "
Cynthia
from Indiana
gave
in support of Kate's Giving Page
on Sep 8, 2009
"Thank you so much Cynthia and Katherine! It is so wonderful and encouraging to me that people are so supportive of helping our Spanish-speaking students to learn English. Any teacher who has worked with these students will testify how eager these students are to learn! I can't thank you enough."
The teacher Mrs. H.
on Sep 18, 2009
"I gave to this project because... this is a brilliant application of technology. I was born in the US but did not learn english until I went to school. I didn't have ESL, much less technology to assist me in my learning. I wish I had. I hope that they discover other creative uses for the FlipCams. Good Luck."
""Mrs. H. Thanks for your email. I'm so happy that things are going well with the project. If you are interested in exploring new ways the students can use those flipcams, please check out the following website: http://www.latinoyouthcollective.com/. The LYC is a group of students using media to explore issues in their community. Great way for immigrant students to learn about their new homes and practice reading and speaking skills in both English and their native tongue. ALl the best, Kathy ""
Katherine
from Indiana
on Oct 7, 2009
Packaged the thank-you letters written by Mrs. H.'s students and sent them on to the eligible donor(s).
Patricia C. (intern)
on Oct 16, 2009
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Carol V. (volunteer)
on Aug 13, 2009
