My students need 30 Chromebooks to efficiently connect with others and the world while learning to use technology as a tool to become good digital citizens for the future.
Students are in school several hours but spend a good portion of it walking to computer labs and waiting for outdated equipment to power up. This time could be better spent teaching students to use technology to enhance learning, connect with others, work in the cloud, and organize their lives.
Most students are freshmen at a Class B school in the Midwest.
The district is a K-12 campus several miles from a town, and approximately 30 minutes from the city. The students come from nine small communities in the rural area. Although a number of families farm, several parents commute to jobs in the city. Thus, it is a mixture of those who live and work in the country and others who love the country life but work elsewhere.
The freshmen class is approximately 160 students, and I instruct over 100 of them in English 9, which combines reading and writing units and is a requirement for graduation.
In recent years my students have done more online learning in an effort to go paperless, as well as teach them the capabilities of using the cloud for academic and personal endeavors. My students know I am passionate about my content, English, but they also learn a great deal of tech tools when they are in my class because these will benefit them no matter where life takes them.
My Project
I envision a classroom with a Chromebook for every student to be able to connect with others and the world. In fact, for the past few months I have been saying that if I could have a class set, it would be a dream come true. Thus, when I heard about this project, I was eager to submit my vision because it will allow me to be more efficient at helping students reach out, share, and learn with others.
I will not have to sign up for lab space or spend a portion of class waiting for computers to power on. Instead, the Chromebooks will "fire up" in seconds, and the battery will last all day. The time saved will be used to teach Google Apps, such as Calendar and Sites.
In addition to our class blog, students will do collaborative projects with peers in class, down the hall, or across the country. Rather than doing journal writing when a lab is available, students will do "on-the-spot" journaling. I can't wait to be able to say "Oh, that's a great idea; let's put it in the 'J' (AKA journal)."
With instant access to technology in my classroom, it is the same as a school with a 1:1 initiative.
Thus, I can plan lessons knowing what the technology is and when it will be available. Taking the guesswork out of planning allows me to focus on what I love: teaching teens the importance of reading and writing, as well as how to responsibly navigate the digital world. Students will leave my classroom knowing technology is NOT a toy but rather a valuable tool for learning and life.
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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 Mrs. Coady and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
