Technology is the wave of the future. I want my students to meet the amazing story book characters like Clifford, The Gingerbread Man, and The Little Red Hen. As they listen to an audio book at the iPod nano listening station, they will be transported into the storybook realm.
My students are as sweet and as lovable as can be.
I've had up to 33 Kindergarten students in my room this year (all day with a part-time aide...you bet I stay busy!) and they are very eager to learn. My students come from highly diverse backgrounds. In fact, there were 14 different languages spoken in our classroom this year. My students are refugees from Pakistan, immigrants from Russia, Vietnam, Somalia, Thailand and many other places around the world. The common factor is that they all love to learn. Most of my students (about 90%) live below the poverty line. Their reality is that children's books don't exist in their homes. Many of my students face a language barrier, and school is the first place that they are exposed to daily oral language in English. Our school is surrounded by low-income apartment complexes. Teachers at my school work hard to help these students break free of the poverty they are born into. They are deserving students born into tough circumstances.
My Project
I am hoping to use the 6 iPod nanos as a listening station. I've gained a collection of many audio books that can be downloaded into itunes and loaded onto iPod nanos. Students will simply scroll through the book selection on the iPod and match it with the book they want to listen to. Then, they will play the story and follow along. Each child will have the opportunity to enhance his or her education by listening to stories read aloud. In a large class, my "small group" often has 6-10 students in it. I am hoping to add this listening center to my reading rotation when students are not meeting with a teacher. My kindergarten students will be able to engage with the books they self-select from the audio library.
Motivating students to read is always a challenge, but these iPod nanos will help my class stay engaged.
Early literacy is a crucial component for making life-long learners. My goal is to have a well-managed class that loves to read. Please consider helping these students living in poverty have access to technology that may help them develop a lifetime love of reading.
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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. Martinez and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.