Students need to have strong math skills to function in today's world. Calculators are a wonderful tool for developing student strengths in math by helping them to learn concepts behind the calculations, find patterns, display relationships and problem solve.
My students attend a large urban middle school and come from very diverse backgrounds.
Close to two thirds of my students are economically disadvantaged, and a quarter have limited English proficiency. Despite the fact that some of the student achievement indicators for my school are below the state average, the amount of growth our students are making each year is above the state average in math, putting them on track to catch up with their peers. This is because these students want to learn and the staff here puts significant effort into ensuring that they do learn. We are a multi-age school, teaching mixed groups of sixth through eighth graders in all subjects except for math, where we separate by grade level. The multi-age format develops community and allows all students to be leaders at times while learning from others at other times, both of which are necessary roles in society.
My Project
I work with about 75 students, teaching both math and science. I believe I was born to teach, and my passion is helping students discover their capabilities, especially those who do not see themselves as strong. The many new technologies available these days demand that citizens in our world make sense of answers, estimate well, and understand the concepts behind calculations. Calculators are tools that can allow all students to display relationships, find patterns and problem solve in order to truly understand the calculations they are doing. These calculators have a screen so that they can see the equations they are using and make sure the answers they are getting make sense in the context of the problem. They are excellent calculators that can be used in both subject areas.
These calculators will allow my students to identify and investigate patterns, display functions, explore challenging concepts, solve non-traditional problems, and cement their math learning.
A class set will ensure equal access to all students. Uniformity will allow students to demonstrate their strategies using the document camera, or I can demonstrate a technique and then students can try it themselves using the same device.
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