My students are captivated each day by the stories they hear, literacy activities they engage with, and new facts they discover by using technology. They seem to know the esteem technology is held to in our society, for my ipad that sits without a case in many class centers, goes unscratched.
My students are first graders at a charter school in Baltimore City.
They are curious learners who absorb engaging new information very quickly. They are kind friends to each other who enjoy appreciating others, writing about their lives, and growing as readers on our classroom reading tree. Many of my students learn through active involvement, and find it very hard to complete a worksheet, or engage with paper-based literacy activities without the anticipation of being at the "computer center" in 1 or maybe 3 days. They can explicitly explain video games, discuss local sports, and are extremely curious about the often different meanings words have in different contexts. With such fervor and excitement for learning comes energy, and paper-based materials are not only less-engaging, but are not correlated with how students are learning and using technology at home. The students with the most energy are often the most focused students on the ipad or computer.
My Project
With enough ipads for each table to use, I envision the way students learn to be much more engaging, fun, and provide assessment feedback much more quickly. Through e-learning platforms such as tikatok, kidblogger, kahoot, noredink, gradecam, and so much more students will be able to publish and share their writing safely and meaningfully, participate in content-based activities where answers are submitted immediately and feedback is sent directly to the instructor, and learn at their own pace. Our school just bought reflex math, and so ipads can be used for all students to improve their fact fluency, and better prepare them for more difficult algebraic and geometric concepts in later grades. With enough ipads for each student learning group to have, I envision students also being able to connect, collaborate, and communicate with learners from other classrooms through a web-based tools like epals.com. With new literacy tools, the possibilities for use are truly endless.
By donating money to this project you are making a positive contribution to the future.
The gap between how technology is used in schools compared to how it is used in businesses and homes is widening with each new application, and every ipad update manufactured. In order to participate in a more digital society, students as early as 7 need to utilize technology in a constructive, learner-focused way and ipads are the tool with the most ways to positively effect students.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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