Did you ever have a math homework problem that was confusing, and you wished you could see somebody work it out? Remember that one gifted math kid who already knew everything and the teacher was constantly trying to find a way challenge to challenge him/her? A Wacom tablet can solve both problems!
The students in my class are diverse in a variety of ways: ethnicity, interests, skills, socioeconomic levels.
Some speak foreign languages. Some are athletic. Some are gifted readers or mathematicians. Some struggle with learning disabilities while other gifted learners struggle to stay engaged. Some of my students are artistic; others, more analytical.
All of my students have one thing in common: they love learning in new and innovative ways.
Our campus is a California Distinguished School, National Blue Ribbon School, and a place where teachers work hard to make learning meaningful and fun.
And since we've begun implementing the Common Core Standards, I've realized we can delve a LOT deeper into our studies than ever before. Filmmaking is one powerful tool I've discovered to motivate students and deepen their learning. For example, math no longer has to be confined to binder paper. We can borrow a page from Salman Khan's "Khan Academy" and create math instructional films, too!
My Project
Kids need to see math modeled using multiple methods. They then need to try it on their own. And then they need validation they did it right. This isn't rocket science. The key is showing them innovative and mathematically sound ways to become math "thinkers" and not just math "doers." A Wacom tablet coupled with screen capture software empowers students to show their work, record their work, and-after adding an audio voiceover-transform their work into a math instructional video we can upload to our YouTube Channel. Salman Khan of the Khan Math Academy isn't the only guy who can do this. My students can, too!
Remember learning to divide fractions by inverting and multiplying? What does that mean? Why do we do it? Are there other ways to solve these problems? These questions can be answered by students for students with a Wacom tablet.
Struggling students can see the work we did in class one more time at home. Gifted kids can use their gifts to create films for others!
Over the past two years, my district has participated in an amazing math grant where we've learned how to teach kids multiple methods to solve math problems.
The result: my students love math and realize it can be fun and creative. My students' math scores have steadily risen, and their love of math has grown exponentially. A Wacom tablet will empower them to show their work and create instructional films to help teach other kids how to be math thinkers and not just math doers.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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 Mr. Bentley and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
