This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
Teenagers today LOVE their devices. Most of my students probably know more about social media than I do, and one of my biggest challenges as a teacher is competing with the Almighty Cell Phone for their attention.
Help me teach students how to harness the power of technology for academic gain!
My goal for this project is to teach students how to use technology to enhance their writing and knowledge of a given topic, while also providing opportunities for meaningful peer collaboration.
Unfortunately, many students do not know how to properly type a document, primarily because they lack access to computers, at home and in school. Cell phones have their place, but at the end of the day, you can't type an essay on a cell phone.
Our school's instructional focus for the year is Argument Writing. A huge part of this process is revision and editing. Computer access will allow them to easily share and receive feedback on their writing from me and their peers. Furthermore, students will be able to dig deeper into each topic by researching to create collaborative presentations using a variety of online platforms, such as Prezi, Google Presentations and more.
These writing, research and collaboration skills are vital for students to succeed in college and the professional world.
My Project
Our school lacks sufficient technology to meet the needs of our students. At the moment, nearly 1,400 students must share one laptop cart, containing 34 computers. I have introduced my students to Google Docs, as a way to begin and complete the writing process. When students create a draft in Google Docs, I can comment and suggest revisions much quicker and easier than I can on paper. The revision process also becomes more interactive, as students become active participants by choosing which revisions to accept.
Although most of my classes contain over 30 students, I am requesting 5 laptops for my classroom, that students can share to type their essay drafts and writing projects. The printer will allow students to quickly print out their work, and continue to revise by hand, or peer-edit with their writing partner.
Students will also use these laptops during class to work in groups to research specific topics and create digital presentations to present to their classmates.
In order to successfully approach college and the professional world, students NEED to know how to comfortably navigate the internet, and use a variety of platforms to produce compelling and thoughtful presentations and writing.
This project will not only help students become more involved in the process of revising their written work, but it will also allow them to form more meaningful connections with their classmates, through the process of collaboration.
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 Ms. Sapan and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
