My students need a light table and accessories as they manipulate and explore shadow, light, and reflection. The students will think, create and innovate their learning.
We begin the day singing "Sing" and end the day with "Happy Trails." In between, our day is full of joyful learning as we learn to read, become authors and illustrators, problem solve, think logically and mathematically and explore the world in everyday situations. Our school day is magical.
I work with twenty-three first graders in a brand new K-8 public school with an enrollment of 1,100 students.
My students come from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and life experiences. But the common thread among the students is a curiosity to learn. Our class motto is perseverance and kindness. Hanging in my classroom is the quote that "Every child can learn but not on the same day or in the same way." That quote guides my instruction. Our day is full of literature that is woven into the subject areas. My students are engaged in solving real world problems. Their interests guide instruction and I am intentional to weave the state standards into their interests. They know mistakes happen and learning occurs through failure. Technology is available throughout the day to advance investigations or document learning through videos and class presentations. Our school's mission it to think, innovate and create and to fulfill that my students need hands on learning.
My Project
I create a developmentally appropriate classroom. The emphasis is meeting children with where they are at and going forward. Worksheets are minimal but creation and problem solving are highlighted. The light table and accessories I am requesting will allow me to weave open ended play, math/science fun, fine motor, music/art activities, literacy, writing and seasonal discoveries into my instruction. Most of the items are considered loose parts and will promote innovative learning by the students as they manipulate to create an understanding of light and reflection. There will be sorting, measuring, building, color mixing. There will be counting, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing by putting items into groups. There will be storytelling and spelling that transfers to the writing center. There will be dramatic play with the animal and human x-rays. The learning is when the children actively create, test and refine their original,spontaneous ideas about how things work.
This project allows my students to construct knowledge and mental relationships about the physical world and how it works.
This intelligence is created by the children and therefore is part of their lives forever. The students become thinkers and problem solvers. This project allows them to construct knowledge that they come up with and ideas that have never been taught to them. The light table and accessories adds an instructional tool to make my classroom even more child centered.
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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. McDevitt and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.