I teach a group of diamonds in the rough. Located in Ward 7 in Washington, DC, Kelly Miller is the neighboorhood school for several notoriously rough housing projects. My students do not always come to middle school with the same skills that their counterparts in more affluent suburbs in the city possess. But what they may lack in foundational skills, they more than make up for with passion and personality!
Kelly Miller students give back to the community in so many ways.
They have even created a butterfly garden in a nearby park and a business that manufactures and sells aromatherapy products. They are proof positive that when you invest in children, the returns are infinite. They deserve all the opportunities that students "on the other side of the river" receive!
My Project
Most of my students are multiple grade levels behind, and often expend so much "brain power" on elementary computations that they lose sight of the grade-level concepts. Calculators could help bridge the gap between where my students are and where they should be.
Our school only provides calculators to students with special needs whose IEPs legally require it.
However, all students must take our state test - PARCC - which has multiple math sections that require a calculator. PARCC is sometimes the first time students see a calculator all year and, unfamiliar with the tool, they often attempt to solve problems by hand that have been specifically designed to be too difficult for them to complete this way, to their detriment. The specific calculators I have requested have functions that allow students to convert between and operate with fractions, decimals, and percents, which is an important skill in middle school.
With the shift to the Common Core, math classrooms are now focused on eight mathematical practices, including persevering in solving problems and using tools effectively. I want to help my students be successful, and prepare them to use math effectively in class and in life. These calculators could provide them access to and practice with important grade-level skills throughout the year. I know that they can achieve at high levels. Please donate so they can show what they KNOW, instead of being bogged down by things they MISSED.
More than three‑quarters of 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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