My students come from a large and diverse high school. Our school has around 2000 students, with over 50% paying reduced lunch prices and approximately 40% non-native English speakers. Access and equity is key for student success and we want to be able to provide regular access to technologies for all of our students.
My goal is for each of my students to have an equal opportunities for learning.
I would like the students to have access to graphing calculators in the classroom to help visualize and conceptualize the mathematics they are learning. In the math standards, the students use appropriate mathematical tools, including using technology to graph functions. I want to make it so that my students have the technology to meet the standards even if they can’t afford it themselves.
My Project
Graphing calculators will open up the possibilities of bringing in more interactive and exploratory learning for my students. The calculators will be used by students in all of my class hours, and across multiple content levels, to support the mathematics being taught in the class. For example, when covering statistics, students could collect and store their own data to find a relationship between their height and foot size, and students could develop a deeper understanding of quadratic functions as they develop a model to represent the flight of a basketball using a picture downloaded to the graphing calculator.
I have amazing students that are eager to learn and I want them to have the tools to help them succeed.
This grant will empower students to take on sophisticated mathematics and make sense of the world in mathematical ways. Graphing calculators help students in visualizing mathematics when they are able to see all the multiple representations on the calculators: graphs, geometry, algebra, and tables. The capabilities on these graphing calculators allow students to easily transition between each of these representations and make connections. They help students make sense of problems and deepen their understanding so they can feel more confident and assured in their experiences and in their math abilities.
Technology is intertwined everywhere in our real world and we want to bring it into the classroom. In a school where not all students can afford graphing calculators, it would mean so much to be able to provide this opportunity to my students.
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. H. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.