This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
I teach math and computer science at an amazing medical magnet high school. We serve primarily low-income students in a large city, many of whom will be the first in their family to go to college. As a STEM teacher, I aim to ignite a love of math and computer science, creating a learning environment that engages students in problem-based collaborative curriculum.
We closed schools in March due to COVID-19, but my students have persevered through incredibly difficult circumstances to continue their education online.
I am so proud to be their teacher.
An integral component of my classroom is collaboration. Students work together to solve complex problems, while I act as a facilitator to their learning. In order to have effective collaboration with distance learning, we use technology like Zoom and Google Meet.
My Project
As a teacher in the pandemic, I am trying to pull out all the stops to keep students motivated and engaged. Students at our school are juggling so much right now - they are often sharing devices with their siblings, balancing a full course load with childcare responsibilities, and struggling with time management as deadlines pile up. As distance learning continues, we need to provide opportunities for students to connect with us and one another.
The true magic in a classroom is always centered around student collaboration.
As myself and my colleagues use technology to create collaborative learning environments online, we are noticing one major issue: sound! Our school supplied Chromebooks to students, but the outdated microphones and speakers on the Chromebooks are causing problems. While we often hear feedback and background noise, the class struggles to hear their peers' voices. If we can supply headphones with built-in mics to students, we can get the students talking again!
Nearly all 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
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. McDowell and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
