My students need a netbook computer in order to write and produce creative visual representations of their original fairy tales, as well as to communicate via webcam.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Blair's classroom raised $391
This project is fully funded
My Students
Do you remember hearing those wonderful stories full of fantasy and magic that made you want to learn to read as a child? My students are not read to at home. This has resulted in an unfamiliarity of, and lack of passion for, fairytales. I plan to change this through an extensive fairytale unit.
I teach in a public K-5 school in the Midwest.
My students are economically disadvantaged and culturally diverse. They lack many of the pre-reading skills and background experiences many of us took for granted. Many of them come from single parent homes, and lack of interaction has resulted in a vocabulary deficit. All of these circumstances make it difficult for my students to be motivated to read, to comprehend and to analyze text.
Due to financial constraints, my students do not travel outside of the immediate area. Even transportation to and from school is a challenge. Most of what they know about the world comes from photographs, videos and television.
My students are young, and tend to become excited about learning when they are exposed to material in an engaging, fun way. As a result of environmental factors, many have difficulty maintaining attention during lessons. They learn best when actively participating in hands-on activities and making meaningful connections.
My Project
I have requested a Netbook Computer to enable me to share video segments of my fellowship trip to Germany's Fairytale Route with my students. Through an extensive multi-media unit, students will make personal connections to text while developing comprehension skills.
Students will use their newly acquired knowledge to create an original fairytale with their group members. The 8th grade students will perform reciprocal teaching to my K-2 students via webcam on the netbook. Then students will collaborate to demonstrate their knowledge of the genre by creating a visual representation of their tale.
The unit will culminate with a community "movie night". Students will showcase their tales using dramatic retelling, filmed segments, or a web-based writing software.
Students will learn visualizing, retelling, story elements, summarizing, and comparing and contrasting during this unit. I hope to motivate students to immerse themselves in the magical fantasy world of literature.
My dream is to share my personal experience of magical fairytale settings with my students and to foster a passion for reading.
It is imperative that I actively involve my students so they will develop personal connections to text, overcome vocabulary deficits, and gain background knowledge of foundational literacy.
By donating to this project, you will help my students to experience the magical world of fairytales as they develop vital comprehension skills and to become lifelong readers.
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
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