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
Our school is a Title 1 school located in Homestead, Florida. 98% of our students are economically disadvantaged and qualify for free or reduced lunch. The majority of my students are struggling readers who are below grade level. Additionally, a large number of them are classified as ELL or English Language Learners; and a significant number of their parents are migrant workers who speak little or no English. Also, my students have little or no access to computers or the internet at home.
Despite their challenges, they come to school eager to learn and highly motivated.
Their hard work has paid off this school year! As a result of their efforts, 79% of them will be promoted to fourth grade without having to participate in summer school. Overall, my students made significant learning gains on the District Reading Assessment.
My Project
We started out the school year with four, very old, but working computers. By the end of the first grading period, one of the computers died, and we were down to three. By the end of the school year, none of them were working!
The majority of my students do not have internet access at home, and the only time that they have interact with computers is at school.
A district requirement is that our students participate in the I-Ready Program for a minimum of 45 minutes daily. I-Ready provides online individualized instruction in both reading and math and has proven to address students' specific academic needs. With only my teacher computer left, it was hard to meet the district requirement.
Additionally, when I am working with a group of my students in small group, the computers serve as a part of the centers rotation that I have implemented. With no student computers, it presented as a challenge to keep my students engaged, as I provided differentiated instruction.
Access to computers will help my students fulfill the district's requirement and assist with keeping them engaged while I work with my small groups. Ultimately, the computers will help boost their academic achievements!
More than half 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
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 Mrs. Rodriguez and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
