My students are lively 7th and 8th graders in an urban public school, where all students receive free breakfast and lunch. They face diverse challenges in and out of school, but they still show up every day ready to learn.
My students are resourceful and creative, and they want to succeed.
I teach students who read at a high school level in the same classroom as students who read at a third grade level. Some of my students have been exposed to lots of world experiences, while others have hardly left the Richmond area. Some of my students have access to Internet and books at home, but many do not. Some of my students are very quick, eager learners, while others need to be constantly engaged. I teach students who have diverse learning needs, but they all deserve a top-notch learning environment.
My Project
Students will be using these Chromebooks to conduct virtual labs and simulations related to science concepts. Many of the concepts we cover in 7th/8th grade physical science require significant lab equipment and chemicals that we simply do not have at our school, but excellent websites such as Gizmos and PhET simulations can help students conduct simulations of these experiments.
The use of technology increases student engagement with the content for my diverse learners.
All of my students-- from the struggling readers to the math whizzes-- can benefit from this project.
I also plan to use the laptops to increase students' exposure to online research. In today's society, inundated with social media and myriad news sources, my students need to learn to be critical consumers of what they read online. I am teaching them to evaluate sources and synthesize information from the scientific community to come to their own conclusions.
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 Mrs. Molly McPhillips and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
