My students need 2 microphones to create podcasts to send to their parents deployed in the military. We also need a speaker for play back of the podcasts and a surge protector.
'I wish that I could hold you now... I wish that I could touch you now... I wish that I could talk to you... be with you somehow.'-unknown. 99% of our students' have a parent in the military. Some of the students have had a parent deployed seven times. They want so much to share their experiences.
My school is a public elementary school located on a military post.
Our school has a transient rate of 52% which means our students move frequently from state to state and even to different countries as a parent is transferred to another military post. At any given time about 40-50% of our students have at least one parent deployed. Some of our students have been through seven or more deployments. The family dynamics are always changing as they prepare for the military parent to leave and then again when they return and must be reintegrated into the family unit. Our students need all the support they can get to help them get through these deployments and the feelings of missing their parent.
My Project
The resources I am requesting will be used in a variety of ways. My first mission will be to teach the students to create podcasts using the microphones. These podcasts may be a retelling of their day or week or a look ahead to events coming up in their lives both at school and at home. I believe these podcasts will be a way for the students to share events with the deployed parent bridging the gap for the family unit. It will also help to boost morale for the soldier as they will know their children are doing fine! I also want to use the microphones to enable students to create book talks to share with other students. The speakers are needed so all can hear the podcast. My laptop speakers are not loud enough for the group to hear. The surge protector is to protect the electronic equipment from surges.
Our students want so much to share events with their parents.
It is hard for them to not have that parent in their lives for 15 months at a time. So much changes in 15 months. The parent comes back a stranger. This equipment will help us be sure the child is not a stranger to the parent. This will be a connection for both the students and our deployed military members. This is a connection to home that will help them to make it through another day! A focused soldier is a safe soldier!
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