Imagine a classroom filled with kid-sized exercise equipment where the busy hum of activity reflects the enthusiasm of the students. Imagine as well a space where children are not wrong, labeled, or in trouble for having too much energy. Stretch your mind even further and picture children taking responsibility for regulating their own emotional state through movement. This is just the sort of environment my K-5 students need to thrive.
My school has some unique challenges ranging from the rigors of Dual Language Immersion to adequately meeting the needs of a 15% Special Education population.
In addition, my school has 100% free lunch status which means that many of my students have to deal with the stress and negative effects of poverty. Inability to focus, retain information and self-regulate are hallmarks of this kind of struggle.
Ignacio Estrada once said, "If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn."
This DonorsChoose.org project will take student engagement to a new level. My students are hard-wired to move. "Sit and get" education has been proven ineffective and is actually detrimental to brain health. It's time to take action!
My Project
I am requesting the Elementary Kidz Core Lateral Snowboarder and Elliptical Trainer as part of a larger Kinesthetic Learning Lab (KLL) for my school. Outfitted with kid-sized equipment, the KLL will have 25 stations designed to address the 12 Foundations of Learning Readiness. The "cool" part of this project reflects the trendy, colorful, state of the art exercise equipment which elicits immediate buy-in from kids. Coolness aside, the fact of the matter is that healthy, active students make better learners.
Research says that exercise actually grows brain cells!
Many children are predominantly kinesthetic processors. Using movement in the learning process helps many children retain and retrieve information more efficiently. Motor development provides the framework that the brain uses to sequence the patterns needed for academic concepts. The body's vestibular system controls balance and spatial awareness and facilitates the student's ability to place words and letters on a page. In short, what makes us move also makes us think!
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. Wolfe and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.