Before my students leave our classroom each day, we recite a class motto: "we are kind, we are smart, we are important". Reciting this at the end of every day, instead of at the beginning, reminds my students of their worth before I have to release them into their realities.
My school sits in the heart of a low-income urban community, where every student receives a free hot breakfast when they walk through the doors, and a free hot lunch in the afternoon.
My students come to class with a rumble in both their stomachs and their heads, ready and eager to learn. They love to hold discussions around relevant social issues such as bullying, gender roles, and race. My students are some of the most amazingly inquisitive kids I know, but I may be biased. Inquiry is beginning to lead our class as they ask and wonder about the world around them, looking for answers and ways to react to what they see and hear. Not only are my kids prepared to begin changing the world right now, but they can give you a list of ways they plan to do so. If any of them was to run for President tomorrow, I'd go vote but again, I may be biased.
My Project
In the midst of Web 2.0, inquiry drives instruction as students have the opportunity to research and synthesize using the internet. Digital literacy is something that my students need the most practice with, as they learn to read and comprehend texts from computers, tablets, and smart devices. The Kindles will be beneficial in our inquiry, and help us to better our digital literacy skills. I plan to download a variety of both fiction and informational books that students have an interest in, and allow them to create book reports and presentations after synthesizing information from a variety of texts. A lot of my students are interested in sharks, so initially I plan to download a variety of shark books and allow them to read and explore for information. They will fill in a thinking map that organizes their new information, and choose a way to present it.
The use of kindles in our classroom will take our ability to comprehend digital texts to a whole new level.
Since our reading tests are taken on a computer, the ability to read digitally and comprehend is imperative for our success in third grade. These devices will give us a layer of practice that we currently do not have. Later on in life I believe that my students will be better prepared for higher education and job requirements because of this opportunity to interact with digital literacies.
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. Nunez and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
