I teach CTE, STEM and EdTech at a small charter school located in Lehi, Utah.
My students are creative, thoughtful, ambitious, full of questions, and eager to learn.
They absolutely love hands-on, project-based, engaging assignments, and challenges that allow them to think outside the box to find solutions and apply their learning in real-world contexts. They come to school each day ready to try new things, ready to collaborate, and open to new possibilities.
My students are poised and ready to chart new paths and go the distance, all in an effort to develop their academic profiles. Every class discussion seems to grow legs, resulting in fantastic ideas for ways in which my students might launch experiential learning opportunities and dive into service-learning, action civics, or STEAM project-based learning activities.
My Project
I have used Nearpod for going on three years now, and it is by far the most compelling of these types of services. I rely on the platform to provide student-paced assignments, a collaborative environment where they can develop their problem -solving and teamwork skills, and an accessible means of learning, anywhere and at anytime. Nearpod's integration with Immersive Reader means that both tools are accessible for every student, and accessibility can continue even beyond the walls of the classroom.
But this year, the world that we know and love changed dramatically.
In this pandemic-era, I have been reassigned to teach virtually, and therefore face newfound limitations when it comes to my instruction and classroom management.
I now rely on Nearpod's platform even more than I did in the physical classroom, for almost every lesson, almost everyday.
Moreover, my students find that the Nearpod -style virtual classroom I provide offers more than the possibility of collaboration, it actually provides them with a social learning element that they so desperately crave while attending class remotely. Furthermore, Nearpod acts as a go-to solution for conducting live lessons as a class, despite our distance.
Due to the extreme nature of use in our distance learning environment, since September I have already used up all of the data storage that comes with the standard Nearpod Gold membership. As it currently stands, I am unable to create any new lessons unless I erase a previously crafted lesson.
It is for this reason, and so that I can continue to provide the best possible virtual classroom, that I have created this project. I am requesting a Platinum-level membership with Nearpod so that I may continue teaching with the same caliber of instruction that Nearpod has made possible up to this point. Please consider supporting us.
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. Jessica Benson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
