We're on the final lap. We just need to swing our arms faster and start sprinting. The finish line is so close. Thanks to the awesome parents and friends of Mr. Lau we have completed our first project of obtaining five tablets. Now if we can only get four more tablets for our nine groups.
Our seventh graders are a group of students that can not be easily described.
As with any classroom we have students who speak their minds, jokers, social butterflies, introverted yet studious students, and the list goes on. I guess you can say that our classroom can be seen as a microcosm of the external community. And just like our community the effects of budget cuts and the sluggish economy can also be felt in our classroom. In fact our school was not even able to offer a single field trip to our seventh graders last year. We are currently planning at least one field trip this year but again funding is an issue. When I first entered the classroom, I was told that the only way to get equipment for my class was to "beg, steal, and borrow." While I did go ahead and beg, I decided to use my own money to buy supplies. But I have learned that such a course of action is non sustainable. So I now ask for your help!
My Project
These tablets will allow my 7th grade students to do so much more. They can be electronic dictionaries in a classroom that only has two dictionaries. The tablets can allow students to do in class research on any historical event. Keep in mind we don't have textbooks in the class for the students to fall back on when I assign assignments that require research or evidence. So when I do assign such assignments I would have to make 160 copies of handouts. This is extremely limiting in a school that also restricts the number of prints allowed on a Xerox machine (and not exactly an environmentally friendly alternative). Students will also be able to check their grades online. And for those who don't have access to computers at home, they can also use the tablets to finish assignments. Lessons can also be planned around the use of the tablets which will in turn introduce a new interactive environment that the students have never experienced before in any classroom at this school.
When I first entered this school my classroom had an overhead projector and a broken desktop.
I used my own resources and money to bring a projector, three laptops, a document camera, surround sound speakers, and many other basic school materials to the classroom. I probably spent two months of my pay in order to provide what I believe is a now more "modern classroom" for my students. If I had the money I would purchase this myself, but I don't. Anything helps! Let's make this happen.
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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 Mr. Lau and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.