This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
Have you ever tried to learn a second language? Can you imagine trying to learn a new language without the use of visuals or realia to help you better understand what your teacher was trying to teach you? That is an obstacle my English Language Learner students must hurdle on a a daily basis.
My fabulous students attend a public elementary school in an impoverished area of California.
They are an extraordinary group of children whose parents are immigrants from Mexico and other Latin American countries. Their home language is Spanish, and although they do speak some English, they struggle with higher level vocabulary. These children are voracious in their quests to learn English; constantly asking questions and requesting examples of the concepts that I teach. Try as I may to bring in as many real-world objects, photographs, and other visuals, there are often times that I can only find the images that I need in books. Although books are a fabulous resource, when there is only one copy to share amongst 24 students, the impact of the images are very limited. Often times my students spend their time before and after school, and at recess combing our classroom library to get closer to these images. This is just a small example of their commitment to their own learning.
My Project
A document camera will enhance learning for my students in all subject areas. In English Language Arts, my budding authors can watch as I lift lines from a classic piece of literature and demonstrate how to use them as mentor texts for their own writing. Many of my students struggle with reading comprehension due to their limited English skills. A document camera would allow me to capture images from books and other print media to help them better understand what they are reading. The use of manipulatives during mathematics is crucial to the understanding of new concepts, especially for English Language Learners. A document camera would allow me to demonstrate how to use them to help solve complex math concepts. Visuals are the key to understanding science and history/social science concepts as well. A document camera would put an end to wasted time passing around single copies of important images or text. We can instead use this extra time to dig deeper into these concepts.
A document camera will absolutely change the way my students interact with information.
Students themselves will be able to utilize the camera to demonstrate their learning, teaching other students how they may have solved a complex problem on their own. Teaching others will also increase their confidence and self esteem.
For English Language learners, access to visual media will increase exponentially, leading to understanding and conceptualization that may otherwise be lost in translation.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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 Mrs. Swanson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
