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
The United States need students more proficient in math and science to compete globally. Technology, such as these graphing calculators, are essential components to studying and learning rigorous mathematics.
I teach a highly minority student population that comes mostly from low-income homes, many with only one or no parents.
Many of them have few, if any, academic role models (especially in the field of mathematics) in their lives. My students work hard and have the potential to positively contribute to society, as do more affluent students.
However, with these calculators costing more than $100, very few of my students have enough money to pay for one of these invaluable tools. In a higher income area, this cost is not limiting, yet for my students it is simply not feasible, a contributing factor to the notorious achievement gap. Many of my students have to share with their peers during class and cannot finish their homework at home because not everyone can afford their own graphing calculator.
My Project
These calculators are tremendously more advanced than basic scientific calculators and are absolutely essential to compute and analyze the large amounts of data and information in my statistics class. My students are currently preparing to take the Advanced Placement (AP) exam in Statistics for which a graphing calculator is required because of the extensive statistical computations and displays they have.
Otherwise, students would spend countless hours computing means and standard deviations for sets of data that the calculator can compute in seconds with little time left for contextual learning and understanding. With these calculators (and the batteries to power them) my students can instead focus on the meaning of the numbers and learn how to make and analyze important decisions in fields as diverse as medicine, education, sports, and politics.
Your support would ensure my students are given access to an incredible piece of technology.
Class is incredibly engaging as we have daily discussions about the numbers and symbols we are using and what they all mean rather than spending valuable class time just plugging numbers into various formulas. You will help give my students an incredible advantage in this world filled with data and technology and analytical skills being on numerous job requirement lists.
More than three‑quarters of 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 Ms. Caruso and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
