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.
I am just finishing my fifth year teaching at an urban school of low-income students. After majoring in math in college I pursued a Masters degree in education to decrease math phobias and to increase achievement in math for young people. I especially hope to close the gender and ethnic gap that still persists in the field of mathematics. The lack of a strong foundation in math greatly limits students’ choices in college and future careers. When students do not learn math well during high school, they are often required to take remedial math in college, regardless of their field of study. This is time consuming, expensive, and not an ideal way to begin one’s college education.
I recently completed a course on the SMART Board to take advantage of the technology in my school that was not being utilized. Now I am excited to use it in the classroom on a regular basis to engage students during lessons. A big hindrance is the set up of the system. Currently the projector is on an uneven desk, propped by several random books and stacks of papers. It is also limited by the numerous cords to connect the SMART Board to the projector and to the laptop and also by the locks necessary for security. After the time consuming process of setting it all up, it is frustrating when a student accidentally bumps the desk, shifting the projector, which forces the lesson to stop to reorient the board so that it will continue to work properly. This disrupts the lesson for the students and takes time away from their learning.
This is why I would love to have a presentation cart. Having the projector on a level surface would improve use of the SMART Board, reduce student interference, and increase efficiency. The set up process would be simpler and quicker and former worries about a student bumping into the projector would be eliminated. Therefore the SMART Board would be used more frequently and the overall effectiveness of the lessons for students would be greatly improved.
You will make it possible for my students to take full advantage of the technology of the SMART Board. The advantages of this interactive white board in a math class include clearer notes and diagrams (my handwriting is far from perfect and my drawing skills are worse), the ability to save notes for future reference, and eager student participation. Many students are more inclined to participate and write their answers on the SMART Board because it is clean unlike dusty chalk. In addition, students who view math as boring or pointless become motivated and interested during class because the technology is new, different, exciting, and more conducive to explaining complex math skills. A presentation cart will increase ease of use of the SMART Board and reduce time wasted to reconfigure the system and allows my students to be fully engaged in math class.
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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. Johannesen and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.