My students need a document camera. This enables whatever the teacher or student is writing on a piece of paper to be projected on the board or wall for everyone to see.
"Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations, or algorithms: it is about understanding" (William Paul Thurston).
All teachers want their students to have a deeper understanding of math concepts, but with such diversity in our classrooms, not every student will be able to develop that understanding in the same way and at the same time.
I have no doubt that all of my students are trying their absolute best and really want to master the math, but for many it's a challenge that can be intimidating and overwhelming. Therefore, my goal for my 92 amazing students this year is to make mathematics less stressful and more accessible.
My Project
Every teacher needs a way to communicate information to students, and today that needs to be in both verbal and visual forms in order to reach all of our diverse learners. When I was in school, the tool most often at my teachers' disposal was the chalkboard. When I first entered teaching myself, this was changed to a dry erase board. Today, it's often through the use of a document camera. With this tool as well as a projector, an instructor (which could be the adult teacher or the students) can write on paper and whatever they are writing is enlarged on a screen or wall for everyone to see. This tool is useful when we are asking students to take notes, help with editing of a piece of writing that has been created, or review or correct an assignment that has been completed. It can also be used to display a text being read together so that all may follow along and participate in the reading.
Many of my special education students desperately need tools like this in their classroom as they are highly visual learners.
During lectures or discussions they struggle to sustain attention and to comprehend what they are hearing. Having all information also presented to them visually helps provide another format for them to take in the material and improves their comprehension. Therefore, being able to have this Elmo in our classroom will ensure that we are reaching the whole class and providing greater accessibility to what we are teaching.
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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. Keleher and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
