"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
In today's classroom, having a projector is a basic necessity. Although I look back fondly on my own school days of using a chalkboard, they are rarely to be found in any classroom today. It's not that there's anything wrong with them, it's just that they're becoming obsolete. Instead, just about every classroom has recognized that the students will be entering a world full of technology when they reach adulthood and so that technology needs to make it's way into their lives when they are younger. A projector is the basic starting point for that. With a projector, a computer can be attached and anything on that computer screen instantly becomes enlarged on the wall for all students to see. This allows teachers to display texts, images, videos, etc.
Anything you can do with a computer becomes shareable for all to partake in when you attach it to a projector.
This is critical. What education is all about it letting the students' into the teacher's world. Taking what we already know and sharing it with them. Making learning more of a partnership and more accessible to all. A projector is a simple way to do that when every student is not privileged enough to have some technology device of their own to use during lessons. Having a projector will therefore greatly improve the access all of my students have to our curriculum.
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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.