New York City has been the epicenter of COVID-19 which lead to schools abruptly transitioning to online teaching and learning. This transition has not been an easy one - we loaned out our stash of a few dozen iPads to families with no technology for their children so that online learning is more accessible to our learners. We have shared information about companies providing two months of free internet service since it's not a service that everyone has.
Unfortunately, we were not ready for the realities of distance learning - many students lack appropriate materials; online teaching is a mishmash of whatever materials I happen to have at home.
However, the one constant is that teachers are still delivering content, and learners are still learning. If anything, this has shown how resilient and creative we can be.
My Project
My class of first-graders and their families have been doing their best to adapt to using their own tech or school-issued tablets and laptops to navigate Google Classroom, to watch videos on YouTube, and to join us on Google Meets. Each day, students send me photos of their work. Through their responses and photos, I catch a glimpse of the supplies they use at home for online learning.
My students would greatly benefit from having physical books to read and some everyday supplies such as pens and paper to produce their work.
I've also requested glue sticks, Post-it Notes, and paint. Glue sticks and paint will help the students engage in art projects and crafts, as well as serve to be an alternative and additional creative outlet. The sign holder would serve as a steadier base to hold up charts I refer to in our daily videos through YouTube. I will do whatever I can to ensure that the materials get to my students.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Liang and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
