They want to go to college. I teach at an inner-city charter school that serves a low-income student population. Our school does not receive as much money as traditional public schools, but our result far outpace the state and city averages. We have committed, dedicated teachers who put in long hours for our students, and we do our job well because of our sincere belief that ALL of our students are capable of graduating from a top-tier college.
I teach history to 83 incredibly brilliant young scholars. It is a demanding class, and we require that ALL of our students take AP History, as it reflects our sincere belief that all students, regardless of race or background, are capable of college-level work. They read college textbooks (well!) and work tirelessly as we climb the mountain to college at our high school.
Unfortunately, for many of our students, school is the only place where they have access to technology. With our focus on college-readiness, it is imperative that our students receive extensive training on how to successfully use technology in an academic setting. Unfortunately, charter school funding laws are less than generous, and much of the money that could go towards technology, often ends up going towards other needs. Thus our students do not always the experience of interacting with more advanced technologies that will be available (and they will be expected to use) at top-tier colleges. I would like to give them the opportunity to use an interactive whiteboard solution in conjunction with a PowerPoint Presentation as a form of helping them not only access the history I teach more readily, but also master advanced technology before they graduate.
The Mimio Interactive Whiteboard is an inexpensive solution to this problem. It converts an existing whiteboard into an interactive whiteboard. This tool will not only help my students, but the entire school as it will be a mobile solution that all subjects can use (not just history). It will give students access to technology that we otherwise would not be able to provide them with, and prepare them for a competitive college experience in which these technologies will be widely available and required as part of their classes. In addition, it will help me illustrate complex concepts to my students, and illuminate difficult historical questions by allowing me to use my laptop in class to present important information to my students.
In conclusion, I sincerely hope you will help fund my project. At my school, we believe that all students, regardless of background, have the capability to succeed in college if they are given sufficient support in their elementary, middle, and high school education. Access to and experience with technology is a vital component of their college readiness. My students are often at a disadvantage compared to their suburban peers in this area, and funding this project will help level the playing field and provide a more equitable college-prep education to low-income students who deserve it. Thank you.
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