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.
My Students
I teach in a 6-12 community school in the South Bronx with a lot of heart. We have been coping with the COVID-19 crisis the only way we know how: by coming together and fiercely supporting each other over the finish line. We've had many roadblocks along the way, and teachers and students have had to flex their problem-solving skills every step of the journey to make sure every student is learning. Teachers have been calling homes constantly, working 1:1 with struggling students, moving heaven and earth to make their lessons engaging and accessible, and organizing internal PDs to help relieve the burden of constantly switching between in-person and remote modalities.
The students at my school are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
Firstly, our population is almost entirely low-income Black and Latinx families, groups that are more likely to be essential workers, and disproportionately carry the burden of illness and death. Additionally, many of our students are English language learners and students with disabilities who struggle in particular with navigating remote learning programs and are struggling to grow into independent learners.
My Project
Our students have persevered through some incredibly unexpected and difficult changes in their schooling. Since March 2020, schools have flip-flopped from blended to fully remote, and now we are kicking off the new year fully in-person. One of the few things that have been consistent across each setting is our use of technology in class.
However, there is a laptop crisis at our school that is making it very difficult to learn.
Most of our students do not have their own personal devices that they can use for school. Last year, we lent out every single Chromebook belonging to our school to students in need. We are still waiting on iPads and other devices promised to us from the DOE. Even students who have laptops often find their technology is giving up due to old age and constant wear-and-tear: not holding a charge, restarting in the middle of work, or coming apart about the hinges.
When I ask students to connect to the Internet in class, at least a quarter of them pull out their phones, which is a difficult way to complete their work. Some students are without laptops AND phones and therefore don't have access to the internet at all. I have lent out my personal laptop to students every day, every single period, to facilitate their learning. After that, when students ask for devices, there is nothing I can do. Meanwhile, we have Entering ENL students who are dependent on technology for translation services, and students with IEPs who need technology for accessibility. Our lack of devices is an injustice to their schooling.
I am requesting 10 Chromebooks to keep as a reserve in my classroom for any student who walks in without sufficient access to the Internet -- and therefore, to learning.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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. Rynczak and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
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