Do you remember sitting in the classroom and not being able to see what the teacher was writing on the whiteboard or not understanding the verbal directions given by your teacher and thinking you were the only one who didn't know what to do? My students experience this every day and in every class.
All of my student's have learning disabilities.
Some are autistic, some are ADHD, and some have vision and medical issues along with their learning disability. All of my students are performing below grade level in the areas of math & reading. Many of my students come from poverty level homes and receive free and reduced lunch. Our school district as a whole has over a 60% poverty rate. Despite all these negative factors they come to school with smiles on their faces ready to learn.
My Project
A document camera is a small camera that projects in color whatever document or object that is placed under it onto a screen. It is my hope that this technology will increase student engagement and participation. My students for the most part are visual learners. The addition of a document camera in the classroom will dramatically increase the visual element to lessons and demonstrations. During whole group reading many of my students lose their place and can't follow along. Students will be able to take turns holding their book under the projector and following along with their finger as they or another students read aloud. If a student looses his place they can just look up to see where we are. I will be able to model writing, display text and incorporate cooperative learning. Math manipulatives will be easily viewed by the whole class and it will make it easier for the student to recreate it at their own desk. Over all it will be easier for my students to visualize every lesson.
My students need their lessons to come alive.
It may be as simple as demonstrating how to form cursive letters during a writing lesson or as difficult as learning how to use a ruler and a protractor. Every lesson can be displayed visually and best of all this technology allows the students to use and interact with the material effortlessly. I hope this will inspire my students to share their work and assist me in creating instructional materials resulting in shared ownership of the lesson.
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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. Rohm and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.