6th grade is such a wonderful age to work with. My students are still young enough to be excited about something because the teacher is excited about it, yet old enough to have a good sense of what they do and don't like. The best part is that they are still open enough that an engaging lesson can change their minds about a subject.
They are creative, hard working, and dedicated students who still love to see their work hung in the hallway for others to appreciate.
When given a project they want to dive right in and get started, while still needing an occasional guiding hand. They still have that childhood creativity and curiosity that makes them more likely to think outside the box. Every project we do I get at least one student or group that asks if they can do it in a way that hasn't been done before, which is awesome.
Every lesson and project we do they show me new and exciting ways that I didn't think of when designing it. In our classroom I am as much a student as they are because they are always teaching me new ways of looking at things.
My Project
With today's learners the best way to get everyone engaged is through technology. Most kids are playing with technology before they can walk so it's no surprise that traditional lessons don't always interest them. I incorporate games, presentations, and online resources into as many lessons as I can. However, with just a projector these lessons are limited in what they can do.
The IPEVO IW2 Interactive Whiteboard would open up an entirely new world of interactivity for our lessons and projects.
I could set up a slideshow and run it from the board or have the students take turns running it. They can even use it from their chromebooks when doing their own presentations. Our review games can become more interactive because the students can go up to the board and tap on the question they want instead of telling me what to click on.
With this technology we'll be able to make notes on presentations and save them for the next class instead of having to start over. Students can add their own insights to lessons, giving them ownership over their learning. The possibilities with this technology are endless.
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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. Surdi and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
