My students need a set of ten iPads with rugged cases, keyboards, and a two-year protection plan, along with a locking charging station to keep them secure, so kids can have more access to technology.
Our class consists of two dozen uniquely energetic, creative, motivated seven- and eight-year-old students, heading full STEAM ahead into Second Grade. Ours is a neighborhood school, serving the families of our city since 1953. Our class and school has an amazing group of children from a fabulously diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. Unfortunately, high poverty is part of the experience for most of these young learners.
These wonderfully wiggly young learners deserve every advantage as we work together to improve achievement in reading, math, and science by focusing on the whole child - building confidence while fostering their creativity and curiosity.
Lifelong learners are created by lighting the spark of imagination that drives a passion to learn.
I teach my students through rich, integrated units that make connections between literature, science, math, social studies, and the arts. Every unit begins with all of us together at the carpet, with a rich piece of children's literature.
Thank you for taking the time to read about how we can work together to provide for tools for imaginative creation, collaboration, and authentic learning experiences in our classroom!
My Project
My students have just three older desktop computers in our classroom and even with careful planning, students are very limited to how much time each can spend on online learning activities, research projects, creative endeavors, etc. We just got a project funded for Sphero robots to code and create with, and it would be so much easier for all my students to get practice learning coding with Blockly and on Code.org if we had more devices to go around!
The amount of high-quality educational apps available on iPad is amazing, and growing every day; and the ability to access the internet and online learning and research there means these iPads will do double-duty in our classroom!
Many students do not have internet access and computers at home, so getting more exposure to technology at school can have a huge impact in helping to close the opportunity gap! The keyboards will help give my students an edge as they get extra practice typing their writing assignments and research projects. These students will really need those keyboarding skills next year in third grade when they take those first major state assessments!
We will use these amazing devices in many ways. We will be using a variety of apps to support students with reading skills at various levels- for some students it is phonics that they need the most work with, for others it is accuracy and fluency. In math we will be able to use the browser to access things like Zearn.org, which is free and a complement to the Engage NY math curriculum, which we use quite a lot. We can also use them so every student gets a turn on XtraMath daily. We have a lot of STEAM projects which these will support as well.
More than three‑quarters of 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 Mrs. Wilson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
