Do you ever feel like you are trying to win the race, but you always lag a few steps behind? This is how I feel in my science classroom when students read about "current" science discoveries that are several years old. Our textbooks and print sources just can't keep up with the speed of discovery!
With the 21st Century well on its way, one truth is blatantly apparent: Long-gone are the days when students were content to sit and read from a textbook, and long-gone are the days when educators pretended that was best practice.
Also long-gone are the days when science textbooks could keep up with current research. As I observe my 7th and 8th grade science students, the word “technology” imprints itself into my mind. Computers, cell phones, iPods: these are the tools that students rely on to cultivate and share knowledge. Students today thrive on technology and electronic media; it's motivating to them. This rings true for my “typical” middle schoolers, as well as my English language learners and my special education students who are an integral part of my inclusive classroom. My students need access to the technology that motivates them to learn and enables them to keep up with the ever-changing world of science.
My Project
A great quality of science is the amazing amount of information it incorporates; however, that information is fast-evolving. Scientists make discoveries daily that impact our understanding of life, yet science classrooms lag behind as our textbooks describe “new discoveries” that become old realities within a few years. Genetics and space exploration are two examples of units I teach in which the information is changing so rapidly that textbooks and other print media can’t keep up. Having a classroom laptop is a great start to providing truly current information about science. Students can visit websites like www.ornl.gov, to find the most current information on genetics or NASA.gov, to see live video feed from the astronauts on the International Space Station. Having a laptop that is easily accessible to my classroom would make a difference for my students because it provides the resources that not only engage my students in learning, but also help them learn accurate information.
For students to truly be engaged in learning about the 21st Century and making plans for their future in it, they have to know what is happening here and now.
The key is providing them with the technology that can offer them the most accurate information to their questions. By providing a laptop to my classroom, you have the power to make my classroom into a 21st Century classroom full of motivated, engaged, and up-to-date students.
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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. Heitz and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.