My students are eight and nine years old and they live in Western North Carolina. My third graders attend an arts and humanities-based school in the heart of Asheville. They are a diverse group of learners who are acquiring the knowledge, skills, and character to become the next leaders of the 21st century.
The opportunity and achievement gaps are apparent among our student population; I want to provide equitable opportunities and resources so that every student can thrive.
Our goal is to recognize students as individuals and to create life-long learners. We are a school that serves students in grades K-5 and provide rigorous academics, knowledgeable teachers, and a safe learning environment. Currently, all of the elementary schools in our district fall within the Title 1 category granting our students a free and/or reduced lunch.
My Project
The headphones will allow students to fully access the instructional Reading and Math program that we use on a weekly basis as well as educational videos. Our students have been asked to bring headphones to school but several families do not have the means to provide them. Students are forced to turn the volume down on their devices in order to hear the program; therefore, it is not fully accessible and the entire classroom is able to hear each other's lessons. Headphones allow them to stay focused and to build stamina while learning.
The Kindle tablets will allow for different structures of learning across all subject areas, especially in English Language Arts.
During our Mystery unit in Reading, we used my own personal Kindle and Audible accounts to listen to The Boxcar Children and the kiddos absolutely loved it. The tablets would allow them to access these literacy apps independently and would encourage their love of reading. They would be thrilled to have the option of using a Kindle in a listening station.
Listening makes the difference and it reveals a marked improvement in reading skills and cognitive development. Listening to reading makes complex ideas more accessible and exposes children to vocabulary and language patterns that are not part of everyday speech. Struggling readers are exposed to the same rich content and engaging books that fluent readers are able to read on their own. In turn, this helps them understand the structure of the books when they read independently.
The headphones and tablets would help meet the needs of my highest performing and my most struggling learners. Furthermore, these supplies will help provide opportunities for every student in my classroom and help close the achievement gap.
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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. Tyminski and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
