My students need a camcorder, webcam, drawing tablet, and other electronic accessories to record, create, and play instructional videos.
$609 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
I'm envisioning a dedicated YouTube channel, tumblr pages and Facebook accounts plastered with content, and other e-media sources hosting videos that will provide my students with needed support in their mathematical studies. If they're going to be online, then their homework help should be too!
I teach Algebra 2 and Applied Math at a public charter school around Oakland, CA, and we serve kids from several neighborhoods throughout the East Bay.
A majority of them are eligible for free or reduced lunch, and almost all are of color. But the most important things to know about them are that despite what their backgrounds might "predict" about their futures, they fully intend to attend and graduate from college, and that they work hard to make that happen. They can be an impressive bunch.
And they are definitely active learners; most not being the type that prefer to sit and read a textbook to learn how to do something. There is plenty of theory and conventional wisdom out there that says one of the best ways to increase students' retention of material is to get them more "engaged" in the learning process. These video tools I'm requesting have the potential to do just that.
My Project
A lot of my students would like to stay after school to get help during my "office hours" from either myself or our school's math tutors (which are other students). But they need to catch buses and get home, which is understandable. From home, though, they can go online and view student-made videos that walk them through how to do the types of problems we're doing in class at that time. The "Bloggie" camcorder would be used by students before/after school to record mini-tutorials to be uploaded later. The webcam can be taken home by students to create their own videos there. The Wacom tablet and microphone can be used by students to create Khan Academy-style videos that demonstrate how to solve problems--step by written step. The beauty of recording these mini-lessons is that they can be replayed whenever, wherever, and by whomever - however many times they need to see it till they get it. And if it's particularly helpful, it may even warrant being played during regular class time!
Contrary to the popular insult to teachers everywhere, I believe that "Those who can, teach." I imagine that many of my students will be quite eager to get in front of the camera (and behind it, for all those future director-types!) and play the part of a math expert, showing off their skills for all the Internet to see.
If their videos can "go viral" even within our small community, this effort will have been successful. Your contribution is much appreciated!
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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 Mr. Smith and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
