My students need a camcorder to record their in-class performances during music so that they can see their improvement and share their talent with their parents.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
It's easy to say "follow your dreams", but I want to help my students dream bigger than they ever thought possible! Seeing themselves and the music they created in the limelight will give them the self esteem to dream. Someday, we'll look back on these videos and say, "We knew them when...!"
I teach music at a Title 1 (economically disadvantaged) elementary school for grades Pre-K-5 in the inner city.
My students are African American and Hispanic, and 98% qualify for free or reduced lunch. Every day, our students recite the motto, "Working together, we can achieve anything!". My students are eager, enthusiastic, talented, and intelligent, but they lack the life experiences to help them see the opportunities that could be possible to them. Although they love school, they have trouble picturing college, as most would be the first in their family to attend. In their community environment, they have seen and experienced things that I hope to never have to deal with as an adult, but when they come to school, they get to be children.
My Project
I want my students to leave elementary school knowing that they have limitless potential and options. We will use this camcorder to create and edit videos of music that the students write and perform. Giving them the tools to create their own music, express themselves, and edit a final video of their work will give them pride, practical experience with technology, and an opportunity for success at a project they can be proud of. Our students' families are hard-working and cannot often come to school performances. If I can send a child home with a DVD of music they wrote and they and their friends performed, it will provide a connection that is too often missing between families and the school. I want my students to come home every day saying, "Look what I did at school! Look what I learned!"
Elementary school should be the time for dreams, when the sky is the limit and students have the chance to create and explore.
Your support will give my students the tools to express themselves through music and share their learning with their families.
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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. Carter and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
