"What a computer is to me is the most remarkable tool that we have ever come up with. It's the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds" - Steve Jobs
Computers are found everywhere in this modern era, except in our classroom.
Mrs. Jenkins' fifth grade class is a mix of students in our charming charter school.
Eagerness and devotion to learning is a common bond that our students and their parents share, even though students come from a broad socioeconomic spectrum, including many students on the free lunch program.
Many families drive across our vast valley just for the chance to attend our school. While we claim our school is the best in the world, our meager funding is second only to Mississippi in the nation. On rainy days, students dodge buckets in the hall and the entire school shares one computer lab.
My Project
While my students have the opportunity of using our computer lab once a week for 45 minutes, it's not nearly enough time for them to conduct research or create media presentations. We need more technology in our classroom that is readily available and at their nimble fingertips.
For example, students will soon need to conduct a research project on classifying animals, culminating in a PowerPoint project. With the addition of the two iPad Mini tablets I have requested, my students will be able to more efficiently conduct their research and create their presentations, using not only PowerPoint, but using a variety of apps created with youngsters in mind, such as Puppet Pals in which students create an online puppet show to demonstrate their learning, or Stop Motion in which students create a animated short films.
Project-based learning such as these programs are a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges.
Computers can support the variety of ways learners construct their own understanding.
Students who gather information from the Internet can be self-directed and independent. They can choose what sources to examine, and what connections to pursue.
Understanding and using technological devices is a must in today's world. If students are to be successful in today's world, they need to become critical thinkers as they navigate the vast sea of knowledge that is found on the Internet.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Jenkins and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
