My students are amazing! I have the opportunity to work with all students in grades K-5 once a week, just over 600 kids! They come to the STEAM lab excited about what they will do in class and are eager to get started.
They are inquisitive and curious.
They want to know how and why things work, and work hard to problem solve in class.
A high percentage of our students are English language learners, many come to us knowing little or no English, but there's always a classmate (or ten) that are willing to jump in and help out when he or she doesn't understand or needs some guidance. Some even try to learn a few words in their peer's language in order to communicate with each other better.
My Project
My students need an iPad and case to create digital stories, videos, and even songs about their learning. (The additional chargers will be used to charge older iPads whose chargers were lost.) Students thrive when they are given opportunities to complete projects that force them to dive deeper into the curriculum and guide their own learning. When folks learn that I'm a STEAM teacher, it is easy to think that the technology portion is digital research, coding, or incorporating an app or program into a student's final product. While these are certainly great ways to get kids using technology, one of the best things about STEAM education is the purposeful integration of the arts and humanities into the curriculum.
Students in all grades will benefit from having access to the iPad.
The youngest students will be able to create a digital retelling of a story using photo and video apps combined with characters and props they made using play-doh, recycled materials, or even a simple illustration. Upper grades can choose to use the camera feature and photo and video apps to create music and green screen videos to retell or depict an event or time period in history that they're learning about, or have an interest in. The iPad will allow students to use technology to create interactive timelines, bring a famous Civil Rights leader, scientist, or role model to life.
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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. Szakal and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.