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.
In our school, we have an explicit focus on preparing students for college and careers. We accept students based on a lottery, meaning we are a non-criteria school and serve a population that is overwhelmingly receiving free and reduced meals, coming from low-income homes, and entering with a wide range of skills and abilities.
My 9th grade Algebra students have had varying experiences with their mathematics education up to this point. A few have had excellent teachers who have prepared them for a rigorous high school math program. Most have had a very different experience, which has left them many grade levels behind and feeling like they cannot be successful in the field of mathematics. In order to prepare my students for college level mathematics, and in order to make it possible for students to consider an exciting career in one of the STEM fields, they MUST engage with the material presented and feel like they can achieve success in the math classroom.
With just a blackboard, some chalk, and an overhead projector, some of my students DO engage with the material, but there are many others who are not yet naturally hooked. With an LCD projector I can drastically improve the presentation of content and engagement of the students. My visual learners (the majority of my students) can be hooked by the purposeful use of different colors to highlight important aspects of a particular problem. My kinesthetic learners will be motivated to use the Texas Instruments software on the projector to learn (and also teach others!) how to use graphing calculators. All of the students will benefit from the opportunity a projector presents to provide students with visual representations of the algebra, especially when we get to units involving analyzing graphs. Groups of students who need mini-lessons on remedial skills will have access to mathematics videos and games on the Internet. All students will benefit from the increased access to technology in the classroom.
By helping to fund an LCD projector in my classroom, you are ensuring that my students get an opportunity to more fully engage with mathematics. This will open doors for them at the college level that would otherwise be shut if they are unable to feel successful in a mathematics classroom. My students and I greatly appreciate your support.
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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. Kenney and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.