There is a Chinese proverb that states, “You give a poor man a fish and you feed him for a day. You teach him to fish and you give him an occupation that will feed him for a lifetime.” My struggling readers rely on scaffolding and presentation to understand a task. Once they see it, they can do it.
My students attend a Title I school located in a tough neighborhood.
For some of my students, school is the only place they feel safe. As an educator, it is my job to build my students up with the necessary skills to excel both inside and outside of the classroom. Sadly, many of my students are living with grandparents, playing guardian to several siblings, and some have been homeless. My students need the confidence to break out of the cycle of their routine and realize that there is more in the world. The foundation of each skill starts with reading. My motto to my students is "If you can read, you can do anything!"
My Project
Modeling is the basis to teaching a skill. Students need to see an action in order to comprehend the process. Once a student understands a process, he can try it for himself. Active reading requires students to mark up the text by highlighting the main idea, circling emphasized words, identifying transition words, and more. With a projector and document camera, I can show my students how to effectively implement the crucial reading strategies. Once the students understand the process, they can use the document camera to teach their understanding to other students, to show evidence of their findings, and to model their own thinking.
Currently, my students have a broken document camera and a projector that needs its filter cleaned.
Using the document camera is impossible and my school does not have the resources to fix it. It was noted that once the projector's lamp burns out, my students will be deprived of that necessary tool too. Many teachers enjoy smart boards or other devices. My students are in a position where they are begging for the basics. Without being exposed to the proper educational tools, my students cannot excel.
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