I teach English language arts with a focus on writing to 92 eighth graders at a rural Kentucky middle school. My students are hard-working and eager to learn, although many come from disadvantaged homes and/or family situations. Our free/reduced-price lunch population makes up the bulk of our school student body at 68%. Many students are living in foster homes, being raised by grandparents or extended family members, and/or homes with at or below the poverty level.
I stress to my students that no one can ever take away your education, and it is the vehicle through which many of them can rise above their current economic status.
They value education and learning as much as I do and are deserving of equal opportunities and equipment so that they can fully participate in the great digital world as productive citizens with valuable voices.
Horace Mann said that education, "...is a great equalizer of the conditions of men—the balance wheel of the social machinery." While this may be true of education itself, the landscape through which students learn has and will continue to change at an increasing rate with the digital divide growing wider for disadvantaged students.
My Project
I am asking for an inexpensive Brother multifunction printer. This project will make a huge difference in my classroom. First, it will allow my students to print when necessary without spending a fortune on ink. Because this machine is laser and monochromatic, it is the most economical way to print documents. Second, this machine will allow my students to scan their hand-written documents which makes it possible for all of their compositions to be included in their digital portfolios. My students use Chromebooks frequently, but we can not neglect or ignore hand-writing.
Digital skills and pathways are increasingly important, especially in the classroom setting.
This machine will allow my students to have copies of their writings when necessary and take their hand-written compositions and include them in digital portfolios.
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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. Brumfield and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
