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.
My Students
I am a Special Education teacher at a Title 1 school in the city of Norfolk, Virginia. Title 1 schools serve large concentrations of low-income students and most of my students are from low- socioeconomic households. Each student is remarkable in their own individual way and their needs are not met solely in the general education classroom.
My students are amazing humans that overcome challenges and achieve greatness every day!
Currently I service the entire second grade team and work as an inclusion teacher, alongside two fantastic general education teachers, as we collaborate and work together to meet the needs of our students. My caseload consist of 9 students and all my students are eligible to receive special education services under a variety of IDEA categories. Just as the disability categories of my students vary, so do their abilities. I don’t teach a class. I teach and support 9 self-autonomous individuals that are able to overcome and adapt to the world’s daily adversities.
My Project
My job is to provide specially designed instruction targeted to meet the needs of my students on their individual level, while providing differentiated instruction to help them access the general education classroom with their peers. Many of my students have diagnosed deficits in the area of writing and mathematics. A document camera would enable me to effectively scaffold instruction while giving my students a direct visual model.
In math, a document camera will allow my students to better visualize physical objects and manipulatives, such as base ten blocks, counters, and number lines.
It will allow me to transition between using manipulatives and instruction without the hassle of multiple screen shares and various website links. The smooth transition would enable better focus and more engagement.
In writing, a document camera would be an absolute game changer. Most of the prewriting and writing instruction so far has been through the white board feature in ZOOM. This is not ideal, as it is just a blank page. Many of my students are struggling with basic paper guidelines and letter sizing. A document camera would allow me to share lined paper and provide students with a model as we collaborate as a class to brainstorm, draft, and edit stories. It would also allow me to enhance editing and revising skills. Instead of me screen sharing assignments online of premade worksheets, I will be able to print out student work that we can use to peer edit as a class. Overall, a document camera will allow me to meet the needs of my learners as they enhance their skills in the virtual setting.
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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. Dolinsky and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
