This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
Greetings! I teach an ambitious, hard-working group of 2nd graders at a high-poverty, Colorado public school. My students love learning, but we are missing a critical piece of a 21st century classroom- a document camera!
One of my goals as a teacher is to increase student engagement and use hands-on materials as much as possible. For all students (but especially 2nd graders) to be successful, manipulatives and hands-on projects, clear directions, expectations, and modeling are a MUST!
With 27 students and just 1 teacher, it is often hard to demonstrate a math game, a science experiment, or the proper use of math manipulatives. When I gather students on the carpet to demonstrate a lesson, they often can't see past the 26 other bodies and are confused. This creates more opportunities for misbehavior and fewer opportunities for learning. My students need a way to see lessons clearly to maximize instructional time and increase their achievement!
A document camera would allow me to put any object onto a surface that is then projected onto a screen. For example, if we are using base-10 blocks to practice place value, I can put the base-10 blocks directly onto the surface to have them enlarged, in color, and in 3D, presented onto the screen. I could also demonstrate a math game or science experiment so that ALL students can see and understand!
While math and science would be significantly enhanced by use of a document camera, this wonderful piece of technology will really enhance ALL academic areas. When doing a read aloud or shared reading lesson, I could place a copy of an article, poem, or book directly under the document camera so all students could easily see. Gone would be the days of "I can't see!" or "He's in my way!" My Writer's Workshop lessons would also improve dramatically! I love to use examples of student work to show mastery of a specific skill to all students. However, showing a piece of notebook paper to 27 students is not practical. A document camera would allow me to project student work onto the screen in an enlarged format, clear for all students to see and use as a model for their own writing.
Your generosity can make a tremendous difference in the lives and educations of my students. A document camera will increase the tech-savvy of my students, promote student engagement, and increase student achievement among my ambitious second graders!
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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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. Nelson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
