My students need a web camera to make ecological connections with classrooms around the country and world as we share pictures and videos of local plants and wildlife.
FULLY FUNDED! Dr. McGuire's classroom raised $226
This project is fully funded
My Students
The diversity found in ecosystems around the country and world will come to life as students participate in this project, designed to connect them with other classrooms as they share information about organisms native to our ecosystem through pictures, videos, and online interviews using Skype.
I have a classroom of 21 fifth grade students, 10 girls and 11 boys.
Our school is a small, rural public school located in North Carolina. We have an interesting blend of personalities in our classroom, which can make for lively discussions and lessons. My students have limited educational opportunities outside of the classroom, as many come from economically disadvantaged homes. Access to computers for many students is restricted to school. It is my responsibility to provide them with opportunities to explore many different technological tools. Developing proficiency with a web camera and participating in a network of learning across the country and throughout the world is one way I can assist my students in developing the 21st century learning skills they will need to be successful.
My Project
The excitement students have for science will only grow with the addition of this project. In my classroom, I strive to provide students with hands-on activities to make concepts more meaningful. The use of Skype as a tool for sharing information about local ecology is an excellent way to integrate science with technology and assist students in developing technological proficiencies. As students explore our local ecosystem, they will document the types of organisms found in their interactive science notebooks and with digital cameras. Students will then present their findings electronically, using Skype and the web camera, to classrooms across the United States and throughout the world. My students will be able to "interview" students living in different areas to learn more about the types of plants and animals native to their area.
The use of the web camera and Skype for this project will open my students' eyes to the world that exists beyond their community.
Many of my students have not traveled outside of our state. Providing them with this opportunity will allow them to experience first-hand accounts of the types of organisms present in other ecosystems, become proficient with the use of a web camera and Skype, and establish connections with classrooms across the country and throughout the world.
More than three‑quarters 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 Dr. McGuire and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.