We are a First Grade class in a neighborhood school with limited funds for technology. The little technology we do have is effective and exciting, but has teachers and students alike yearning for more so that we can keep up with the demands of the curriculum, state standards and national standards.
We are a small (571 students), suburban, non-Title I neighborhood school built in 1953.
The 23 students in my First Grade classroom come from diverse backgrounds and bring to school a variety of abilities, interests and challenges. What they do have in common is a thirst for knowledge, and an excitement to learn anything that can be accessed and brought to life through technology. Their absolute favorite instructional time is the time we get to spend in the computer lab (only 45 minutes per week!), where they become completely absorbed in colorful, engaging, challenging activities in all curricular areas. Back in the classroom (where effective technology is emerging and therefore still limited), the children still crave having the power of technology in their own hands, and they would have access to a world of knowledge using iPod Touches in small groups. They would further benefit from the sharing and exploration of what they have found using Apple TV to engage the entire class.
My Project
Our Language Arts program is heavily geared toward small group work so that instruction can be differentiated and each student's needs more effectively addressed. Whether struggling, proficient or advanced, every student will access and use a variety of apps on the iPod Touch to assist in mastering or deepening skills. Dragon Dictation, for example, allows children who have difficulty putting their thoughts on paper to express their ideas verbally. They then see immediately how those thoughts appear in written form. All students can access exciting interactive books that come to life to assist or challenge each reader at his or her own skill level. With 3 iPod Touches in a group of six, children can work in pairs to explore these and all other areas of the curriculum. In a whole group scenario, the iPod Touches and the Apple TV will be used together with the existing classroom projector to bring the countless apps on the iPod to life for the entire class to use on the "big screen"!
A technological foundation is crucial to success in our society, and accessing devices like the iPod Touch and Apple TV is an effective way to both help build that foundation and assist children in meeting curriculum demands today.
A financially ailing school district can supply only so much. The PTA and school community work admirably to supplement what they can, but we still need the help of donors like you to put technology in the hands of our students...literally! Thank you for your help.
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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. Bosworth and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.