The cost of the digital camera and photo printer is $819, including shipping and <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.
I am a first year Teach for America Social Studies instructor. Not only is my school a Title 1 institution where over 80% of students qualify for free lunch, I teach on an art themed floor with no art teacher. I wear many hats- 6,7, 8 grade Social Studies teacher as well as part-time Art instructor for two classes. I need you to help me allow my students to experience multimedia and foster their creativity through digital cameras. We need the digital cameras to document an oral history project, as well as to keep in the classroom to build art projects around.
I want my students to explore the neighborhoods they are living in as well as where their fellow classmates live. The school has a very rich cultural make-up, from Bengalis to Puerto Ricans, nations like Trinidad to Turkey. I participate in an ecology-based integrated curriculum test pilot through Teacher's College, and this program provides the opportunity to get the kids out of the school classroom and into the "real world" classroom, making those crucial real life connections with what we learn in school to our own communities.
We have been working on personal narratives in class, and will continue to do so throughout the year. I would like to expand those narratives to include those of people living in the neighborhoods where my students reside. We will pay particular attention to older residents, and try and create a literary picture of how the neighborhoods have changed and evolved through oral histories.
To make a larger impact and help underscore the importance of the historical record, I want the students to document the interviews and the neighborhoods' current incarnations with digital cameras. This way, we can fulfill the school's art integrated curriculum standards as well learning about technology through the use of the multimedia, the importance of documentation and how to create a polished, finished project to be proud of and exhibit for all to see.
I have two laptops that I have procured from donations to be used with Photoshop (that I myself bought), along with 2 digital cameras that have been donated by friends. I would like to obtain 6 more digital cameras and a color printer to help start up this documentation project. I am hoping people on DonorsChoose can provide two cameras and a printer; I am waiting to hear from several other sources for cameras. I see appx. 130 students/ week, and all would have an opportunity to use these cameras. Please help me help them!!!
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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. c. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.