My students are curious, kind, and hardworking. And they're resourceful: They make wonderful use of our school's current technology to create music, radio plays, collaborative scripts, poetry, and personal essays. In my classes and during our school's morning lunch break (when they are not practicing or relaxing), students want to revise their writing or work on passion projects or search for information that they need.
My students intend to become 21st-century musicians – future inventors and composers – and, to me, this means that they must also become inventors, composers, and writers of that future.
My Project
The Writing Lab will be a space with current technology for students to use during free periods and during English class. Many students complain that they don't have easy access to computers or that our current school laptops are dated, wonky, or unavailable because they are being used in other classrooms.
Creating a dedicated Writing Lab will give students space to draft, revise, and publish their assignments; develop passion projects; and work collaboratively.
All of my students already have Google Drive accounts and all of our classes make use of Google products like Classroom, Slides, and Documents. The computers that I am requesting for the Writing Lab are inexpensive and robustly featured. They would be easy to organize, maintain, and secure; they would be useful for students' most inventive projects; and they will integrate seamlessly with existing technologies.
(And, to be clear, I've already purchased 8 laptops for the writing center through the generous support of parents, friends, and anonymous donors. I hope to purchase computers to support a total of 24 students at a time. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your support for this emerging program!!)
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