This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My physics, chemistry, and physical science students, as well as students of science in all grades 6 - 12 in our school, can benefit from the use of effective science technology in their classes. We are considered a high- poverty school, with more than ninety percent of our students taking free and reduced cost lunches. We are a grades K - 12 public charter school academy housed in a single building in an urban area. The unemployment rate in our city is approximately 28%. However, there are several prestigious colleges and universities nearby, and our community's hard- working families want their children to succeed. Our school's goal is to enable every student to succeed at the college or post-secondary institution of their choice after graduating from high school.
Our students need to have experience using modern scientific calculators in order to succeed in college. High school students in my district cannot generally afford one. Some bring a low-cost scientific calculator, some bring a basic dollar-store type calculator, and most bring no calculator at all to school. The only way to ensure that students are exposed to modern scientific calculators is to loan them to students for use during class. Calculator use must be actively taught in math and science classes. My students have difficulty understanding how to read scientific notation on calculators. They are also unfamiliar with trigonometric keys, exponent keys, and the pi key, to name a few. I have one personal scientific calculator that I can loan to students during classroom discussions and demonstrations. However, I am often reminded of the need for more calculators when a student cannot enter an equation properly, or when a student does not understand the meaning of the answer displayed on the calculator. I'm so hopeful that DonorsChoose can give people who care an opportunity to invest in necessary basic technology for our students to use.
A set of ten calculators is just a starting point in my classroom of twenty to thirty students. However, it is a powerful starting point and I feel that it is worthwhile to try to find these resources for our students.
I have a secondary reason for requesting these calculators. The TI-Nspire calculators are compatible with data collection probes. The data probes we have were donated by a teacher who works in a school that upgraded their materials and no longer needed them. They are high- quality probes that can gather digital measurements of temperature, light, force, voltage, or motion at any time interval. With the proper software, calculators, computer and connector cables, students can save and record the data. Students will be able to make data tables, charts, and graphs of data they collect. Tables, charts,and graphs have little meaning to students unless they can produce and analyze them. These are necessary skills for students in all schools. Our school has identified a need for these skills in all students in grades 7 - 12. These calculators will help us address that need.
Your investment in the education of our students will help them succeed. We have used standardized test data to identify data tables, charts, and graphs as an area for particular focus in our classes across the curriculum in grades 7 - 12. I have seen firsthand that students don't know how to properly use modern scientific calculators. We can begin to overcome these obstacles and prepare our students for their future careers with more active, purposeful use of these modern scientific calculators. Please invest in these students as we do our best to prepare them to be tomorrow's decision-makers. We need and appreciate your help!
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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 Mrs. G. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.