I teach kindergarten students who are very enthusiastic and inquisitive learners. Their backgrounds are varied, from affluent to poverty level. Some are ESOL students, and some have special needs. Our school is large, with over 900 students in Pre-K through 5th grade. Our diverse population makes us special.
Our curriculum focuses on student inquiry-based learning with a global perspective with the essential hands-on learning.
They love to play in centers to learn financial literacy through a grocery store, create in an art center, build in a block and game center, listen to stories on a computer, read books in the reading center, and explore in the science center. They learn through play and by doing. Much of our daily instruction is in small groups using many different hands-on materials. Art and creativity play an important part in our classroom. We use lots of technology while creating stories and art. Almost all of our lessons are based on children's literature. We use a large variety of art and craft materials on a daily basis. We try to use only a limited amount of paper.
My Project
This project is to fund ESGI software for my classroom. This is an assessment platform that I have used the last few years in my classroom. It is designed for one on one assessment. I use it on an ipad and can use it anywhere. It is a simple, non-threatening way to check what students know and in which areas they still need extra instruction. It tracks each student's progress with a variety of graphs. Unfortunately there are no longer funds to cover this. I use this to plan specialized instruction based on the needs of each child. It is a critical compenent of my teaching.
I love the ease and consistency of the assessments, but most of all the program quickly generates parents with test results and flashcards they can use at home.
In order for students to be successful the teachers and families need to work closely together.
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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 Mrs. Ducey and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
