Technology for Collaborative Learning in a Virtual Environment
Help me give my students better tools for collaborating during our Webex classes by providing upgraded subscriptions to digital learning tools and a second monitor so I can better follow their progress and interact with virtual small groups.
I teach biology and environmental science in a large high school in Arizona, which has one of the lowest school-funding rates in the nation. Our students want to learn, but they often do not have the supplies needed in the classroom to bring their lessons to life.
My students are high school freshmen who are beginning to become inspired by the wonders of science and biology but we are facing the challenges of doing a lab science class in a virtual environment.
Hence, the science lab set up in my kitchen!
They often come into my classroom at the beginning of the year more controlled by hormone changes than by concern for grades. Many declare they hate science. Then we begin to dig into biology and the lights start to come on - "Hey - that's pretty cool!" "This lab was really fun!" "Wait, that's because of what we learned last month!" They jump at the chance to "do science" themselves in the lab. They get excited when they walk into a "lab day". Unfortunately, I am teaching all online this year, so I have to find ways to appeal to them through Webex classes and independent work.
My Project
I am currently teaching in a 100% virtual environment. My students meet for small-group tutoring and individual conferences to support their independent learning and have live Webex classes with me twice a week.
Getting students to actively engage and to interact and connect with their classmates during the Webex classes has been a huge challenge, but there are some wonderful tools out there to make it work.
Many have free versions that I have been using for years, but they are limited in scope and since I am completely online those limitations are holding me and my students back. Quizizz.com and Padlet are both flexible tools that allow for creative engagement, exploration, collaboration, and assessment and the subscription features will allow me to better implement them.
I have also requested a second monitor to facilitate keeping tabs on my students' work while we are on Webex. My district has provided a subscription to Pear Deck, another great digital learning tool, but in order to fully implement it while on webex I have to have a teacher dashboard open on another screen or device (a second tab doesn't work). I am also constantly having to click back and forth between tabs to view student work on things like Padlet, Kahoot, or Quizlet while still connecting with them through the Webex meeting. Other teachers have told me that a second monitor was a tremendous game-changer, and I can certainly see how it will help me more smoothly integrate multiple educational technologies at once.
Portable Monitor - Lepow 15.6 Inch Full HD 1080P USB Type-C Computer Display IPS Eye Care Screen with HDMI Type C Speakers for Laptop PC PS4 Xbox Phone Included Smart Cover & Screen Protector Black
• Amazon Business
$188.98
1
$188.98
Pay for lynn.white@gilbertschools.net
• padlet.com
$96.00
1
$96.00
account upgrade from free version
• Quizizz.com
$60.00
1
$60.00
Materials cost
$344.98
Vendor shipping charges
FREE
Sales tax
$24.66
3rd party payment processing fee
$5.17
Fulfillment labor & materials
$30.00
Total project cost
$404.81
Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms
$71.44
Total project goal
$476.25
Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.
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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. White and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
