The Power of Connections (Chromebooks Change Everything)
My students need 30 Netbooks in order to connect to the outside world, complete research, read a variety of texts, and create written and creative projects.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Washmon's classroom raised $3,582
This project is fully funded
My Students
We live in a world that can be easily accessed by those with the appropriate resources. My students, however, do not have that luxury. Can I live with allowing them to be left behind? Can you?
My students are diverse and complex people.
Sixth graders are complicated enough with all those hormones, but the added frustration of a classroom with limited resources makes for an angsty and rebellious bunch! They have voices, and they want them to be heard.
The school itself is in an inner-city borough and is made up of a mixture of cultures and ethnicities. We are a Title I school, which means we have a majority population of economically disadvantaged students. In fact, 89% of our students live at or below the poverty level.
We offer a preparatory school experience without charging anything. We have great teachers, great administration, and great vision. We just need the resources to make the vision a reality.
My Project
My school is riddled with financial shortfalls. We often don't have enough paper to print out passages for the students to read. Our students play sports on a paved piece of parking lot (we cannot afford to cover it with an awning, or to have turf put down). Our classes regularly think outside the box to find resources for projects, but still, it usually isn't enough.
These Chromebooks will alter the immediate sensation of learning in an unexpressible way. Students will finally be able to research topics in sustained and deepened ways. They will be able to create written works without the unnecessary waste of paper that our school simply cannot afford. My students will be able to receive instant feedback from me whether they are at home or at school. Using these Chromebooks will allow me to create a literate community inside the classroom that will stretch into the outside world. Students will learn to read, write, and communicate in authentic and interesting ways.
Many of my students feel that they are unimportant to the world.
They feel passed over because of their social standing. I try every day to make them see that the world is a changeable place; to understand that they must create that change with their words and their actions. Something as small as a class set of laptops can make them see that good still exists here. Then, anointed with these newly acquired tools, my students will be able to battle for that change. They will create with words.
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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 Mr. Washmon and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.