This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
Imagine taking a trip to South America or maybe even Africa to learn about plant and animal adaptations. Or imagine the sensation of standing at the South Pole observing penguin habitats. Our third graders may not have that opportunity yet, but we can do our best to simulate that experience!
Our students, being 21st-century learners, have a desire for discovery and exploration through technology.
They come to school every day with grit, tenacity, a willingness to participate and a desire to experience trial and error. Our students enjoy working as cooperative teams and are active in their learning, thus sitting at a desk does not appeal to our 21st-century learners. Many of our students receive free or reduced lunch, are learning English as a second language, and all are enriched with music, dance, art, and P.E. each week. As a school, 72% of our students are socioeconomically disadvantaged. 54% of the students are English Language Learners. In order to help these students succeed with the Common Core State Standards and be prepared for college, career, and community readiness, they need to be able to experience a rich learning environment full of opportunities to expand their critical thinking and inquiry skills.
My Project
iPads in our classrooms will allow for the development of collaboration amongst peers, video production, and elevated technological skills. Creating videos for science, social studies, and language arts will make the content come to life. Being part of the learning experience creates a deeper and more meaningful connection in our learner’s minds. Writing, producing, and performing plays about the books we read allows students to apply their understanding of a text. Watching a YouTube video about an educational topic will generate some interest, however, using the iPad to have students produce a video has far greater impact. Through research, students are then able to demonstrate their learning by working collaboratively to create a video presentation. Having a stake in one's own learning is more effective than pen and paper any day. After all, this is the 21st-century!
Generous donations to our project will assist our 21st-century learners by providing opportunities for collaboration through research and video production which will make student access to our world limitless.
One specific way students will utilize the iPads is during our science unit on biomes. As a group, they will research a biome and create a video to share with the class about their biome. The research done will be in depth and with decided purpose. In this video, students will use images as well as green-screen technology to report on plant and animal adaptations as well as make observations on climate change. Additionally, students will also use this technology in social studies as they tour and report on historical landmarks.
Thinking back to our own schooling, what really impacted our education were the projects, the engagement with other students, and the freedom to take charge of our learning. It is our desire to establish vigorous learning climates for our classes. Imagine the possibilities!
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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 Ms. Maytubby and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
