Turning 5th Graders into MacBook Pros

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

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

In an age where adults are virtually addicted to technology, our students crave an education which exposes them to the variety of technological experiences that will prepare them for the future.

My students attend 5th grade at a Title I school in a high poverty neighborhood Many of my students come from single parent homes.

At our school, more than 65% of our students receive a free or reduced cost lunch. Students eat breakfast, snack, and lunch at school. If they attend our after school program, they also receive an after school snack and supper. We work tirelessly to ensure that all of the students needs are met while they are physically at school. Unfortunately, for many of our students, that may be the only time when their needs are fully met. My students do not have a great deal of experience with, nor access to, technology outside of school. Students need to learn to use technology ethically and effectively and school is the only place where that can happen.

My Project

We are requesting a MacBook Pro with a protective case and connector cables so that it can be connected to an LCD projector. My students currently have access to one iPad per 4 students. We use the iPads to create group projects in iMovie and other programs. The MacBook Pro, along with the other materials we are requesting, will allow my students to present their projects It will give them a place to edit and save their projects. This will increase our effective technology use tenfold. Groups will be able to cycle through the MacBook station to put finishing touches on their projects. Groups will take turns presenting their finished projects to the class using the adaptor cables. The protective cases for the MacBook is extremely necessary as it will be handled by 10 year olds. We need two protective cases as the device will be used both after school and during school and the device color will indicate whose projects need addressing. The earphones are for teacher editing time.

My classroom is increasingly becoming a technology centered learning environment.

This device and these materials will continue to push my students forward into the technological world. Please consider funding this important project. My students will be increasingly their abilities to work different types of technology as well as working on their presentation skills. Thank you for your consideration.