Oh, Say Can You See? College Level Reading in My Classroom!

Funded Aug 16, 2010

It is with the deepest gratitude that I write to all of you generous souls! Within a few weeks of receiving books for my Government A.P. class, I have already seen the huge impact they have made upon my students.

Each week, students have been reading rigorous materials from their textbooks. Instead of just engaging with the materials I provide them in class, students have had the time to take books home and digest the material in their own ways. This has led to richer, student-driven discussions in class. And several times, I have brought up a topic for lecture, only to have my students tell me that they have already read about it, articulating the ideas and concepts better than I could.

Students recently completed their first research project, using the books we received from your donations. They sought out the information that most interested them, leading students to study heavy topics such as restrictions on freedom of press and the application of privacy protection to Supreme Court rulings on birth control. Engaging with print materials allowed them to experience the type of research they will be asked to do in college and provided them with an opportunity to use resources beyond Wikipedia.

The biggest impact, however, has nothing to do with the activities and projects I have structured around these materials. I have noticed books missing off my shelf, only to learn that students chose books on politics for their independent reading in their English class. And students have come up to me before and after class to share things they have read, often teaching me something new!

I believe that books are treasures and--while technology is important and at the cornerstone of a modern education--nothing replaces reading print materials. Without Google (or me!) guiding them, students are allowed to stumble upon resources and ideas they may never have found on an Internet search or through my lectures. I am so grateful that my students have new books and ideas to explore and cannot wait to see where those explorations take them.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Schaid