English Language Learners Need Headphones for Better Blended Learning!

Funded Nov 3, 2022

I want to say how much I and my students and my school thank you for your generous support of my class. Upper elementary school in the 2022/23 school year is much different than it was when I was ten in 1969. I remember cutting out the newspaper articles about the moon landing with scissors for a mandated report in my 5th grade.

My students are experiencing a school experience that is definite contrast. Our public schools were virtual for almost a full year. My students are English as a Second Language students with home families who do not speak much English. They also often have a home experience without the usual resources that most of us Middle Class Americans expect. Our School District provided each student with a computer device to be able to work at home, but often there were loud distractions and poor WIFI to support their learning environment.

I requested the donation of good headphones because most of my students still qualify for "read aloud" with blended learning, computer intervention lessons and District mandated computerized tests. The headphones that were originally donated to every student were not well-designed and often broke that first day. My students, especially, benefit from being able to hear and focus on their assignments and assessments.

At the time these headphones arrived, the students were able to check them out to focus on that type of work. In fact, the direction to use the headphones helped them to center their attention more fully on those types of interventions, learning and tests. Many of the students are showing growth from their classroom learning and their interventions that is in the more-than-a-year's-growth measure in both Reading/ELA and in Math! (Did I add that my school is THRILLED with their growth as well?)”

With gratitude,

Ms. Jorgensen