Technology Innovations in the Classroom

Funded Aug 26, 2014

I'd like to start with a thank-you from the students. They appreciate the resources that your generous donation has afforded them. They can't get enough of them. In fact they pelt me with questions and statements daily..."when will we use them again; " "I want to use it for every period of every day." They really do appreciate the thought behind your donation. They enjoy the ability to work independently while being connected to the technology that at times they themselves may not have.

As for how we use them in the room, it's quite typical of middle school students. We use them in conjunction with our tablets for supplemental research for projects in social studies, science and writing (bibliography how to sections, etc.). We also use them in differentiation. Some students have handwriting that can detract from showing how much they understand. So we use all the resources we can, including yours to allow these students to type responses that can easily be emailed or messaged, or even printed for my perusal.

Finally, this allows my students a greater chance at various materials that would be otherwise out of their reach. Yes, they can go to the library to research, type or print...if they have the time. However, with many of my students who are the oldest child in the family, they have many other responsibilities outside of the classroom. These resources allow them the opportunity to gather what they need during the course of the school day (whether in class or during free periods with supervision) and further fuel their academic growth. For me, they are beneficial, as they allow me to reach all students, even those that might not learn in the old-fashioned lecture and note format. This really allows me to design lessons that allow for much greater student involvement; and really makes it about them, instead of me "droning" in front of them for 45 - 90 minutes at time.”

With gratitude,

Mr. Farago