Donors Choose Request

Here is part of my request for Donors Choose that focuses on needing a technology tool for doing PBL:

"I teach in a school focusing on the visual and performance arts that is located in a high-need community.

I am doing problem-based learning activities with my students. In each activity, students are given a certain job and problem to solve, for example students become network executive in charge of creating and producing a new game show to review literary devices, meanings of words, parts of speech, or punctuation. Students have to research the problem or situation and then decided what to do about it. In the above example, students decided what game to create, what topics to cover, and designed the game/logo/theme songs. These activities appeal to a wide variety of learning styles and allow students to use individual talents to shine and make learning real.

At the end of an activity, students do a presentation for authentic assessment. That presentation is why my students need a Flip Video Camera. Students can use this to film each other and post their presentations on our classroom blogs. This will allow my students, as well as other students, parents, and individuals, to see the results of the learning that is taking place.

My students don't have much access to technology outside of school, so I am doing what I can to provide them with a wide variety of experiences to better prepare them for the future. We are trying to be 21st century learners."