Beowulf and other projects

My students were delighted to get their copies of Beowulf, and having their own copies helped them do work at home. It was especially helpful for the two or three students who are often absent for health reasons, including one who is pregnant. They enjoyed the book, and had some very interesting discussions about whether Beowulf is actually a hero: his boasting and self-involvement made some students argue that he was not, but others argued that he should be judged by the standards of his own time, making him a great hero.

Since then, we've been able to do all kinds of things that wouldn't be possible otherwise because of the funding you have all so generously given. I bought supplies that are difficult to get here (including copy paper!), white boards, and prizes for students who did well in class competitions. The prizes have helped students feel more motivated, and, in a school where students often feel like they don't get anything from their education, gives them a tangible, short-term reason to learn more. They love the whiteboards! Your donations let me purchase a class set, plus enough markers that I always have enough, and let me tell you, students will do things on whiteboards that they won't do for any other reason. I gave a 1.5 hour test and let them do their scratch work on whiteboards, and it dramatically helped with student motivation and the quality of their written work.

Last week, I used some of the funds to subsidize a class trip to see the movie version of Beowulf and eat at a Vietnamese restaurant. It was amazing! We took 12 seniors, all of whom contributed some money, and they ate all kinds of foods they'd never had before. The movie was pretty bad visually and in terms of dialogue, but it sparked some interesting conversations about cyclical patterns and the different story lines in the book and the movie. I also bought an LCD projector, which was awesome for teaching research methods. Next time I write, I'll tell more about the research project we're working on, and post pictures of the trip.

Again, thank you all for your generosity! It means the world to my students and to me.

first project: books to take home

The response to the email I sent out has been really exciting: $491 raised so far from 20 people. After the administrative fee for Amazon, that's $470.75 for my students. Tonight, I ordered 35 copies of Beowulf: there was a 4 for the price of 3 promotion and free shipping, and the total cost was $133.65 (saving about $50 from the price if I had used one of the dedicated donation sites).

I have $337.10 left for the next project. First up: whiteboards and dry erase markers, which will be pretty cheap. I will keep you all posted on the progress and use of everything that happens. After the whiteboards, I'm going to wait in hopes that I will get enough donations for an LCD projector, which would be incredibly useful for graphing and demonstrating problems.

A huge thank you to everyone who donated or passed this on: if you sent me your information, I'll be writing to you sometime this week. Either way, please know that I and my students and my co-teacher are grateful to you all.

make my classroom college-prep

I teach 9th and 12 grades at an under-resourced neighborhood high school in Philadelphia. My school, built in 1939, lacks books and technology, giving my students little chance to develop the academic and technological skills they need. In my second year, I teach 4 periods of 9th grade math a day, plus a senior English class another teacher and I designed to prepare our students for college. We are teaching Beowulf, which is the first text in the senior curriculum, but our students do not have their own books: they cannot read at home, write notes and definitions in the margins, or underline particularly important parts, all of which are critical for college preparedness and basic understanding of such a difficult text.

It doesn't have to be this way. With your help, my students can have the resources they need to be ready for college. Right now, our most urgent need is for 35 copies of Beowulf (a cost of about $200, including shipping). There are many other needs as well: whiteboards for students to share their answers to problems; an LCD projector and mounting hardware so students can see mathematical demonstrations and make their own PowerPoint presentations; scientific calculators for algebra classes; manipulatives to make math tangible and accessible.

You can find the donation page here:
http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/my-pay-page/P1RQV48WCEYK1O

Please consider donating $5 to $20 towards improving my students' opportunities. I know my students deserve the same educational opportunities as other students across the country. Someday, with your help, they'll have them. As individual supplies are funded, I'll post descriptions of the projects online with photos. Feel free to pass this on to friends, family members, etc - it would really help!