Teachers take classroom funding needs online on The Murfreesboro Post

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Teachers take classroom funding needs online

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By: MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer

Posted: Sunday, August 3, 2008 7:25 am

Pictures are worth 1,000 words and Laurie Watts wants the third-graders in her Barfield Elementary classroom to become storytellers, using cameras to capture their daily lives.

But she doesn’t have the money to do what she wants.

Watts wants to buy two digital cameras for her class in hopes putting digital cameras in their little hands will make them better writers.

“Some of the best writers I know couldn’t write about something unless they experienced it, but we want third-graders to do it,” she said, adding taking pictures of an experience makes it more concrete, more than just a memory.

“Digital cameras would be a wonderful tool for students to use to help them tell their stories,” Watts said. “They could use the cameras at school and at home to document their daily lives. We can then use the pictures as springboards for poetry or autobiographies.”

But the cameras cost more than $300 combined, and the school doesn’t have money for the project. So, Watts turned to DonorsChoose.com, a Web site where teachers from across the country can post their ideas and ordinary people can contribute money to make the idea a reality.

This is the first time Watts has tried the Web site. She likes the opportunity to explain what she does in the classroom and gain support for nontraditional teaching methods.

For example, after a proposal is funded, the students will write thank-you notes to the donors expressing gratitude for their generosity, which is another way for the kids to practice writing, Watts said.

Watts isn’t the only one using the Web site, 22 of her fellow Barfield teachers have requests pending. Nine teachers from other Rutherford County schools and three teachers from Murfreesboro City Schools also have requests for money on the site.

Watts’ proposal can be accessed at www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=145471&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_content=bodylink&utm_campaign=Tech012107

Barfield kindergarten teacher Christi Brownlee initially found the Web site, explained Barfield Principal Judy Goodwin, and Brownlee told the rest of the faculty about her success.

“The excitement spread as other teachers submitted their special projects and their wish lists were funded,” Goodwin said, adding at least 15 proposals have been funded through the site totaling more than $3,000.

“Our students have definitely benefited from this wonderful opportunity made possible not only by the benefactors of this organization, but from the efforts and creativity of our teachers,” Goodwin continued.

And Watts hopes to stimulate the creativity of her students with the cameras.

“Starting off with pictures is inspiring,” Watts said. She had an old digital camera that her students had access to. The kids loved it and treated it with care.

“I have a feeling I’ll have fewer issues with a $300 camera than a book,” she said.

Watts, who has a master’s in English as a second language, also hopes the cameras can help her ESL students express themselves and create a bridge with her typical students.

“For those students it could be big in their lives to stand in front of the classroom and say this is my life,” Watts said.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.

Tagged under RCS

Member Opinions:

By: Geana on 8/3/08
It's a nice thought, but, why new $300 dollar digital cameras? Why not ask for donations of used ones? There's a probability that many have upgraded their own and will happily donate their used, working ones.

What about the companies that supply or repair/maintain computers to the schools? Can they be talked into donating or adding digital cameras as a bonus for their contracts?

By: lightchick on 8/4/08
I'm not sure how wise it is to let students take home a $300.00 camera. I have a feeling at some point a camera won't make it back to school.