A Chicago area teacher is going above and beyond to find a way to give her students the best education possible, and the amount of money she believes will lead to big change, is surprisingly small.
Newberry Math & Science Academy teacher, Emily Miller, is turning to social media to help her students in grades third through fifth get the computers they need to enhance their learning.
On the donorschoose.org page Miller has set a goal of just $485, in the hopes that she will secure the funds needed for two computers, so the diverse range of learners in her Chicago area classroom will be able to get Chromebooks.
That’s it. Just $485, which is more than double what the average person in America spends on coffee annually.
The funds raised will be used to provide two Samsung, 11.6′ Chromebook 3, Intel Celeron with 4GB Memory and 16GB eMMC flash memory systems through Best Buy Education, which cites that technology is the key to education.
On the crowd funding page, set up by the elementary school teacher, Miller states that, “over 60 percent of the students at my school come from low-income households. Many of my students do not have access to quality texts or technology when they leave school.”
Miller spoke with Faithwire about her desire to help the students in the classroom, long term goals, and the importance technology plays in educational success.
“I ultimately want the absolute best for my students,” Miller explained, “and I would do anything to make sure that they are set up for success. I think a lot of people want to support teachers, but don’t know how. I wanted to give people a way that could make a real difference for low income students. I think that when given the opportunity, people will step up and give what they can. And if they can’t, knowing that I have their support in general helps to keep me fighting another day.”
“As a teacher,” she continued, “I think it’s important that I advocate for them and make sure they have a voice. They deserve every opportunity to learn that any child deserves. I don’t think the zip code they were born in should determine their opportunities or access to knowledge.”
Having this opportunity would help the thirty children who are also grappling with other issues in the classroom when it comes to learning, she explained.
“Being one teacher for thirty students makes individualizing education a real challenge. If we got these Chromebooks, students could log in daily to websites where they can practice with materials on their individual level.”
Long term, Miller hopes that each student will be able to have a Chromebook and considers this appeal just the beginning.
“I was worried that it would never happen,” she noted of making the Chromebook request upfront.
Just having two available will make a difference, though requests for more will be made down the road.