Our school, and my classroom, specifically, has a need for a class set of noise canceling headphones for various student learning endeavors. Within the span of the day, our students are experiencing diverse situations in which they, many times, are working independently while their peers are working collaboratively, or working on computer programs in which sound in needed. This grant requests the remaining headphones needed for an entire class set of 24 (I have already acquired 6 of the same brand), totaling 18. Noise canceling headphones are extremely helpful for students who need work independently while others are not- for example, in a classroom of 24, 4 students might be conferencing with the teacher, 2 might be working with specialists, some might be peer reviewing or examining an anchor text, and the remaining others might be either working on a computer programs with sound, or needing silence for concentration. As you can see, the students who require a quiet environment for maximum learning are surrounded by necessary low grade noise, causing obstructions in their ability to learn in that quiet environment. The ability to provide each student with a set of these headphones will not allow them that necessary quiet environment, but will also give them access to these headphones whenever they finish or are ready to move on to the next assignment, versus them getting up out of their seats to locate a set that might already be taken by another student. I would love to see each student with a pair of noise canceling headphones to be used as a tool to enhance their learning.
The benefits this grant would provide are numerous. We have over 200 students in our school. Our students use headphones during state testing and also throughout the school year on a daily basis. We are also implementing many different forms of Mindfulness in our curriculum; students would be able to access daily online meditation activities via these headphones. Also, because of the many diverse learning styles that embody a school, students who require a quiet learning environment, along with all students, will deeply benefit from this program by focusing on their tasks versus what others are doing around them.
My classroom operates successfully through structured and scaffolded learning blocks. Not every student is doing the same thing at all times. Some students need the opportunity to quietly collaborate with others while learning, while others need silence to work successfully. I have seen this with the 6 sets of headphones I already have. Students are constantly wanting them while working, and we end up having to sign them out on a rotation so others may have a chance to use them. A class set of these headphones would enhance my classroom by providing the students the opportunity to use their set whenever necessary.
This program would be implemented on a daily basis. Students would be assigned a set that is numbered and use their set throughout the day, when necessary. During assessments (including state testing), during Book Clubs (if students are reading independently), when students work on Front Row (a computer program that requires sound through differentiated learning), daily Mindfulness curriculum, like Life Ingredients, and when working on larger projects during expedition time. Students produce work online as final drafts all the time, so these headphones would allow them the concentration to produce their final products. Other teachers will have access to the set whenever they would like to use it.
I would be happy to, and expect to share this class set with other teachers within the school.
18 Califone NC Headsets at $97.49 each
$0.00 Shipping Costs off of Amazon
$128.86 estimated tax
= $1,905.73
I did talk with my Principal, David Manahan, and he agreed that this is an area of need for our school.
Thank you so much for your consideration!