On a blustery, rainy, spring afternoon, the Idaho Lottery made a special Classroom Wishlist delivery visit to 1st Grade Teacher Kristi Dunahoo at Claude Wilcox Elementary school in west Pocatello.
Wilcox Elementary is a large school, with over 500 students and is recognized as a low income, Title I facility. Resources are scarce and sharing can only go so far. That’s why she asked for, and received an Epson Ecotank 2850 color printer for her classroom, 40 wireless Bluetooth headphones, and 40 wireless mice for her students from the Idaho Lottery’s Classroom Wishlist program.
“We don’t have a color copier at our school and the lines to wait to use the printer/copier we do have are frequently long. We are also limited on the number of copies we may use, so I spend hundreds of dollars each year of my own money on supplies to provide engaging learning opportunities for my learners,” explained Kristi on her classroom request.
"My printer recently quit working, so I haven’t been able to print the things I need to for my students unless I go to the copy store. The color printer would provide me with an in-room printer where I can quickly print/scan things needed for my learners,” said Kristi.
She further explained students, especially younger students, really engage more with curriculum and learning opportunities when it’s in color.
“Color representation really helps bring things to life for these young learners,” she added. “With the printer, I would also be able to quickly scan and project documents or teaching material from my computer for my learners to visualize, while also minimizing loss of time by waiting to use the shared printer for our school.”
“In today’s world of education, technology plays a very important role for learners. Our state assessments are done on Chromebooks. Additionally, we use technology in daily activities where individual headphones and computer mice are required. It has been a struggle for me to provide my students with these necessary tools,” she further told the Lottery.
Ultimately, Kristi hopes the new equipment from the Lottery will improve the learning experience and benefit her students when it comes time to take state assessments.
