NHS teacher receives grant for 30 new calculators

Submitted photo Makayla Rodriguez and Andrew Kapas grab new calculators purchased by the 3M plant in Springfield for Heather Wright's classroom at Nevada High School.

Nevada Daily Mail

Thanks to generosity of the 3M plant in Springfield, Nevada High School math teacher, Heather Wright now has a new set of calculators for her classroom. Wright, who teaches algebra and a mixed math course to ninth through 12th graders filled out a grant proposal on Donorschoose.org, a website for businesses to help support classrooms by donating grant money for teachers to fulfill their projects.

The "Calculating in Mrs. Wright's classroom" project was quickly and fully funded by the 3M plant located in Springfield, Wright said.

"It was great, I was on there for just a few weeks before 3M fully funded it," she said. Wright said after she receives the calculators on Nov. 2, she will write 3M a thank you note including what the class has done with the gift, "Which will be pretty easy considering it's a math class," she said.

The new set of 30 Texas Instrument 30XIIS calculators, estimated to cost about $450 will make it easier for Wright's class because before the new set came, students would have to share calculators.

"That can be hard if they have to take a test, and a kid is without a calculator," she said. The new calculators are simple and easy to use, Wright said.

One of the nicest things about having a complete class set of calculators is parents do not have to buy a calculator for their students and students do not have to bring one to class, she said.

Wright said the school might use the site again for another project to get more calculators. For now, Wright will give all the old calculators to other teachers, trying to make another class set for another teacher.

"The importance of a calculator in a math class is I think it sets the bar equal for every student when all students have calculators. Some kids that aren't as good feel disadvantaged when they don't have a calculator to be able to keep up with the kids that are better at math," Wright said. "So, it sets an even playing field in the classroom when all of them have a calculator and it's the same calculator.

"It gives them a sense of comfort and for quick calculations that some kids aren't proficient at they can pull out their calculator really quick and be able to answer the question as fast as students who are more proficient and can pull those math facts out."