By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

A Verbena teacher is fighting the clock to raise funds for Chromebooks for her classroom.

Beth Ann Pope, who teaches third grade at the Verbena Annex, started a DonorChoose.org project to fund eight Chromebooks.

If the remaining amount needed is not raised by Feb. 9, she will have to start over.

“I have done several DonorsChoose in the past,” Pope said. “I started with smaller things.”

These items included bouncy bands to help students “get some of their energy out,” an interactive learning program to use with the class’ iPad and a map, Pope said.

Several programs Pope uses to help students and to informally test whether they are where they need to be require an electronic device.

“We do Classworks every day,building on their skills,” Pope said.

She said the program allows students to start at the academic level they are on and work up to grade level and beyond.

ReflexMath, AR, whooosreading.org and Spelling City programs are also used on a weekly basis.

“We have some desktops, and it is just a rotation,” Pope said.

The classroom also has a few iPads that will run the programs.

“If I get this project funded, I will have enough devices for everyone to be on at one time instead of having to rotate … we will be able to use our time better,” Pope said.

Because Classworks has built in testing, Pope can see that her students have already progressed from where they were on content knowledge in September. Pope said the success of the program is also seen in the school’s report card recently released from the state.

Pope also wants to teach her students how to research topics online, but said it is difficult when they all do not have a device at one time.

“It was a big project doing eight Chromebooks, and if it doesn’t get funded, I plan on going back and doing a smaller project of maybe four Chromebooks and get those funded, then maybe trying to get four more,” Pope said.

To donate, visit donorschoose.org.