Some students greet me in the hallways each morning by saying "Good Morning", others won't even look at you. When my duty is over, I look up to see smiling faces headed toward me. "They get to come to my office to play", but really, it is to do the important work of learning social skills.
I work with 900 students in a Title 1 school.
This means 76% of our students are considered disadvantaged by being from a low-income home. Our children are needy, but they are the sweetest children. Most are being raised by single parents or grandparents. They don't have technology in their homes because it is unaffordable. From the moment we get the students our teachers are teaching them, not just reading and math, but social skills as well. When the classroom isn't enough I get them and try to help them learn to better relate in the classroom. Our students need to be hugged and like most kids want to be special. Given the opportunity to learn both technology and social skills at the same time would be remarkable to them. In the words of the remarkable Mr. Rogers, "Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood". Our children deserve a chance at a good life.
My Project
My vision is to take the Ipad with me when I teach classroom guidance. If there is one student that I am unable to reach that day, I will let them use the Ipad. My most important expectation, however, is to bring designated students to my office to work one on one or in small groups with them to teach them social skills. This would be aided by the Ipad and the apps accessible exclusively to the Ipad. It would also be used for a student when s/he has a "melt down". It would be used as a method of calming down, as well as, a learning tool on ways to better handle anger, disappointment, and sadness. Some of our students have never been taught effective ways to deal with life or other people.
An Ipad would make such a difference in the lives of so many of our children.
The students will the opportunity to experience an Ipad. They will get to play with cool social skills apps and build self-esteem, all while playing and having fun. Then they will enter their classroom ready to learn. Please help our students by making a donation to our project.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Walls and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.