Children learn in many different ways: some tend to learn best through auditory input, some excel visually. Because of this, the special education teacher must be creative to present materials and lessons to satisfy all modes of learning. The iPad does it all!
The class consists of 6 to 10 special education students with varying disabilities ranging from limitations in motor, speech, and auditory/visual processing to diagnoses of autism, developmental delay, spina bifida, and ADHD.
The students are 3 to 5 years old and learning basic pre-academic skills to prepare them for kindergarten-level academics. Because of their disabilities, they often have difficulty expressing their needs and wants as well as their true capabilities. Adaptations such as voice output devices, photos of familiar objects and people, and adapted crayons are just a few tools these students can use to join in classroom activities. Finding ways to allow the students an appropriate means of sharing and building their knowledge is an ongoing and rewarding challenge.
My Project
I am requesting 1 iPad, 1 iPad case, 1 wireless speaker, 1 photo printer, and 12 ink cartridges.
I have worked in special education for the past 30 years. Technology plays an important part in this field. It provides a voice for children who cannot speak. A child who cannot write can show what he has learned, and a developmentally delayed child can learn the valuable lesson of cause and effect. The children I work with are young, and using a mouse can be very difficult both physically and conceptually for them. Throughout my career, adaptive equipment for the computer has been designed to create easier ways to use technology in the classroom. The iPad brings creativity and fun to the adaptations. With one touch, students can match, create, follow directions, and learn. The opportunities are endless. Access to photos of peers, objects, and actions enable the nonverbal child to share experiences, identify objects, and even communicate wants and needs.
Daily access to the iPad is vital to the development of my students.
It will prepare them for the world of technology while enhancing skills they learn in school each day. The iPad is also a wonderful tool for cooperative learning in the classroom. Children can reinforce their ability to share, wait, and take turns while learning skills that are developmentally appropriate. Printing their work and amplifying the sound will complete the learning process.
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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 Mrs. Schnur and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.