Ms. Turpin’s Classroom Edit display name

About my class

My State is very poor. My District is not well-funded. My Pre-K to 5 school does not have 1 to 1 devices for students. I want to be able to do small-group guided technology lessons with my Kindergarteners - we are learning how to use the iPad as an active tool for learning. The 8 ancient, out-of-storage space, cracked screen iPads I have in my classroom are hopelessly out of date and we have no Tech money in the pipeline so they won't be getting replaced. When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down my school, my students were very hard hit - they had little access to tech at home (or school) and very few were able to continue Distance Learning. In Education-speak, we call this "Equity of Access;" my students do not have Equity of Access, and I want them to. I want my students to have the same access that the kids in "better neighborhoods" have. On a side note: my room has also become a "ReFocus" room of sorts; over the years at several schools I have become a safe place for students needing some time away from their peers to go. My principals don't even bring them to me anymore - a kid will just walk in, and we plop them down right next to us and keep going. These kids - all grades - often bring work with them, adding to the need for devices.