More than a third of my students come from low-income homes; not all of them have access to technology at home, which makes it even more important that they have access to and learn appropriate use of technology in the classroom. We were extremely grateful for Covid Relief funds that allowed us to purchase updated student devices. These devices and the educational learning programs they support have increased my students' access to the general education curriculum.
After we purchased student Apple devices from a variety of retailers, based on the lowest price available, we learned that we would need to use an Apple computer or laptop to manage all the student devices. There is a free management system available for use through Apple but only accessible on an Apple computer. The irony: we have updated devices but we cannot manage them effectively.
An Apple Macbook Air would not only allow me to manage and regularly update student electronic devices but also view student progress from any classroom in the school. With over 90 students who have IEPs across 9 different grade levels (K-8), a Macbook would give me the flexibility to move between classrooms or even work remotely if that becomes necessary again. Using the Apple School Management system on a Macbook would also allow quick, safe download of an educational or social/ emotional app to multiple devices. There would be easy download of evaluation apps enabling our school psychologist to evaluate educational needs directly or remotely.
About my class
More than a third of my students come from low-income homes; not all of them have access to technology at home, which makes it even more important that they have access to and learn appropriate use of technology in the classroom. We were extremely grateful for Covid Relief funds that allowed us to purchase updated student devices. These devices and the educational learning programs they support have increased my students' access to the general education curriculum.
After we purchased student Apple devices from a variety of retailers, based on the lowest price available, we learned that we would need to use an Apple computer or laptop to manage all the student devices. There is a free management system available for use through Apple but only accessible on an Apple computer. The irony: we have updated devices but we cannot manage them effectively.
An Apple Macbook Air would not only allow me to manage and regularly update student electronic devices but also view student progress from any classroom in the school. With over 90 students who have IEPs across 9 different grade levels (K-8), a Macbook would give me the flexibility to move between classrooms or even work remotely if that becomes necessary again. Using the Apple School Management system on a Macbook would also allow quick, safe download of an educational or social/ emotional app to multiple devices. There would be easy download of evaluation apps enabling our school psychologist to evaluate educational needs directly or remotely.