My students need 2 iPads which will provide opportunities to improve their communication, motor, and cognitive skills as proven by research for children with autism.
This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
Imagine a technology that is not only fun and engaging, but educational too! For students with autism, iPads allow educators to customize learning through carefully chosen apps which target each child's IEP goals. These apps focus on key academic skills in engaging ways.
My class is an 8:1:1 kindergarten classroom for students with autism located in the Bronx.
It consists of 6 boys and 2 girls. My students range in abilities and interest. They enjoy drawing, listening to stories, singing nursery rhymes, and counting. Children with autism typically struggle to learn with traditional learning methods. However, research has shown that the use of iPad technology can improve students with autism's communication, motor, and cognitive skills.
My Project
The world of an autistic child is full of imagery, rather than words. On an iPad, a child with autism can create a sentence or even a story using a series of images. By doing so, the child can communicate without frustration. Since the iPad is mobile, children with autism can take this communication tool wherever they go. After conducting research in this area for my Masters Thesis in 2012, I concluded that tablet technology not only had benefits educationally, but socially and emotionally as well. I was able to see first hand the impact that incorporating tablets into the classroom had on student engagement and learning. The tablets ability to differentiate instruction, as well as capture student attention, helped student academic growth. I envision students using the iPads during both ELA and Math center rotations as a task they can do independently to master writing, number, and letter recognition. Some apps include Letter School, Eggy Nursery Rhyme, and Connect the Dots.
The addition of these two iPads would be a tremendous difference for my students.
It will allow them the opportunity to independently practice academic skills that they previously would be unable to do (for example, students may struggle with tracing on pencil and paper, but are able to trace letters on the iPad). It will also provide opportunities for students who are auditory learners to listen along with stories that are read to them, and better interact with their learning.
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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. Warager and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.