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
My students are creative, energetic, and they absolutely crave high-tech teaching! An iPad is an incredible technological tool for students, especially in our high-need school. It can carry a library of books, help a child communicate, and provide multiple opportunities for collaborative learning.
Welcome to our classroom!
I am a special education teacher at a Title One, high-poverty primary school in Virginia. I work with children who have Learning Disabilities, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Other Health Impairments, and Emotional Disorders in an inclusive teaching environment. I also tutor 6-10 special needs students in an after school program to reinforce and extend their learning opportunities.
An iPad would mean so much to our special needs classroom. In a classroom like mine, children enter the third grade on so many levels. Some come ready to launch into chapter books while others are working on basic alphabetic knowledge.
My Project
My students need an iPad to engage them in social and academic learning opportunities. One of the most challenging aspects of being a special education teacher is meeting each child's individual learning needs and making lessons meaningful to every student in the classroom. An iPad is single device that can be used across developmental and academic levels to meet each child's learning needs.
Beyond the multitude of apps that would provide repeated practice opportunities for my students, an iPad would also assist in meeting vital communication, occupational therapy, and social goals. Some of my students struggle to form letters and complete writing tasks due to lack of muscle control. Apps with text-to-voice capabilities will enable all of my students to be able to correctly select their answer choices and use the device to complete assignments.
For a student with Cerebral Palsy or Autism, an iPad could be a stigma-free communication device.
For any child, it is clear that the more opportunities they have to learn, the more they are able to grow.
Although this is a costly project, I know that my students would go wild at the chance to practice their knowledge and create with this level of technology. Thank you for considering our class project.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. H-T and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
