Our classroom is made up of around 20 students ranging in age from 14-22. All of our students have various physical and intellectual disabilities. They require intensive special education services provided by a group of caring educators. Most of our students come from low-income families.The focus of our classroom is help students prepare for the future in the best way possible for them. We provide opportunities for them to get work experience, and learn social skills as well as life skills. Many of our students will never be able to live and work independently as adults, but our goal is help them be as self-sufficient as possible.
Although our students live with severe disabilities they are sweet, kind, loving, fun, hardworking, and have a desire to learn.
They love to work in our community and help others. They enjoy reading and playing games. Some of their favorite activities are socializing and cooking.
My Project
Some of our students are unable to communicate in traditional ways due to physical disabilities. This can make things difficult for learning as well as everyday life. Apps available on iPads can be used for communication. Students can touch pictures to communicate their wants and needs.
Imagine being sick or needing to go to the bathroom and being unable to tell anyone what you need.
These materials can help students meet those very basic communication needs as well as enable learning. iPads act as a translation, communication, and individualization tool with unrivaled effectiveness. In so doing, these devices reduce frustration, build confidence, and well, just work in teaching students the skills they need to learn in order to thrive.
iPads just make sense for students whose disabilities cause them to struggle with visual spatial awareness, as apps are easily organized and even more natural to navigate. Likewise, for students with motor impairments, touchscreen technology is much more in sync with how their bodies move. They are, for example, more likely to be able to tap and swipe than point and click. It is also easier to keep their eyes attuned to one spot (the screen) that it is to visually shift between the screen and the keyboard.
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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. Reed and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
