There is no such thing as a typical day in my classroom. I work with 4 individuals and 7 groups of students, across 4 grade levels every day. Many of my students do not have access to technology that would keep them engaged and help them learn the vital technical skills needed in our society.
My school is Title One Public School of the Arts.
We have a 75% poverty index. I am the reading interventionist, so my students are having difficulty learning how to read or apply literacy skills. Each day I work with students from 5 year old kindergarten through 3rd grade. Some students are trying to learn letters, sounds, sight words, or phonics, while others are working on comprehension and writing. Each group poses unique challenges, but all of my students want to learn, love stories, and work so hard to be successful.
We value all types of learning here, but often our students do not have the technology or access to technology that they need in order to be successful in life as well as school. We try to provide opportunities to use technology, but the supply is limited. My students need to be able to access apps, on-line journals, books, and websites as well as learn how to evaluate those sites that are reliable and those that are not.
My Project
With two iPad minis my students will be able to work in pairs or individually on apps that will help them master basic skills in a fun way and keep them engaged. They will also be able to access non-fiction e-books that have been purchased by our school on science and social studies topics. Students can also us apps to create their own books, stories, graphics with labels, movie trailers, art work, diagrams with labels, and much more. The possibilities are endless. Students can research topics of interest that are related to classroom topics and learn how to evaluate various sites for authenticity and reliability. They will gain much needed real world literacy skills through the use of technology.
A recent article in District Administration Magazine reported a study that found all students lack critical online learning skills; however, the gap between wealthier students and impoverished students was significant.
While the more advantaged students score 50% on the assessment, students from poverty scored an average of 25%. This puts them at a disadvantage in the real world. These iPad Minis will allow students to learn these critical skills, have fun, and become more successful.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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