My students need a computer to access interactive educational programs that will further their speech and language development, as well as to perform evaluations to receive reliable baseline data for the start of the school year.
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
I work within a deaf education program as a Speech Teacher in three separate schools. My caseload is about 60 students who are all deaf. My students range between the ages of 3-7 and their hearing loss can range from mild to profound. They wear a combination of hearing aids and/or cochlear implant devices. They are either in self-contained deaf classrooms or in the general education setting. They are considered to be total communicators ranging in communication from verbal, sign language, AAC devices, and non-verbal.
My students are hardworking kids, who are eager to learn and I hope to get the kind of materials they need that will help them achieve classroom goals.
These students are held to the same level of expectation as their peers, but are struggling to keep up due to their speech and language deficits. They often have trouble getting their message across and become frustrated as a result. And as a speech teacher, I find this to be the most disheartening problem of all. Hopefully any provided tools will help in developing these children's skills while they are young so that they may carry them throughout their educational career.
My Project
With this computer, my students would be given the opportunity to further their speech and language development through technology they don't typically have access to. For example, I have presented the students with projects such as writing a letter to a pen pal, making a newspaper clipping regarding their speech goals, and even making a "magazine of the week" as work samples for their parents. All of which were done by hand.
However, by introducing the element of technology to these projects, the students will not only expand their learning of different vocabulary related to various programs, but also expand their creativity that will positively affect them in the classroom.
If my students were to receive a computer, it would directly impact their technology skills that are often used within the classroom, and also their overall participation and interest in activities presented within the speech room. While this is a large request to make, I believe it will have an even larger impact on my students' functional learning skills, as well as eagerness to learn.
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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