My students need access to different forms of technology so that they can navigate with ease and become familiar with software options that can be used for academics.
I am a current second grade teacher in a city school district with students that have goals in academics, however have limited resources in grasping them. Families in our community typically struggle to make ends meet. Seventy-nine percent of our students receive free and reduced breakfast and lunch plans daily, which is configured based on income.
In the past years, I have worked with many students coming from environments of lower socio-economic status which is often due to limited prior knowledge and accessibility to resources.
These students struggle with learning the way other students in the classroom may learn. Visual and hands on materials can assist in academic improvement and in forming connections. The use of videos can also encourage the building of vocabulary and about topics they have limited knowledge about due to not having opportunities to experience them.
Along with students of a lower socio-economic environments, I also work regularly with students of increased academic needs. These students can be on specialized plans that are set to meet their academic needs (IEP's) These students usually require special needs and with that, many times the information taught in the classroom needs to be introduced differently.
My Project
For my second graders the technology opportunities they have at school are the only time they gain access. Majority of the families do not have computers or a form of technology that their children are able to use on a daily basis at home. Many times our school has suggested purchasing a software that they can use in the computer lab, but the computer lab is a place the students visit once a week for a half hour time slot. The software options are amazing out there for students, including individualized practice with academics. The issue is the technology at their fingertips.
The use of technology is so important in the students gaining an understanding of what is available to them for the future and to gain the confidence on how to maneuver theses materials successfully.
In my classroom we use a center time, called Daily 5, and during this time in the afternoon students are able to pick from multiple options to practice academics alone or with a classmate. While this is also happening, I select students to work with me to meet their needs. An iPad can serve as a choice activity for this center time or can act as a device that I can utilize for learning time in small groups.
On these devices students can log into accounts that they use in the computer lab once a week. They can practice individualized skills in the classroom. These students can also work on search websites to gain information for topics covered in writing or small/whole group reading times. Many times we do projects and writing assignments where information needs to be looked up regarding the topics. Students can watch educational videos as well to encourage prior knowledge growth in which they lack.
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