I am a Special Education Teacher who is responsible for 12 - 3rd grade students in an inclusion classroom with various backgrounds. Some of the student population in my classroom are English Language Learners, while others have intellectual, emotional, communicative, and/or sensory impairments.
My students are looking forward to being independent investigative learners.
We are taking a leap in investigative work, where the students are following a more inquiry based approach to their learning. Students will use resources in the classroom to help them understand "why" something is vs. the teacher telling them.
My Project
Modern technology devices, such as tablets allow students to approach lessons differently. With these Fire tablets, my students will be exposed to safe, user-friendly websites and apps that will allow them to research independently at their own level.
These devices cater to different learning styles and abilities.
Students who struggle in the traditional classroom may find their education to be more productive with the aid of technology. Technology can help a student read along while listening to an audio version of a text on a tablet or typing on a computer or tablet to be an easier alternative.
The Fire Tablets also allow for personalization, so even simple things like adjusting the size of the text or the volume level can make a difference. These tablets can also help students who speak a different language with translation. Educational software, games, and applications make the learning process interactive by engaging students through videos, music, audio text, and physical coordination activities like pressing buttons or choosing options, which is especially beneficial for kinesthetic learners. Personalized and independent lessons on a device can also decrease stress and anxiety.
Collaboration is another benefit of incorporating technology into the classroom. Activities can be shared or completed together. Students with speech or language impairments can alternatively use text-to-speech options when making class presentations. These tools, when used within the classroom, often eliminate the need to separate special education students from their peers. This, of course, leads to greater social inclusion, positive self-esteem, and confidence. It also allows some special education students to be assessed along with their peers.
Every student tablet that is placed in our classroom will be treated with love and care. The students are thankful when they have opportunities to research and further learning.
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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 Ms. Campa and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.