I teach a small group of K-4 students with a wide variety of needs. I work with students with intellectual disabilities, developmental delays, and ADHD. Most of my students have deficits in their language and communication or in their motor skills. Although I am lucky to be at a school with administration and PTA support, my classroom is in a trailer, and technology access is limited.
My students are smart and have a lot of knowledge, but they struggle to share that knowledge due to their communication and motor skills.
I have students who are unable to effectively communicate with peers and teachers. Some struggle to find the right words or appropriate topics, while others physically cannot produce intelligible speech. They struggle to make meaningful connections. I also have students who do not have functional writing skills; handwriting is either laborious or nonexistent. This makes most regular classroom participation a challenge.
I have seen the frustration and anger they experience when they are unable to express themselves in a way that others can understand. They all so desperately want to learn and connect with others.
My Project
My students need portable technology to use in both my special education classroom and their regular classroom. I am requesting iPads for my students to use throughout their school day.
The lack of technology in my classroom truly limits my students' potentials.
With iPads, I will be able to provide learning experiences that don't require handwriting. My students will use word-prediction apps to write stories that would otherwise be trapped in their heads. I will also use apps that allow me to take a picture of a worksheet and have my students type in their answers.
For my students who are struggling to learn how to read due to visual deficits, they will access audiobooks through apps and the public library. They won't have to rely on someone to read to them; instead, they will be independent learners.
The iPads will also provide motivating practice of educational skills, like handwriting, spelling, reading, and math. There are a lot of fantastic educational apps and games available on the App Store. Similarly, I will use apps like Boardmaker and Bitsboard, which will allow me to create activities based on my students' curriculum. I will be able to adapt activities and content from my students' general education classrooms and make them accessible. This will allow them to be more independent in their regular classrooms.
Most importantly, my students will use the iPads as a means to facilitate communication. They will use communication apps throughout the school. It will allow my students to connect with their classmates in ways they haven't been able to thus far.
These iPads will make a huge difference in my students' lives at school. My students have so much to share with the world; I want to provide them with the opportunity to do so.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Gill and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.