My students need five Kindle Fires in protective cases for use in conjunction with audio ebooks to increase literacy, vocabulary, and comprehension of text.
Many of my students have had an educational experience of being told what they "can't" do. My goal is to provide insight to resources that will help them become independent, in order to realize how much they can do.
I work at a school exclusively for students with disabilities.
Most have specific learning disabilities in reading, which affects their performance in all subjects. We work on skills that make our hard-working students employable and work-ready..."Teach a man to fish, and he will eat forever!"
My students are dedicated and driven, and have overcome a multitude of obstacles to remain in school and keep up with the expectations of education. All of the 9th grade students are now required to pass grade-level courses in English literature, when many struggle to read. For some, this is an inherited specific learning disability, for others, the result of poor home life and lack of parent involvement. My students are determined to work hard and strive to gain meaningful employment. Using resources available and continuing technology is part of the accommodations made to us by the "Information Age".
My Project
The students will use the Kindle Fires in conjunction with Amazon's Whispersync and other audio applications that will allow them to hear the text read while highlighting the current text on-screen. An incredible amount of research has proven the dramatic increase in literacy with having the pair of text and audio component.
The benefit of using the Kindle Fires is allowing the students to work independently after the initial class reading of the text. This also frees the attention of the teacher to facilitate small-group discussion without leaving the student in need of assistance. Using this technology, students can replay the text or single word as often as needed. There are also options to highlight and define a word onscreen for vocabulary development and increased comprehension.
This project would promote independent learning in a variety of settings.
The resources available with technology are incredible, and the research documenting literacy improvement gives a great hope for the academic and post-graduate success in employability. Developing the skills to advocate for self needs and accommodations are one of the critical components to the education of students with disabilities, and I hope to empower them in their independence and capabilities.
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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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 Mrs. Albritton and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
