Help me give my students speakers, headphones, and mice to provide them with equal access to technology in the classroom by accommodating their special needs.
When my students walk through my door for the first time, they become my children. This year I currently serve eighteen special needs children. This is my passion, and I love to witness all of their successes, no matter how small. With disabilities ranging from developmental delays to specific learning disabilities, and several others in between, reaching their individual needs takes some creativity. Wonderful online resources/educational programs have been made available district wide, for which I am grateful.
Due to their special needs, my students need certain equipment provided for them in order to fully access the available technology, to the same extent as their non-disabled peers.
All children want to be "normal", so providing them with the means to utilize classroom technology as their peers do, will help to boost their self-esteem, and encourage them to work hard to overcome their deficits.
My Project
Our school has been blessed in that we have received funding for each student to have a Chromebook assigned to them, for use in the classroom(s) throughout the day. For my students, I need speakers for the computers so that the students can hear presentations shown on the Promethean board, since the projector is an older model without built-in speakers. We also need headphones for students to use with their Chromebooks, so that they can access academic programs that will provide them with the information orally. This isn't feasible without headphones to not only refrain from disturbing other students, but to block out background noises for my students to focus. Also, due to some physical deficits and lack of experience, the majority of my students can not manipulate the built-in mouse pad on the Chromebooks. They would each benefit from the use of an external mouse in order to maneuver through their assignments and activities effectively.
Funding my project will allow my children for years to come to be able to "sense technology" by being able to hear presentations, assignments, and activities rather than only seeing them; and touching technology in a way that makes it accessible to them.
When my babies have the means to access the education they deserve, they will begin to strive, set goals for themselves, and reach those goals.
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 Mrs. Newton-Bradley and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
