All of the students I teach are children with special needs. Their age places them in a middle school setting; however, they all function on a much lower grade level. Almost all of my students live a guarded life at home. Most of my students are classified as intellectually delayed and function well behind their age/grade level; some have emotional disturbances and need extra support in the classroom to help control behaviors.
My students need to learn how to have fun just like everyone else does and not be fearful of who is watching them.
This is the first school year that we teach to the student's needs and not to the state's needs. The students' abilities are more important than providing data to the state. This school year we taught in a less conventional way, to get life skills across to them. We have pet-assisted learning animals in the classroom, a site therapy dog, hygiene skills, and hands-on learning and community-based projects along with a program to combat childhood obesity. These are all skills that our students need to learn how to do for themselves.
My Project
Having two Apple iPads will my students learn from working on digital programs. Having these supplies will allow my students the ability to work smarter and not harder. Having an easy way to work on our digital math programs and reading programs will help save us time and resources of not having to hand out worksheets and hand out pencils and paper. Working on an app is a smarter way of learning. With updated technology, having a tablet makes learning fun, easy and obtainable. I feel that my special needs students would be exposed to many programs they would not have the ability to see or work on as many can not afford iPads at their homes. Getting these updated resources is not always feasible as our budget does not allow for luxuries such as iPads. Our school can not buy resources that they feel are not a necessity. I can not help but feel that applied learning skills via any technology is a necessity!
My students, even though they are considered special needs, are capable of producing the same projects, designs, and ideas as general education students and at times more so because they are so tuned into detail.
Funding this project will make my students realize that their voice maters, and that what they have to offer others is as valuable as any student in public school.
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