Supported, Engaged, & Connected: The Tools We Need to Succeed
Help me give my students an opportunity to stay engaged using the tablets to help translate any supports our students from over 20 countries need, headphones for stations, and fidgets for comfort.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. Ford's classroom raised $588
This project is fully funded
My Project
The pandemic greatly limited our students’ opportunities for peer-to-peer interactions. We find that our students are often more hesitant to interact and share ideas and opinions with peers than in previous years. This challenge is further exacerbated by the fact that Overland High School is one of the most linguistically diverse high schools in Colorado and where our district’s NEP and LEP immigrant intake more than doubled from 300 to 700 last year. In my classes at Overland, our students come from over 20 countries and speak over 10 languages. Our students often sit with classmates who both speak their language and those who do not. This requires both teachers and students to be creative when it comes to communication. While the emphasis in my classes is always on developing students’ oral and written English, there are times when facilitating rapid and accurate communication takes precedent. Building community requires communication.
Luckily, electronic devices are increasingly capable of augmenting our ability to communicate across languages.
Handheld devices like the Samsung tablets I am requesting can translate documents and spoken language in real time. With our new cell phone policy (phones in pockets), students can use these devices to translate documents in real time when they need the support. They can also be passed between collaborating students. These devices will support the free flow of ideas and help students build supportive relationships with peers who have vastly different experiences than their own. Moreover, the headphones are essential with our reading support programs which have auditory components or our small group station work. Last but not least, fidgets are a universal language and allow all of my students to feel that this is a welcome place where they are welcome to be neurospicy and come however they come. Thanks for your support!
More than half of 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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