Technology Advancement For Students With Disabilities
My students need Chromebooks to work on IEP goals in the classroom instead of computer lab with other students. They also need wireless mice for motor skills issues.
"Disability is a matter of perception. If you can do just one thing well, you're needed by someone".
Martina Navratilova
Technology is all around us. Far too often our students that are economically disadvantaged never get a chance to use technology and often don't have the needed skills for work.
I teach middle school students who have disabilities ranging from Autism to ADHD.
My school serves a student population that has almost 50% that are economically disadvantaged. Despite that my students are passionate about learning and want to succeed in life.
My classroom is a vibrant, motivational style of classroom. My students enjoy watching motivational speeches and videos. I try to teach a life skill each day to help my students succeed when they reach the "real world". They also share this motivation to students outside of my classroom, and often to their parents and siblings who too often struggle with their living situations. Lastly, my students are compassionate and are willing to do things to make someones day better. They have a drive to make someone smile and help them if they can.
My Project
My students often work on IEP goals in a computer lab that other students use at the same time. I would love to be able to have two computers in my classroom at all times so that my students can work on these goals without feeling embarrassed or shame. I often have students in the middle school who are not able to solve addition and subtraction problems. These IEP goals are 3-4 grade levels below their peers. The students must work on these goals but too often rush through them because they don't want their peers seeing them working on below grade level tasks. The wireless mouse will allow my students who have fine motor skills to be able to navigate more efficiently. Trying to use a track pad is often very difficult and frustrating for my students. My students will also learn to use the computers for everyday tasks to help them in life. Some examples are creating task lists, making appointments on Google Calendar, looking up recipes, and finding coupons for groceries.
These computers are going to help give my students the needed confidence to work on skills that they are lacking in.
They will be able to slow down and really focus on their IEP goals and objectives. My students will be able to make progress on these goals by doing so. These two computers will help my students learn 21st century skills that will most likely be a necessity for attaining a job post high-school. Thank you for helping my students feel confident no matter what their ability.
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 Mr. Z. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.