This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
As a speech-language therapist I work with students that have insightful and creative ideas they want to share, but cannot find the words to express it. The frustration that my students feel in those moments is very real.
My students are a group of dynamic children who come from diverse backgrounds.
I work with students from kindergarten to 5th grade who have difficulty with some facet of communication. All of the students that I work with come from homes in which a language other than English is spoken. Their frustrations are felt at both home and school. My role is to facilitate language development and growth in both the home language, typically Spanish, as well as in English.
To that end, I try to take into account all of my students' strengths in order to reach their potential. The students that I work with have a wide range of abilities and include children on the autism spectrum, those with hearing impairments, as well as students with other developmental disabilities that affect their speech and language. One of the challenges that I face is finding motivating materials to engage children of all grades and developmental levels.
My Project
Many of my students come from economically disadvantaged households and do not have much access to technology before entering school. There is true excitement when they come to school and are able to engage with the latest technology for the first time! This iPad will be an engaging tool when used to develop communication skills. iPad apps offer the ability to target an array of skills from speech production to vocabulary development all in one device.
Being able to access activities in one portable device is a big advantage considering that I work with my students in both the classrooms and speech therapy room, depending on their needs. Many of these motivating apps offer instant feedback that can increase the rate of the progress. Offering activities with captivating animation and graphics will be far more motivating than traditional drills when structured practice is necessary. It will be very empowering for my students to be in "driver's seat" with a iPad that they can operate
When my students are able to use the same learning tools as their peers their self esteem and motivation grow.
Developing skills on the iPad will make my students feel like they are capable of becoming adept users of the latest and most sought after technology.
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. Anderson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
