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.
These days, technology is everywhere. My students have not had enough exposure to technology to have the most basic of skills. How can we prepare today's youth for the jobs of tomorrow without giving them opportunities to interact with current technology?
I teach in a self-contained, social/emotional classroom for 2nd and 3rd graders.
I currently have 7 students. My students have disabilities including Emotional Disabilities, Specific Learning Disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Speech Impairments, and Other Heath Impairments, such as ADHD. Our school is in a very low SES neighborhood in Arizona where over 95% of our students qualify for free or reduced price meals. My specific population of students struggle with maintaining appropriate behaviors and emotional control from day to day. Through the explicit teaching of social skills, our students have flourished in their abilities to interact appropriately with peers and staff members, maintain appropriate classroom behaviors and even transition back into the mainstream classrooms.
My Project
I am seeking to add a tablet to our classroom that will be used in several ways. Motivationally, students love to get their hands on new, exciting and novel learning tools. The use of a tablet for academic purposes will highly motivate students to learn, explore and maintain appropriate and safe behaviors. Academically, the use of a tablet will be a priceless supplement to classroom resources. With the tablet, students can research information on the Internet, visit academic websites, and use online resources such as math tools and manipulatives. Furthermore, with the continuous expansion and addition of apps, there is an immeasurable amount of beneficial apps that our students can use, so many of which are free. There are apps for alphabet recognition, handwriting and letter formation, beginning reading supports, math apps to build number recognition and fluency, and brain teasing apps that promote higher levels of thinking and problem solving.
Students in my classroom lack access to technology.
Five out of seven of my students do not have a computer at home. Many families in our neighborhood can't afford computers, smartphones or the cost of Internet/data connection to maximize the use of such devices. My students have not yet developed even basic computer skills such as navigating internet explorer or familiarity with the keyboard. The addition of a tablet is a step forward in giving my students access to the technology of today.
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 Ms. Apuan and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
