The students that I work with attend a high poverty school that serves children with disabilities in New York. I teach a self-contained 12:1:1 (12 students: 1 teacher: 1 paraprofessional) 3rd-5th grade class. My students have different diagnosis, such as Autism and Intellectual/Learning Disabilities. I work in one of the highest need areas in NY and all my students rely on our free meal program. My students vary in academic levels, interests, behaviors and learning styles. All of my students have very unique needs and learn very differently. I am constantly searching for ways to engage them in learning and help each and every child achieve their best.
My students are the most special bunch of energetic, kind, and loving children who come to school with a beautiful smile every day.
My Project
This iPad will be very useful to my students with Autism and Learning Disabilities. By using the iPad, my students will be able to practice their communication skills by practicing various speech sounds using fun articulation apps, as well as use fun language apps that target receptive and expressive language skills. In addition, my students with special needs will be able to enhance their overall comprehension skills using apps to target specific skills such as answering WH, yes/no questions, sequencing, and other basic concepts.
The most effective way to encourage students to show their best work and behavior is to use a very high reinforcer to motivate them, and all my students would LOVE to use an iPad.
The iPad will be used as a reinforcer item for completed tasks and positive behaviors. My students need extra encouragement to engage and complete their work, so I use token boards where they work for a highly preferred item. Most of my students don’t have access to technology at home, so they will enjoy using fun apps as a reward. Finally, the iPad will also be used to learn and practice technology skills, such as how to search and find information on a self selected topic during writing activities.
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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 Ms. Agalliu and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
