Communication Devices for ESE Students

School:: Freeport Elementary
Subject:: Low Performing Students
Teacher:: MacKenzie Kirkland
Students Impacted:: 22
Grade:: 3
Date:: September 22, 2023

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

The Alys Foundation - $706.94

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 26

I just received my iPads this week, but I will share what I plan to do with the iPads for the remainder of the year and in the future. I plan to use the iPads to help students build their functional and academic communication skills by accessing communication programs for students with communication needs and ASL apps for my deaf and hard of hearing student. Communication can a challenge my students and these apps will give them more tools to communicate more effectively and also reduce frustration on their part for not being understood or being able to express their wants, needs, or feelings appropriately. I plan to use the iPads to have students watch edcuational videos/books being signed in ASL. I also plan to have students watch educational videos to help build background knowledge and vocabulary skills for students struggling with language impairments.

Original Grant Overview

Goal

My goal would be for my ESE students to have access to devices that can help them to build their functional and academic communication skills. I would like for my students to use devices to increase in academic and social communication by using communication programs and viewing sign language videos. I hope to decrease behaviors due to students not being able to communicate or not being understood by their teachers and peers.

What will be done with my students

I will work with my ESE students to use their devices as functional communication devices throughout their school day. They will be able to use them for academic tasks such as aides for gaining vocabulary skills and help with written expression. They will also use their devices for social communication which can be challenging for them. They will be able to use programs to help with building communication skills with visual supports and sign language. They will also be able to use the devices to help them be better understood by their peers and adults at school which will help to decrease behavioral outbursts.

Benefits to my students

Several of my students struggle with communication skills and need assistance from an interpreter (for the deaf and hard of hearing student) or teachers/SLPs in order to communicate. Both students can become frustrated when they are not understood which can cause frustration and even aggressive outbursts at times. These devices would help my students to communicate academically and socially. The devices could also be used to watch sign language videos throughout the school day of grade level passages or academic videos to help with understanding vocabulary concepts. For my ESE students, these devices would help them to make progress towards his their individualized academic, social and communication goals on their individualized Educational Plan.

Budget Narrative

The ipads were priced from apple.com and the cases and headphones were priced from Amazon.

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	iPad 9th generation	$329.00
2	iPad 9th generation	$329.00
3	LTROP Kids Case for iPad 10.2 Case 2021/2020/2019 - iPad 9th/8th/7th Generation Case with Built-in Screen Protector, Shockproof Light Weight Handle Stand Kids Case for iPad 9th Gen 10.2-inch, Black	$15.98
4	LTROP Kids Case for iPad 10.2 Case 2021/2020/2019 - iPad 9th/8th/7th Generation Case with Built-in Screen Protector, Shockproof Light Weight Handle Stand Kids Case for iPad 9th Gen 10.2-inch, Black	$15.98
5	iRAG J01 Kids Headphones Foldable Stereo Tangle-Free 5ft Long Cord 3.5mm Jack Plug in Wired On-Ear Headset for iPad/Amazon Kindle Fire/Toddler/Boys/Girls/School/Laptop/Tablet(Ocean Blue)	$8.49
6	iRAG J01 Kids Headphones Foldable Stereo Tangle-Free 5ft Long Cord 3.5mm Jack Plug in Wired On-Ear Headset for iPad/Amazon Kindle Fire/Toddler/Boys/Girls/School/Laptop/Tablet(Ocean Blue)	$8.49
	Total:	$706.94

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