Fundraising for Technology

Welcome parents to the new and improved website for SHPS Special Education Department.  Many of you have recently inquired on how you can become more active in our program and have asked how you can help make our school even more successful then it already is.  One way that you can come along our PTA and school to help us all provide the best possible educational environment for you kids is too engage in our upcoming Fundraiser for Technology.  The PTA has already been very active in making contacts throughout the community along with organizing several Fundraising activities over the next semester.  I am asking you all to join us in at least one of these activities.  More specific information will be forth coming on exactly what activities are upcoming and what we need help with but please either post on this or shoot me an email about your availability and if there are any specific ideas that you have on how we can be more successful please do not hold out on us.

Now I have heard from many parents that they are concerned about the validity of spending money on technology because they just see their kids playing Angry Birds or Plants vs Zombies instead of using technology for anything productive.  Some even have graver concerns over incorporating technology that technology even "poses potential health hazards and that Internet cyberporn and predators pose other risks, especially to young users (Roblyer and Doering, 2010, p. 17)."While I acknowledge that this is a very real concern, we have come to the point in education where technology is no longer just a fun extra thing to have in the classroom but instead is absolutely critical to have a successful and modern teaching experience.  The use of technology in the classroom is supported in many studies by the department of Education.  On their website it describes the importance of technology as such:

When students are using technology as a tool or a support for communicating with others, they are in an active role rather than the passive role of recipient of information transmitted by a teacher, textbook, or broadcast. The student is actively making choices about how to generate, obtain, manipulate, or display information. Technology use allows many more students to be actively thinking about information, making choices, and executing skills than is typical in teacher-led lessons. Moreover, when technology is used as a tool to support students in performing authentic tasks, the students are in the position of defining their goals, making design decisions, and evaluating their progress. (Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students)

Another great example of why Technology is necessary in the classroom is the video:


Technology in Classroom from Gerardo Padilla Jr on Vimeo.


While technology has great potential in the classroom it will be pointless without correct direction and purpose.  That is why there are only two tools that I would like to focus on for this fundraiser.

1. 20 iPad 2's for the class.
      iPad 2

2. 4 classroom projectors.
       Projector

The reason for having these devices in the classroom instead of using smart boards or interactive computer systems for the classroom is  portability and price.  It costs thousands of dollars for installation and use of interactive whiteboards and while they are great for presentations in front of the class they do not engage the students learning experiences like the use of iPads could do (http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2011/03/24/ipad-as-an-interactive-white-board-for-5-or-10/).  By having enough iPads for all the students to use in the classroom their education will be self-serving and they will be active participants with equal access to the technology available to them.

To conclude my blog I just want to reiterate to you all the amazing impact that tools like the iPad and projectors can have on the success of the classroom.  I would like to share with you the story of a classroom that began using technology like I would like to do in our class.  This was a art history class (the whole story can be found here) where the students struggled to engage with the subject.  But through the use of iPads and a couple of projectors the teacher was able to make the class "come alive" for the students and the students started a whole new love of art and learning.  I not only believe that our class can be an example just like this one but I know that it can be with your help.  Ahead of time I would just like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all of the hard work we will be putting in over the next few months.  Together I know that there is nothing impossible for us to accomplish.  Thank you.



References

  Gerardo Padilla Jr. (January, 2011). Technology in the Classroom. In Vimeo. Retrieved September 30, 2011, from http://vimeo.com/16971712.

  Paul Shimmons. (February 3, 2011). Magic happens with the iPad and the Classroom Projector. In iPad and Technology in Music Education. Retrieved Septemter 30, 2011, from http://ipadmusiced.wordpress.com/2011/02/03/magic-happens-with-the-ipad-and-the-classroom-projector/.


 Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. H. (2010). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.


  unknown. (Unknown). Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. In undefined. Retrieved September 30, 2011, from http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html.


Wesley Fryer. (March 24, 2011). iPad as an Interactive White Board for $5 or $10. In Moving at the Speed of Creativity. Retrieved Septemter 30, 2011, from http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2011/03/24/ipad-as-an-interactive-white-board-for-5-or-10/.


DISCLAIMER: This blog is an assignment for an educational technology course at National University. It is not a real fundraising blog.