**This post about digital devices for data collection in the Special Education classroom contains affiliate links.**
I shared about how I implemented digital data in my classroom in this post. Implementing this system really helped change our data collection games in our classroom, but in order to do that, I needed to make sure all staff had access to devices to enter that data. I found the best way to make this happen was to make sure each person in our classroom had a device where they could access our digital data forms.
I’ve been able to gather 3 Kindle tablets to use in my classroom. These devices are perfect for entering our digital data. Each para and myself grab one at the beginning of the school day. Then we use the table to enter our data as we work with students in our classroom.
If you’re going to give digital data collection a try and want to provide your staff with devices to enter that data, here are 3 ways you can get access to the materials you need without spending a penny from your own pocket. Sound good? Let’s check them out!
1. Use DonorsChoose
I have had many projects funded on DonorsChoose for my classroom. Using DonorsChoose or another crowdfunding site may be a way to get devices for your classroom.
If you’re not familiar with DonorsChoose, it’s a great platform for getting classroom essentials. You write a quick biography about your classroom, choose the items you need, and write a quick description about how those resources will benefit your students. Then people (and companies) can donate to your projects. Once you have all of the funding secured, DonorsChoose will place the order and it will be sent to your school.
2. Ask Your Admin
Don’t be afraid to ask your admin for things you need for your classroom. You may be asking for things that are already on campus and they can support you in getting the resource to your classroom. On our campus, we’ve requested that some paras have access to a Chrome Book to support students in their learning. These would be a great way to collect digital data as well.
If you have a tricky admin, I find it’s best to come to your administrators with data. I would show them how digital data collection works, how much time it could potentially save in your classroom, and the increase of data input that you expect to see. These are great talking points when asking for something you need in your classroom.
3. Ask Your Parent Association
Most schools have some sort of parent association that has funds that can help you. I have found that our parent association wants to help our self contained classrooms, but doesn’t know how to support us. This is a great chance to ask for what you need. Maybe they can afford one digital data collection device. That’s one more than you had before. Perhaps they’re able to fund more than you anticipated.
These are 3 ways that I have requested devices for my classroom to improve our data collection procedures. Have you tried any other avenues? Let me know in the comments. I’m always looking for ways teachers can keep their own money in their pockets.
