How education technology drives equal learning in special education curriculum

If you have been watching our blog recently, you may have read about Sewanhaka Central High School District, a school district in New York serving a diverse population of 8,600 students.

In part one of our three-part blog series on Sewanhaka, we examined why the district needed a better solution to meet the needs of their student population and how they found the best available option in iPad and Jamf.

In the second part, we’ll share the story of how 1-to-1 iPad devices were used to empower special education students in the district.

Seeing the impact on special education students

Special education teachers in the district noted that students required extra support with organization and executive functioning. When Sewanhaka rolled out a 1-to-1 iPad program, teachers finally had an answer to providing the best learning experience for each student. And a solution that would fully allow parents to help their student conduct schoolwork and learn when at home.

District educators implemented an iPad app called OneNote, a digital note-taking app, for students. OneNote allows students, educators and parents to write and access classroom notes and lectures at all times, and also enables educators to make tutorial videos to walk students through steps, one by one.

Through the app, there’s much more student support available and a constant resource to answer questions and view lesson plans.

Eliminating the stigma of personal differences

While the learning benefits of iPad are plentiful, it’s also important to recognize how the iPad can help eliminate the stigma students face when they differ from their peers.

For instance, in a non-digitized learning environment, many students have to leave the room for readers to assist with tests and quizzes. This modification of their individualized education plan (IEP) singles them out.

With the implementation of the district’s 1-to-1 iPad program, students can now just put in their headphones and listen to the test questions. This not only allows students to remain in their seats, but it also levels the playing field for students with different reading levels.

This can be a huge confidence booster for students as it doesn’t set anyone apart and caters to individual needs.

Stay tuned for the conclusion of the Sewanhaka blog series, where we examine how they are securely conducting exams with iPad.

In the meantime, if you’re not already a Jamf customer, take one of our education solutions for a free test drive to see the benefits of iPad and best-of-breed Apple device management for yourself.