Tiffany Perkins

Alexa, Help My Students Become More Independent

In my almost eighteen years of teaching, I have spoken with many eighth graders receiving specially designed services about plans for their future. As a result of these conversations, I have asked myself how often my students are reaching out independently for resources, and have come to realize my students are not setting goals, furthering their education, graduating, or having successful careers because they lack the skills to be ambitious and independent. They lack confidence in their ability to be successful in these endeavors and do not attempt to find or use resources available to them as a result. I have tracked many of these students as they progress through school and become grown-ups only to find they have not reached their potential. I plan, with the help of my co-teachers, to use the Echo Dot in their classrooms, to first make them aware of the many resources available to them, and also to help them develop confidence in asking for help and using the resources so they can more easily overcome obstacles in their way. I plan to start with my students in the seventh and eighth grade, and expand to help more students in my school, as graph data shows they are reaching out for resources more often. There are so many resources available through the Echo Dot. This is why I feel like it is the perfect innovation to use to foster the confidence, ambition, and independence needed by my students and eventually a larger population in our school.