linq 2013 session_red_2_bruce

Dr. Alan Bruce, Universal Learning Systems LINQ Conference: Rome, Italy (17 May 2013)

LINQ Conference Rome: May 2013, Dr Alan Bruce ULS/FIESTA Network

Historic pattern of low expectations Institutionalization and ‘special’ needs Embedded imagery of dependence Family, support and care Medicalization of discourse Recognition of achievements Teaching – and learning – around difference


Families Communities Culture and beliefs Schooling, learning and research Media and portrayal – the charity factor Transition and technologies Work, employment and a full life Permanent dependence or rights?


Coordination Multidisciplinary linkage Shared perspectives Meaningful progression Family engagement Flexibility Satisfaction and engagement


• Lack of consensus – goals, strategies, aims • Turf issues – professional confusion • Mixed messages • Attitudes – the negative mindset • Misinterpretations • Built environment • Unthinking exclusion • Fragmented planning • Disempowered families


Increased numbers in schools The university revolution Impact of legislation and policy European dimensions Technological revolution From psychology to engineering – the altered

environment Shaping the mind – struggles with attitudes


Adaptive/assistive technologies

Vocational evaluation

Assessment Counselling Materials design

Environmental design

Software design Medical supports Legislation Innovative

pedagogy.


Models of schooling under critical review The re-positioning of purpose – Ivan Illich From industrial model to emancipatory

discourse Hierarchy, control and managed behavior Appropriating competence in a multipolar world From teaching to guidance and learning support Integration and inclusion – the shifting paradigm


Lisbon Declaration Inclusive education as principle Significant national variations Separation between health, social services

and education functions and responsibilities Poor multidisciplinary developement Family exclusion Focus on educational, health and social needs


1994: UNESCO Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action in Special Needs Education

2003: Promoting the Employment and Social Integration of People with Disabilities (EU Council)

2003: Equal Opportunities for Pupils and Students with Disabilities in Education and Training

2006: United Nations Convention on Rights of People with Disabilities

Pupils with disabilities continue to experience inequality in the education system. This has resulted in lower levels of educational qualifications and workforce participation among people with disabilities (relative to those without disabilities), which results in social isolation and economic adversity.


The FIESTA (Facilitating Inclusive Education and Supporting the Transition Agenda) network focuses on achieving effective transition through collaborative working for children with special educational needs.

FIESTA is a three-year (2011-2014) network funded by the Education,

Audiovisual, Cultural and Executive Agency (EACEA), under the Comenius program of the European Union’s Life Long Learning Program.

LINQ Conference Rome: May 2013, Dr Alan Bruce ULS/FIESTA Network 11

Ireland (Enable Ireland; Universal Learning Systems) Bulgaria (Center for Inclusive Education) Romania (EuroEd) Greece (Platon School) Netherlands (CMO; CSG) Scotland (University of Edinburgh) Cyprus (University of Nicosia) Finland (Context Learning) Spain – Catalonia (Pi del Burgar)


The network facilitates children with special needs - and families - during the following periods of transition: Transition of children with special needs from

pre-school to primary school and primary school to secondary school.

Transition of children with special needs to mainstream environments


Transition periods for pupils with special needs is considerably more difficult than for non-disabled peers.

Transition from early years settings to primary and primary to post primary is difficult for professionals due to lack of communication and curriculum differences.

Amount and level of quality information exchanged is not on a continual basis or considered the norm.

Teachers are not privy to pupils’ needs prior to start of the school term.

The process of transition is completed in an ad hoc or informal manner with no formal procedure in place.


Importance of various professional frameworks and how each professional discipline impacts on student learning and development.

A model to provide a holistic approach to child development.

Therapeutic goals seen as part of overall child educational development, not as a separate goal.

Practical tools to reassess existing transition programs.

Cultivating an inclusive and collaborative learning environment, including a self-assessment process.


Focus of motivation Problem solving focus From curriculum to competence Content to meaningful action From formal teaching to creation of bonds and links Mentoring Models of best practice


Attitudes of parents, teachers and pupils Over-emphasis on attainment and accreditation Lack of diversity - flexibility to meet children’s needs Professional fears/prejudice, scarcity of teaching

methods and strategies Preoccupation with disability classifications Inability of national policy to shape local practices Inaccessible buildings Lack of training or professional development for

teachers.


Access to a flexible curriculum Programmes for staff exchanges and training Regular reviews Dialogue and communication with all stakeholders

e.g. pupils, parents, school, voluntary organisations. Facilitation of a collaborative/partnership approach Active pupil participation Peer mentoring.


To examine best practice examples for SEN children who transitioned into first year mainstream primary school from either specialized or mainstream environments

To identify examples of best practice SEN children who transitioned from mainstream primary to secondary schools.

Identification of best practice undertaken through a mixed methods approach where children, families and a wide range of professionals participate in the research.


Defining needs Defining required supports Developing teams: communication Avoiding traps – the standardized label Critical and reflective thinking and practice Empathy Sensitivity and clarity – goal setting Evaluative review


Modeling Empathic analysis in transition support Social analytics for multidisciplinary work Roles and responsibility Advanced digital competence/assistive

technologies Universal Design Comparative research methods Independent living/rights based models


www.ulsystems.com www.opendiscoveryspaceproject.eu www.fiesta-network.eu


http://www.ulsystems.com

http://www.opendiscoveryspaceproject.eu

Dr. Alan Bruce Universal Learning Systems Dublin [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]