Mobility | Training
Undertaken | Methodology
underpinning learning | Cultural
Activities/ Team
building |
Croatia 18
– 23 October 2021 | Croatian
Education system and about Center Tomislav Spoljar Social
Inclusion as pupils reach adulthood Class
visits in different programme’s Workshops ·
Pastry ·
Traditional Music ·
Ceramics | Participants
learned about Croatian Education system by visiting
some educational possibilities for pupils with intellectual
disabilities. Four
different curriculums in practice: -
classes with pupils with intellectual disabilities in regular
schools (adapted programme for some school subjects) -
pupils in Center Tomislav Špoljar (individually adapted
programme, small classes, special educators) -
pupils in Center Tomislav Špoljar (special individual programme
for basic skills, small classes, special educators)
until 21 years. -
work occupation older than 21 Participation
in workshops with pupils to show the possibilities
for pupils that reach adulthood https://centar-tomislavspoljar.hr http://os-sesta-vz.skole.hr - inclusion school | Initial
meeting, meals and activities Guided
tour of Varazdin City
Museum Zagreb |
Northern
Ireland UK Newtownabbey 28th
March – 1st April | About
Thornfield House School and pupils Special Educational Needs Class
Visits - due to the relaxing of Covid Rules.
Visits to our junior and senior school. Staff
learning about the NI curriculum and the visual and practical teaching
methods accompanied by: *Paget
Gorman Signed Speech and *Cued
Articulation ICANS
– Talk about Talk – Laura Finnegan Teacher (Y11/12) Social
Skills – Brid Tate Speech Therapist lead THS Promoting
e-safety awareness in young people by Constable Steven McAleese (Police
Service for NI) Neighbourhood Police Visit
to Jordanstown school for the visually and hearing impaired – some teaching
methods and the use of Braille | NI
Curriculum Development
Language Disorder – is a life long condition that causes problems for pupil
learning’ They need Kinaesthetic approaches along with visual cues:- Class
Visits to showcase the NI curriculum and collaboration with Speech and
Language Therapists *Visual
Cues used in Thornfield https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Paget_Gorman_Sign_System
·
observed in classes used by Teachers/Classroom
Assistants and Speech and Language Therapists Paget
Gorman Signed Speech (these signs grammatically correct sentences as a visual
cue to aid speech). *Cued
Articulation are visual signs for the sounds that make up English to help
pupils decode to help reading and spelling https://www.soundsforliteracy.co.uk/cued-articulation.html I
CANS promotes the attitudes to social interaction and how that impacts on the
working environments. Pupils are
taught through 13 lessons about social interaction, socially and in the
workplace. Delivered by both Teachers
and Speech and Language Therapists. Key
Stage 2 and 3 (pupils from 8 years to 13 years) have social skills lessons
with the Speech and Language therapists https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/schools/e-safety-for-schools https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/uk-council-for-child-internet-safety-ukccis The
difficulties pupils have using social media. https://jordanstownschool.org/ Staff
had the opportunity of learning about the different resources used by the
teachers in Jordanstown to aid their visually and hearing-impaired pupils to
access the NI Curriculum and functionally in life. | Initial
meeting, meals and activities. Belfast
Cultural Visits – Titantic/Belfast City Hall/Museum/Botanic gardens –
Individual group choices depending on what they had visited before (some had
been our partners on a previous Erasmus mobility) Visit
to local council offices. These are
housed in an upgraded old linen mill – Historical information about the area
– Irish linen and the local hockey club that still exists that was started
for the benefit of mill workers |
Germany Heidi 15
- 20 May2022 | About
Friedrich-Elevers-Schule Management
approaches to support pupils with challenging pupils to improve their
abilities to engage with their peers | Work
in the Special Education Support Area Emotional and Social Development Music Partners
were able to visit schools in line with their specialisms. | Guided
Tour of Heide Brahms
music museum |
Austria Vienna 3
– 7 October 2022 | The
Viennese Education System FIDS10
School Center Quellenstrasse Will
showcase the use of team teaching approaches to address isolation and improve
inclusion | Motor
skills parkour at the playground: Sports Therapy aimed at increasing the
motor skills of our students making them more engaged in activities and the
world around them focusing on the five senses. Technical
work in the workroom: Fine motor skills, creativity as well as the safe
handling of different tools and materials are in the foreground as well as
the cooperation of the two teachers "team-teaching" in dealing with
schoolchildren with special needs. Music
and singing in the classroom: Musicality as an expression of the personal
mood and individual personality of each student is the focus of this course.
The individual creativity as well as the social behaviour in heterogeneous
communities by means of music, singing and performing play based on a school
class with children with special needs were illustrated to the colleagues in
this lesson. "Inclusion,
Diversity and Special Education" and "Special educational needs in
the Vienna School system". Both lectures served as a supplement as well
as a deepening of the focal points already conveyed during this week. The
contents should help the colleagues present to understand the key points,
goals, difficulties and solutions for inclusion, diversity and schooling in
the field of special education and to recognize the similarities as well as
the differences in the national school systems (Croatia, Germany, Ireland,
Northern Ireland and Slovenia). | Initial
meeting, meals and activities: Guided
tour of the sights in Vienna's city center; Traditional
Austrian evening with classical home songs, local delicacies and regional
clothing (traditional costume, dirndl, lederhosen); Visit
the houses of Parliament at the famous “Ringstraße” History
exhibition "The Wedding in Auschwitz" at the city hall; Visit the Danube Tower in the Danube Park; One round at the famous Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel |
Slovenia 20.-24.March
2023 | The
Slovenian Education System The
concept of swimming for the disabled Mobile
service provided by disability experts In
mainstream schools The
use of Animal assisted therapy -
Therapy to increase pupil engagement with isolated pupils | Activity 1: Presentation
of the Slovenian Special Education System and the schools program through
ppt. presentation and open discussion. The
partners were get a knowledge about Slovenian school system for special
needs. In this way they were able to compare Slovenian school system with
their and see similarities or differences between school systems. PRESENTATION OF
SLOVENIAN SPECIAL EDUCATION SYSTEM PRESENTATION OF PRIMARY
SCHOOL DR. Ljudevita Pivka https://padlet.com/gettoknowuserasmusproject2020/get-to-know-us-material-qgiglr9aqsgc1k96/slideshow/wish/2615500935 SLOVENIAN EDUCATION
SYSTEM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv5LMIWxopA&t=2s Activity 2: Presentation
of the Halliwick Concept of swimming for disabled people. Partners were get
familiar with the theoretical frame of the Halliwick concept of swimming in
accordance with new experiences and scientific advances. It was also
presented the connection of swimming with the expression of emotions and the
importance of this activity for the regulation of abnormal behaviors. All
participant will had chance to see this method in the swimming pool with our
teachers and students in video and see how Halliwick concept of swimming for
children work. Our
aim was to promote to the partners the Halliwick Concept of teaching swimming
and rehabilitation in water throughout the partner's visit and develop a
better understanding of the therapeutic needs of children with neuro
developmental difficulties (Cerebral Palsy and similar conditions), how to
address these needs using the Halliwick Concept of swimming and
rehabilitation in water, at an advanced level. PRESENTATION OF
HALLIWICH CONCEPT OF SWIMMIN VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8DFfwKyFtE Activity 3: Mobile
service provided by disability experts : Within special institutions and
schools with the adapted programme, there is a mobile service provided by
disability experts. They are responsible for the provision of aid required to
overcome deficiencies, barriers and disorders. Their job is to visit
children, pupils and students at pre-schools. Special educational support is
offered by specialized mobile teachers in mainstream elementary schools. This
support is generally offered to special needs pupils with specific learning
disabilities. All partners had a chance to hear from school expert Mrs.
Aleksandra Serec Šijanec, mobile
teachers, how this work with students takes place. Our
goal was to show Slovenian idea about individual support to the students with
SEN in Mainstraim schools and how this support works. Partners also learned
about the process of identifying children with special needs. PRESENTATION Activity 4: Presentation
of Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) This is a type of therapy that involves
animals as a form of treatment. The use of therapy animals in schools has
just recently become popular. The goal of AAT is to improve a patient’s
social, emotional, or cognitive functioning. Surveys about therapy animals
have proven to lower anxiety and motivate participation of SEN pupils. In
school education, the pupil may be motivated to brush the animal or walk with
it. The purpose of this activity is to explore how animal-assisted therapy in
schools, specifically using dogs, could be a complimentary and supportive
form of intervention provided by social workers in a school setting. The
animal is seen as a friend and ally, thus presenting a safe atmosphere for
sharing and interaction. Therapy animals serve as non-judgmental companions
in the process of learning and development. They are used for everything from
help with lessons to teaching social skills and responsibility. They help
pupils with emotional problems that interfere with school, including grief
and personal crisis – theory. Slovenian techer Mrs. Tanja Kaučevič has got a
lincec for activities with dog, so she presented her work with his dog Vilma
in the school, also partners saw the video how our students also socialize
with other animals in and out of school. All
partners had opportunity to see the benefits of having therapy dogs in the
classroom which are: -Physical benefits. Interaction with therapy dogs has
been shown to reduce blood pressure, provide physical stimulation and assist
with pain management. –Social benefits. A visiting therapy dog promotes
greater self-esteem and focused interaction with other students and teachers.
-Cognitive benefits. It has been empirically proven that therapy dogs stimulate
memory and problem-solving skills. -Emotional and mental health benefits. A
recent national survey of adolescent mental health found that about 8 to 10
percent of teens ages 13 to 18 have an anxiety disorder. A therapy dog can
lift moods in the classroom, often provoking laughter. The therapy dog is
also there to offer friendship and a shoulder to lean on for students. PRESENTATION VIDEO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VORuWlWTNZ0 | Visiting
the Slovenian capital city Ljubljana with all the sights and cuisine A
visit to the largest European underground cave, the Postojna cave discovering
the cultural and historical heritage of the oldest Slovenian city, Ptuj |
Ireland | Social
Integration programme PECS TEAACH
as part of their ASD support portfolio | Participants
were given a presentation on the Irish Special Education system and the
programme offered by a special school and that offered by a special class in
Ireland. Partners
were also presented with an introduction to PECS and TEACCH by psychologist,
Patrick McGinley. PECS is a picture
exchange system designed for individual pupils who struggle with verbal
communication and social skills.
TEACCH, in contrast, is a school wide programme grounded in providing
visual guides to assist the pupil understand daily and work schedules,
working systems, daily routines and the physical structure of the
school. This is done by providing an
organised, visual structure throughout their school day. Following
the presentation, the partners had the opportunity to tour St. Joseph’s Special
School and see how our classrooms and general school environment are set up
to offer our pupils visual aids so that they can predict what is happening
throughout their school day. Partners,
had the opportunity to then observe how both TEACCH and PECS are used with
our pupils, by observing in classroom settings and attending workshops with
our senior pupils (woodwork, cookery, music and P.E.). During these events, they were able to see
these communications systems being used to aid pupils communication and
learning. Partners
were also brought to an adult programme, where they were able to observe how
PECS and TEACCH are brought from the classroom setting to adult services and
how these communication systems aid not only communication but also
preparation for work programmes and social integration. Partners
also visited some special classes in our city schools to observe how PECS and
TEACCH are used in these settings and also to compare the social integration
programme within St. Joseph’s Special School with that of mainstream special
classes. Partners
were invited to attend a musical evening where pupils from St. Joseph’s
Special School joined pupils from a number of schools within the city to
perform some musical pieces. This
evening was a final presentation following a year long project offered by the
Arts Council of Ireland. This
illustrated one of the social integration projects that St. Joseph’s Special
School is involved in within our city. While
attending a number of workshops in St. Joseph’s Special School, partners,
worked alongside our senior pupils where the social skills developed by the
pupils through our social integration programme, were in evidence. | Participants
engaged in: ·
Trad on the Prom – a night of traditional music,
song and dance performances. ·
A guided walking tour of Galway city. ·
A guided bus tour of Connemara ·
An introduction to Hurling – our national sport ·
A traditional Irish dinner (Irish stew) prepared
and served in school. |
Thursday, August 31, 2023
Staff training and reflection on our learning - summary
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
At the end of our 3 years journey - Tanja Nikolovski, Ptuj - Slovenia
Dear coordinators and all "Get to know us" participants .... we have reached almost to the end... only the final report needs to be written.
At the end of our 3 years journey, I would like to thank you for your contribution to the realization of the project idea. What findings and results we came to, it will be clear to us when we come into the final report and analyze our work. Anyone who has never participated in a project with an international dimension cannot imagine how much time and effort has actually been put into it. I want to say to all of you a BIG THANK YOU.
Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if we haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, we really haven’t learned anything.
COMING TOGETHER IS A BEGINNING,
KEEPING TOGETHER IS PROGRESS,
WORKING TOGETHER IS SUCCESS!
Wishing you everything the best in your personal and profesional life.
Let just say to each other: "See you again in another oportunity."
A big hug.
❤ Tanja
Friday, June 2, 2023
Centar Tomislav Špoljar Day - OŠ Tomislav Špoljar Varaždin, Croatia
On Friday, June 2, 2023, Center Day was solemnly
celebrated at the Croatian National Theater in Varaždin. The students prepared
a performance in which they showed their acting and dancing abilities. The
numerous audience rewarded all the performers with strong applause.
Wednesday, May 31, 2023
Mobility to Galway . 22nd - 26th Maj 2023
Delegates from Varzdin (Croatia), Jordanstown (Northern Ireland), Heide (Germany), Vienna (Austria) and Ptui (Slovenia) gathered at St. Joseph’s Special School on May 22, 2023 at the start of our Galway mobility.
The theme of this mobility was an
introduction to how PECS, TEACCH and Social Integration occurs in our
school. The week began with a workshop
given by Mr. Patrick McGinley, psychologist, highlighting the importance of
visual cues and aids for people with developmental difficulties. Following the workshop, the following events
occurred to illustrate and reinforce the concepts of PECS, TEACCH and Social
Integration.
·
A treasure hunt around our school
to find examples of PECS and TEACCH in each of our classrooms and general areas
within the school
·
Attendance at a performance by
pupils from schools across the city of Galway which also included pupils from
St. Joseph’s Special School.
·
Classroom observations to
observe PECS and TEACCH used by pupils and classroom staff.
·
Attendance at workshops within
the school in cookery, woodwork and music – where lessons were given using the
principals of PECS and TEACCH.
·
A visit to an adult service to
observe how PECS and TEACCH principals are carried with our pupils to their
adult services when they graduate.
·
Visits to different special
classes within a variety of main stream schools within the city – Scoil
Chatriona – senior and junior schools, Colaiste Iognaid, Claddagh School and
Educate Together School. Delegates had
the opportunity to observe further examples of PECS and TEACCH being
implemented in these schools.
·
On our last day, Friday, 26th,
May 2023, the mobility ended with a demonstration and lessons in Irish Dancing
in the school hall. Guest dancers
performed a number of set dances to music performed by school staff and
parents. Following the demonstration,
pupils and delegates had the opportunity to practice dancing themselves. This was to illustrate the opportunities of
Social Integration offered to our pupils, on a regular basis, within the
school.
During the mobility, the delegates were
offered a number of cultural experiences relating to the west of Ireland. These opportunities included:
·
A guided tour to
Connemara. The tour included - Cong, Co.
Mayo, Killary Harbour, Kylemore Abbey, Connemara National Park and Clifden.
·
A guided walking tour of Galway
City
·
“Trad on the Prom” – an evening
of Irish music, song and dance
·
An evening of folk music
