This training course aims to reflect and discuss different strategies, methods, and best practices to promote inclusion in the classroom. The keywords of this training are empathy, cooperation, and membership, as characterizing elements of inclusive education. The new edition of the course “Special Needs and Inclusive Education, the Italian experience of overcoming segregation” took place in Palermo from 28/04/2024 to 04/05/2024. The participants came from all across Europe, with Žaneta Motuzienė, Zenonas Pošiūnas, and Limina Kraskauskienė from Rokiškio Juozo Tūbelio Progimnazija in Lithuania, Uwe Bousonville from Grundschule Edenkoben in Germany, Eduardo Felipe Gimeno and Juan Espierd Garcés from CPI Galo Ponte in Spain, two other fellow colleagues from Spain who are Alba Alonso Losada and Estela Corona Fernández from CEEE Santa Rosa de Lima, but also Lucija Šušnja and Tea Mikanović from Dječji vrtić Radost in Croatia, and least but not last Sara Merbom Adolfsson and Evelina Klerborg from Tekinikum in Sweden.The initial keyword, ‘’Empathy’’ serves as the foundation for establishing meaningful "relationships" among teachers, students, and families. Embracing perspectives beyond our own, practicing non-judgment, and demonstrating an understanding of others’ emotions are key behaviors that facilitate connections. In an educational setting, fostering these connections is crucial, particularly in the support of students with special needs. Membership, as the sense of “feeling to belonging to a group” and of perceiving how your contribution could be meaningful for others is also essential. This sense of belonging, created by removing physical barriers that prevent dialogue and by promoting mutual understanding, tolerance, and respect, is very important to promote a welcoming environment that stimulates and supports the learning process. The participants were involved in diverse activities that they can implement in their own classroom to foster the membership of each student. The third keyword we explored during the training is “Cooperation”, which refers to the relationship between the teachers and the pupils with special needs. To cooperate is vital to build a supportive system for pupils. The participants were asked to put themselves in the shoes of students with special needs through some exercises, to have a better understanding of the needs of students who require adapted support. We explored the peculiarities of the “Italian Model”, one of the few examples of inclusive education, that is based on the principle of not having special schools, and that embraces the idea of “including” everyone in the same system, counting on the support of special figures like Support Teachers and Educators. |
Welcome to the ELA Blog. Here you will find articles and photos of our courses and have a look at the topics addressed during the week in Bologna, Palermo and Tenerife. You will also have the chance to take a peek at our projects and check out what we have been up to.
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