Description
The central part of the project is an exchange of personnel working with special needs people. The emphasis is on educating teachers who educate and teach people with special needs. Its sole purpose is to provide them with knowledge and tools to work with children with communication and socialization difficulties. The general goal is to empower teachers to know how to include pupils in a right, variegated, methodologically and didactically completed manner. An aim is also to get to know the differences between Slovenian and Icelandic school systems and how both partners (Special Education Centre Janez Levc and Brúarskóli) can implement each others work. The main goals of the project are: Widening good practice of spreading comprehension and understanding of problems of people with special needs into both countries in order to achieve inclusive moments for people with special needs among others; spreading good practices to introduce inclusive culture and to include children with special needs into everyday activities. The project will empower teachers with experience to work with children with special needs (individually and as a group) through interactive methods.
Summary of project results
The emphasis of the project was to empower teachers who educate and teach people with special needs and that they gain knowledge how to include pupils in right, variegated, methodologically and didactically completed manner. Participants have obtained differences between Slovenian and Icelandic school systems, enlighten novelties in the field of working with people with special need and exchanged good practices of work. The project empowered professional workers and enabled them to develop professionally and personally. They also spread the net of colleagues, which enables mutual learning. With the project we expanded our good practice of social integration and inclusion of young people with special needs and raise awareness about this issue. The results of the project were expanded during the majority of employees of both partner organizations and others who were presented at the presentations, which we had carried out in both organisations. Results were also spread via internet, on our homepage and Facebook. The main benefit of the project is that participants gained new methods and approaches and got a plan how to transform them into practice.
Summary of bilateral results
We cooperated with Brúarskóli, which is a specialized educational institution for children with special needs. They were very interesting for us as partners because of their specialization in emotional and behaviour difficulties of children with special needs, aggressive behaviour prevention and positive behaviour support. They invited some of their professionals (teachers, special pedagogues, psychologists and other) to cooperate in a project and its activities. They shared a lot of useful information and knowledge about Icelandic school system and education of children with special needs and its specifics and also some special skills and educational methods, which they use everyday. With our group of professionals they were able to share some good practice examples and discuss some issues and problems that they face in their teaching job. They also talked about inclusion in the field of special needs and creating inclusive culture with their children and youngsters. We developed a good partnership with Brúarskóli and we have a plan to develop some other project ideas for the future. We already talked about cooperation and we would like to continue working in this field of social integration and inclusion. Professionals from the partner school are very interested in our Center and they would like to come for a study visit or attend a training in order to learn more about our work.