COMMENTS OF THE LAST PROJECT - Marina Cáceres García

AMIGOS DE FOOTBALL – INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS

Amigos de Football was the first group to expose. They told us about the Inclusive Schools, but before all, we got a definition. Inclusive schools, above all, encourage respect and support for all students. Teachers in these schools analyze the characteristics of each student and organize activities more flexible.

Also, we talked about the very positive features that were Inclusive Schools. Some of them were, for example, diversity, since her students can learn new things from other perspectives. Students, and teachers promote equal rights for all, and make it through methodologies that children work together and so, thanks to the heterogeneity get better results.

All these benefits they told us through the four major authors of these schools. The authors are: Tony Booth, Gordon Porter, Mel Ainscow and Gerardo Echeita.

But on the other hand, we saw that all is not easy as it seems. They also showed the difficulties to achieve an inclusive school. One of the barriers was the policy, as there are contradictory rules; the cultural barrier, since many people discriminate against people who think being different from them; and finally, didactics, because the competitive methodologies.

After explaining what constituted inclusive schools and give us some tips to carry them out, we showed two videos, which appeared in such schools. The first of these was that of Amanda Berri's, which talked about the importance of training teachers to suit the needs of each child. The second video showed Pelouro school. In this school, the children are very aware of the value of diversity, because they think that through this, they can learn from others.

In conclusion I loved the work and above all, to see reflected in the videos as children work together and they can also learn with adaptions. I especially like to see reflected in the video that it is possible to get an inclusive school.

CRÓNICAS VIAJERAS - ICT AND LEARNING DISABILITIES

Cronicas Viajeras was the second group to present their project, which told us three most common learning disabilities that exist nowadays.

First, we spoke of autism, which are people with language and creativity difficulties, and also, difficulties in socialization. After this, they spoke about children with Down syndrome, which suffer more distractions, have less initiative, poor differentiation between good and bad incentives, etc. Finally, I learned about students with motor disabilities, which have more difficulty with physical and motor things.

Also, this team taught us how through activities with new technologies, they could improve their disabilities. For example, through computers, cameras, tablets, slates, MP3 for music, etc.

Finally, we showed a video we saw as technologies could help both to communicate better and to be integrated with other children feeling one more.

To conclude, I would like to say that I found a very interesting presentation, because after it, I didn’t know before the benefits that the people with this disability could get with technologies.

TEAM PEARK - ICT AND IMPROVEMENT SCHOOLS

The topic that Team Peark had to talk is improved with schools with ICT.

They began the presentation with a video, in which we showed the different ways to use new technologies in the classroom. After that, they presented their conceptual map in which they talked about the relationship between ICT and the future teachers, the situation of the digital divide, the digital natives ... In addition, we showed the disadvantages that exist when we use of technology, such as applications as high cost, poor training of teachers, etc.

As we all know, new technologies are increasingly in our day to day, so that in the education sector has also influenced. So, in this way, it is very important that teachers are well prepared and they have all the knowledge to use effectively the technology in the classroom; and also that occurs a communicative environment between the student and the teacher.

On the other hand, we talked about the amount of dynamic applications that we could use in the classroom. For example, I caught my attention by the benefits they could get students to robotics, and thanks to it, they can learn through their mistakes in a fun way.

Finally, they completed the project with another video about the use of iPads. In the video we could see the motivation of children to learn new things, because while learning they could be fun. With this kind of schools, we can see the advantages that we can get thanks to new technologies.

MODERN STUDENT – WAYS OF LIVING TOGETHER IN THE SCHOOL

Modern students told us about how we can get a good living at school. For that they explained us with a conceptual map which was divided into four different parts.

In the first, we talked about the problems that can occur at school, like abuse, exclusion, intimidation... and we give us some tips that we could use in the future. To resolve such conflicts is important that there is a mediator, and this may be a teacher, a student, a parent, etc. It is also important that the school teach values, so that children are aware of it.

After that, we talked about the importance of mediation. I seemed very interesting the benefits that we obtained through this method. They explained the objectives and the keys to perform this type of problem solving.

Later, in the third part of the project, they told us about the book Archaeology of Sentiments, which compared the archeology with the education; and they did it with five different steps: discover, expose, protect, dig and investigate. This part seemed me a very original way, because through archeology could make a metaphor with the feelings of children.

Finally, they presented their video, in which a school in Finland called Kiva showed how students solved the conflict by themselves.

In conclusion, I thought it was a good presentation, as they have given us the keys to resolve conflicts which unfortunately still exist in schools nowadays.

WANDERLAST – SOCIO EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Wandelast told us about the importance of social and emotional learning in schools and they did so through the ideas of Rafael Bisquerra, which raised integrate a subject in which students may learn to understand their feelings, to control them and in this way avoid emotions negative. Banqueira thought that should be equally importance subjects such as language, mathematics, etc. than the social and emotional learning.

After that, we talked about the relationship between social and emotional learning with cooperative learning, because when children work together they can realize the feelings of others and develop empathy. After explaining it, we talked about the activity "walk in my shoes," in which the children have to put in the situations of people who are in conflict.

In addition, there is relation with the theory of multiple intelligences Gardner. That is, the teacher proposes different situations and they have to express how they feel in each moment.

In my opinion, I seemed so important that children know their own emotions so that in this way can control or manage them in every situation; and at the same time, you can know how their peers feel so they can become empathetic people. I also think that it is very important the paper of the teacher with them. If teacher shows them that she or he is confidence the children could be more opened. Also, the teacher has to have a cheerful attitude in order to the children can emulate this behaviour.

LEARNING COMMUNITIES – MUSICAL CHAIRS

Musical Chairs told us about the learning community. Mainly, the teachers and students have to be coordination. But in addition to teachers, it’s very important the role of their parents because outside the school the children can learn many things too.

In addition to teachers, students, and parents, the educational community are formed by volunteers. When we talk about volunteers we can say that are people who don’t have the qualifications to teach, but they can help teachers in other activities.

They also discussed the relationship between students and volunteers, where volunteers share knowledge through their own experiences, so this way students may also be educated in values. Volunteers do more funny things, different and more dynamic classes, where students can also see another point of view, and where they can interact with others who have been in social settings. And the relationship between teacher and volunteers, where the need for coordination and help among them to get the best from their students.

Schools present a project in which through three steps we can build an educational system in which society is integrated. The first step is to think about all the possibilities of improvement for the school. After we have to choose the main proposals. And finally, in the third step occurs a change in order to resolve all the difficulties that we could have.

In my opinion I think it is a very important topic because it is necessary to know that in schools there are more people or entities involved, not just teachers. It is also very important to teach values ​​to students as cooperation, understanding and collaboration. For the entire educational system to function in a more positive, we must put something from our part.

DUMBLEDORE TEACHERS – DUMBLEDORE TEACHERS ARMY

• Why is leadership important in school?

I think it is important to leadership in schools because it’s necessary someone who is able to make difficult decisions at certain times. This doesn’t mean that the leader has to be the most important person and has the greatest responsibility in schools, but this person who aware that he or she has a very important role in the school.

For example, the leadership has to put solutions to the difficulties in education, and especially he or she has to be an example for other students. To carry out all these decisions and responsibilities, the leader must know very well the children in order to help at all moments.

• What are the main characteristics of a good leader?

Some of the characteristics that has the school leader are, for example: be self-confidence and know to solve problems. Be a person with confidence. Be educated in values. Be organized. He or she have to transmit motivation to the entire educational community. But above all, a good leader must be a creative person.

Although this group couldn’t expose all their project in class, on the blog they put their conceptual map. Here we can see some more parts such as: the benefits and importance of having a leader, different types of leader, etc...

CONCLUSION

In this last project, we have learned that in every school there are situations which as future teachers must be prepared theoretically to deal with them. Through the all the projects that we have done we have learned to know how to act in difficult situations; and in this way we can convert a school in a space with a comfortable environment.