The Perception of Natural, Cell Phone, and Computer-Synthesized Speech During The Performance Of Simultaneous Visual-Motor Tasks

This study investigated the influence of top-down and bottom-up information on speech perception in complex listening environments. Specifically, the effects of listening to different types of processed speech were examined on intelligibility and on simultaneous visual-motor performance. The goal was to extend the generalizability of results in speech perception to environments outside of the laboratory. The effect of bottom-up information was evaluated with natural, cell phone and synthetic speech. The effect of simultaneous tasks was evaluated with concurrent visual-motor and memory tasks. Earlier works on the perception of speech during simultaneous visual-motor tasks have shown inconsistent results (Choi, 2004; Strayer & Johnston, 2001). In the present experiments, two dual-task paradigms were constructed in order to mimic non-laboratory listening environments. In the first two experiments, an auditory word repetition task was the primary task and a visual-motor task was the secondary task. Participants were presented with different kinds of speech in a background of multi-speaker babble and were asked to repeat the last word of every sentence while doing the simultaneous tracking task. Word accuracy and visual-motor task performance were measured. Taken together, the results of Experiments 1 and 2 showed that the intelligibility of natural speech was better than synthetic speech and that synthetic speech was better perceived than cell phone speech. The visual-motor methodology was found to demonstrate independent and supplemental information and provided a better understanding of the entire speech perception process. Experiment 3 was conducted to determine whether the automaticity of the tasks (Schneider & Shiffrin, 1977) helped to explain the results of the first two experiments. It was found that cell phone speech allowed better simultaneous pursuit rotor performance only at low intelligibility levels when participants ignored the listening task. Also, simultaneous task performance improved dramatically for natural speech when intelligibility was good. Overall, it could be concluded that knowledge of intelligibility alone is insufficient to characterize processing of different speech sources. Additional measures such as attentional demands and performance of simultaneous tasks were also important in characterizing the perception of different kinds of speech in complex listening environments.

Altas habilidades ou superdotação: um estudo em uma Diretoria de Ensino da rede estadual paulista

Special Education includes gifted students. There is a lack of resources and information for identification and care of such students. They were research objectives map students with giftedness characteristic in Elementary and Middle School in Bauru/SP, as well as verify what teachers know about the issue and if they know how to work with such students in their classrooms. This qualitative, quantitative and descriptive research was structured in three stages. Step A: an observation guide of gifted children, Guia de observação de crianças dotadas e talentosas. Step B: True or False questions on the subject. Step C, field diary. Two hundred and thirty one classes from 24 schools were evaluated and 477 students were identified with giftedness characteristic in at least one of six possible areas. Three hundred and one students were in Elementary School and 176 were in Middle School. In Step B, 280 teachers from 26 schools were part of this study and it is confirmed that they have theoretical knowledge on the subject because the number of hits on the main concepts (based on the literature) was superior to the number of misses. A 4th grade classroom, with a gifted girl, was observed in step C. It was found that the teacher pedagogical practice and the resources used are not different from the ones used with other students. Thus, it appears that the student has not received the curricular adaptations to assist her developing skills

Reflexões a respeito da educação a distância: a visão de professores em formação continuada

The study aimed to analyze the vision of teachers in conducting a continuing education course in level of expertise in the field of special education, focusing on Global Development Disorders, through the modality of distance education. The current study was provided by the Network Program São Paulo Teacher Training - REDEFOR in partnership with Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP, for teachers of the state of São Paulo. The survey went through some steps, namely: a) literature review a brief history of Distance Education in Brazil and in the world thus seeking to understand their development to the present day, including legislation that regulates; b) study and survey of potential and limiting factors for distance education in teacher training. Was observed of initial and continuing teacher education in the distance mode, focusing on education and training policies implemented by the state of São Paulo, in recent years; c) data collection with 33 teachers in the continuing education process, e-mail and performed with the use of Google Drive tool that enabled the creation of online search form; d) organization, analysis and interpretation of data and its consequences. Through the results it observed that distance education is considered a favorable mode of education for the continuing education of teachers. The course was offered via Moodle and tools were considered easy to assimilate and elaborate activities in general, favored the construction of knowledge, and some questioned for its effectiveness. It follows therefore, that distance education provides continuing education for teachers, but it is necessary in the preparation of these courses is taken into consideration the tools and resources available in their construction, contributing to a dynamic and interactive model between all participants in which the exchange of experiences, questions, doubts, can effectively contribute to the construction of knowledge and possible developments in..

Participação de crianças com paralisia cerebral nos ambientes da escola

Diante do amplo debate acerca da inclusão do educando com necessidades especiais em escola regular, esta pesquisa teve como objetivo descrever a participação da criança com paralisia cerebral nas atividades funcionais nos diferentes ambientes da escola, a partir da percepção de seus professores. Participaram deste estudo 10 professores e seus respectivos alunos com paralisia cerebral do município de São Paulo. Foi realizada a aplicação da parte I da School Function Assessment junto aos professores, a fim de examinar o nível de participação do aluno em seis ambientes da escola: sala de aula, pátio/recreio, transporte para e da escola, banheiro, transições para/da sala de aula e hora da refeição/ lanche. O Teste de Friedman e o Teste de Wilcoxon para duas populações correlatas foram utilizados para identificar diferenças significativas entre os escores obtidos na participação nos ambientes. Os resultados apontaram diferenças significativas nos escores da participação nos ambientes Transporte e Pátio/Recreio, Transporte e Transições, Transporte e Classe, Transporte e Lanche, Banheiro e Classe, Banheiro e Lanche. As crianças tiveram boa participação na classe, porém, a presença de barreiras arquitetônicas interferiu no desempenho de tarefas no banheiro, como sentar-se no vaso sanitário e levantar-se dele, lavar as mãos, assim como o transporte não adaptado. Notou-se, ainda, que recursos para mobilidade, como andador ou muletas, consistiram em importantes facilitadores da participação no pátio/recreio e transições. Esta pesquisa evidenciou a necessidade de ações de esferas governamentais para implementação de adaptações ambientais nas escolas, especialmente aquelas relativas aos transportes e transições.

Inclusão escolar de crianças com síndrome de down: experiências contadas pelas famílias

Este trabalho teve como objetivo explorar as experiências de famílias no processo de inclusão de crianças com síndrome de Down na rede regular de ensino. O objetivo foi conhecer as potencialidades e limitações vividas por essa clientela, no período de transição da instituição especializada para a escola regular e, assim, levantar as necessidades de cuidado, com vistas à promoção de saúde dessas famílias. Trata-se de um estudo de casos múltiplos, de abordagem qualitativa. Participaram da pesquisa 11 mães e um pai de crianças com Síndrome de Down, cujas crianças frequentaram uma instituição especializada e foram encaminhadas para a rede regular de ensino de um município do interior paulista. Os resultados evidenciaram a necessidade de acompanhamento das famílias, antes, durante e após a inclusão propriamente dita, de modo a apoiá-las nos momentos de busca e escolha da escola, de adaptação da criança ao novo ambiente e de transição dos atendimentos oferecidos pela instituição especializada para outros setores. O conhecimento produzido neste estudo tem a intenção de tornar o processo de inclusão da criança com Síndrome de Down, na rede regular de ensino, uma etapa a ser vivida por ela e sua família da melhor forma possível, sentindo-se preparadas e acolhidas.

Inclusão de crianças com deficiência na escola regular numa região do município de São Paulo: conhecendo estratégias e ações

A inclusão de alunos com necessidades educacionais especiais no ensino regular depende da preparação da comunidade escolar para promover a participação de todos os alunos. Foi objetivo deste estudo conhecer, do ponto de vista do professor do ensino fundamental da rede pública municipal, as estratégias pedagógicas que utilizavam para a inclusão de crianças com deficiência na classe comum. Para isso foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas individuais e, posteriormente, grupais com 11 professores de cinco escolas, um representante do Centro de Formação e Acompanhamento à Inclusão e um coordenador pedagógico. As entrevistas foram gravadas e transcritas. Após diversas leituras foi possível identificar como temáticas principais: sentidos e imaginários do professor sobre a deficiência, formação do professor para efetivação do processo de inclusão, bem como a utilização de estratégias pedagógicas diferenciadas e formação de rede de apoio na escola. Os entrevistados utilizavam estratégias gerais como aula expositiva, debates, e específicas como: avaliação dos alunos, adaptação do material, atividades em duplas, parceria com o professor da sala de apoio e acompanhamento à inclusão. Parte dos entrevistados trouxe uma visão com relação aos alunos com deficiência permeada de possibilidades, acreditando no potencial de aprendizagem dos mesmos, enquanto para outros, o discurso centrou-se, sobretudo, na impossibilidade da aprendizagem. Os docentes identificaram a necessidade de apoio institucional para seu trabalho, incluindo possibilidades de formação a partir das demandas cotidianas. Responder às necessidades levantadas é parte dos desafios para implementar a Educação Inclusiva na perspectiva da Educação para Todos, para a efetivação dos direitos de crianças com necessidades educacionais especiais.

Justaposições: o primeiro dicionário brasileiro de língua de sinais e a obra francesa que serviu de matriz

Este estudo documental buscou investigar a constituição em 1875 do primeiro dicionário de língua de sinais do Brasil, a "Iconografia dos Signaes dos Surdos-Mudos", cujo autor, Flausino José da Costa Gama, fora aluno do Imperial Instituto dos Surdos-Mudos no Rio de Janeiro. Essa publicação foi analisada à luz da obra de Pierre Pélissier, surdo francês, que produziu uma obra anterior, a qual Flausino reproduziu na íntegra. A compreensão de como se constituiu a publicação deste dicionário exigiu a contextualização histórica da educação do surdo, e a pesquisa sobre a expansão dos processos de produção litográfica na segunda metade do século XIX. As duas obras foram analisadas quanto a aspectos gerais, forma de indexação lexical, verificação dos sinais que perduraram (38 entre 382), erros de tradução do francês para o português e o que estes verbetes nos dizem sobre os preceitos morais e religiosos subjacentes à educação do surdo à época. A conclusão destaca a importância da iniciativa de propagar da língua brasileira de sinais, com a primeira tentativa de registro há cento e trinta e sete anos atrás.

Análisis de la relación que se establece entre las expectativas de padres y profesores de alumnos con necesidades educativas especiales sobre la atención escolar que reciben los hijos/alumnos y el progreso de los mismos

Programa de Doctorado: Formación del Profesorado

Romper el ciclo de la invisibilidad. El empleo como vía para favorecer la inclusión

"[ES] En España las posibilidades de empleo de las personas en riesgo de exclusión social no son satisfactorias. Se trata de un problema que centramos en las concepciones educativas de la enseñanza-aprendizaje inicial, que orientan minoritariamente a la formación para el empleo como a la oferta y demanda de trabajo de esos colectivos. En nuestro sistema educativo de la desatención y marginación del alumnado en riesgo de exclusión social se pasó a la educación especial; luego, a la normalización e integración, lo que condujo a la inclusión educativa. En ese momento final que nos encontramos aparecen visiones innovadoras como la escuela para todos, empleo con apoyo, y vida con apoyo que desarrollan el paradigma de la autonomía y vida independiente. [EN] Employment chances for people in risk of social exclusion are not satisfactory in Spain. This has been a problem at the core of educational conceptions concerning primary education, scarcely orientated towards the employment of such groups. In our system, from margination and neglect of our pupils in risk of social exclusion, we sent them to special education first, then to normalization and integration and finally to inclusive education. Nowadays, innovative visions such as school for all, employment and life with support are developing the model of autonomy and independent life. "

Clean water in the classroom : understanding the importance of water quality

This study’s objective was to answer three research questions related to students’ knowledge and attitudes about water quality and availability issues. It is important to understand what knowledge students have about environmental problems such as these, because today’s students will become the problem solvers of the future. If environmental problems, such as those related to water quality, are ever going to be solved, students must be environmentally literate. Several methods of data collection were used. Surveys were given to both Bolivian and Jackson High School students in order to comparison their initial knowledge and attitudes about water quality issues. To study the effects of instruction, a unit of instruction about water quality issues was then taught to the Jackson High School students to see what impact it would have on their knowledge. In addition, the learning of two different groups of Jackson High School students was compared—one group of general education students and a second group of students that were learning in an inclusion classroom and included special education students and struggling learners form the general education population. Student and teacher journals, a unit test, and postsurvey responses were included in the data set. Results suggested that when comparing Bolivian students and Jackson High School students, Jackson High School students were more knowledgeable concerning clean water infrastructure and its importance, despite the fact that these issues were less relevant to their lives than for their Bolivian counterparts. Although overall, the data suggested that all the Jackson High students showed evidence that the instruction impacted their knowledge, the advanced Biology students appeared to show stronger gains than their peers in an inclusion classroom.

An examination of the rate of high school completion experienced by handicapped and nonhandicapped students in the state of Texas

This research examines the graduation rate experienced by students receiving public education services in the state of Texas. Special attention is paid to that subgroup of Texas students who meet Texas Education Agency criteria for handicapped status. The study is guided by two research questions: What are the high school completion rates experienced by handicapped and nonhandicapped students attending Texas public schools? and What are the predictors of graduation for handicapped and nonhandicapped students?^ In addition, the following hypotheses are explored. Hypothesis 1: Handicapped students attending a Texas public school will experience a lower rate of high school completion than their nonhandicapped counterparts. Hypothesis 2: Handicapped and nonhandicapped students attending school in a Texas public school with a budget above the median budget for Texas public schools will experience a higher rate of high school completion than similar students in Texas public schools with a budget below the median budget. Hypothesis 3: Handicapped and nonhandicapped students attending school in large Texas urban areas will experience a lower rate of high school completion than similar students in Texas public schools in rural areas. Hypothesis 4: Handicapped and nonhandicapped students attending a Texas public school in a county which rates above the state median for food stamps and AFDC recipients will experience a lower rate of high school completion than students living in counties below the median.^ The study will employ extant data from the records of the Texas Education Agency for the 1988-1989 and the 1989-1990 school years, from the Texas Department of Health for the years of 1989 and 1990, and from the 1980 Census.^ The study reveals that nonhandicapped students are graduating with a two year average rate of.906, while handicapped students following an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) achieve a two year average rate of.532, and handicapped students following the regular academic program present a two year average graduation rate of only.371. The presence of other handicapped students, and the school district's average expense per student are found to contribute significantly to the completion rates of handicapped students. Size groupings are used to elucidate the various impacts of these variables on different school districts and different student groups.^ Conclusions and implications are offered regarding the need to reach national consensus on the definition and computation of high school completion for both handicapped and nonhandicapped students, and the need for improved statewide tracking of handicapped completion rates. ^

Concentration, Working Speed and Memory: Cognitive Problems in Young Childhood Cancer Survivors and Their Siblings.

BACKGROUND Cognitive problems can have a negative effect on a person's education, but little is known about cognitive problems in young childhood cancer survivors (survivors). This study compared cognitive problems between survivors and their siblings, determined if cognitive problems decreased during recent treatment periods and identified characteristics associated with the presence of a cognitive problem in survivors. METHODS As part of the Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, a questionnaire was sent to all survivors, aged 8-20 years, registered in the Swiss Childhood Cancer Registry, diagnosed at age <16 years, who had survived ≥5 years. Parent-reported (aged 8-15 years) and self-reported (aged 16-20 years) cognitive problems (concentration, working speed, memory) were compared between survivors and siblings. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify characteristics associated with cognitive problems in survivors. RESULTS Data from 840 survivors and 247 siblings were analyzed. More often than their siblings, survivors reported problems with concentration (12% vs. 6%; P = 0.020), slow working speed (20% vs. 8%; P = 0.001) or memory (33% vs. 15%; P < 0.001). Survivors from all treatment periods were more likely to report a cognitive problem than were siblings. Survivors of CNS tumors (OR = 2.82 compared to leukemia survivors, P < 0.001) and those who had received cranial irradiation (OR = 2.10, P = 0.010) were most severely affected. CONCLUSION Childhood cancer survivors, even those treated recently (2001-2005), remain at risk to develop cognitive problems, suggesting a need to improve therapies. Survivors with cognitive problems should be given the opportunity to enter special education programs. Pediatr Blood Cancer © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Stress and coping in African American grandparents who are raising grandchildren

Over the years, substantial increases have occurred in the number of children being raised by their grandparents. A small number of studies have reported that grandparents raising grandchildren experience an increase in stress due to the demands of caregiving. The primary objectives of this study were to: (1) determine the degree of stress in African American (AA) grandparents who are raising their grandchildren age 12 years or younger; (2) identify the variables pertaining to the demographic characteristics of the grandparent caregiver and characteristics of the caregiving situation; (3) identify the coping strategies reported by AA grandparents; and (4) identify the relative importance of demographic and situational variables pertaining to the grandparent caregiver and caregiving situation, and coping strategies in influencing the degree of stress experienced. ^ An exploratory, descriptive, cross sectional design was used to study stress and coping in 50 AA grandparents who ranged in age from 44–87 years (M = 63.12). Data were collected via one personal interview in January/February 2001 at area senior centers or churches which the grandparent attends in Harris County, Texas. Five home interviews were done as requested by grandparents. ^ The instruments used to measure stress and coping were the Parenting Stress Index developed by Abidin and Folkman and Lazarus' Ways of Coping Questionnaire. Results of the study found that the grandparents is this study were a highly stressed group. Ninety-four percent of the sample demonstrated a “clinically significant” level of stress. Situational variables associated with lower stress levels were use of counseling, use of special school programs such as tutoring and special education, and increased length of caregiving (>5 years). ^ The most frequently used coping strategies overall were seeking social support and positive reappraisal. Six coping strategies were significantly correlated to lower reported stress: positive reappraisal, accepting responsibility, confrontive coping, self-control, planful problem solving, and distancing. ^ The findings from this study have limited generalizability. Nonetheless, this study was useful in adding to the limited amount of literature on AA grandparents who are rearing their grandchildren. The results clearly suggest the need for affordable counseling, support groups, education related to available resources, stress management, and interventions that increase the use of coping strategies found to reduce perceived stress. Future research should investigate levels of stress in AA and other grandparent caregivers longitudinally, as well as focus on stress and coping in grandparents raising grandchildren with special needs. ^

Empowering Teachers as Leaders: A Hard Sell

Despite emphasis on preparing teachers as leaders, teacher educators realize that the transition of classroom practitioners into school leaders is fraught with many obstacles. This session addresses some of these obstacles, describes strategies and opportunities that we have used in our graduate master’s degree programs for teachers that support professionals as they make this change. The session will present evidence on the results of our efforts in terms of teachers’ performances within their programs and in the field after they graduate.

A Qualitative Study of the Assistive Technology Decision-Making Process in Four Pennsylvania School Districts

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the Assistive Technology decision making process at four regional school districts in Pennsylvania. A qualitative case study research method involving the triangulation of data sources was implemented to collect and analyze data. Through an analysis of the data, three major topics emerged that will be addressed in the body of this paper: (a) the procedure for determining assistive technology needs and the dynamics of the decision-making process, b) the cohesiveness of Special Education and General Education programs, and c) major concerns that impact the delivery of assistive technology services.