Skicklig läs- och skrivundervisning i åk 1-3 : Om lärares möjligheter och hinder

This study focuses on teachers’ opportunities and obstacles to perform skillful reading and writing instruction. It’s about the ability to accurately identify where students are in their reading and writing process and to help them develop good reading skills. It is also about the ability to recognize signs of difficulties that students may have in their written language development and to know what efforts are needed to help them advance their reading and writing skills. The research is based on teachers’ own statements and survey responses on the external conditions for teaching and on their approach, attitudes and knowledge in reading and writing. The empirical material consists of interviews, surveys and test data. The interview study was conducted with eight teachers. The questionnaire was answered by 249 teachers, while the knowledge test was conducted of 269 teachers and 31 special education teachers. Many of the teachers in this study have lack knowledge in the structure of language and common Swedish spelling rules. Furthermore, it appears that a large part of them are unaccustomed to explaining, in detail, students’ reading development and find it difficult to systematically describe the aspects of daily literacy instruction. The overall picture is that many teachers teach without having tools to reflect on how their education really affects students’ reading and writing. These shortcomings make it difficult to conduct effective literacy instruction. Once students have learned to decode or if they have reading difficulties, many teachers seem to one-sidedly focus on getting students to read more. The consequence could be that those who would need to practice more on the technical basic of reading or comprehension strategies are left without support. Lack of variety and individuality in fluency and comprehension training can challenge the students’ reading and writing development. The teachers in the study, who have the old junior school teacher and elementary teacher education, have the highest amount of knowledge of reading and writing (the test). Good education can provide student teachers with professional skills that they may develop further in their careers. Knowledge of the meaning of phonological and phonemic awareness as well as knowledge of how to count phonemes seem to be important for knowledge of reading and writing (the test). Knowledge of basic reading processes can be obtained by systematic and structured work with students’ linguistic development, and through continuous dialogues with experienced colleagues on how and why questions. This is one important way to work also in teacher training. When essential professional skills are established in the teacher education, in practice students will obtain the school’s learning goals.

Specialpedagogers och speciallärares olika roller och uppdrag : skilda föreställningar möts och möter en pedagogisk praktik

Syftet med artikeln är att belysa olika föreställningar kring specialpedagogers och speciallärares roller och uppdrag samt att förstå varför denna olikhet finns. Syftet är också att problematisera  dessa föreställningar  och synliggöra dilemman som kommer till uttryck i talet om de båda yrkesgruppernas roller och uppdrag.  Bakgrunden till studien är de skilda och ofta disparata uppfattningar som råder om vad yrkesgrupperna ska arbeta med, hur de ska genomföra sina uppdrag och varför. Konsekvenserna av detta kan leda till att uppdrag genomförs på ett sätt som inte står i överensstämmelse med styrdokumentens föreskrivna demokrati-, samhälls- och kunskapsuppdrag. Samtal har genomförts med specialpedagoger, speciallärare utbildade efter 2008 och rektorer. Den metodologiska ansatsen har varit kunskapande samtal. Kunskapande samtal utgår från ett kommunikationsteoretiskt perspektiv och bygger på Jürgen Habermas teori om det kommunikativa handlandet. Karen Barads teori om agentisk realism har använts för att förstå hur olika föreställningar kring roller och uppdrag uppstår, skapas och förändras i samspel med andras uppfattningar men även i samspel med exempelvis rum, texter och metoder. Olika föreställningar om roller och uppdrag belyses liksom dilemman som dessa föreställningar kan ge upphov till då yrkesrollerna möts i, och möter, en pedagogisk praktik. Resultatet visar att specialpedagoger och speciallärare behöver finnas med i det kontinuerliga arbetet ute på skolor och förskolor men att det kan betyda olika slags organisatoriska lösningar för yrkesgrupperna. En fråga som uppstår är om de specialpedagogiska yrkesgrupperna alltid och i alla sammanhang bör finns så nära barnen/eleverna som möjligt eller om det finns grund för ett mer distanserat sätt att arbeta? Författaren föreslår att svensk förskola och skola bör utnyttja det faktum att det finns två olika specialpedagogiska yrkesgrupper och särskilja deras roller och uppdrag på ett tydligt sätt. Om specialpedagogik dessutom tar avstamp i ett kommunikationsteoretiskt perspektiv skapas förutsättningar och möjligheter för barns/elevers lärande utifrån ett inkluderande synsätt.

Children's Vocabulary Development : The role of parental input, vocabulary composition and early communicative skills

The aim of this thesis is to examine the early vocabulary development of a sample of Swedish children in relation to parental input and early communicative skills. Three studies are situated in an overall description of early language development in children. The data analyzed in the thesis was collected within a larger project at Stockholm University (SPRINT- “Effects of enhanced parental input on young children’s vocabulary development and subsequent literacy development” [VR 2008-5094]). Data analysis was based on parental report via SECDI, the Swedish version of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories, and audio recordings. One study examined parental verbal interaction characteristics in three groups of children with varying vocabulary size at 18 months. The stability of vocabulary development at 18 and 24 months was investigated in a larger study, with focus on children’s vocabulary composition and grammatical abilities. The third study examined interrelations among early gestures, receptive and productive vocabulary, and grammar measured with M3L, i.e. three longest utterances, from 12 to 30 months. Overall results of the thesis highlight the importance of early language development. Variability in different characteristics in parental input is associated with variability in child vocabulary size. Children with large early vocabularies exhibit the most stability in vocabulary composition and the earliest grammatical development. Children’s vocabulary composition may reflect individual stylistic variation. Use of early gestures is associated differentially with receptive and productive vocabulary. Results of the thesis have implications for parents, child- and healthcare personnel, as well as researchers and educational practitioners. The results underscore the importance of high quality in adult-child interaction, with rich input fine-tuned to children’s developmental levels and age, together with high awareness of early language development.

Interview with Joyce Lineberger

In her May 21, 2013 interview with Martha Manning, Joyce Lineberger details her life as a Winthrop undergraduate student from 1975-1977. Lineberger shares her experience with campus life: parking, dining, uniforms, and traditions. Lineberger also includes information on supportive teachers from her program but also an incident when she was accused of plagiarism. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.

Comunicação alternativa e perspectivas da educação especial na atualidade

Revista Comtato e Perspectivas Atuais da Educação Especial Enfatizando a dimensão histórico-ideológica presente em nossa formação, e pensando os desafios da construção do conhecimento e a reprodução de atitudes acerca da internalização da diferença/deficiência, aponta a utilização da comunicação alternativa a Revista Comtato como meio de expressar múltiplas ações e reflexões sobre a educação especial.

O desenvolvimento da linguagem escrita em crianças consideradas "deficientes mentais", em Macapá

Com base na prática da Divisão de Educação Especial e do Sistema Educacional Público do Estado do Amapá em relaçao às crianças que anualmente ingressam neste sistema, iniciando seu processo de escolarização, procedemos a análise dos mecanismos de seleção, exclusão e permanência que se instalam, tomando como ponto de partida o sucesso ou fracasso da escola em compreender o desenvolvimento da linguagem escrita em criancas na 1a sérle do 1o grau e as consequentes implicações subjacentes às concepções adotadas sobre este processo. Fundamentando teoricamente tal análise, procede-se a discussão acerca do aparelho escolar enquanto instância de reprodução e manutenção do modo hierarquizado adotado pelo modelo capitalista de produção e a consequente aceitação desta condição como processo natural. Contrapondo o critério de legitimação da incapacidade ou "deficiência" de crianças e adolescentes das camadas populares em desenvolver de modo "regular" seu processo de construção da leitura e escrita, apresentamos as contribuições de Vygotsky, Luria e Ferreiro que tratam a questão com base na interação aluno X linguagem escrita enquanto sujeito X objeto cultural, apresentando niveis de desenvolvimento de escrita obtidos junto a crianças consideradas "normais". Partindo desta última concepção, realizou-se estudo com 16 sujeitos considerados "deficientes mentais", para obter dados a respeito dos niveis evolutivoe deste processo, a fim de identificar as possíveis semelhançase e diferenças entre os grupos "deficientes" e os realizados com " normais" . De acordo com dados obtidos observa-se que crianças consideradas "deficientes mentais, neste estudo, desenvolvem linguagem escrita em niveis semelhantes aos encontrados em crianças consideradas "normais " nos estudos realizados por Luria e Ferreiro. Os resultados servirão de suporte para repensar a proposta da Educação Eepecial em conceituar e atender "deficiência mental", bem como, da Secretaria de Educação acerca do significado de alfabetização.

Apoio pedagógico, ação coletiva e diálogo: tramas da formação continuada em educação inclusiva

This work detaches the importance of the continued formation of the educators in terms of the inclusive educational process, pointing as basic elements the continued formation of the educational professionals. In this direction, it points and it defends the dialogue in the perspective of David Bohm, with interfaces of the freireanas ideas, as a methodological resource of action that allows the organization of strategies of collective and effective pedagogical support in inclusive schools, in the same time articulates the continued formation of the professionals in education. Characterized as research in a dialogical action with collective participation and collaboration, it counted with the participation of 87 educators, between professors, pedagogical, managing coordinators and specialists of special education in two schools of the state and municipal public system of Natal/RN. The results had pointed with respect to the viability of the dialogue as articulated methodological tool of the continued formation in service, when providing the establishment of personal and professional relationship between the educators, favoring the discursive enjoyment of the lived experiences, allows the organization of strategies of collective and effective pedagogical support in the scholar environment. On the basis of these results, this work also points to some items to reflections as the reorganization of the Secretariats and the schools, in the direction to brighten up the fragmentation and the discontinuity of the pedagogical actions evidenced and to instigate a process of changes that has glimpsed the professional development of the educators through its continued formation in service and the improvement of the school in the way of the concretization of an education directed toward the acceptance, respect and attendance the diversity of its pupils, as detaches the official documents and the studies on the inclusive education

O atendimento educacional especializado no processo de inclusão escolar, na rede municipal de ensino de Mossoró/RN

This dissertation aims to analyze the specialized educational services(AEE, Portuguese) implemented in four municipal schools of Mossoró/RN, with attention to the process of collaboration between regular classroom teachers and multifunctional resource classroom teachers. We use as theoretical reference the works of Vygotsky and others authors that write about education and collaboration. To accomplish the research we chose a qualitative approach, using as a methodological resources: study of cases, bibliographical, documental and field research. For the field research we make observations in regular and multifunctional classrooms. We produce group intervieus with regular and multifunctional teachers. From the analysis performed we identify that the concepts and the practices of teachers in regular classrooms changes, with integrationist predominance. The AEE s teachers had more inclusive conceptions and greater investment in continuing education than the regular classroom teachers. The practices of regular classroom teachers are more traditional, what makes the learning process more difficult for the students, even more for the students with disabilities and pervasive developmental disorders. Teachers of AEE was more interactive and creative, however, the attention to the students was more individual. In three of the four schools surveyed stand out the efforts of the teachers of specialist classroom to collaborate with regular school teachers, by notes, e-mails, phone calls and resource sharing. In one of the four was noted a good collaborative interactive between the AEE teachers and the regular school teachers. The school with the worst improvement was that in which the actions of the teachers of the AEE were limited to actions in multifunctional resource classroom. The resistance to these professionals was identified in the statements of the regular classroom teachers. Another issue raised was the lack of time for teachers to conduct AEE actions that contribute to the process of school students, because their working hours is restricted to the opposite turn in school. Transport difficulties for the students to attend the resource classroom multifunctional and the lack of dialogue with the health sector was challenges for the four schools. The families were with a practically constant interest to interact with the AEE teachers in the four schools. Thus, we believe that the presence of AEE school can make contributions to the educational process, however, it is necessary more attention to the collaborative process between teachers and the school community

Trilhas da inclusão escolar percorridas por uma aluna com paralisia cerebral na EJA: concepções e práticas

On this qualitative study, it has been discussed the school inclusion paths done by a student with cerebral palsy, who we call Liz, and who was also the reference and indirect subject for this study. For the representation of landscapes found, it follows throughout historical, political and pedagogical paths, getting through the case study method references on the current Brazilian educational context, analyzing, which concepts are attributed to the inclusion and which practices are developed by educational managers and teachers in a regular school of the City of Natal/RN. The theory which based this research is supported on Vygotsky's central ideas (1991, 1997, 2004) and his followers. Furthermore, it was essential to bring to this investigative journey a literature which could dialogue with the most relevant aspects of the cultural-historical approach, emphasizing the assumptions of a progressive education tendency, which promotes the subject involvement of his/her work in the world and for the world. This way, it was necessary to seek for theoretical support on assistive technology and on alternative communication, in order to show the importance of establishing other communications, which is, to break away from the conventional pattern established by the school. On this journey it was used procedures for the data construction, such as: observation, conducting semistructured interviews and questionnaires; and document analysis that supported and legitimized the inclusion, besides the permanent field diaries record. On the access paths to this landscape it entered in the Youth and Adults Education (Educação de Jovens e Adultos - EJA), seeking to establish a dialogue among Youth and Adult Education and Special Education. It was verified that, still, there are large gaps in these policies articulation. Among the results obtained it was raised discussions on new scenery, in which Youth and Adults Education (EJA) emerges as prominent mode of the established relationships throughout the school inclusion process. There were target reflections on: the planning and evaluation systematic, the pedagogical articulation among the Youth and Adults Education (EJA) teachers and the multifunctional resource room teacher's actions and the continuous training importance of the educators involved. It was considered, therefore, that the necessary mediations for school inclusion may be sustained if the walkers are involved in a permanent contact with the nature of a proposal from the Special Education inclusive perspective

Trajetória de vida de ex-portadores de hanseníase com histórico asilar

Hansen's disease, despite significant advances regarding the diagnosis, treatment and control still carries an immense burden of stigma as a result, mainly of its socio-historical marked by prejudice and isolation of patients, translated by suffering, abandonment and psychosocial problems. Thus, the study set out to rescue the life stories of former leprosy patients with a leprosarium history; recovering the life trajectory stories of these former patients and to identify common factors to these life stories. Exploratory-descriptive study with a qualitative approach, using the Life History Research Methodology. The sample was composed by twelve former leprosy patients who lived while undergone treatment in the Colony Hospital St. Francisco de Assis, located in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. The network was composed without considering sex and age limit, patients that lived in the Colony Hospital for at least six months and who agree to participate freely in the study. The subjects with special physical needs (hearing) or mental disabilities and those who do not agree to participate were excluded. A semi-structured interview was used to data collection, the interviews were recorded in the household context of individual, residents in neighborhoods Felipe Camarão, Km 6 and Jardim America, more precisely at Nova Vida village, all located in that district. The data collected were subjected to the technique of thematic content analysis. This study had obtained an appropriate consent of the UFRN Research Ethics Committee under the protocol No. 016/2010. After extensive and careful readings of life stories we identified three themes that guided the data analysis: behavioral stages, social exclusion and, stigma and prejudice. Thus, it is clear that the practice of compulsory confinement of patients in nursing homes and the mythical image of Hansen's disease as being ugly and deformed, contributed to solidifying the historical stigma surrounding the disease and its patients, raising in society and family attitudes and feelings of exclusion, prejudice and fear. Moreover, there are remarkable stories in the lives of these interviewed reporting suffering, denials, anger that reverberate to this day, affecting negatively the social and family reintegration of these individuals. As a result, we see the need for managers and local health professionals, especially nurses, rethink existing strategies for social rehabilitation of the patient and ex-leprosy patient aiming to suppression unjust and harmful stigma rooted in image and stories of these individuals