Expert for one day!

Wednesday 21st

In today's lesson we have done an activity called "Group of experts" where the collaborative methodology was used.The aim of this activity is to focus in the Spanish context what we have learned in general about School Guidance and Counselling.

The whole class was divided into 5 groups. Each group was composed by an expert of one of the topics related to Guidance and Counseling. The topics were:

         1.Spain: Guidance and Counselling in Early Childhood

         2. Spain: Guidance and Counselling in Higher Education

         3. Spain: Guidance and Counselling in a Lifelong Learning Approach

         4. Spain: Support Measures for Learners in Adult Education and Training

Each expert received a document with the information about their topic, which is the necessary information to become an expert. They did not read this information on their own, all the experts on topic one got together and those from topic two and like that from all four topics. They understood and learned the information, and decided the best way to explain it to the members of their group.

Once all experts had their information clear they went back to their original groups, where they had to explain their topic. During the explanation the members of the group took notes or asked questions in order to get as much information as possible from them.

I think this is a great activity to do because apart from the fact that it is a collaborative activity, it is also dynamic, and everyone has an important role and responsibility, which is to inform his group members. For the moment I think it has been my favorite class, because I learned a lot.

I attach here a summary of every topic: 

EXPERT 1.

Ordinary measures have two main impacts:

- On the general organization of the school: for instance, the organization of the students groups, the use of spaces strategies favoring universal accessibility and allowing students’ participation in learning (ramps, early dropout preventions…), tutor guidance and action and the collaborative work and cooperation of the professionals working inside the school, the external agents (stakeholders) and the families.

   - On the prevention and detection of learning difficulties: these measures involve an individualized attention of the students, through reinforcement and support mechanisms, adaptation of different learning rhythms, support in classroom with group splitting and flexible grouping and the implementation of different resources and methodological strategies. Another way of preventing and detecting these difficulties could be the non-meaningful curricular adaptations, activities for the evaluation of these children, curricular material adaptation and help with the optional subjects expected in Lower Compulsory Secondary Education.

- Non-meaningful curricular adaptations à modifications that we make in the program that does not affect the curriculum.

EXPERT 2.

Extraordinary measures are aimed for students with specific education needs, it is need a previous diagnose through a psycho-pedagogic evaluation, and a continuous monitoring for adapting the decisions taken. These measures are only applied in compulsory education.

Measures and its characteristics:

- Meaningful curricular adaptations: Essential aspects are modified (objectives, contents and evaluation criteria).

- Curricular diversification programs: Students for 3^rd and 4^th of ESO. Purpose is to reach de general objectives and obtain lower compulsory secondary education certificate. Organized in 2 fields: scientific/technological and social/linguistic.

- Basic vocational training: New basic vocational training cycles, to students between 15 and 17 years, that have completed the first cycle of compulsory secondary education.

- Programs to improve learning and performance: Aimed for students with relevant learning difficulties, from the 2^nd year of ESO. It uses a specific methodology like practical activities and if it is necessary, different subjects from the ones generally stablished. Can be organized in an integrated way, in 3 specific fields: linguistic/social, scientific/mathematical and foreign languages.

- Making the stay in the education level more flexible: To know each student and make possible to adapt the education.

EXPERT 3

Measures for students with special educational needs related to disability or severe conduct disorder. We find certain measures for students with disabilities or disorders: meaningful curricular adaptations: modifying the essential aspects and having support teachers. Significant curricular modification: changes in the curriculum so that these students, beside their difficulties can study the ordinary curriculum. Classrooms for special education in mainstream education: try to favor their social adaptation and integration. Reduction in the number of students per classroom. Support by specialized teachers, depending. Making the satay in the education level more flexible: so, students with special education needs can stay in the education level one year or more than the expected for the other students.

EXPERT 4

Extraordinary measures

They are only applied in compulsory education. To apply these measures, we should follow three steps: diagnose, adaptation and monitoring. We apply these extraordinary measures sin some cases:

Students with learning difficulties: we apply the measures in core subjects and we apply them to attend students related to insignificant curricular modification and methodological strategies.

Highly gifted students: make the stay level more flexible, anticipating schooling or reducing its length.

Students entering late the educational system: plans and programs are designed and measures are developed which must ensure that the education of these students is made in response to circumstances. They are integrated into specific programs aimed at meeting the linguistic deficiencies.

Programs and plans:

-Hosting programs and plans: introduce the school to the arrival of new students

-Programs and plans for teaching the language of the host society: two types: - language classroom: provide students with the linguistic competence. -linguistic and curricular reinforcement actions: facilitate the study.

-Programs for teaching the language and culture of the country origin: extracurricular activities to give the opportunity of continuing studying native language to the students from other countries.

  

Measures:

-Information for immigrant families on the Spanish Education System in several languages.

-Support services for intercultural mediation, and translating and interpreting services

-Measures supporting the teaching function.

-Making stay at the educational level more flexible.

-Reduction of groups’ size in the classroom