Inclusive
education means that all children - no matter who they are - can learn together
in the same school.
[UNESCO]
Our vision of Being Inclusive in the 21st
century evolves from such goal. However we do believe that education is of
higher quality if we take profit from the melting pot of grandparent’s
wisdom and grandchildren native technological skills.
A solid society ought to respect its origins to
reach higher citizenship.
By looking into the past and recognizing its value
can citizens design a better future. Let us teach good citizens to be!!
[The
Portuguese Team ]
SUNDAY
01.03.2020
This
was the arrival day for all partners.
MONDAY
02.03.2020
Being
Inclusive in the 21st Century: early in the morning partners were met at the
hotel entrance and transported to Aver-O-Mar School.
Once in there, we were
welcomed by students of the 8th grade with an excellent performance
of dance, movement and road circuit presentation in the new physical education
pavilion. Afterwards, it was time to listen to the school hymn by students of
the 5th grade ( https://youtu.be/Tpe-ZCrlc24 )
, then the European Hymn by students playing the flute and a welcome speech by
the school’s headmaster, Mr. Carlos Gomes de S谩.
At
9h30 it was time for the partner’s presentation using an ancient technique of
storytelling – a kamishibai story – “Once Upon a Time”. A moment to
enjoy our oldest storytelling habilities of telling stories in english and the youngest kindergarten magnificent
drawings of each coordinator!! And the very beginning of the project!
After
a short break and school visit, the group attended to the presentation of the
Portuguese school system and Special Education procedures upon 54th and 55th
Decret Laws and Students National Profile by psychologist Mrs. Ana Prata.
In
the afternoon, time for a visit to the Town Hall and a meeting with town
Councilor for the Department of Social Cohesion, Andrea Silva, who talked about
P贸voa de Varzim, main inclusive actions of municipality, as well as answered
the group’s questions.
After
that, the group went on a guided walking tour to P贸voa de Varzim’s main
cultural sites by local museum director Mr. Jos茅 Flores, an opportunity to know
the city and to answer the question Is P贸voa de Varzim an accessible
town? This information later on
compared with the Inclusive Digital Guide.
At
17h30, free time and the host suggestion to visit a local jewelry to observe
Portuguese handmade filigree.
Dinner
was served in the hotel, animated by the presence of an iconic Portuguese
cultural performance, the well known “Portuguese Tunas”, a very symbolic moment
forever in the hearts of those present! (http://www.gestrintuna.eu/videos.html)
TUESDAY
03.03.2020
REAL WORKING WORLD: At 8h30 transport to primary
school Aldeia of the Aver-O-Mar grouping. Partners visited the school –
kindergarten to primary classes where students were having reading activities
included in the National Reading Week – along with other educative facilities
namely those for SEN students. Parents prepared a nice coffee break to welcome
the group and all gathered for some moments. Finally, the group had the
opportunity to walk along the seaside path, which is right next to the school,
and enjoy briefly the Atlantic Ocean cold breeze and view.
At 10h45 they left for CAO - Occupational Activities
Center- Residential Home, Detached Homes and CEP (Protected Employment
Center) in Terroso village, in P贸voa de Varzim. The visit was conducted by its
coordinator Mr. Jos茅 Luis, local responsible and a very dedicated person,
always attentive to SEN adult and senior needs and rights.
After lunch in the
institution, where the group tasted a Portuguese dessert, “Aletria”, usually
served at Christmas Time, they headed to MAPADI - Parents Support Movement and Friends to Diminished Intellectual - a private institution of social solidarity, which
was founded in November 6, 1976, in order to give support to children and young
people with mental disabilities in the municipality of P贸voa de Varzim.
This entity currently
functions as a Resource Center for Inclusion (CRI) in the area of special
education in the county, and develops training courses, the Program framework
with the Institute of Employment and Vocational Training, in order to prepare
their graduates for the working world.
In order to get
acquainted with the Portuguese school system, there was a visit to a secondary
school - Rocha Peixoto Secondary School – to observe an example of Secondary education for SEN
students: school facilities and inclusive procedures in the secondary education.
This institution offers a wide range of opportunities, updated equipments and
profissionals.
After 18h00 there was
free time; the host suggestion was to stroll along Junqueira pedestrian street
or the seaside avenue or the fishing harbor for eventual sunset photos.
WEDNESDAY
04.03.2010
BEING INCLUSIVE AT
UNIVERSITY: Transport from hotel to
the city of Braga.
At 9h00 the group went
for a walking tour in the old city centre before going to Minho University to
attend a plenary session at Office for Inclusion by Mr. Carlos Cardoso. It was explained
that the Office for Inclusion - GPI - aimed at promoting inclusion in the
academic environment, equal opportunities, and providing support to different
members of the community especially those with disabilities or special
needs. Its mission is to ensure the best accessibility conditions in the
University of Minho. Lunch was served in the university restaurant and, at
14h30, the group was driven to Minho University in Azur茅m, Guimar茫es, to
attend a workshop at Department of Industrial Electronics (DEI), School of
Engineering, University of Minho.
Researcher Filomena
Maria R.M.O. Soares explained to the group the Rob贸tica- Autismo Project which aims at the application of different
platforms, robots and serious games, as a way to improve the social life of
children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In particular, to improve the
skills of interaction, communication, and emotion recognition with the
environment and with others.
The talk started with
the presentation of the scope and outcomes of the project. Then, it continued
with the presentation of ZECA robot and its functionalities, as well as the
serious game HiZeca. Both are used to promote emotion recognition in children
with autism. It was very enlightening to understand how technology can foster
inclusion and is used by this department to experiment and study new approaches
in the field at a national level.
It’s time to say that partners were given the
opportunity to understand the Portuguese Educational System, from kindergarten
to university, watching in locu how the system deals with SEN students and
adults, at all levels, and designs specific orientations, facilities,
equipments and other most suitable for social and individual integration.
Before going back to
the hotel, there was time for a short visit to Guimar茫es, birth place of the
Portuguese nation, and check its accessibilities knowing local heritage.
THURSDAY
05.03.2010
ALIVE AND TICKING IN
THE SCHOOL LIBRARY – ICT FOR READING PURPOSES
ACTIVE, SPORTIF AND
SAFE: at 8h30 transport from hotel to Aver-O-Mar School
to attend a series of workshops.
Workshop I - Digital
Reading through pictograms, a workshop by Marta Antunes, teacher librarian,
that showed how the school library can contribute to inclusion of SEN students
and other. Practical examples that explore speaking, writing and reading skills
along with ICT tools in order to facilitate and motivate student’s competences
for the 21st century. Communication, collaboration, creativity and
critical thinking being the super skills improved in the activities presented
in this workshop, mixed with simple pictographic language to make it more
accessible for SEN students that have difficulty in communicating otherwise.
At the end of this workshop, the Portuguese
coordinator Marta Antunes explained briefly that
Aver-o-Mar school, by means of a protocol
between the Civil Government of Porto, the North Regional Directorate of
Education, the Municipality of P贸voa de Varzim, the Porto Metropolitan Command
of Public Security Police and Territorial Command of Porto – GNR- became, in
2011, is a Reference School for Road Education in P贸voa de Varzim.
As a reference school, the Basic School of
Aver-o-Mar will provide knowledge and skills in the area of road safety,
necessary for adequate learning by children and young people who attend the
municipality's educational establishments, using interventions of a theoretical
nature, in connection with pedagogical actions at a practical level. Partners
were able to see a small performance of the equipments used for this sessions in
the welcoming performance as, due to schools rebuilding, the circuit is not
working.
Worshop II - Kamishibai
StoryTelling by Zulmira Lima, teacher librarian. Partners were invited to learn
and construct their own Kamishibai story: they planned and wrote the plot, made
the illustrations and presented the final product to the group. A funny but
learning moment which can easily be replicated with their students back home
successfully.
Break for lunch in
Marinheiro, a local restaurant where the ocean comes to the table: decoration,
clothing and above all food: delicious local fish from the Portuguese coast.
Workshop III: Art’Elier
- from Waste Recycling to Gardening.
A gardening moment to
plant a tree that will be taken care and planted in the school yard once the school
rebuilding is finished as a living memory of each partner’s presence in the
school. Meanwhile, each partner painted a vase for the small tree to grow.
The Mandalas workshop
using recycled materials workshop, was an example of how Art can be explored to
relieve stress, minimize attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and decrease
unwanted behavior. Mandalas are a buddhist symbol of integration and harmony so
seems adequate to fulfill the educative goal stated before. By using recycled
materials, students are sensitized to the importance of preserving the world.
Partners were also invited to paint small stones from the beach as students do
in class.
A Cookies’ Workshop by
the school Health Club which includes SEN students, in the teachers room, gave
way to an informal meeting between partners and school teachers. A moment to
share experiences and get to know each other.
Meanwhile, coordinators
had their meeting to discuss project development, to analyze procedures and
activities in course; to plan final mobility to Slovenia and further
adjustments.
Workshop VI: Inclusive Digital
Guide (ICT) by teacher Mariana Machado. Teachers were shown how to construct
with students a digital inclusive guide that could be useful to plan visits to
cities like Porto; by giving specific information about heritage sites and
accessibility, for instance, they could be constructing a guide to help
disabled tourists. The CoSpaces Edu app enables teachers and students to create
3D presentations Available on smartphone, tablet, desktop, Chromebook; students
learn by doing, using the various tools available with the technology. All
features in CoSpaces Edu can be adapted to fit different class subjects and
learning objectives.
Finally, at 16h30 took
place the farewell performance, this time a moment of dramatized poetry by the
students of the school Theatre Club and Andreia Teixeira, the rehearser, upon
Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa’s “O Mostrengo”.
O Monstrengo
O mostrengo que est谩 no fim
do mar
Na noite de breu ergueu-se a
voar;
脌 roda da nau voou tr锚s
vezes,
Voou tr锚s vezes a chiar,
E disse: «Quem 茅 que ousou
entrar
Nas minhas cavernas que n茫o
desvendo,
Meus tectos negros do fim do
mundo?»
E o homem do leme disse,
tremendo:
«El-Rei D. Jo茫o Segundo!»
[…]
After that, exchanging
mascots and farewell speeches. A moment full of emotion and some sadness as
well because the meeting is coming to an end. However, friendship and good
memories will be kept alive.
FRIDAY
06.03.2010
FROM ACCESSBILITY TO
CULTURAL HERITAGE: Is Oporto an
accessible city?
An opportunity to visit the city of Porto and
some of its famous heritage sites known worldwide like Porto’s Cathedral, Porto
Wine Cellars, Stock Exchange Palace, Cl茅rigos’ Tower, Lello’s Library, and
more. Porto is the second-largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon, and the
name “Porto” itself influenced the name of the country “Portugal”.
Porto was chosen the cultural capital of Europe in 2001 and the city built
the impressive “Casa
da M煤sica” in Boavista for the
occasion.
But also a visit to continue inclusive
learning, Partners were given the task to observe how disabled people can walk
around, enter monuments or cross streets safely in Porto. An opportunity to
think over important issues in what concerns mobility and old cities’ heritage
sites; what can we do to make them more accessible to everyone?
The moment to think over the role that digital
inclusive guides might have when planning handicapped people’s visits or travels
abroad - fact that was focused on workshop IV on 05.03.2020.
Farewell dinner was in Taberna Real do Fado,
a typical restaurant where partners and hosts enjoyed typical food followed by Fado
– the most emblematic Portuguese music characterized by profoundly melancholic lyrics
and tune.
A lively performance meant to enrich each
partner’s heart and keep alive good memories from Portugal!
Mar Portuguez, by Fernando Pessoa
脫 mar salgado,
quanto do teu sal
S茫o l谩grimas de Portugal!
Por te cruzarmos, quantas m茫es choraram,
Quantos filhos em v茫o rezaram!
Quantas noivas ficaram por casar
Para que fosses nosso, 贸 mar!
Valeu a pena? Tudo vale a pena
Se a alma n茫o 茅 pequena.
Quem quere passar al茅m do Bojador
Tem que passar al茅m da dor.
Deus ao mar o perigo e o abismo deu,
Mas nele 茅 que espelhou o c茅u.
Portuguese Sea
Oh salty sea, how much of your salt
Are tears of Portugal!
To get across you, how many mothers cried,
How many sons prayed in vain!
How many brides were never to marry
In order to make you ours, oh sea!
Was it worth
it? Everything is worthy
If the soul is
not small.
Who wants to go beyond Bojador,(*)
Must go beyond sufferance.
God gave the sea
peril and abyss,
Yet upon it He
also mirrored the sky.
English
translation by A. Baruffi, Literary Joint
(*) Cape Bojador
Participants Impressions:
Dear Marta and Aver o Mar project team, teachers and students!
Visited your school has been fantastic experience: I've met marvellous teachers, students and learnt so much from you. We have really enjoyed every single moment, and all the activities you have arranged for us, I have felt really at home, and very warm welcome; I really see how much you have done for the success of every activity of the programme. I and all the rest participants from Poland and Turkey will remember the time and emotions we've felt with you all. Thanks for all these things and thanks to have hosted us in your beautiful country.
Tanja Nikolovski, main coordintor, Ptuj, Slovenia
The preperations done by the Portuegese team made us speechless. The perfect combination of learning, experiencing, feeling and orienting. Being welcomed at the Town Hall with presents, being surrounded by the lovely kindergarteners at Aldeia, almost crying by seeing what could be done with dedication, good wishes and a full of heart at MAPADI, experiencing how students can behave very well at Rocha Peixoto, being inspired by seeing inclusion can be part of university and the technology at University of Minho and of course feeling at home while having all the activities at Aver-o-Mar.
Obrigado Portugal, obrigado friends…
Deha Enis Vardary谋ld谋z谋
Project Coordinator
Metin Sabanc谋 Special Education Schools
Turkey
From 1st to 7th of March we spent a week full of joy, smile and positive emotions in P贸voa de Varzim with our friends from Erasmus+ Project “I.D.E.A. Together We Can!”. Portuguese team prepared very professionally a lot of activities, workshops, meetings with wonderful people. This was week full of inspirations. We were both at school and spent time walking through Povoa de Varzim, Braga and Porto. We had opportunity to try regional dishes, and the food was delicious Every minut we spent in Portugal was wonderful. We felt your care and hospitality. We met wonderful people with good mood and positive energy. We would like to get back and stay longer. Thank you Portuguese Friends!
Polish Team.
