Special Education

What is Special Education ?

            Special Education or special  needs education is the practice of educating students with special needs in a way that their individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, accessible, and other interventions designed to provide learners with special needs to help create a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and in the community than would be available if the student is only given access to a typical classroom education.

            Common special needs include learning disabilities, communication disabilities, emotional and behavioral problems, physical disabilities, and developmental disabilities. Students with these kinds of special needs are likely to benefit from additional educational services such as different approaches to teaching, use of technology, a specifically adapted teaching area, or resource room.

             Intellectual giftedness is a difference in learning and can also benefit from specialized teaching techniques or different educational programs, but the term "special education" is generally used to specifically indicate instruction of students with disabilities. Gifted education is handled separately.

            While special education is designed for students with special needs, remedial education designed for any student, with or without special needs; the defining characteristic is that they are simply a point of underpreparedness reached, regardless of the reason. For example, even people of high intelligence underprepared if their education during civil unrest or war disrupted, for example, by internal displacement.

               In most developed countries, educators change teaching methods and environments so that the maximum number of students are served in general education environments. Therefore, special education in developed countries is often regarded as a service, rather than a place. Integration can reduce social stigmas and improve academic achievement for many students.

           The opposite of special education is general education. General education is the standard curriculum presented without special teaching methods or support.

The identification of students with special needs: 

            Some children are easily identified as candidates for special needs because of their medical history. They can be diagnosed with a genetic condition associated with intellectual disability, various forms of brain damage, may have a developmental disorder, may be visual or hearing disabilities, or other disabilities.

           For students with less obvious disabilites, such as those who have learning difficulties, two primary methods have been used for identifying them: the difference model and the response to intervention model. The difference model depends on the teacher noticed that the students' achievements are noticeably below what is expected. The response to intervention model advocates earlier intervention.

            In the difference model, a student receives special education services for a specific learning difficulty (SLD) if the student has at least normal intelligence and the student's academic performance is lower than that of a student with his or her IQ expected. Although the difference model dominated the school system for many years, there is a substantial criticism of this approach (eg, Aaron, 1995, Flanagan and Mascolo, 2005) among researchers. One reason for criticism is that diagnosing SLDs on the basis of the difference between achievement and IQ does not predict the effectiveness of treatment. Low academic achievers who also have low IQ appear to benefit from treatment just as much as low academic achievers who have normal or high intelligence.

               The alternative approach, response to intervention to identify children who have difficulties in school in their first or second year after starting school. They then receive additional assistance such as participating in a reading remediation program. The response of the children of this intervention then determines whether they are classified as a learning disability. The few who still have trouble may then receive designation and further assistance. Sternberg (1999) has argued that early remediation can greatly reduce the number of children meeting diagnostic criteria for learning disabilities. He also suggested that the focus on learning disabilities and the provision of accommodations in school fails to acknowledge that people have a range of strengths and weaknesses and places undue emphasis on academics by insisting that students this arena and not in music should be supported or sport.

Individual Needs: 

             A special education program should be tailored to each individual student's unique needs to address. Special educators a continuum of services, which students with special needs receive varying degrees of support based on their individual needs. Special education programs should be individualized so that they address the unique combination of needs in a given student.

              In the United States, Canada and the UK, educational professionals used the initialism Individual Education Program when referring to a student's individual education plan. For children not yet 3, an IFSP. (Individual Family Service Plan) It contains 1) information about the child's current level of development in all areas; 2) outcomes for the child and family; and 3) service to the child and family will receive to help them to achieve the outcomes. <© 2011, 2000 PACER Center>


            Students with special needs are assessed their specific strengths and weaknesses to determine. Placement, resources and goals are determined based on the student's needs. Hotel and modifications to the regular program may include changes in curriculum, supplementary aides or equipment, and the provision of specialized physical adaptations that enable students to participate in the educational environment as much as possible. Students may need assistance subject to access, access to the school physically get to them or emotional needs. For example, if the assessment determines that the student is not at hand to write because of a physical disability, then the school may use a computer for typing assignments, or allow the student to answer questions orally instead. If the school determines that the student is severely distracted by the normal activities in a large, busy classroom, then the student may be in a smaller classroom as a resource room placed.

Nonformal Education

What is Non-formal learning ?

           Non-formal Education (NFE) is any organized educational activity that takes place outside the formal education system. Usually it is flexible, learner-centered, contextualized, and using a participatory approach. There is no specific target group for NFE; can children, youth or adults.

            Non-formal learning is a loosely defined term that many structured learning situations, such as swimming sessions for children, community-based sports programs and conference style seminars, which are not either the level of the curriculum, curriculum, accreditation, and certification associated with formal learn, but more structure than those associated with informal learning ", which usually occurs naturally and spontaneously as part of other activities. This is the three styles of learning recognized and supported by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

            Examples of non-formal learning swimming sessions for children, community-based sports programs and applications developed by organizations such as the Boy Scouts or Girl Guides Girl Guides, community or non-credit adult education, sports or fitness programs, professional conferences and continuing professional development . The learner's goals skills and knowledge to improve, as well as the emotional rewards associated with increased love for a subject or increased passion for learning experience.

              Non-formal learning is purposeful, but voluntary learning that takes place in a variety of settings and situations for teaching / training and learning is not necessarily their sole or main activity. These environments and situations are temporary, and the activities or courses that take place can be staffed by professional learning facilitators (such as youth trainers) or volunteers (such as youth leaders). The activities and courses are planned but are seldom structured by conventional rhythms or curriculum subjects. They usually address specific target groups, but rarely document or learning outcomes or achievements visible in conventional ways.

          If you want you can already see your Youth Initiative: Do you participate in voluntary? Is this a temporary environment? Did you process structure and plan of activity? Then you are in a non-forma learning!

Formal learning

What is Formal learning ?

       Formal learning is one of three forms of learning determined by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
        Formal learning, usually by trained teachers delivered in a systematic deliberate manner in a school, academy / college / institute or university.

Merriam & Caffarella (1999, p.21) defines it as: 

         Formal learning takes place in educational institutions and often lead to degrees or credit of some kind.

AEC (2004) defines formal learning as: 

        Learn by education or training institutions. It is structured in terms of learning objectives, duration, content, methodology and assessment and lead to certification.

        Formal learning programs are typically synonymous with full-blown learning management systems (LMS), with courses and programs mapped in a very structured way. As a result, are generally content created by a specific group of instructional designers and trainers.

       The content development process usually takes longer to formal learning programs, as those involved often involve the creation of a long, thorough presentations and publication through a potentially complex LMS tool set.

        Content and learning materials that can be delivered by a traditional classroom training model, complete with lectures, readings and scheduled test. Live webinars and screen-sharing technology can also be used so that remote students required to attend sessions.

        Formal learning is a popular choice for companies who want more control over the learning experience of their employees to have. There are a variety of LMS options to choose from, each with different levels of price support, function and flexibility.

Benefits of Formal Learning: 

• Large numbers of people will have the same information and / or learning processes at the same time. 
• If properly designed, the course content is accurate and up to date. 
• Employees learn through formal training programs to get faster speeds when they started their work. 
• Properly designed formal training programs, a variety of methods including an appeal to all learning styles and meet adult learning principles.

Informal learning

         Informal education is a general term for education outside of a standard school environment. It can refer to various forms of alternative education, such as:

• Unschooling or Homeschooling 
• Autodidacticism (Self-taught) 
• youth Work 

          Informal educators work in many different settings with individuals and groups who choose to engage with them. The mass media (including television, video games, magazines, etc.), museums, libraries, zoos, after-school and other community-based organizations and cultural institutions offer forms of informal education.

           The term 'informal learning' is often used in educational literature as part of a three-way division of education in formal learning, non-formal learning and informal learning., This is the most widely used a particular form of adult education indicate, yet the development of infant to child to adult owes much to informal learning as it does to more formal methods.

             The nature of informal learning is diverse and complex. The main points seem to be that informal learning is primarily individualistic in approach, but does not include participation in group activities, mostly non-structured, takes place outside educational institutions dedicated, is not accredited and often have no clear outcome. This can be a broad spectrum of activities and context hide from the acquisition of the necessary skills to survive and adapt in a changing world through hobbies and leisure pursuits for fun, improving to deliberate in a specific field of knowledge with the aim of progress in both employment and social standing.

             Coombes and Ahmed (1974) has a comprehensive definition of informal learning as "the lifelong process by which every individual gain and gather knowledge, skills, attitudes and insights from daily experiences and exposure to the environment. Usually it is unorganized, unsystematic and even unintentional at times, but it is responsible for the largest majority of any persons lifetime learning ".
With the growing interest in widening participation and lifelong learning, informal learning gradually accepted as a fundamental, necessary and valuable in its own right '(Coffield 2000) and not merely as a poor alternative to formal learning.

           However, the use of the word "informal" in conjunction with the study led to a great deal of debate on the most important elements of this type of education. Smith (1999) believes that the central feature of informal learning is its location. He connects formal learning at schools and training institutions and non-formal learning to community groups and other organizations and therefore allow informal learn all that remains, for example, to cover, interacting with family, friends and work colleagues. Fordham (1979) and Simkins (1977) the extent to which the experience learner-centered, flexible and relevant, while Beinhart and Smith (1998) looked at outcome, the definition of informal learning as "deliberately trying to test your knowledge about anything to improve or teach yourself a skill without taking part in a taught course ".

             Eraut (2000), however, cautions against the use of the term informal not, because of his association with the dress or behavior, suggesting that "the colloquial application as a descriptor of learning contexts may have little to do with learning per se . "

Education : What Is Meant By Education?

1:     What Is Meant By Education?

   1:        Education is the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or                           university.
   2:        Education means that right way to speak,write and read. 

•                  It is the cultural progress in every individual.
•                  Education develops the qualities of person.

     3.   Education in its general sense is a form of learning in which the knowledge, skills, and habits of a group             of people are transferred from one generation to the next through teaching, training, or research.

    4.   Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills, and also something less tangible             but more profound

    5.   Education is not merely a means for earning a living. The best education in the world is that got             by struggling to get a living.
    

2:        ISCED 2011 Levels of Education

Level O: 
Early childhood Education
                
         Education designed to support early development in preparation for participation in school and society. Programmes designed for children below the age of 3.

Level O: 
Pre-primary Education

          Education designed to support early development in preparation for participation in school and society. Programmes designed for children from age 3 to the start of primary education.

Level 1:
Primary Education

         Programmes typically designed to provide students with fundamental skills in reading, writing and mathematics and to establish a solid foundation for learning.

Level 2:
Lower Secondary Education

        First stage of secondary education building on primary education, typically with a more subject-oriented curriculum.

Level 3:
Upper Secondary Education

         Second/final stage of secondary education preparing for tertiary education and/or providing skills relevant to employment. Usually with an increased range of subject options and streams.

Level 4:

Post-Secondary Non-Tertiary Education

           Programmes providing learning experiences that build on secondary education and prepare for labour market entry and/or tertiary education. The content is broader than secondary but not as complex as tertiary education.

Level 5:
Short-Cycle Tertiary Education

           Short first tertiary programmes that are typically practically-based, occupationally-specific and prepare for labour market entry. These programmes may also provide a pathway to other tertiary programmes.

Level 6:

Bachelor or Equivalent

           Programmes designed to provide intermediate academic and/or professional knowledge, skills and competencies leading to a first tertiary degree or equivalent qualification.

Level 7:

Master or Equivalent

          Programmes designed to provide advanced academic and/or professional knowledge, skills and competencies leading to a second tertiary degree or equivalent qualification.

Level 8:

Doctoral or Equivalent

          Programmes designed primarily to lead to an advanced research qualification, usually concluding with the submission and defence of a substantive dissertation of publishable quality based on original research.