Evidences

Here I will talk about the evidences that has seemed important to me to develop, talk about them and relate it with books I 've read about the themes that I will write.

First, I will talk about the methodology. I have already spoken about the methodology in “El rincón de reflexión” and in my diaries, but I want to relate it clear. As you know, my teacher used a traditional methodology, using chips, a lot of examinations, the students are always sitting in their chairs … However, she also uses other interesting methods such as the interactive whiteboard, she puts videos the make learning more visual, she brings material that is helpful for children (such as a snakeskin that my teacher brought to explain the reptiles), etc. 

In the other hand, I think it's not enough. I still thinking that the school intends to teach a number of basic concepts that we have to know each course (math, language, history ... ). What you really see when you're in a school are mere academies, where the important thing is to study and do the homework, instead of learning which is the really important thing. Another of the problems that exist in school is the lack of understanding between teachers and students, general it´s because of the teachers.

The teacher has to be a support in the child´s learning and their education, not an enemy (although it is not the case with my tutor); the relationship with the students must pass to be face to face to be a side by side, as Philippe Meirieu says in an interview. In my case I think the fault is with those teachers without a vocation, as a good teacher is one who seeks children to learn and take part of it, of their subject and who cares about what their students think and want. So I think there are no bad students, only bad teachers or teachers without employment or illusion.

" In traditional education the teacher is the authority of the class, the only one who knows everything. The student is only a recipient of knowledge whose role is absolutely passive. The school thus becomes a place where there is hardly anything but books and a major player, the teacher. “ (Pariente, J. (2006) La escuela “a medias”)

I have come to the conclusion that we need to leave aside the authoritarianism of the teacher and hear what the students want to establish classes so that there is maximum participation; we should work in groups with the students, but also for themselves. Since, as Francisco Beltran said in an article (La democracia escolar: lugares y efectos de poder en las organizaciones educativas y su gestión (2006) ) democracy could be defined with basic concepts such as universal equality, equal sovereignty, acceptance by all of the regulatory requirements proposed by this sovereignty, recognition of the majority without neglecting the minority and, ultimately, freedom.

It is true that my tutor tries to do all this, but she can always do more, for example  give more freedom to the children; but I do not think the problem is in my teacher, it is in the view that we have of the school in general. There are schools like Summerhill in which there are no fixed schedules or subjects as we know it. It works for workshops and more dynamically and oddly enough, children are not forced to go to schools, they can choose if they go or not.

That thought is maybe excessive, but if we consider the number of children who are forced to school and don´t learn nothing, we can see the idea of ​​Sumerhill as a good option, because if the children go to school is because they really like what 's in school and because they want to learn.

In my opinion, the difference between our school and a type of school like Summerhill is that our learning is rote (memorization by repetition) and it´s not associated to things that can serve to the children. As Pérez Gómez says, the main problem that we must ask is why is the academic learning so hard for children in our society when a lot of them really are skilled and excellent learners in their daily .

The other issue I wanted to speak was the diversity in the class. 

As you know in the class I was doing practices, there were three children with problems or learning difficulties. In other classes I observed that there was more of them, there was even specific classrooms with children with more serious problems and the teachers gave all their subjects in these classes. All this surprised me, since I studied in a private school and there wasn´t this inclusion and diversity that I have seen in my practice center.

But the teachers also treated all children naturally, I mean teachers do not hide what happened to each child because the teachers want that all the students know that they are a little different kids with some problems or difficulties. It´s and amazing idea, because the classmates strive to help the partner who does not know spanish for example or help their classmates who have serious learning disabilities or attention deficit. This can greatly help the kids who have problems because they feel integrated and loved. In the meantime, children who haven´t problems acquiring positive attitudes and values ​​really important as inclusion and help the others, doesn´t matter if their classmates are different or not. 

In my opinion a good teacher always tries to teach and that the maximum number of children learn, including those with learning disabilities; because of that  teachers and the center must choose appropriate action plans in order to provide the needs of all these children, for example having support teachers and specific classrooms as PT  (pedagogía terapéutica) and AL (atención al lenguaje).

  

So, as Muntaner (1999) says, social integration is based on three basic characteristics:

1. Homogeneidad. La práctica educativa está dominada por la lógica de la

homogeneidad, fundamentada en la búsqueda de una uniformidad en el grupo clase, que no existe como tal, pues ignora la realidad suficientemente demostrada de que la diversidad es síntoma de normalidad. Estos planteamientos educativos dirigen su actuación didáctica a un inexistente alumno medio, con lo cual se pretende que todos aprendan de la misma manera, con las mismas características y en un mismo momento y acción, es un modelo educativo más preocupado por la categorización o la selección de los alumnos, que por su formación o educación.

 2. Individualidad. Las dificultades del aprendizaje son propias de un individuo

determinado, que debido a su procedencia y a las limitaciones que ello le ocasiona, precisa de una atención singular fuera de contexto general con el fin de recuperar sus incapacidades. Si el problema está en el individuo debemos proporcionarle unos servicios paralelos dirigidos y pensado solamente para él, con la finalidad de buscar la equiparación desde la desaparición de las diferencias, y así poder responder de forma idónea a las demandas uniformes de la escuela.

 3. Intervención compensatoria se centra en el alumno con dificultades de aprendizaje como objetivo único de sus funciones y se fundamenta en la distribución por categorías de los alumnos, lo cual les atribuye unas características y déficits predeterminados, que requieren la intervención de un especialista para restaurar o recuperar las limitaciones y las dificultades de aprendizaje que presenta. 

I have chosen this passage because I find it interesting and because I think all schools should meet it. Maybe some schools do not meet these requirements and set aside for children with problems or do not give them the support they need; other schools may not even want to accept children with difficulties, something that does not seem right  or correct to me. However what I am certain is that in the school I made my practices, the attention to diversity is the right given to all children, taking into account all their needs, promoting inclusion  and respect in the classes.

Bibliography

• Muntaner, J.J. (2000). Aportaciones de la Educación Especial a las escuelas eficaces. En Miñambres, A. y Jové, G. La atención a las necesidades educativas especiales: de la educación infantil a la Universidad. Universidad de Lleida, 77 - 95. 

• Pariente Alonso, J. (2006). La escuela "a medias". Revista Iberoamericana de Educación, 40/4, 1-10. 

• Phillipe Meirieu, El deseo de aprender (2007). Cuadernos de pedagogía, Nº341 

• Pérez Gómez, Á.I. (1998). La cultura académica. En Pérez Gómez, Á.I. (Ed.). La cultura escolar en la sociedad neoliberal. Madrid: Morata, pp. 253-260.