09:00 – 10:00 Registration. Morning coffee and conversations. Hotel’s lobby.
10:00 – 10:15 Opening remarks. Hall Dzintari
Zane Matesoviča, Country Director, British Council in Latvia, and Zane Oliņa, Curriculum Leader of Skola2030
10:15 – 10:35 Inclusive education – vision of fair education system. Hall Dzintari
Marija Golubeva, Educational policy analyst
All children have same rights to get a good education. For several years the aim of the education policy in Latvia was connected mostly with economic growth and state identity. Meanwhile, inequality is one of the most serious elements disturbing the growth, which was not enough controlled by the state. In practice, to provide same possibilities to all, it demands huge investments and well-considered and motivated policy.
10:35 – 11:00 Inclusive school from a pupil’s perspective. Hall Dzintari
Marius Frank, Director E-education and material development, Achievement for All [UK]
There should be a systematic way provided by the school, which would promote development of each individual – I can, I am doing it, I have, I am! Inclusive thinking and practice, both provide consequent development with decision making and specific action. In order to achieve intended results, we should consider a pupil’s learning experience like a single entity; inclusive school creates a belief in our strength and increases a self-confidence to children and young people in every step of the education system.
11:00 – 11:20 Vision on the situation of inclusive and special education in Latvia. Hall Dzintari
Mārīte Rozenfelde, Asoc. prof., Dr. paed., Rezekne academy of Technologies
On situation and tendencies of special school in Latvia. What are the responsibilities of local authorities and parents in a learning process for pupils with special needs? How important is the presence of special teachers and teachers’ assistants to provide an inclusive education process in the school?
11:20 – 12:00 Inclusive learning: teacher’s role and influence. Hall Dzintari
Sian Williams, Professional Development Coach, the British Council program Connecting Classrooms
How should a teacher work in a classroom, where learning needs and previous experiences differ among pupils? What is the role and influence of the teacher? What are the most successful teaching and learning methods to a teacher to attract attention of each pupil?
12:00 – 12:50 Lunch
13:00 – 13:50 I Work session in smaller groups, in different rooms
14:00 – 14:50 II Work session in smaller groups, in different rooms
15:00 – 15:30 Afternoon tea in British style
15:30 – 16:15 Panel: Coordinated policy and practice: how to achieve them? Hall Dzintari
Led by Baiba Moļņika, General Secretary, Latvian National Commission for UNESCO
Inter-institutional cooperation to provide an inclusive education. Whether and how different institutions coordinate their action and objectives? What are the different models to cooperate? How to achieve an efficient implementation of the policy and that the good practice makes an impact to and advances the policy making?
16:15 – 16:30 Reflections and conclusions after the conference. Hall Dzintari
16:30 – 17:30 Afternoon coffee conversations
DESCRIPTION OF WORK SESSIONS
(each conference participant may choose one of six options in the period of each work session).
Options of the I Work session:
13:00 – 13:50 GOOD PRACTICE: Support models to pupils with different learning needs. Hall Dzintari
Kris Wodehouse, Regional Lead, Achievement for All
Too many pupils with special needs do not achieve results in studies as good as their classmates, which leads to finishing school without necessary skills that are important to make their lives independently. Within this session conference participants will get an insight, how to identify duly pupils’ special needs and what are the methods to support theses pupils.
13:00 – 13:50 WORKSHOP: Different approach to a study process: methods to include children with various learning needs. Hall Bulduri
Sian Williams, Professional development Coach, British Council program Connecting Classrooms
How various learning needs of children become apparent in practice, and how a teacher may provide an inclusive education environment and a suitable support for each pupil, using different learning ways and approaches.
13:00 – 13:50 WORKSHOP: Using technologies to promote the inclusive education. Hall Dubulti
Marius Frank, Director E-Learning and Material Development, Achievement for All [UK]
The conference participants will get an insight in, what kind of technological solutions are accessible and how to use the efficiently to provide the inclusive learning process. How a teacher and school may do in general to promote the efficiency of each pupil and to improve individual results.
13:00 – 13:50 WORKSHOP: Methods for work in multilingual classroom. Hall Ķemeri
Implementation of various methods and examples in order to improve the study process for pupils, to whom the study language is not their mother tongue, and their successful inclusion in the classroom.
13:00 – 13:50 WORKSHOP: Diversity as a resource: cooperation of a multi-cultural class and school community. Hall Melluži
Ingūna Irbīte, Expert, NGO Education Development Centre
Introduction to resources in the multi-cultural education of the Education Development Centre (EDC) – methodological materials that can be used in the teaching and educational work; collaboration school experiences, as well as, conclusions made in the Centre’s research on the newcomers and re-migrants’ children integration in schools.
13:00 – 13:50 GOOD PRACTICE: Perspectives of special schools. Hall Asari
Ināra Oļena, Director, Pelči Special Boarding Primary School - Development Centre, and Mg.sc.educ. Lolita Apsēna, Special teacher and speech therapist, Koknese Boarding School, will share their experiences.
Options of the II Work session:
14:00 – 14:50 PANEL: Cultural and ethnic diversity in the context of inclusive education. Hall Dzintari
Led by Ligita Grigule, Researcher, University of Latvia
The discussion will focus on how to develop inclusive learning in the classroom with children from different cultures, experiences and with different native languages. How to successfully use diversity as a resource, enriching discussions and learning for all pupils, and what kind of support the teacher needs to accomplish it.
14:00 – 14:50 WORKSHOP: Relationship and conflict resolution in the inclusive class. Hall Bulduri
Sian Williams, Professional Development Coach, the British Council's program Connecting Classrooms
How to continue to be inclusive when conflicts or misunderstandings arise between pupils or pupils and adults, with a particular focus on cases involving children with diverse needs. How to effectively deal with conflicts, and to make relationships, involving students in the problem solving and teachers coping with their emotions.
14:00-15:00 WORKSHOP: How to use school’s information and data to support each student's growth. Hall Dubulti
Marius Frank, Director E-Education and Material Development, Achievement for All [UK], and Kris Wodehouse, Regional Leader, Achievement for All
An inspiring teacher has a positive influence on the achievements and results of the students. By changing the pedagogical approach, students may be interested in setting up and implementing higher goals. Using effective ways of collecting and analyzing student data can provide much more information about student achievements and challenges, and to plan activities for the teacher to support students and help them to achieve their goals. Regular monitoring of pupils' data makes it possible to spot students whose achievements do not meet the expectations.
14:00 –14:50 EXAMPLES OF THE GOOD PRACTICE: Working with children from different social contexts. Hall Ķemeri
Dace Beināre, Psychologist, Liene Piķe, SOS foster-mother, and Ilze Žagare, Specialist of the program "Pārinieks".
Work-shop in two parts, in the first part, SOS foster-mothers and psychologists will share their experience of the work with children from non-familial care; How to help your child to get into the school environment and reduce the impact of a trauma. The second part of the workshop will focus on the experience of working with teenagers who have come to the forefront of different institutions. Together, conference participants will try to find the most effective ways to prevent young people from “falling out of school” and to help them "to integrate in the school ".
14:00 –14:50 GOOD PRACTICE: Implementation of the inclusive education in the preschool. Hall Melluži
Daina Kājiņa, Director of the nursery school CreaKids, and Līga Valmiera, Director of the nursery school Saulespuķe will share their experience.
14:00 –14:50 WORKSHOP: Building a successful partnership between parents and school. Hall Asari
Līga Bērziņa, Head of the Autism Association
What is a child with special needs at school? How to build a successful co-operation with the child and his / her family? How possible are the missions impossible? And how to understand the direction of the school as a system - towards or away from the child? What kind of impact do teachers’ relationships make to the dynamics?
Additional information:
In case of questions do not hesitate to contact Rūta Švarca, Project Assistant, British Council in Latvia, e-mail: ruta.svarca@britishcouncil.lv
Venue and time of the conference: 1st March 2018, from. 9:00 to 17:30 at premises of the Hotel Lielupe SPA & Conferences, Bulduri Prospect 64/68