Using an Assistive Technology Toolkit to Promote Inclusion

Although the use of assistive technology for young children is increasing, the lack of awareness and the lack of training continue to act as major barriers to providers using assistive technology. This article describes an assistive technology toolkit designed for use with young children with disabilities that can be easily assembled and implemented by early childhood professionals. Specifically, we will describe assistive technology tools that support young children’s participation in their daily activities that involve movement and sensory needs, communication, and interaction with materials and offer strategies on how to implement these devices. An assembled toolkit that allows young children with disabilities immediate access to experiences that lead to acquisition of skills they need to learn and grow is discussed.     

Children’s Typically‐Perceived‐Situations of Force and No Force in the Context of Australia and Korea

Typically‐Perceived‐Situation (TPS) refers to the situation rising spontaneously in an individual’s mind when she/he first thinks of a phenomenon or concept. The purpose of this study is to go well beyond the many studies that describe conceptions of force and explore children’s TPS of “force is acting on a thing” and “force is not acting on a thing”, and to do this in the differing contexts of Australia and Korea. Data were collected by drawings and written explanations from 145 Grade 6 Australian children and 150 Grade 6 Korean children. These data showed some significant differences between the Australian children’s and Korean children’s TPSs. For example, considering the whole context of children’s TPS, the contexts of “someone pushes or pulls something” and “someone/something is floating in the air or not moving because there is no gravity” were the most frequent ones, as a “force” and as a “no force” situation respectively, in the case of Australian children, while “a sort of energy is provided into someone/something and they can be active/working” and “a sort of energy is not provided into someone/something and they cannot be active/working”, were most frequent in the case of Korean children. These differences are very likely the consequence of different everyday meanings for the word “force” in the two cultures. In addition, it appears that these children’s TPS affect their judgement of “force” and “no force”.     

An Investigation of Media Influences on Elementary Students Representations of Scientists

Even long before children are able to verbalize which careers may be interesting to them, they collect and store ideas about scientists. For these reasons, asking children to Draw-A-Scientist has become an accepted method to provide a glimpse into how children represent and identify with those in the science fields. Years later these representations may translate into student’s career choice. Since 1995, children’s illustrations of scientists have been assessed by the Draw-A-Scientist Checklist (DAST-C). The checklist was created from the common aspects or features found in illustrations from previous studies and were based initially on the scientists, broken down into “stereotypical” and “alternative” images shown in the drawings. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development, field test and reliability of the modified Draw-A-Scientist Test (DAST) and The Draw-A-Scientist Rubric designed as an improvement of the DAST-C to provide a more appropriate method of assessing students’ drawings of scientists. The combination of the modified DAST and the DAST Rubric brings more refinement as it enables clarities to emerge and subsequently increased detail to what one could ascertain from students about their mental images of scientists.     

Making sense of young people’s digital practices in informal contexts: The Digital Practice Framework

There is a growing body of research looking at young people’s use of digital technology in informal contexts. However, there is a gap in the literature about how to describe and categorise young people’s digital practices in such contexts. This gap is important because in order to be able to understand the differences between young people’s digital practices in informal contexts and how these differences arise, you first need to be able to describe and categorise those differences in meaningful ways. You need to be able to answer the question “How do young people use digital technology in informal contexts?” in order to be able to answer questions such as “How do children’s digital practices in informal contexts vary?” and “Why do children’s digital practices vary?”. This paper is significant because it introduces The Digital Practice Framework, an original, theoretically informed, tool to fill this critical gap in the literature. It goes on to indicate how this framework has been used to analyse the factors that facilitate or hinder the development of young people’s digital practices in informal contexts.     

A culture of knowledge production: testing and observation of Dutch children with learning and behavioural problems (1949–1985)

Abstract

This article focuses on the role the Dutch school for children with “learning and behavioural problems” (LOM) has played in knowledge production about learning disabilities and in the development of academic study of special education between 1949 and 1985. LOM-schooling grew rapidly during these years and attracted relatively many experts. In the selection and admission of LOM-children they had to be distinguished from normal, mentally deficient, and “very difficult” children. Around 1970 experts shifted their focus from the distinction between LOM-children and the latter to the difference between LOM- and mildly mentally retarded children, which turned out to be too small in the end to justify a separate school. The LOM-school’s culture of knowledge production has stimulated both testing and the study of learning problems and their treatment. It functioned as a laboratory for the development of therapeutic treatment for learning disabilities. In particular, the systematic reflection on the practice of remedial teaching was relevant in the development of child science.     

Inclusive Education in India: International concept,national interpretation

This article examines education of children belonging to marginalised groups, with particular reference to children with disabilities, within the Indian context. Based on an analysis of post‐independence Government documents, various educational provisions made available for children with disabilities are discussed. It explores the Indian Government’s focus on the development of special schools, its efforts towards integration, and the more recent emphasis on inclusive education. Furthermore, it attempts to elucidate “inclusive education” as understood in various official documents. The article concludes by arguing for a need to develop a contextual understanding of inclusive education that is reflective of current educational concerns in India.     

Conversations about Visual Arts: Facilitating Oral Language

Visual arts, such as drawings, are attractive to most young children. Marks left on paper by young children contain meaning. Although it is known that children’s oral language could be enhanced through communication with adults, rarely is there a series of dialogues between adults and young children about their drawings. Often heard instead are simple comments given by adults like “It is a neat picture!” “You did a great job painting!” Yet, dialogic communication between adults and young children could not only help facilitate children’s oral language, but also bring about many other merits. Regrettably, little literature addresses oral language facilitation about visual arts. This article describes the significance of facilitating children’s oral language via adults’ talking with young children about their visual arts based on Otto’s (Literacy development in early childhood: reflective teaching for birth to age eight, 3edn. Pearson Education Inc, Upper Saddle River, 2008) linguistic scaffolding strategies and Halliday’s (Language in a social perspective: explorations in the functions of language. Edward Arnold Model of Language Functions, London, 1973). Implications and suggestions for future research are given at the end of this paper.     

Cognitive development and theories of mind: towards a contextual approach

This paper suggests both theoretical and empirical reasons for proposing a joint approach to two fast-evolving research areas in developmental psychology: contextual perspective on cognition and learning and studies on children’s theories of mind. We will first review the general assumptions of contextualism and three main contextual approaches; then the more relevant perspectives on theories of mind development will be presented. The two research fields here considered are conceptually organized around two meanings of the concept of other: the “other in interaction” and the “other as culture”, on the basis of which the integration between the two fields will be justified. Finally some directions for future research will be discussed.     

Experiences of parents whose children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are starting primary school

Starting school is a critical event in a child’s life and successful transitions to school have been posited as key indicators for future academic achievement. For children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the process is complicated by difficulties in social communication and social interaction. Parents of children with ASD can experience their child’s transition to school as a stressful and challenging time. In this study a qualitative methodology, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), was used to elicit the experiences and perceptions of six parents whose children with ASD were starting school in Ireland. Semi-structured interviews were carried out and a cross-case analysis was conducted. Three common overarching themes were identified which reflected participants’ experiences of the transition process; these were (a) “I think they need to believe, believe what we’re telling them”, (b) “Experience of ASD/it’s a very labelling thing”, and (c) “Preparing for school and feelings about the future”. Implications from the research are discussed with reference to the role of the educational psychologist (EP) in supporting parents of children with ASD in the transition process.     

“游戏江湖”的虚拟快感：从“再中心化”到主体间性

游戏玩家通过“再中心化”及主体间性,于武侠角色扮演中获得虚拟的快感。在人与媒介的“内部互动”中,角色扮演为玩家提供人物“视点”,使玩家从所处的现实世界,“再中心化”入由语词、形象和观念所构筑的属于所扮演角色的虚构世界“江湖”。与此同时,玩家沉浸于对另一主体的陌生体认,不断积累建构他我主体来理解“江湖”,并将其当作“有生命”世界逐步体验与认同,进行从现实世界撤退、摒弃,以及对现实矛盾的想象性解决。     

Sanitizing “Indians” in America’s Thanksgiving story

Children’s books about the Thanksgiving holiday offer a superlative example of America’s supposedly innocent interactions with “Indians.” In this essay, we describe how representations of “Indians” in children’s Thanksgiving books are often used to promote a Manifest Destiny ideology, we correct basic “facts” about the “first” Thanksgiving, and we urge educators to employ decolonizing and indigenizing pedagogical strategies when teaching about Thanksgiving in order to better explain America’s historical relation to “Indians” in their classrooms.     

Preschool – an arena for children’s learning of social and cognitive knowledge

The aim is to investigate Swedish preschool teachers’ accounts of children’s learning in relation to the goals in the Swedish preschool curriculum. The research question is: “What do preschool teachers see as fundamental aspects of learning in preschool practice?” The study is based on interactionist perspectives founded in Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory in which individuals and environment influence each other in a dynamic, reciprocal interaction. The data consist of interviews. The results show two themes that describe what teachers express as fundamental learning aspects in preschool practice: children’s learning of social knowledge and children’s learning of social and cognitive knowledge as integrated. The results show that some preschool teachers view social knowledge as fundamental to children’s learning. Others have a broader learning-oriented approach, which is grounded in the Swedish preschool curriculum and in modern theories of learning. This is an integrated learning approach, which is assumed to promote children’s learning and development in a long-term perspective.     

Social and cognitive development in infancy

The relation between social and cognitive development has been important in several accounts of infant development. Piaget’s theory specifies that social and cognitive development become significant at eight months and are closely linked thereafter. Brazelton and Trevarthen emphasize the role of social development and social interaction from the first months on. Neither theory predominates today, but studies of new topics such as the infant’s discrimination of people and objects may help decide which is correct. In contrast to the question of when infants distinguish the social from the cognitive, it is obvious that the social and physical environments of the child are fundamentally different all along. Adults, and not objects, have expectations for infant development and adjust their behaviour in line with those expectations. The research on developmental outcome preserves this difference. Cognitive development in infancy proceeds normally in a great many environments. Social development, on the other hand, has been found to vary with the characteristics of the caregiver. This difference between social and cognitive development is interpretable in terms of the difference between the social and physical worlds.     

Intersubjectivity as a way of informing teaching design for a community of learners classroom

In this paper, I relate concepts from research (mainly psychological) on intersubjectivity to problems emerging in designing classroom learning environments by considering one of my undergraduate teacher education classrooms, which I designed to run according to an educational philosophy of “community of learners”, and I consider the issues emerging from these efforts. It seems that the notion of intersubjectivity is helpful both for understanding difficulties one can face with a teaching design for a “community of learners” classroom and for improving such a design. I consider three aspects of intersubjectivity corresponding to the teaching design difficulties described here: (1) intersubjectivity as having something in common, (2) intersubjectivity as coordination of participants’ contributions, and (3) intersubjectivity as human agency. The paper is limited to the issues of internal teaching design and does not address institutional constraints.     

Children, play, and computers in pre-school education

The paper reports a study designed to inform the development of an information and communication technology strategy for the pre‐school years of education. The main methods of collecting evidence were observations at seven pre‐school settings and interviews with at least two practitioners and a number of children at each site. Practitioners generally referred to children “playing with the computer”. We describe some of the problems to be found in the emphasis on free play in nurseries and play groups when this means children are using computers as complete novices. There were few examples of peer support; adults rarely intervened or offered guidance and the most common form of intervention was reactive supervision. Interaction with a computer was therefore a limited experience for most children, but we provide examples of guided interaction that suggest a way forward for professional development.     

论儿童全面发展概念的多学科内涵建构

儿童全面发展概念的多学科内涵建构立足于马克思主义"人的全面发展"的深刻内涵,尝试从多学科视角探讨儿童全面发展"五对概念十二个范畴"的内涵建构,具体包括:(1)儿童道德和公民性发展的伦理学、政治学视角的概念内涵建构;(2)儿童认知与情感发展的心理学、脑科学视角的概念内涵建构;(3)儿童社会性与个性发展的社会学、心理学、社会心理学视角的概念内涵建构;(4)儿童艺术与审美发展的艺术学、美学视角的概念内涵建构;(5)儿童健康与安全发展的人体运动学、营养学、安全学视角的概念内涵建构,以及儿童大脑与身体发展的脑科学、生理学视角的概念内涵建构。儿童全面发展概念的多学科内涵建构对深化儿童发展的基本理论予以探讨,为更加全面地把握育人目标提供理论借鉴,并为构建科学的教育评价体系提供思想基础。     

解构与建构:走向“独立”的儿童身体观

儿童身体观是社会大众对儿童身体的总体认知。儿童身体观直接影响儿童身体地位,作用于儿童身体锻炼方法与过程。通过解构儿童身体观,分析儿童身体与儿童、教育、社会三者的关系,批判目前儿童身心二元论的身体观,并且以现象学为切入点,重新建构儿童独立身体观。儿童身体是儿童存在于世界上的基本形式,应树立以下三方面独立儿童观:一是儿童身体是“流动的身体”,身体锻炼需全面化;二是儿童身体是“发展的身体”,儿童身体研究需科学化;三是儿童身体是“在场的身体”,儿童游戏活动情境设计需自然化。     

Classification of children with learning problems and the establishment of special classes in Delaware from the 1930s to the mid-1940s

ABSTRACT

This study focuses on J. E. Wallace Wallin, who recognised the rights of children with disabilities to receive an education, and who tackled the scientific classification of children and the provision of special classes in the state of Delaware from the 1930s to the middle of the 1940s. This study intends to clarify how Wallin recognised and classified children who exhibited learning problems, and how he provided an educational environment for them. Wallin advocated the democratic philosophy of providing differentiated education based on the individual differences among children. He classified children with learning problems as “mentally deficient”, “backward”, and “special subject-matter disabilities”. He also recommended special educational treatment in not only special classes but also regular classes. He insisted that regular class teachers and special class teachers share the responsibility of educating children with disabilities. However, in addition to tailoring education based on the diversity exhibited by children with learning problems, it is essential to tailor it for disabled children in public school special classes established in their communities. In terms of both human and material resources, it was difficult to address learning problems suitably in regular classes while improving the quality and quantity of education in special classes.