CC BY
14
TEACHING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WITHIN THE SECONDARY PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM:
APPLYING PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
N. A. Zvereva
L. D. Kuznetsova
O. V. Kniazeva
Education is vitally important for persons with disabilities, because it is one of the most effective mechanisms of personality development and enhancing one's social status. According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation and Federal Law "On Education in the Russian Federation," children with developmental problems have the same rights to education as other children. A vital task of upgrading education is assurance of qualitative education accessibility, its individualization and differentiation, regular increase in the professional competence level of teachers who educate in this way, as well as creating conditions for achievement of the new modern quality of professional education.
Obtainment of secondary professional education by young people with disabilities is one of the basic and indispensable conditions of their successful socialization in modern society, an assurance of their full participation in life, and effective self-realization in various spheres of professional and community activities. Consequently, ensuring teenagers with special needs’ right to education is considered one of the most important tasks of state policy not only in the sphere of education, but also in the sphere of demographic modernization and the social and economic development of the Russian Federation.
At present, students with special needs study in various departments at the Perm Technical School of Chemical Technology. The most popular specialty among them is Software of Computers and Automated Systems.
An important element in teaching this category of students is the availability of modern material and a technical base in an educational establishment: arrangement of learning space, organization of teaching process timing, the student's work place arrangement, becoming familiar with working with equipment, provision of comfortable access to education, usage of training equipment for each category of students, and provision with course books, workbooks and didactic material which meet the educational needs of students in each occupational education program. The forms and degree of educational integration for a student with disabilities may vary depending on the severity of one's physical and mental development problems. For example, students whose level of psychophysical development generally meets the norms for their age may permanently study in one group with peers who have no developmental disorders if the necessary training equipment is available. While teaching students with special needs, one of the most important conditions for a teacher is to understand that these students are not defective in comparison with others. Teachers explain the equality of those with disabilities to the base group of students, but nevertheless this category of students needs a special individual approach to their self-fulfillment and in creating conditions for development, which differs from the limits of conducting a standard
121
class within the secondary vocational education system. The key point of this situation is that students don't adjust to social norms, but integrate into society on their own conditions, which are accepted and considered by society.
Teachers work with students according to teaching techniques which cover all the stages: explanation of new material, performance of tasks, and evaluation of students’ work. Teachers use the following methodological techniques: step-bystep explanation of tasks, consistent performance of tasks, reiteration of instructions to task performance by the student, provision with audiovisual training equipment and proximity of the student during explanation of the task. Change of activity types while conducting a class is provided: preparation of students to the change of activity type, provision of additional time to complete and hand in homework assignments, computer-based testing, use of exercise sheets, which need minimal filling out, and tasks with missing words/sentences, providing students with printed copies and electronic versions of tasks written on the blackboard.
In the process of teaching vocational subjects, teachers use project-based and modular education. This is considered the result of integration of project-based learning and module technology, which allows development of universal teaching activities in the course of class project execution, in particular, at the stage of selfstudy. Also, during organization of the learning process, teachers use elements of online study modes which provide a real opportunity for study on an individual basis regardless of time and place. A student can get the necessary information via the website of an educational establishment. Thus, at present, the studies of a student with disabilities at an ordinary secondary professional educational establishment entail the process and result of granting him/her all the rights and real opportunities to participate in all types of social life pari passu, together with other members of society under conditions which compensate his/her developmental delay and disabilities.
References
1. Жуков В. И. Социальная работа // Российский энциклопедический словарь. - М., 1997.
2. Курбатова В. И. Социальная работа: учеб. - Ростов н/Д., 1999.
3. Словарь-справочник по социальной работе. - М., 1997.
4. Акатов Л. И. Социальная реабилитация детей с ограниченными возможностями
здоровья. - М., 2004.
Translated from Russian by Znanije Central Translations Bureau
122
