Course: Community Based Rehabilitation-1 (3613)
Semester Autumn, 2021. Level . M.A
Assignment no 1.
Question no 1… Forewarned is forearmed: discuss pre-natal facilities to identify the nature of the child’s disability. How can it help/prepare parents for the arrival of the handicapped ne born?
Disability Definition
Has the intellectual disability definition changed in DSM-V? Yes and no. In the past, experts and mental health professionals used the term mental retardation to describe an intellectual disability and it was the term used in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). But over the past 20 years or so, mental health experts and other professionals have increasingly begun to use the term, intellectual disability. This term better describes the scope and reality of an intellectual developmental disorder and replaces the term mental retardation in the new DSM-V.
Experts define intellectual disability as:
“…significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.”
Disability in Children
What does an intellectual disability look like in children? Intellectual disabilities manifest in a variety of ways. For instance, intellectually impaired children may:
Sit up, crawl, or walk later
Talk later
Have trouble remembering
Have difficulty with social rules
Have difficulty understanding consequences of actions
Have trouble solving problems and thinking logically
Kids with intellectual disabilities may have impairments in:
Reasoning
Planning
Abstract thought
Judgment
Academic judgment
Experiential learning
Mental health professionals measure these skills through IQ testing and applying clinical judgment to interpret IQ, rather than relying solely on IQ scores for assessing level of impairment. IQ tests used to measure these intellectual abilities must be standardized and given by a professional certified in IQ testing. If you suspect that your child has an intellectual developmental disorder, consult a mental health professional and speak candidly about your concerns. Many of these children lead full and happy lives when they receive the proper care and help.
child has special needs
The disabilities that are hard to identify are typically learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders Excessive talking, fidgetiness, out of seat behaviour and difficulty with quiet play. Constantly interrupting conversations, inability to wait turn, blurting out answers out of turn. This child may seem to be constantly “on the go”.
There are many types of special needs that are obvious and visible when you see the child. However, there are many times we need to look for signs that may be indicative of a problem or those that need our intervention. Having disabilities like visual impairment, cerebral palsy, hearing impairment may be easier to detect. Learning disabilities like dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, attention deficit disorder and sometimes even autism may be harder to detect at first.
Every child develops at his own pace, however there are key milestones that are important to monitor. Motor development, language and sensory delays could be identified in the first year of the child’s life.
Repeated tantrums that the child is unable to control or self-soothe, head-banging, self-biting and other inappropriate or exaggerated reactions to situations would give you an indication of possible behaviour issues.Below are a few signs or symptoms to throw light on a possibility of special education needs. The list is not exhaustive nor comprehensive, just a few indicators that if noticed in most situations and if observed to be sustained over an extended period of time is recommended to warrant further investigation.
The disabilities that are hard to identify are typically learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders. It is for this reason that they are known as hidden disabilities. Before one takes the step to assess formally the presence of a disability or special needs, it is important to observe the child in all situations to see the pervasiveness of the issue at hand.
Some indicators of attention deficit could be:
Failing to give attention to tasks or notice details, sustain attention over activities; even play, not seeming to listen when spoken to directly.
One may even observe that the child is not following through on instructions and failing to finish academic work, basic chores, or duties. He may struggle with organisational skills.
Reluctance or avoidance of tasks that require sustained attention or concentration. Being easily distracted, forgetful and careless are also noticed.
Excessive talking, fidgetiness, out of seat behaviour and difficulty with quiet play. Constantly interrupting conversations, inability to wait turn, blurting out answers out of turn. This child may seem to be constantly “on the go”
Language-based learning disabilities may be identified by the child’s inability to read age appropriate material, oral language or spelling skills that are not matched to an expected age or grade level.
Children who have family members that have struggled with reading, writing and spelling need to be monitored more closely. Problems with written expression; letter formations, discrepancy between the child’s oral expression and written expression is also an indicator of possible dysgraphia.
Dyscalculia or math-based difficulties may be identified by difficulties in recognising numbers or learning to count, struggling with connecting the value with the word or numerical symbols. Recognising patterns is difficult, loses track when counting, needs physical cues to compute, finds mental math tough, estimation of time is also a challenge sometimes.
Struggles to process visual-spatial concepts like graphs and charts and other pictorial representations of Math.
Question no 2..
Write a comprehensive note on background and early stages of development in rehabilitation philosophy
Definition
Fundamentally, rehabilitation is founded on the philosophy that every individual has the inherent tendency and right to be an expert in their own health care.[6] This, therefore, marks the distinction between acute care and rehabilitation, where acute care is concerned with an individual’s survival, while rehabilitation is concerned with the education and training of individuals to be able to carry out activities of daily living by themselves, thus promoting self-care and functional independence.[7] Despite this there is currently no universal definition or understanding of rehabilitation, and it is portrayed in many ways depending on the context, including as a development issue, disability issue, health issue, human rights issue, substance abuse issue, and security issue, to name a few. As such there are a broad range of definitions for rehabilitation used by different authorities:
Refers to services, and programmes designed to assist individuals who have experienced trauma or illness that results in an impairment that creates a loss of function (physical, psychological, social or vocational).”
“Aims to restore, compensate, prevent or slow deterioration in functioning (sensory, physical, intellectual, mental, cognitive, or social) to help individuals to reach their optimal levels.”
“A process to restore mental and/or physical abilities lost to injury or disease in order to function in a normal or near-normal way.
Rehabilitation is then a “set of interventions designed to optimise functioning in individuals with health conditions in interaction with their environment”. Health conditions can refer to disease (acute or chronic), injury or trauma, which may also include other circumstances such as pregnancy, ageing, stress, congenital anomaly, or genetic predisposition. Anyone with a health condition who experiences some form of limitation in functioning, such as mobility, vision, or cognition, may need rehabilitation. As such rehabilitation is best characterised through use of the biopsychosocial model through the use of interventions that address impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions, considering contextual factors both personal and environmental, including assistive technology that impact functioning.
Rehabilitation should be seen as an essential service offered across all levels of the health care system. Many people without long-term impairments will need rehabilitation services at some point in their lives. Similarly, many people with long-term impairments do not constantly need rehabilitation services e.g., a person with a spinal cord injury may need intensive rehabilitation in the months following their initial spinal cord injury, but once they have received enough therapy to function to their maximum capabilities and have been provided with the assistive devices they need to enable them to continue to function well in their community and home environment, then they may not need to access more rehabilitation services. Some people with long-term impairments may also need episodic rehabilitation services, such as persons with depression or degenerative conditions.
In order to get you on the track to the best recovery possible, we’ve laid out the recommended steps to a successful rehabilitation.
- Rest And Protect The Injury
The first stage of recovery is all about minimising further damage and letting the body begin the healing process. The body’s first reaction to injury is inflammation and pain. The better you can regulate inflammation, control pain, and protect the injured body part to avoid any further damage, we have begun the recovery process.
This phase will likely include appropriate rest and may include using ice or cold packs, with some sort of protective cast, sling or tape to safeguard the injury. Pain management with analgesic medication and/or anti-inflammatories may also be considered.
- Recover Your Motion
Following injury or surgery, factors such as swelling and pain can make it difficult to move the injured body part like you used to. Careful soft tissue and joint mobilisation training as prescribed by your physiotherapist is an important part of your rehabilitation to recover early stage range of motion. Stretching too far or start activity too early, can slow or even reverse the healing process. Using specific flexibility training suited to your injury, can help get your range of motion back, and avoid the lasting effect that decreased range of motion can have on your body’s function.
- Recover Your Strength
Most people are shocked to discover how their injury and the ensuing recovery period can result in muscle weakness and a loss of endurance. Objective measures of muscle weakness and wasting are commonly noted after injury and surgery within 4-6 weeks. Minimising muscle loss and strength deficits are important rehabilitation goals set in your physiotherapy programme.
When sports injuries prevent participation in training and game time for an extended period of time, maintaining cardiovascular endurance is important. Exercises like stationary cycling, pool exercises or gentle exercise may be recommended. The keys to maximising recovery are performing exercises that minimise aggravation, maintaining good form and proper technique, and strengthening local, regional and central muscles groups.
- Recover Your Function
The last step in rehabilitation is recovering sport-specific function and return to play. This phase of injury rehabilitation can include restoring coordination and balance, improving speed, agility, and sport-specific skills progressing from simple to complex.
Principles of Rehabilitation
Principles direct the discharge of rehabilitation care. These principles guide the rehabilitation professional in developing the plan of care for the individual undergoing rehabilitation.[2][4] Also, rehabilitation principles need to be understood by all rehabilitation team members to obtain desirable outcomes in the process of rehabilitation. The following principles guide rehabilitation;
Promote Adaptation
The challenges that accompany impairments and loss of function are often overwhelming for the patient and often include physical, social and emotional challenges.[2] Due to this, to obtain desired results in rehabilitation, there must be an understanding of the overall individual’s condition. This understanding must be channelled to support, encourage and build strength and resourcefulness.[2] It is also essential for rehabilitation practitioners to understand that total recovery may not always be the end goal for rehabilitation for many individuals, but rather to maximise function. Therefore, they must know that rehabilitation helps individuals adjust to challenging health conditions and not only “recover” from them.[2] The term “recovery,” often gets misunderstood by the individual as different from what a health professional may intend.[5] Therefore, the use of “adaptation” may create more realistic suggestions to the individual to enable them to cope and make adjustments with alterations, which have occurred following a health condition especially conditions that involve making lifelong changes.
Indeed, reduction in activity, limitations and increase in community participation and reintegration occurs with rehabilitation, yet, creating a sense of adaptation in the patient increases their level of self-confidence and improves their acceptance of their self-image and adjustment to roles following health challenges.[6]
Emphasise Abilities
Rehabilitation emphasises an optimistic perspective for individuals who have undergone different health challenges based on life-altering conditions.[2] Therefore, rehabilitation focuses not on what is lost but what can be regained and achieved through mutual goal-setting by the rehabilitation professional and the individual.[7]
Treat the Whole Person
A foundation principle in rehabilitation is a holistic approach to treatment.[8] It has to be remembered at all times that an individual is being treated and not the disease. This means that an individual’s preferences, background, culture, religious beliefs, social support, physical abilities, developmental stages, psychology must be considered as plans of care are being developed by the rehabilitation team members.
Time
The impact of time on rehabilitation has been widely studied from the best period to commence rehabilitation to the duration necessary for rehabilitation to achieve the greatest benefits. [10][11] Broadly time is important in rehabilitation. Early commencement of rehabilitation can reduce the risk of readmission for certain conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases [12], improve motor function in spinal cord injury [13] and stroke and so on.
Educate
Rehabilitation is not a magic pill, and education is the vital aspect of the rehabilitation process throughout all stages that ensure the individual and their support structures have a good understanding of what is going on, in order to set realistic expectations and set SMART goals.[14] Education of the individual in rehabilitation enables that person to assume responsibility for their health, promotes patient-centred care, and promotes the greatest level of independence in activities and involvement in rehabilitation plans.
People Centred Care
An approach to care that consciously adopts individuals, caregivers, families and communities perspectives as participants in and beneficiaries of trusted health systems that are organised around the comprehensive needs of people rather than individual diseases and respects social preferences. People-centred care also requires that patients have the education and support they need to make decisions and participate in their own care and that caregivers are able to attain maximal function within a supportive working environment. People-centred care is broader than patient and person-centred care, encompassing not only clinical encounters but also including attention to the health of people in their communities and their crucial role in shaping health policy and health services.
Question no 3
What type of resources or tools are available to the teachers for born? family and community involvement in our rehabilitation programs?
“” Community Resources are assets in a community that help meet certain needs for those around them. These assets can be people, places or structures, and community services””” . These resources can be essential in developing skills post-discharge by helping the client diversify their range of outlets of support, expression and natural self-development.
Taking students on field trips or using other community resources in their classes is not new idea for teachers.. Often, however, these experiences are thought to be frills or rewards that compete with instructional time in the classroom. Curriculum reform in science and mathematics calls for a new look at using community resources. The national standards in science and mathematics suggest that good programs require access to the world beyond the classroom so that students will see the relevance and usefulness of science and mathematics both in and out of school. Changing the educational experiences of children by moving beyond the classroom walls can diversify the array of learning opportunities and connect school lessons with daily life and real problems.
Away from the structure of the classroom, many characteristics of constructivism, a key idea in the current reforms, clearly emerge. For example, imagine the interactions that occur as a small group of students experiments with an interactive museum exhibit. They talk about what they see and what they know, relating what they are doing in the museum to what they have learned in and out of class. They experience, create, and solve problems together. Social discourse and direct experience help them construct an understanding of the phenomenon. The exhibit puts constructivism in action.
Teachers always face the task of pulling together the diverse understandings their students bring to the classroom. The use of community resources provides a shared memory for the class. For example, going on a field trip is only part of the total experience. As students and teachers talk about the trip and think about it after it is over, they are building shared understanding. The event. becomes part of the common knowledge of the class and can be referred to in subsequent lessons. What was learned is, thus, reinforced and extended in later discussions as the teacher refers to field observations.
Teachers can effectively develop interdisciplinary units with their students outside of the classroom. The world is not made up of discrete disciplines. Students working on a city street, for example, could be doing social studies (e.g., making a survey of how a building is used today and how it has been used over the years), language arts (e.g., writing a short story about the building), mathematics (e.g., devising ways to measure the height of the building), and science (e.g., observing the materials used in the building for signs of weathering). Subject matter barriers dissolve as children learn from their environment.
Community Resources
Read about the types of community resources, how children are introduced to them and find tips and teacher-made materials to cover the topic in primary school.
What are Community Resources?
The term ‘community resources’ covers a wide range of things that’s potentially helping the community. This could be anything as long as it provides assistance or a service to the members of the local area. To put it simply, community resources include people, places, activities and things. They could be businesses, organizations, public service institutions or individuals in the community. Community resources can also be funded in a variety of ways. They can be run by completely non-profit groups or by the government, businesses or just one person. While traditionally these resources meant specific support groups, charitable organisations or different outreach groups, nowadays, they refer to a wider set of things
. The list of types of community resources are also endless.
There are of course more established and more commonly known ones that anyone could name from the top of their head. But as long as something is supporting a community, a smaller group of it or even one single individual, that thing or person counts as part of community resources.
What are the types of community resources?
As mentioned before, it’s not easy to gather all types of community resources since they form quite a wide group. However, it’s a good start to look at the differentiation of people, places, and services. These can be seen as the main types of community resources with many smaller groups and individuals within them.
Here are some examples of these to give you a general idea about community resources.
People
- teacher;
- postal worker;
- firefighter;
- florist;
- doctor;
- priest;
- mechanic;
- vet;
- police officer;
Places
- place of worship;
- butcher shop;
- bakery;
- flower shop;
- grocery store;
- post office;
- GP;
- gym;
- playground;
- train station;
- zoo;
- museum;
- library;
- cinema;
- theatre;
Services
- physical and mental health services;
- youth services;
- substance abuse services;
- religious services;
- financial services;
- entertainment services.
Have your children come up with examples from their everyday routines using this My Community Worksheet. Or take things one step further and challenge your class to think about their dream community with types of community resources. Download this colourful Ideal Community Worksheet.
teach children about community resources?
When teaching young children about community, resources and helpers, it’s important to build on their existing knowledge. They might get intimidated by the term ‘community resource’, so why not approach the topic from another angle? Ask your class if they can name any people, places or things from their local area that helps someone on a regular basis. They can try to come up with a list of their ideas individually or in smaller groups to reinforce team work. Have them start their thinking process from themselves before looking for other examples from their broader surroundings.
Once the pupils have finished with their lists start a discussion within the class. To make the lesson more interactive, you can turn the activity into a fun debating session. Before asking for examples, hand out empty cards or papers to the young ones. They can write their ideas onto these, then go up to the blackboard and stick them on. Once everyone contributed to the board, let the debate begin. Go through each and every idea and see what the majority thinks; is it a type of community resources or not? Make sure to also ask the children why they think one or the other.
Having a fun conversation like this about the topic will reinforce the main features of community resources in the children. And once they have a general understanding of the subject, you can use various teacher-made resources to talk more about the topic and to have your class practice it. It’s important that children from a young age realise what others are doing for them so that they can fully appreciate their service, devotion, time and hard work.
Question no 4
What are the benefits of community awareness? Write down any two strategies for community awareness?
Definition
“” Community Awareness is generally defined as knowledge created through interaction between community people and its environment, a setting bounded in space and time.””
Community awareness Community Awareness is generally defined as knowledge created through interaction between community people and its environment, a setting bounded in space and time. It involves states of knowledge as well as dynamic process of perception and action. It is the knowledge that must be maintained and kept updated to complete some tasks in the environment. Community Awareness generation is considered as core element of successful disaster risk reduction.
COMMUNITY AWARENESS
The community awareness generation should be based on the following broad principles An ideal campaign has to be sustained over time to foster changes in social and behavioral norms.
Benefits
Awareness rising is a complex task with results hard to predict. Although it is very difficult to measure the effectiveness of awareness raising campaigns as there are few outcome indicators, frequently conducted qualitative and quantitative surveys can provide valuable insights. A 2011 survey among individuals of 12 EU countries showed that on average 49% felt informed about the causes of climate change (n=13091) which is 6% less than the same survey in 2009 illustrated, driven by an increase in the number of people who claimed to feel ”not at all informed” (from 9% to 15%). Less than half of the respondents (46%) felt informed about the ways to deal with climate change (including adaptation) which is 5% less than the same survey in 2009. The report concludes that ‘in general, one can observe a decrease in the level of self-perceived awareness about climate change among respondents of the 12 Member States surveyed.’
- Promotes sense of belongingness.
- Better health and well-being.
- Set goals and improve skills.
- Gives purpose and sense of contribution.
- Adapt and develop new skills.
- Acceptance and recognition.
- Increases social networks.
- Enhances social support.
- Involvement in projects that can benefit the community.
- Opportunities for making an income.
- Improved skills and lives.
No direct benefits though may be indirect consequences.
Self-help options help to establish resilient communities. Regional and local leaders are usually more credible than national equivalents. Option may be efficient, leading to reduction of property damage at relatively low investment costs.
Wear It
Clothing and accessories such as t-shirts, caps, rubber or silicone wristbands, and button pins are among the most common items you can use to display your support for a cause. Bright colors are effective in catching one’s attention, as do bold, solid fonts. If you’re planning to make your own merchandise, try going for a balance of witty and daring statements to tickle the imagination.
Raise Funds
Non-profits need money to keep going, so why not help your pet organization by raising funds for them? You can organize bake sales or garage sales, mini concerts, or a fun run, or start a crowdfunding campaign. There are so many options for raising funds these days; all you need is the right motivation and a little creativity.
Donate
Do you feel like you don’t have the necessary skills to conduct a fundraising activity? Don’t worry – you can always choose to donate. Some organizations give you the option of making a one-time donation or contributing a specific amount of money for a number of months. And don’t think that donations are limited to cash – you can donate stocks, vehicles, ingredients (for soup kitchens, for example), clothes, and more. Check with the organization on the types of donations they accept.
Volunteer and Participate
If you have the time, volunteer for your cause or participate in events. You can join medical missions in and out of your city or state, for example, or purchase items from your non-profit during a bazaar. Sign up as part of the organizing committee if you feel like you can’t helm an event on your own.
Talk About It Online
Social media is a powerful tool for spreading awareness. You can easily find like-minded individuals through forums, Facebook groups, and Twitter hashtags, to name a few, and start a healthy conversation with them. You can even connect with people from overseas to create an even wider network of advocates.
Tech developments also allow people to discuss ideas and information on different platforms. You can host a live video Q&A, conduct surveys, and create different materials like animated GIFs to further grab your audience’s attention and let them know more about your cause.
Research
A well-informed advocate is the best kind. You can answer questions from interested parties, debunk myths from naysayers, and further educate your fellow supporters. A wealth of information is available both online and offline. Just remember to verify the credibility of your sources so that you’re always equipped with the correct information.
Recruit
Like-minded persons in your social circle may be interested in forming or joining a group that supports your cause. You can talk to them and keep them informed of the activities and campaigns where they can help out. You can also discuss your advocacies with friends and family members so that they can understand it better. The more people who know about and support your cause, the more it’s going to grow and be able to further its mission. You can even use your online network to reach and inform even more people.
Start a Social Media Campaign
For the playful, creative types – why not start a campaign that grows through engagement? Remember the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge? Take inspiration from this viral campaign that’s as informative as it is fun. This particular campaign has been effective not only in raising awareness but also in generating funds for ALS research.
It doesn’t have to be as far-reaching, but it should be relevant to your cause. You can’t start an awareness campaign by focusing on just the fun part and forgetting about what your cause is really about.
Talk to Your Government Officials
Do you need further support and influence? Approach your government officials and ask if they can be part of your advocacy, too. Your local leaders and representatives are prime examples. They don’t even have to sign up as members, though that’s certainly a plus. As long as they understand your advocacy and why it’s worth supporting, then they can aid your campaign. They can help you gain connection to relevant institutions that can promote your organization and provide additional funding
Question no 5
How life-centered career education equips students with essential competencies needed for their successful adult adjustment in the society?
While in years past, a solid acquisition of the “three Rs” (reading, writing, and arithmetic) and mastery in the core academic subjects may have been the measure of attainment, the world of the 21st century requires a radically different orientation. To participate effectively in the increasingly complex societies and globalized economy that characterize today’s world, students need to think critically, communicate effectively, collaborate with diverse peers, solve complex problems, adopt a global mindset, and engage with information and communications technologies, to name but just a few requirements. The new report from Brookings, “Education system alignment for 21st century skills: Focus on assessment,” illuminates this imperative in depth.Recognizing that traditional education systems have generally not been preparing learners to face such challenges, the global education community has increasingly talked about and mobilized in favor of the changes required. This has resulted in a suite of initiatives and research around the broad area of “21st century skills,” which culminated most notably with the adoption of Sustainable Development Goal 4 and the Education 2030 agenda, including Target 4.7, which commits countries to ensure that learners acquire knowledge and skills in areas such as sustainable development, human rights, gender equality, global citizenship, and others.
In this landscape, Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has a core mandate of improving equity and learning by strengthening education systems. GPE supports developing countries, many of which are affected by fragility and conflict, to develop and implement robust education sector plans. Depending on the country, GPE implementation grants support a broad range of activities including teacher training, textbook provision, interventions to promote girls’ education, incentives for marginalized groups, the strengthening of data and learning assessment systems, early childhood education, and many other areas.
This work is buttressed by thematic work at the global level, including in the area of learning assessment. The strengthening of learning assessment systems is a strategic priority for GPE because of its relevance to both improving learning outcomes and ensuring effective and efficient education systems, which are two of the three key goals of the GPE strategic plan for the 2016-2020 period. The work on learning assessment includes the Assessment for Learning (A4L) initiative, which aims to strengthen learning assessment systems and to promote a holistic measurement of learning.
What does it mean to be a successful learner or graduate in today’s world? While in years past, a solid acquisition of the “three Rs” (reading, writing, and arithmetic) and mastery in the core academic subjects may have been the measure of attainment, the world of the 21st century requires a radically different orientation. To participate effectively in the increasingly complex societies and globalized economy that characterize today’s world, students need to think critically, communicate effectively, collaborate with diverse peers, solve complex problems, adopt a global mindset, and engage with information and communications technologies, to name but just a few requirements. The new report from Brookings, “Education system alignment for 21st century skills: Focus on assessment,” illuminates this imperative in depth.
Recognizing that traditional education systems have generally not been preparing learners to face such challenges, the global education community has increasingly talked about and mobilized in favor of the changes required. This has resulted in a suite of initiatives and research around the broad area of “21st century skills,” which culminated most notably with the adoption of Sustainable Development Goal 4 and the Education 2030 agenda, including Target 4.7, which commits countries to ensure that learners acquire knowledge and skills in areas such as sustainable development, human rights, gender equality, global citizenship, and others.
In this landscape, Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has a core mandate of improving equity and learning by strengthening education systems. GPE supports developing countries, many of which are affected by fragility and conflict, to develop and implement robust education sector plans. Depending on the country, GPE implementation grants support a broad range of activities including teacher training, textbook provision, interventions to promote girls’ education, incentives for marginalized groups, the strengthening of data and learning assessment systems, early childhood education, and many other areas.
This work is buttressed by thematic work at the global level, including in the area of learning assessment. The strengthening of learning assessment systems is a strategic priority for GPE because of its relevance to both improving learning outcomes and ensuring effective and efficient education systems, which are two of the three key goals of the GPE strategic plan for the 2016-2020 period. The work on learning assessment includes the Assessment for Learning (A4L) initiative, which aims to strengthen learning assessment systems and to promote a holistic measurement of learning:
“21st century skills are tools that can be universally applied to enhance ways of thinking, learning, working and living in the world. The skills include critical thinking/reasoning, creativity/creative thinking, problem solving, metacognition, collaboration, communication and global citizenship. 21st century skills also include literacies such as reading literacy, writing literacy, numeracy, information literacy, ICT [information and communications technologies] digital literacy, communication and can be described broadly as learning domains.”
Comprehensive
All-in-one curriculum with instruction, assessment, and reporting
Includes lesson plans in daily living, interpersonal, and employment skills
Reaches beyond academics to functional life skills for independence
Provides opportunities for family involvement and community service
Accessible
Available anytime, anywhere – entirely online, with a secure portal
Lesson plans are presented at three levels of difficulty
Offers tips for differentiating instruction, one-one, or in groups
Includes links to relevant Internet activities promoting interaction
Widely Applicable
Content spans a wide range of skill, age, interest, and involvement levels
Amenable to integrated settings: self-contained and pull-out programs
Subscribers include parents, teachers, counselors, agencies, and employers
Used in middle and high schools; post-secondary and higher education programs
Cyber, charter, and private schools; residential facilities
three types of assessment instruments to measure degree of skill attainment and target instruction accordingly. They can be used alone or together depending on reading level of individual students and amount of improvement data required by the setting.
Competency Rating Scale – behavioral checklist, qualitative
An inventory completed by teachers and/or parents based on their judgment of student mastery on each LCE sub-competency.
Knowledge Battery – multiple-choice items, quantitative
A set of written test items that students complete either online or on paper. An audio option is available for each test item.
Performance Battery – rating scale of observed performance, qualitative
Consists of scenarios that teachers arrange and judge regarding amount of student skill acquisition. Involves students in role-plays, card sorts, etc.
