- DAFFODIL project www.daffodilproject.org

Dynamic Assessment of Functioning and Oriented at Development and Inclusive Learning
A Comenius multilateral project - 142084-2008-LLP-BE-COMENIUS-CMP

Summer Course DAFFODIL - Innovative Assessment of Functioning Oriented at Development and Inclusive Learning Evora (PT) 5-11 September 2010

Venue

Universidade de Evora/ CIEP
Colégio Luís António Verney

Rua Romão Ramalho, nº 59
7000-671 Evora
Portugal

Purpose

Inclusive education requires new evaluation and assessment practices, which probe more into a child’s capacity and potential, look at optimal conditions, have an outlook on a child’s modifiability (i.e what it is not yet learning what it would be able to learn with proper mediation), its cognitive functioning, motivational and learning context (teachers- parents – peers) , its specific educational needs and how to modify the child towards more effective learning. Assessment and learning are part of the same process. The result of assessment should not be a list of deficiencies, but a detailed list of recommendations what can be done to facilitate learning. Also teachers are in need to be coached towards a more optimistic outlook.

In recent years, new approaches in the domain of assessment and coaching have been developped. During the past two years, the Daffodil project has gathered groundbreaking and evidence-based approaches, which will be brought together and introduced in this 1 week seminar.

Target Group

Educational Psychologists, SEN Teachers, Counsellors & Career Advisors, Policy Makers, Therapists working in assessment, working with children & adolescents with special educational needs

Course Objectives

1. development of insight and vision: understand how the way assessment is done favours or inhibits inclusion
2. insight: familiarize the participant with a new paradigm of contextual, needs- based, assessment looking at a child’s potential
3. knowledge: introduce participants to some of the innovative assessment systems which are dynamic, interactive, contextual and processual
4. attitude: learn to “think contextually” when you do assessment: how a child functions in relation to his environment; evaluating also the educational context while evaluating a child
5. insight: learn to design assessment plans oriented at maximalizing activities and participation in inclusive education

Beginning Competencies

1. basic knowledge about child development
2. basic knowledge about content and methods of classic school psychological testing
3. basic knowledge about SEN
4. basic understanding about the social model of disability
5. basic knowledge about social-constructive models of intelligence
6. basic knowledge about inclusive education

Obligatory reading:

Daffodil project documents on website: www.daffodilproject.org

Birta-Szekely N e.a. Assessment re-assessed: Current Assessment Practice: weaknesses, strengths and needs” Cluj-Napoca Report, 2009

Bohács K e.a. Daffodil Partners Group, Good Practices in dynamic and Contextual Assessment of Children with Special Needs, Szeged, 2009

Lebeer J & János R(Eds) (2005) Special Issue on Dynamic Assessment, Erdélyi Pszichológiai Szemle (Transsylvanian Journal of Psychology). Articles by Tzuriel, Feuerstein, Lidz, Garbo, Deutsch e.a. . Download at www.daffodilproject.org

European Agency for Development of special Needs Education (2008), Processo de Avaliação em Contextos Inclusivos, [Assessment in Inclusive Settings] Odense (DK): http://www.european-agency.org/publications/ereports/assessment-in-inclusive-settings-key-issues-for-policy-and-practice/assessment-in-inclusive-settings-key-issues-for-policy-and-practice/?searchterm=assessment%20in%20inclusive%20settings

Recommended reading:

Stephen J. Gould (1996) The mismeasure of Man, New York: Norton

Reuven Feuerstein e.a. (2002) The Dynamic Assessment of Cognitive Modifiability, Jerusalem: ICELP Press

Haywood C & CS Lidz (2006) Dynamic Assessment in Practice: Clinical and Educational Applications, Cambridge CUP

Lebeer J (Ed.) Inclues, clues to inclusive & cognitive education, Antwerpen: Garant (incl DVD)

Booth T & Ainscow M (2002) Index for Inclusion. Bristol: Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education

Candeias AA (2005) Crianças Diferentes, Évora: UE/PRODEP http://www.ciep.uevora.pt/publicacoes/documentos/criancas_diferentes.pdf

Outcome competencies

After the course, the participant will :

1. be able to critically evaluate his/her own practice regarding assessment, whether it hinders of favours inclusion
2. be able to critically evaluate the goals of assessment, and the use of methods in function of its goals; be able to decide when to use and not to use psychometric methods and when to use alternatives
3. have some introductory knowledge about dynamic, interactive, functional, contextual inclusive assessment systems; know about different approaches, be able to critically compare and evaluate these methods
4. know what functional, needs-based assessment is
5. know and apply basic principles of coaching towards inclusion
6. understand the basics of the model of ICF to plan educational interventions
7. be able to plan a functional, needs-based, child assessment

Accreditation

National Bureau of Teacher Training Portugal: FOCO/University of Evora, certificate 2 ECTS credits after portfolio evaluation

Portfolio examination: every participant will write a case study with assessment report based on the Daffodil criteria. Portfolio evaluation will be done according to criteria of completeness and quality of materials.

Programme

Practical information & registration

ciep@uevora.pt
Dra. Catarina Dias cdias@uevora.pt Tel. +351 266 768050

Registration is now closed.

Course Fee

400 euro (including coffee breaks, lunch and documentation)

Accomodation and Meals

Lunches are provided…

Evening meals: on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: everyone takes care of himself

On Sunday evening: Welcome reception

Hotel reservation: evora@topatlantico.com Tel +3512667469070

Possibility to obtain a Comenius/ Grundtvig Stipendium

1. All professionals working in the context of school or adult education and living outside Portugal, are entitled to apply to their National Life Long Learning European Agency a financial stipendium to cover course fees, travel and accommodation costs. Deadline for application is April 1^st 2010. Please request a preliminary letter of acceptance to Dra. Catarina Dias cdias@uevora.pt Tel. +351 266 768050. Ask your National LLL – Life Long Learning Agency (Addresses of the NA’s can be found on: http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/llp/national_en.html) for the necessary forms. The reference number of the course in the Grundtvig/comenius database is BE-2010-127-001. Go to http://ec.europa.eu/education/trainingdatabase/search.cfm to find out more.