OVERCOMING OBSTACLES, CREATING OPPORTUNITIES

Teacher: Denise Rossmann Dominiske
School: E. M. Leonor Mendes de Barros
City: Itanhaém - SP
Country: Brasil
Project: Information Technology without Barriers: "Technology within Everyone's Reach"

Digital inclusion is a recurring theme when discussing the use of technology. It is important because it promotes the democratization of information, creates new opportunities and improves the living conditions of the community.

But there is another type of inclusion that deserves some attention: the inclusion of people with special education needs in the universe of technology.

That’s what Denise Dominiske did with her students at the Leonor Mendes de Barros School in Itanhaém on the coast of Sao Paulo. She started to use technology as an important aid in teaching students between the ages of 15 and 30 to read and write in her special education class for mentally handicapped students.

The classes using the Learning Panels were an important source of motivation for students. For the teacher, the colorful atmosphere in the classrooms equipped with the Learning Panels contributed to this desire to learn. They participated in many different activities. With the Alphabet Learning Panel students were able to work with letters in a fun environment and to make nametags with their names and photographs. According to Denise, this activity played an important role in developing the students’ self-esteem.

Another benefit observed was the success of the group work. They started to interact, cooperate and get along better with each other.

Families were invited to visit the school. The students were responsible for presenting the classrooms and explaining the projects. Family members were then able to discover a potential that until then was unknown in the students. And the students celebrated the fact that they were able to overcome one more obstacle in their lives.