[cbp][cbp_widget_row fullwidth=”1″ type=”cbp_widget_row” custom_css_classes=”ch-content ch-content-top” css_class=”” padding=”” use_bg_color=”0″ bg_color=”#fff” bg_image=”” use_parallax=”0″ speed_factor=”0.5″ wrap=”1″][cbp_widget_box width=”one-whole” type=”cbp_widget_box”][cbp_widget_element type=”cbp_widget_text” display_description=”” custom_css_classes=”” css_class=”” padding=”” title=”Meet the TdiverS project team” title_size=”h2″ title_link_to=”” title_open_in_new_window=”0″ use_bg_color=”0″ bg_color=”#fff” align_class=”align-left”] [/cbp_widget_element][/cbp_widget_box][cbp_widget_box width=”one-half” type=”cbp_widget_box”][cbp_widget_element type=”chp_widget_team_member” css_class=”” img_src=”535|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Stefania.png|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Stefania.png|full” image_is_circle=”1″ name=”Stefanija Alisauskiene” link=”https://www.tdivers.eu/stefanija-alisauskiene/” job_title=”” number_of_characters=”200″]

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities consolidated children rights, equal opportunities, and social justice as the main principles of educational system. Implementation of these principles supported the main changes in educational policy and practice, also research and education of teachers. The ‘train’ of inclusive education is already on the railing! Most of the schools have a clear vision, infrastructure, leadership needed for developing inclusive school.  But the main things happen in a classroom. I hope that the Project will create a lot of opportunities to see, to share, to support and to learn from each other about inclusive pedagogy in a classroom.

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Every support to promote inclusive education is welcome. Analyzing and sharing goods practices can be a great initiative on this regard.

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Since 1974, the development in the Icelandic school system has been towards inclusion. The policy was clearly established and defined in the National curriculum from 2011, following the Act on compulsory education from 2008.

Attitudes and values in the initial teacher training are important for the development of inclusive practice. In the teacher education program at the University of Iceland, School of Education, I work to introduce strategies for inclusive practice in the courses I teach as well as in collaboration with the vocational teachers. My focus in preparing the teacher learners for teaching diverse groups of students is based on the statements and policies of UNESCO, as well as the local Icelandic policy environment. The TdiverS project will be useful for me in working with teacher learners in their practicum in collaboration with their reception teachers, to show them good examples of how inclusion can work in praxis.

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The Un-Convention of the rights of people with disabilities has a huge effect on the debate about developing an inclusive educational system in Germany. The long history of a tri-apartheid-system (separation into 3 school-tracks related to the cognitive-learning-level or into the more than 9 different kinds of special schools of at least 5 % of all pupils) beginning with the 5th grade, leaded into a deep concept of teaching addressing homogenous learning-groups. Big changes in primary schools, related to the growth of diversity, can be recognized over the last centuries. But still many teachers are not prepared to individualize curricula, learning programs and adapt their own teaching related to the diverse needs of all pupils. The project T-DiverS should help developing material and knowledge about how to address diversity in teaching, especially in subjects, usable as a facilitator for teachers and teacher trainers.

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Among important elements in developing inclusive practice are the beliefs and values that teachers hold in regard to the project of inclusion. My hopes for the TdiverS project are that it will contribute to and strengthen teachers understanding of inclusion and of how, through diverse creative and innovative ways, they can organize their practice to accommodate to all learners.

[/cbp_widget_element][cbp_widget_element type=”chp_widget_team_member” css_class=”” img_src=”376|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Persson_Elisabeth_110.gif|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Persson_Elisabeth_110.gif|full” image_is_circle=”1″ name=”Elisabeth Persson” link=”https://www.tdivers.eu/elisabeth-persson/” job_title=”” number_of_characters=”200″]

I hope that this project will give me and my colleagues impulses and knowledge in the didactic field that ultimately we can use in different professional contexts, not least teacher education.

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To be useful for inclusive education!

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[cbp_widget_element type=”chp_widget_team_member” css_class=”” img_src=”370|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/schwartz.png|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/schwartz.png|full” image_is_circle=”1″ name=”Anneli Schwartz” link=”https://www.tdivers.eu/anneli-schwartz/” job_title=”” number_of_characters=”200″]

 

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[cbp_widget_element type=”chp_widget_team_member” css_class=”” img_src=”313|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/tiemann.jpg|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/tiemann.jpg|full” image_is_circle=”1″ name=”Heike Tiemann” link=”https://www.tdivers.eu/heike-tiemann/” job_title=”” number_of_characters=”200″]

The project T-DiverS is working on a much-needed platform for professionals engaged in the field of inclusive education. Contributing to overcome the gap between theory and practice one of the unique features of the project is the consideration of different school subjects that can be characterised very differently. The project therefore aims to establish common concepts for training teachers in inclusive education as well as knowledge regarding specific subjects.

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[/cbp_widget_box][cbp_widget_box width=”one-half” type=”cbp_widget_box”][cbp_widget_element type=”chp_widget_team_member” css_class=”” img_src=”530|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Michelle.png|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Michelle.png|full” image_is_circle=”1″ name=”Michelle Brendel” link=”https://www.tdivers.eu/michelle-brendel/” job_title=”” number_of_characters=”200″]

Deeply convinced that every child has the right to belong to the community, I am devoted to the principles of inclusive education. My teaching and research activities start out from the assumption that students’ cultural resources are a key to develop inclusion of all children, in a culture of belonging. The cooperation with colleagues from different countries in the TdiverS-project is an opportunity to revisit one’s practice and context in order to think about obstacles to change, about what might be opportunities to overcome them, and develop inclusive education in European schools.

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Theories of mainstreaming, integration, inclusion and school for all have affected the educational policies in Iceland for more than a century. In the educational law from 2008 and the national curriculum 2011 it is made clear that education in Iceland should build on social justice, democracy, human rights and full participation of all in an inclusive school. Inclusive education is a process, a process of increasing participation of all students and decreasing exclusion in the comprehensive school. To make this process effective there is a need to create inclusive practices and pedagogy that builds on social justice, democracy, human rights and equity. My hope for the project T-DiverS is that we will study inclusive schools that use inclusive pedagogy addressing diversity in their practice. In so doing, that we are able to capture the inclusive pedagogy these schools practice and from there we can develop knowledge and understanding of inclusive practices, collect examples of inclusion, inclusive practices and inclusive pedagogy, and create material that describes this and can be in use for us and others. I hope that with such material and examples we will be able to inform, introduce and enlighten student teachers, teachers, administrators and policy makers on inclusive pedagogy and practice.

[/cbp_widget_element][cbp_widget_element type=”chp_widget_team_member” css_class=”” img_src=”369|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/meliene.png|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/meliene.png|full” image_is_circle=”1″ name=”Rita Meliene” link=”https://www.tdivers.eu/649-2/” job_title=”” number_of_characters=”200″]

The main expectation towards project outcomes is to gather best experience of teaching divers learners in inclusive settings and to create a material for university students who are seeking to become a special pedagogues.

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Appropriate initial and in-service training of teachers and other professionals is considered a key factor for successful inclusive practices. I see this project as a good opportunity to decrease a gap between theory and practice, to share experiences with inclusive education and teacher education in different countries, gain new perspectives, create common knowledge and learning material for teachers in order to foster professional development on all levels of teacher education, enhance teachers’ pedagogical skills and ability to teach diverse learners in inclusive classes.

[/cbp_widget_element][cbp_widget_element type=”chp_widget_team_member” css_class=”” img_src=”372|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/plath.jpg|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/plath.jpg|full” image_is_circle=”1″ name=”Markus Plath” link=”https://www.tdivers.eu/markus-plath” job_title=”” number_of_characters=”200″]

Since 5 years I have been a teacher at the Geschwister Scholl School in Tübingen. I teach physical education, technology, and EWG (geography/economics/civics).
The Geschwister-Scholl-Schule is a composite of a Gymnasium and a Gemeinschaftsschule with grades 5-10.

Together with my colleague Ulrike Bau, I have accompanied our class for three and a half years as a form teacher. Our 8th grade class is a very heterogeneous group, 21 children with various needs- some with special needs. So, we practice lifelong learning from each other: pupils, teachers, parents, head teachers, special school teachers, school assistants, …
Every child should have the opportunity to be recognized as an equal member of our society. Schools play an important role in realizing this. Inclusion may be societally desired and politically decided, yet the implementation often rests on teachers left without support they need. How must we shape our school to ensure that all children can participate fully?

 

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The TdiverS project enables collection of inspiring examples of inclusive school practices in six countries across Europe—Germany, Iceland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Spain, and Sweden—that vary considerably in school structures and cultures. The cross-cultural comparison of the conditions and principles of inclusive education promises to enhance our understanding of barriers and facilitators of reforms. Among the core values relating to teaching and learning as the basis for inclusive education, we emphasize valuing learner diversity and supporting all learners. The TdiverS project allows us to gain deeper understandings of the complex conditions inherent in the differing contexts for teaching diverse learners in these countries.

[/cbp_widget_element][cbp_widget_element type=”chp_widget_team_member” css_class=”” img_src=”368|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/marta.png|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/marta.png|full” image_is_circle=”1″ name=”Marta Sandoval” link=”https://www.tdivers.eu/marta-sandoval/” job_title=”” number_of_characters=”200″]

The motivation for undertaking this challenging project with diverse people from different universities is mainly my belief only from different approaches is built on education inclusive. I am convinced that our project can have a direct impact on the everyday life of teachers in order to show them diverse methodologies and new ways to teach for all.

[/cbp_widget_element][cbp_widget_element type=”chp_widget_team_member” css_class=”” img_src=”373|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/cecilia.png|https://www.tdivers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/cecilia.png|full” image_is_circle=”1″ name=”Cecilia Simón” link=”https://www.tdivers.eu/cecilia-simon/” job_title=”” number_of_characters=”200″]

This project can make a contribution in terms of moving towards the inclusive education horizon, thanks to collaborative work among universities and schools of different countries. It is a great opportunity to share specific practices in this direction, among other things, to promote reflection on teaching practice. The evidence collected may be valuable material not only for teachers but also for all the educational community.

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