Competence in guide and special pedagogy

 Iiris Happo who is special teacher and principal lecturer in OAMK gave us assignments to watch  three YouTube videos and write down or orally explain about meaning of welfare and special supports perspective of learning. Here I share with readers about my opinions. There were watchable assignments to have own reflection was divided by two main topics.

1.Student welfare service and student well-being 

1) Experiences About Accessibility and Inclusion (Kokemuksia esteettömyydestä ja saavutettavuudesta)

 https://youtu.be/9CTjuCthd9Y 

There were two main interviewers to explain about experiences about accessibility and inclusion according to their life experiences. First of all, Anna-Reeta Pakarinen's interviews reminds me that what is accessibility. Accessibility should be included variety of student welfare, special needs and support, pedagogical arrangements. If I talk about accessibility in education, accessibility can be considered in perspectives such as pedagogically, physically, psychological/mental, social cultural and attitude relevantly. 

1)  Electrical engineering study: It was unfortunately missed to get pedagogical arrangements, special needs and support while learning and when assessment time. Because she could not get any alternative choices to participate in exam in oral although she required to do or different examination ways to be assessed her learning skills. Teacher did not either acknowledged properly or accepted way to exam according to her Asperger diagnosis. Asperger diagnosis tells that her overwhelm sensitivities of sounds, smells, lights, way of thinking etc can influences to participate in group works and social tasks during studies. 

2) Practical nursing study: It is controversially successful case study of her as Asperger diagnosed person. Although doctor underestimated her vocational skills because of her diagnosis, she graduated as practical nurse as she dreamed to have practical nurse occupation. How it was possible? Highly motivated attitude gave strong motivations. Great social cultural relationship between alumni and vocational school's pedagogical arrangements were meaningful to help her all the time from the beginning of study to complete studies.

Piia Jolla's interviews explained her experiences not to have elevator in high school because of too expensive cost issue in the high school although she had to use wheelchair. When she studied to be a physical education instructor in the university, the guidance counselor said study programme was meant for walkers. When they had to throwing hammer as athletic course, she had to throw children's hammer to show teacher she can throw hammer and move wheelchair at the same time. She had to just watch others at the end while others are doing. It shows her excluded situation to learn in classroom in many times. Learning environments in school such as elevator, proper equipment, teacher's assistance pedagogically, acknowledgements of wheelchair using students welfare teacher were belonged to school and learning environments. However those were not organised according to her needs. It was discouraging her to study and participate in learning. Her friendly alumni and her learning motivation such as social and cultural accessibility, attitude related were extremely positive points to complete studies although accessibility in education were weak.  

2) 

Student Welfare in Vocational Education and Training (Opiskeluhuolto ammatillisessa koulutuksessa) https://youtu.be/zLChKoWZioU

Eero Talonen special teacher in OAMK taught topic on ' Student welfare in Vocational Education and Training ' via OAMK YouTube channel. According to his teaching, I have learnt that student has right to receive welfare service for free to learn for maintaining and improving for both psychological and social well being and physical health.

Eero Talonen mentioned student and student welfare law (opplias- ja opiskelijanhuoltolaki 2013 in Finnish) and The Finnish National Agency for Education defined purpose for students welfare and welfare plan. Function for student welfare is not only to prevent from student's significant learning difficulties but also to support whole community. According to his teaching, he mentioned about student welfare as a whole is to promote to good learning, good health, social well being by emphasizing on collective student welfare and individual student welfare. Individual welfare is connected to health services, social and supporting services, multidisciplinary expert group's service is necessary if needed. 

 Collective student welfare's goal is to consider all student's health, safety and accessibility of studying environments with certain aims to increase of student's learning opportunities, well being and participation.

 Staff in school are mainly in charge of student welfare because it is all student's right.  Educational institution is required to have a student welfare plan as whole workers in school and responsibility for well being of community. Vocational upper secondary qualification student is entitled for receiving service from doctor, nurse, social worker, and psychologist when health issue occur or worry about own health issues in accordance with confidentiality. 

He talked about example. For example nurse's monitor during study, school can ask for student or giardian for further municipal health service. 

Cooperation work is possible between school welfare and social worker and rehabilitation network. Network group to improve student's welfare can be vary and possible to organize voluntary upon student's agreement as well. He emphasized not to make too big group which can disturb to students. Students has right to discuss with psychologist and school's social worker The discussion should be organised within 7 working days upon request. Meeting should be organised same day or next school day when psychologist or social worker think that it is related to urgent matter with keeping confidentiality. 

My Reflection

: Eero Talonen special teacher's teaching was distinguished from collective student welfare and individual student welfare. I learnt how it is relevant each other. Safety plan, student welfare plan should be read before starting teaching practice. I kept in mind that student's oriented network meeting should be organised with expert group by caring about confidentiality, voluntary organizing network meeting with student's agreement.

2. Special support in education

Student’s Right to Special Support in Vocational Education (Opiskelijan oikeus erityiseen tukeen ammatillisessa koulutuksessa) https://youtu.be/hg1FvHKJflw

Eero Talonen special teacher in OAMK gave brief lecture about right for student to receive teaching and instruction, special support, how to recognize and implement special needs support in vocational school according to act Vocational Education and learning (clauses 61 and 64)  

 According to act Vocational Education and Learning clauses 61, student has right to receive teaching and guidance in different learning environments. He said that main purpose is for student to achieve professional requirements or qualifications where student participate in degree programme or training. Training organizer in VET has significant rule to set enough quantity of teaching according to student's needs. Student has right to receive personal study guidance. I learnt that student those who completed in basic qualification education has right to get further guidance for application to apply for advanced degree or guidance for career plan a year before completion of study.

According to act Vocational Education and Learning clauses 64, It was mentioned about special support in case of student's learning difficulty, disability, sickness and other reasons. Other reasons can be situation that student needs for long term and regular supporting assistance in order to complete professional qualification's requirements or competences and additionally situation that learning difficulties needs to figure out on the early stage. 

 Goal of providing special support is also one of reasons to promote student's rehabilitation independently by cooperation with rehabilitation providers in health care sector. Planned pedagogical support,special teaching and arrangements are essential according to student's goal and capabilities. For example, teacher can organize individual assessments of competences in basic vocational qualification with possibility to extend student's competences assessments according to student's goal and capabilities.  And when student is reached learning goals or competences goals, decision on special support needs can be dissolved. 

 Eero Talonen special teacher mentioned about special needs support processes at the end. 

Special needs support processes are

1. Recognition on needs of special needs support by teacher or student

2. Decision on special needs support with possibilities of acclimatization or deviation

3. Needed support and implementation should be written including type of support, implementation in personal competence development plan

4. Implementation on effectiveness of special needs supports for students

5. Regular check up on special needs support

Eero Talonen special teacher has mentioned although special support was good, it should be evaluated for better improvements as well. New learning environments, when student goes further education for new degree should be checked again student's special needs support in order to evaluate different type of needs. He lastly emphasized on importance especially on the stage of starting point of special needs support. 

he finalized with comments that 

"Support should be student oriented by fulfilling with student's goal and needs."

My reflection

:  It was condense teaching to know about special needs support processes when to involve in special needs supports, who and how can support students, when to change or finalize special needs support. And his teaching was good reminder to think about how to treat students while teaching. Learning on perspective of act Vocational Education and Learning was helpful to understand Finland's educational legislation. Student oriented, student's goal and needs always bear in mind for teacher in order to figure out how to implements customized special needs supports for students. 

References

https://youtu.be/9CTjuCthd9Y 

https://youtu.be/zLChKoWZioU

https://youtu.be/hg1FvHKJflw

Act Vocational Education and Learning

https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/2017/20170531#L7P61