Educational Robotics for People with Disabilities
As part of a study and training visit to Colombia, our CEO gave a training on robotics education in Cartagena. Educational robotics session from Karel Van [...]
News
Practices and Experiences of Supported Employment in Belgium (Flanders)
PhoenixKM presented the Practices and Experiences of Supported Employment in Belgium (Flanders) at the final conference of the Tools4SE project in Istanbul – Turkey, at İstanbul Medeniyet Üniversitesi. PhoenixKM’s CEO Karel Van Isacker also introduced to the audience an “Innovative holistic guidance model for integration of people with disabilities on the European Labour Market” as being created in the context of the JobCircuit [...]
How the learning space can become an inclusive learning space – Lessons from Europe
How the learning space can become an inclusive learning space – Lessons from Europe [To be presented at CAVA2018, 21-24 August 2018 in Medellin, Colombia. With thanks to Silvia Margarita Baldiris Navarro.] Inclusive education is cemented in article 24 of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol (A/RES/61/106) which was adopted on 13 December 2006 at the United Nations. In Europe, this has created opportunities, but also tensions. On the one hand, there is a need for access to learning material, supportive education practices, inclusion oriented teaching practices, as well as physical accessibility to schools, universities, VET centres, etc. On the other hand, all these aspects must coincide and be complementary. This symbiosis has been somewhat cumbersome and needs fine-tuning. A lesson to be learned by Latin American initiatives. The keynote will highlight a number of European initiatives and access to online free [...]
PhoenixKM is proud sponsor of the Countto10.bg initiative
PhoenixKM is proud sponsor of the Countto10.bg initiative that aims to combat bullying and aggressive behaviour in Bulgaria and beyond. This is a campaign of the Rotary Club Plovdiv International and the purpose of this website is to raise awareness. Countto10.bg [...]
Event “Enhancing the skills of youth with learning disabilities” on 22 June 2018 – Brussels, Belgium
In the context of the “Intelligent Serious Games for Social and Cognitive Competence” project (ISG), we organised the event “Enhancing the skills of youth with learning disabilities” on 22 June 2018, in Brussels, Belgium. The event highlighted a whole range of initiatives that have as common goal to enhance skills of youth with (learning) disabilities. Target audience: People with disabilities, and their families and friends Teachers / Trainers / Tutors from inclusive and special education Youth and disability organisations Personal caregivers ICT and AT experts Video coverage: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Program: 8.30-9.00: Registration and welcome OPENING (9.00-9.30) Opening + introduction to ISG – Karel Van Isacker (CEO, PhoenixKM) SESSION 1 (9.30-10.30) Increased independence for youth with learning disabilities Chair: Jean-Marie Vanhove (inclusion expert) 9.30 – 10.00: More independence for youth with learning disabilities – EU context: Helga Stevens (N-VA), Member of the European Parliament, Vice-Chair ECR, Co-chair Disability Intergroup 10.00 – 10.20: Witness accounts of pilot participants 10.20 – 10.30: Discussion – questions SESSION 2 (10.30 – 11.30) Need for skills enhancements: A European perspective Chair: Shervin Shirmohammadi, Sehir University, Turkey 10.30 – 10.50: EU Disability Policy: Inmaculada Placencia-Porrero (Deputy Head of Unit, for Rights of Persons [...]
Enquête – Interactieve Mobiele Spraak/Taal Hulpmiddelen – Spraak, Taal & Communicatie
Momenteel voeren wij een enquête uit met betrekking tot het project “Interactieve Spraak/Taal Hulpmiddelen Voor Leerkrachten En Kinderen”. Dit is een 3-jarig project dat is gericht op het creëren van gratis spraak- en taalinteractieve mobiele hulpmiddelen voor gebruik door leerkrachten in het kleuter- en lager onderwijs. Via deze mobiele hulpmiddelen zullen kinderen met spraak-, taal- en communicatieproblemen geholpen worden om hun vaardigheden te verbeteren met de juiste spraak, taal en communicatie ondersteuning. Er zijn geen goede of foute antwoorden op de vragen. We zijn benieuwd naar wat u echt denkt. Soms zal u het gevoel hebben dat geen enkele van de antwoordopties voldoende beschrijft wat u denkt. Dit gebeurt regelmatig in dit soort vragenlijsten, maar we vragen u om te proberen de optie te kiezen die het beste past / het meest overeenkomt met uw ideeën en ervaringen. De vragenlijst vindt u via deze link: Voor logopedisten: https://nl.surveymonkey.com/r/SPEECH-NLONDERST Voor leerkrachten in het (inclusief) onderwijs (kleuterklas, lager onderwijs): https://nl.surveymonkey.com/r/SPEECH-NLLEERKR Voor ouders van kinderen met spraak-, taal- en communicatieproblemen: https://nl.surveymonkey.com/r/SPEECH-NLOUDERS Bij voorbaat hartelijk dank voor uw medewerking. Namens het Consortium “SpeelPath4Teachers – Project website“. Karel Van Isacker PhoenixKM (België) Dit project (2017-1-BG01-Ka201-036295) is gefinancierd met steun van de Europese Commissie (Erasmus + Programma). Deze [...]
Refugee children in education – survey Flanders, Belgium
We recently visited the border area between Bulgaria and Greece, and reported to our Bulgarian colleagues of the “Training for teachers how to cope with refugee children in their class” project (REFUGEEClassAssistance4Teachers, 2016-1-TR01-KA201-034527) on the survey work we conducted in Flanders (Belgium) with regards to refugee children and their education [...]
Violence linked to vulnerable groups – Children with disabilities – A journey through hard numbers and facts
This afternoon we presented at the National Conference “Violence and the child of the 21st century – conceptual and practical challenges” on 23-24 November 2017, at the Grand Hotel Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Title of my presentation: “Violence linked to vulnerable groups – Children with disabilities – A journey through hard numbers and facts” Organisers were: University of Plovdiv “P.Hilendarski” ; State Agency for Child Protection, Municipality of Plovdiv English version Bulgarian [...]
At Bulgarian ECVET event
Left to right: Roumiana Atanassova (Foundation Vision for Science and Technology Growth, Sofia), Preslav Dimitrov (Dean of Economy Faculty, Chair of Department of Tourism, South Eastern University, Blagoevgrad), Ivanka Mihaylova (Ministry of Education and Science, Sofia), Karel Van Isacker (PhoenixKM, Belgium), Penka Nikolova (NAVET, director licensing, Sofia) On 20 September 2017, the Bulgarian National Agency “Human Resource Development Centre” in cooperation with NAVET (National Agency for VET) organised a very well attended event addressing the importance of introducing the ECVET principle in Erasmus+ projects. Apart from being able to disseminate our activities in the domain of curriculum and training material development using the ECVET framework, we also had very fruitful meetings with local Bulgarian organisations, as well as the organisers. We emphasised on our good cooperation with many Bulgarian and Balkan organisations and exchanged ideas for new [...]
Expert users at the forefront of innovation assessment
Wim Moeyaert Wim Moeyaert (W.I.T. vzw) was a protagonist in the daily battle towards an inclusive society. He died a few months ago, too young and still full of “inclusion” energy. He had a very important skill set: being a human inclusion library, aware of all possible assistive technology solutions, but equally of legislations, subsidies, accessibility, adaptations, etc. that could further and improve the life of people with disabilities. As a beacon in the overly complicated world of inclusion policies and support, he offered a much needed wisdom guiding light which he shared alike to those most in need via various initiatives (his activities in various NGOs, presentations, lobbying with policy makers, speaker at international forums, etc.). I had the opportunity and luck to know Wim for the past 8 years as a colleague, friend, and a real partner in crime when it concerned inclusion. As expert user, Wim also went that extra step, to explore new technologies, try them out and share his experiences with the wide community of peers with disabilities in Flanders, Belgium, Europe and beyond, but equally with the producers of such technologies. Such interaction is crucial because assistive technologies do not always work the way [...]