[senit] Who is providing you with support in the field of ICT and Inclusion?

Hello Lesley
In Northern Ireland there are 2 of us supporting ICT and Inclusion for schools in the 5 Education and Library Boards.  We run face to face courses for teachers in various regional centres in conjunction with the LEA at no cost to the schools. If teachers need individual support they phone us to request a visit. We run online courses in a virtual learning environment for teachers in early professional development, and those who are building resources for a particular subject area. These online projects are designed at community building by connecting teachers from across the area. We also offer courses at the RTU summer school. We try to help anyone who contacts us. 
A recent success has been designing and supporting a VLE project between 2 special schools which involved video conferencing and attaching writing with symbols documents to the discussion forum so that all children can listen to and read the messages sent. We are about to develop this project with other NI schools in the Spring term. The model has since been used by the Irish Language schools - so once again Special are leading the way!!

Norma Price
C2K / Granada Learning SEN support
Northern Ireland

----- Original Message ----
From: Lesley Rahamin <lesley.rahamin at btinternet.com>
To: senit at lists.becta.org.uk
Sent: Monday, 15 January, 2007 9:46:44 AM
Subject: [senit] Who is providing you with support in the field of ICT and Inclusion?

Hello everyone

As many of you will know, Becta organised a meeting last Friday to report on the effects of the changes made to their Inclusion Support Team. 

I was one of the people invited and one particular thing at the meeting disturbed me greatly - the disappearance of support for those working in the field of ICT and SEN.  The penny has finally dropped for me.  However much we protest about what is happening inside Becta, it will not make much difference to the basic situation.  The role of Becta has changed since the DfES has decreed that Becta's role is strategic. If I understand the situation correctly, that means Becta will look at what is going on in the ICT and report 'upwards' to the DfES, advising them on what to do.  They are no longer charged with the responsibility of delivering training and support 'downwards' to people working in the field.  So whatever the effects of the dispersed Inclusion team, they are no longer able to deliver the support that they did in the past e.g. conferences, publications, meetings.  But what has the government put in its place?   

My question to you all is this - who is providing you with support in the field of ICT and Inclusion?

It is important for us to get as wide a picture as possible of the current situation so I would appreciate as many responses as we can get.  I know that some of you might be nervous about replying to the list if you have never done so but this would be a good time to start because it is your own personal situation as a professional working in the field of ICT and Inclusion that matters.  If you would prefer to answer me off the list my email address is lesley.rahamin at btinternet.com.  

Lesley Rahamin
Education Consultant