"""ABLE to RAISE"" Professional Training Programme towards Personal Autonomy Model Implementation within the Educational and Caring Systems across European States"

<< Background >>In recent decades, the presence of children with disabilities in mainstream schools instead of special schools has increased.In this situation, quality training of educational professionals becomes crucial in order to be able to meet the specific needs of pupils with disabilities. Accordingly, the ABLE TO RISE project stems from the will of the partner organisations to transfer their expertise and knowledge attending the needs of children with disabilities to educational professionals working in schools. Technology has proven to have numerous benefits for learning and there is a variety of assistive technologies that can be used to create more inclusive educational environments, ranging from communicating devices for chlidren with speech disorders to adapted keyboards for children with reduced mobility or sensory impairment. An adequate implementation and use of electronic devices in the classroom can allow children with disabilities to participate more and to adapt the learning process according to their needs. For this reason, we decided to create a training programme for professionals to apply new technologies for the implementation of inclusive education practices in their schools. << Objectives >>The main objective of this project was to improve the learning opportunities and participation of children with disabilities and to promote inclusion in schools by: -Increasing the competences and training of professionals to use technology as an instrument to better attend the special educational needs of children with disabilities and to promote inclusion inside and outside the classroom. -Disseminating knowledge and raising awareness about inclusive education practices to the whole educational community (principals, counselors, families, local authorities, etc.)-Strengthening alliances between schools and local associations working in the field of disability to support an effective implementation of inclusive education in schools. -Collaborating with other European organisations to develop a training programme and educational material about inclusive education and technology. -Increasing our capacity as organisations to influence inclusive practices in schools, learning from other European organisations and national contexts. << Implementation >>The main objective of the ABLE TO RISE project was to provide training an educational resources for professionals working with children with disabilities in order to promote their learning and participation in the classroom through the use of new technologies. Accordingly, during the project the following activities were developed: - Partners agreed on the contents to create a common training programme on inclusive education and technology.- Local professional trainings: In total 7 trainings were organised with a participation of over 160 professionals. Most were on-site trainings and afterwards the participants had access to additional online resources to complement their training.- 4 Multiplier Events were organised (2 per partner) and 3 TPM took place. - The main project output was the elaboration of a guide for professionals with practical resources for the implementation of inclusive education through technology. - We developed a survey about the status of inclusive education practices in our local schools in order to adapt the contents of the guide accordingly.- A project webpage was created with additional resources on inclusive education and technology (list of APPs, results of the survey, useful links, etc.). << Results >>In total the partners organised 7 trainings reaching over 160 professionals working in schools and other educational environments. The participants had the opportunity to learn about the principles of inclusive education, the Universal Design of Learning and their practical applications in classroom activities. The focus of the sessions was to teach about the benefits of new technologies to improve the learning and participation of children with disabilities in schools. Apart from the on-site sessions, the participants of the trainings – previous registration – had access to a virtual classroom where they could review additional content and post comments or questions in a forum. Additionally, the main output of the project is the creation and publication of the guide for professionals ABLE TO RISE “Inclusive education and technology: From theory to practice”. The guide is a compilation of all the lessons learned with the development of the trainings to provide practical tips and guidelines about how to engage in inclusive practices in schools through the use of technology. The guide was published in English, Spanish and Bulgarian. Also, we created a webpage to share more educational resources for professionals on the topic.