Assignment 3
(Tutor Marked Assignment)
Course Code : DECE-3
Assignment Code: DECE-3/Assignt-3/TMA-3/2014
Total Marks: 100
Last date of submission of assignment to the study centre:
30th September, 2014 for January 2014 session
30th March, 2015 for July 2014 session
SECTION A 60 Marks
Answer all questions.
- a) Differentiate between impairment, disability and handicap.
b) Discuss the role, functions and characteristics of a good Supervisor.
(3 + 3 marks)
2. Write on each of the following in about 250 words each: (5 x 3 = 15 marks)
a) Importance of Early Childhood Care and Education.
b) Contributions made by Maria Montessori to the field of Early Childhood Care and Education
c) A major organization working for children in India
3. a) What are the characteristics of a child with Cerebral Palsy?
b) Pragya is a child with cerebral palsy integrated in a preschool school for non- disabled children. What considerations would the teacher of the preschool need to keep in mind so that Pragya benefits maximally and faces no problem in attending the preschool? Give reasons for your answer.
(5 + 5 marks)
4. As a preschool teacher what advice would you give to the parents of the following children with special needs for their care, early stimulation and training:
i) child with visual impairment.
ii) child with hearing impairment.
(5 + 5 marks)
5. State the settings in which a child with special needs can be imparted education. What considerations should one keep in mind while selecting the educational setting for the child with special needs?
(2+2 marks)
6. Discuss the emotions experienced by the parents of special children. (5 marks)
7. You are a preschool teacher. You find that majority of the children in preschool are weak and malnourished.
What will you do in this situation? What communication strategies and methods would you use to inform parents about the nutritional requirements of the preschool age child and also about the type of food to be given to them? What communication aids would you use? What is it that you will tell the parents – list in point form.
(10 marks)
SECTION B 20 Marks
In this Section you are expected to do one exercise from among exercises 1, 2, 9 and 10 given in the Practical Manual of this Course, i. e., DECE-3.
It would be useful for you to do all these practical exercises. You may then choose the exercise which you feel you have done better, enclose the responses in this assignment and send it to the Counsellor for evaluation.
The details of these exercises have been described in the Practical Manual. Read them, along with the guidelines prescribed for doing each exercise carefully and do the exercise as indicated. The marks for the various components of each exercise have been mentioned in the Manual itself.
SECTION C 20 Marks
In this Section you are expected to do one exercise from among Exercises 6, 7 and 8 given in the Practical Manual of this Course, i.e. DECE-3. It would be useful for you to do all these practical exercises. You may then choose the exercise which you feel you have done better, enclose the responses in this assignment and send it to the Counsellor for evaluation.
The details of these exercises have been described in the Practical Manual. Read them, along with the guidelines prescribed for doing each exercise carefully and do the exercise as indicated. The marks for the various components of each exercise have been mentioned in the Manual itself.
ANSWERS
Impairment: any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or function. impairment refers to a problem with a structure or organ of the body. An impairment is a disturbance affecting functions that are essentially mental (memory, consciousness) or sensory, internal organs (heart, kidney), the head, the trunk or the limbs. For example a person has a skeletal deformity of bow legs developed in childhood due to rickets and cannot walk and uses wheelchair for mobility then his legs are impaired.
Disability: any restriction or lack, can be a result from an impairment, of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being. disability is a functional limitation with regard to a particular activity. A person developed bow legs so he cannot walk due to this impairment. This person has a disability to walk.
Handicap: a disadvantage for a given individual that limits or prevents the fulfillment of a role that is normal or relative to a peer group. Like a person who can not walk due to impairment in legs is on wheel chair, for him stairs would be a handicap.
Ans b
To supervise means to oversee, so a supervisor is someone whose job it is to oversee everyone else as they work. Supervisors direct and over see the work of people who actually work and physically perform. In absence of such workers, at times, Supervisor may provide coverage for that absent worker.
Role and Function of a supervisor in
an organization running a child development program, is to
- manage the team of caregivers
- Conduct staff meetings to support professional development and Provide support and direction to caregivers regarding child development.
- plan the schedule in accordance to the child development plan
- appraise and counsel workers
- solve worker's problems and motivate them
- Supervisors may also carry out the basic activity to interact and play with children.
- Look after the training and development aspect of workers.
- ensure the smooth functioning of day to day activity/routine
characteristics
A supervisor should have following characteristics:-
- Great communication skills: As a supervisor one must communicate clearly and correctly to avoid misunderstandings and frustrations. When receiving information from a subordinate, she should be sure to receive it correctly – There is no harm in asking again if necessary.
- Adapt to the changes: Do not just blindly follow the age old norms and rules. Think out of the box if required. Adjust to the needs of the organization and flexible in carrying out duties.
- Value the employees: The workers are any supervisor’s real asset. They are ones running the work. A good supervisor understands their worth and treats them accordingly.
- A coacher/mentor: Share experience. A good supervisor shares her wisdom, knowledge and experience with the employees. She helps them perform better. This also strengthens the bond and the trust between them.
- Disciplined: If a supervisor is disciplined then only can she expect the people to be so.
- Feedback/incentives: feedback and accolades should be showered on the deserving people.
- Be an example: Be hands on and not just always delegate. Sets an example to all the team about taking up challenges and about how any work is important.
- Be approachable: The workers should not hesitate in approaching the supervisor with their concerns and problems. An efficient supervisor will make sure that there is enough trust and openness between her and the workers for the latter to come to her with their grievances.
- Be considerate: People are not just workers. They have families, friends and a life beyond work. Be practical when setting the time-lines. This all will in turn improve the efficiency and the productivity of the employees.
- Positive attitude: Be polite. Wish workers and be generous in thanking them. Inquire after about their well being off and on.
Ans 2 Importance of early childhood care and education
-
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and pre school learning are the most important part in improving the environment and participation of Children in formal school. In this part of life, foundation are laid down for all round development of motor, sensory, cognitive, language, social and personalities of a child.
- The first six years of a child's life have been recognised as the most critical ones for optimal development. Since the process of human development is essentially cumulative in nature, investment in programmes for the youngest children in the range of 0-6 years has begun to be accepted as the very foundation for basic education and lifelong learning and development.
It is that the systematic provision of early childhood care and education (ECCE) helps in the development of children in a variety of ways. These include:
• Improving group socialisation,
• Inculcation of healthy habits,
• Stimulation of creative learning processes, and
• Enhanced scope for overall personality development.
For children belonging to underprivileged groups and for first-generation learners in the society, ECCE is essential for countering the physical, intellectual and emotional deprivation of the child. From the perspective of the community, ECCE is a support for the universalisation of elementary education.ECCE is also envisaged in the role of a support service for working women.
.
In India, the National Policy on Education (1986), recognising the crucial importance of early childhood education, recommended strengthening ECCE programmes. Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), the largest government-managed programme at present in the country, provides the following package of services
• Supplementary nutrition,
• Immunisation, • Health checkups, • Referral services, • Non-formal pre-school education, • Nutrition and health education for children below six years and pregnant and nursing mothers.
While most of the coverage under ECCE in the country is carried out through the ICDS scheme, other pre-primary and day-care centres are prevalent with private and not-for- profit initiatives.
Ans 2 b
Dr Maria Montessori was a physician specialized in pediatrics from Italy. She developed her own methods of educating disabled children of an asylum. She thought that if these children with disability can benefit from such methods then the normal child would benefit too. The ideas and methods devised and developed by her are known as Montessori system of education.
Maria Montessori's goal was to develop the whole personality of the child and her system is based on her strong belief in the spontaneous working of the human intellect. The main principle of her method is that the child learns by himself from experiences within the classroom
The Montessori approach to education requires that children are placed in a well-planned and structured environment which will meet their individual educational and cultural needs. The children are free to follow their own interests within this planned environment, rather than being forced to learn something that is inappropriate to their developmental stage. The result is that children develop in a natural way and are highly motivated. They develop good discipline and master basic skills, and in many cases earlier than in a more traditional system of education. Basic ideas of Montessori system are:
children educate themselves
there are sensitive periods when children are more susceptible to certain behaviors and can learn specific skills more easily
children learn best in a prepared environment, a place in which children can do things for themselves.
Montessori named the concept that children are capable of educating themselves autoeducation or self-education).
it is necessary for the teacher to guide the child without letting him feel her presence too much, so that she may be always ready to supply the desired help, but may never be the obstacle between the child and his experience.
Her concept of Casa de bambini (Children's House) was based on all these ideas.
Ans 2 C
NCERT
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) was established in 1961 by Government of India to assist and advise the central and state governments on academic matters related to school education.
Among the top priorities of NCERT are:
- Implementation of National Curriculum Framework
- Universalisation of Elementary Education (UEE)
- Vocational education
- Education of groups with special needs
- Early childhood education
- Evaluation and examination to reform IT education
- Competitive Value education
- Education of girl child
- Production of teaching-learning experience
- Improvement in teacher education
- Improvement of thought of student
It acts as the Secretariat of the National Development Group (NDG) for Educational Innovations. The NCERT has been offering training facilities, usually through attachment programmes and participation in workshops, to education workers of other countries. The NCERT publishes textbooks for school subjects from Classes I to XII. NCERT publishes books that are used in government and private schools across India that follow the CBSE curriculum.
Within the council there are many institutes working on specific areas. one such institute is children's media laboratory. here the teaching and learning materials for ECCE are developed.
Another institute Center for Educational Technology aims on educational technology programs.
3. a) What are the characteristics of a child with Cerebral Palsy?
b) Pragya is a child with cerebral palsy integrated in a preschool school for non- disabled children. What considerations would the teacher of the preschool need to keep in mind so that Pragya benefits maximally and faces no problem in attending the preschool? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans 3
Cerebral palsy (CP) is an abnormality of motor function and postural tone that is acquired at an early age, even before birth. Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy usually show in the first year of life.
This abnormality in the motor system is the result of brain lesions that are nonprogressive. The motor system of the body provides the ability to move and control movements. A brain lesion is any abnormality of brain structure or function.
Characteristics of cerebral palsy vary greatly in children depending on the extent of the brain damage/injury. Kids with cerebral palsy may experience problems with digestion. They may have physical disabilities associated with hearing and vision. They may have speech and language difficulties, as well as sensory processing disorder.
Children with CP may also experience seizures, breathing problems, and bladder control issues. Kids with cerebral palsy could also have curvature of the spine (known as scoliosis) that will affect mobility and the efficiency of heart and lungs, lower intelligence and speech defects.
a doctor may be able to determine whether or not a new born baby has sustained brain damage. Abnormal reflexes, breathing, muscle tone, and heart rate are some of the first signs of cerebral palsy. During the first months of life, parents may also observe any of the following cerebral palsy characteristics:
- Fussiness/high-pitched crying spells
- Shivering in arms and legs
- Feeding problems (due to deficiencies in swallowing and sucking reflexes)
- Seizures indicated by staring, eye and body twitches, and lack of alertness
Ans B
When setting up a learning program for Cerebral Palsy (CP), teachers should consider Pragya’s capabilities as well as limitations, and keep in mind that unrealistic expectations can be frustrating for pragya as well as her parents. Patience is a key factor when working with children with CP, as studies have shown that these students take longer to respond than their neurotypical peers.
It is important for students with CP to assume a variety of positions throughout the school day in order to prevent tightening of muscles. Equipment needs are extremely important, as proper positioning can facilitate eye-hand coordination and improved motor control. Most importantly, teachers should maintain open communication with the Pragya’s family in order to encourage carry-over regarding home programs and recommendations.
Many CP children have average or above IQs. Thus, they need access to the same curriculum as their nondisabled peers. However, worksheets, test forms, project guidelines, etc. may need to be modified. Certain equipment may need to be adapted for the child to safely conduct an experiment. Teachers need to set up their rooms so that Pragya can freely move around in the class. The child's parent is a great resource in this area. What type of adaptations have been made at home that can be duplicated in the school setting.
Do not isolate the child for outdoor activities. The child may not be able to participate but would enjoy looking at others playing.
Role of the educator:
- Prepare classmates for the arrival of a student with cerebral palsy.
- Teach students about any special equipment that Pragya might be using, and insure that others do not play with it.
- Can Assign classroom buddies to help.
- Make accommodations such as allowing extra time to complete assignments.
- Work on verbal communication skills using role playing activities
- Make sure that student is being included in social parties, gatherings, and other group activities.
- Allow student to stretch and be as mobile as possible during class.
- Place the student near exits if possible, and take the appropriate steps if the child is also hearing impaired or has low vision.
As a preschool teacher what advice would you give to the parents of the following children with special needs for their care, early stimulation and training:
i) child with visual impairment.
ii) child with hearing impairment.
Ans 4
State the settings in which a child with special needs can be imparted education. What considerations should one keep in mind while selecting the educational setting for the child with special needs?
(2+2 marks)
6. Discuss the emotions experienced by the parents of special children. (5 marks)
7. You are a preschool teacher. You find that majority of the children in preschool are weak and malnourished.
What will you do in this situation? What communication strategies and methods would you use to inform parents about the nutritional requirements of the preschool age child and also about the type of food to be given to them? What communication aids would you use? What is it that you will tell the parents – list in point form.
(10 marks)
Ans 5
Ans 6
Ans 7
