Alchevsk Virtual School for Handicapped Children

In 2007 a unique educational project Distance Interactive education for physically handicapped children was launched under the auspices of ISD and municipal authorities in the town of Alchevsk. The best teachers of the city and children who are not able to visit ordinary schools are involved in the project.

(sourced from http://www.isd.com.ua/en/social-responsibility/charity/virtual-school/)

5 virtual forms starting from the 5th form to 11th form have been established within the first year of the school’s existence. Twelve pupils with special needs have received training in 10 key subjects. The working places of teachers and pupils have been equipped with all necessary devices, namely video cameras, computers, laptops and scanners.

The project’s participants have received a unique possibility to take advantage from interactive forms of training: teleconferences, video lessons, case technologies and online lessons.

Next year the curriculum will include some additional subjects: ethics, basics of health, English (a communicative course) and optional classes in psychology.

The children have an opportunity to participate in various extracurricular events online: the competition for the best reader of the year, the activity of a photo design society, teleconferences during the meeting of mayors in the city of Alchevsk and the meeting of the educational establishments’ leaders in Lviv.

The monitoring of the quality of knowledge has proved that the level of academic achievements has increased by 30 %, the fear of self-expression has decreased and the communicative qualities have been enhanced.

In 2010-2011 five more working places for teachers and three working places for children have been equipped in compliance with the needs of a virtual school. The project has been expanded with the introduction of primary forms and a form for additional school training.

The advantages of distance training can be taken in cases when the quarantine is introduced to provide necessary consultations and training for children who are on long sick leaves. The equipment will become the property of children after their leaving school in compliance with the terms of the experiment.

The given experiment of the distance interactive training of children with physical disabilities has been launched in the secondary school №12 in October 2007. The project is expected to last for 5 years. Among our plans is the introduction of the pilot project of a virtual school for handicapped children in other cities of Ukraine.

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