Children with disabilities are one of the most disadvantageous groups in the society. Apart from being children, they need protection and support in any areas of life because of they have some kind of disabilities. Social states have been implementing supportive social, financial and educational policies since they start to emerge after cold war. In addition to states' initiatives, international communities and unions that have become widespread after WWII, began to act at higher levels in social area and increased their support to private initiatives which work on social services field. Project SESHOME is created to support the education of children with disabilities; particularly of those who continue to homeschooling because their disabilities inhibit their attendance to mainstream schools or special education schools. Thanks to project SESHOME, partners will analyze the current economic, social, psychological and educational circumstances of home-schooled children, their teachers and parents in partner countries Turkey, Italy, Poland and Slovenia; create innovative, comprehensive and accurate training modules for them; create an e-learning platform and supportive IT materials so as to bring class environment to the children's home and eliminate the gap between children in mainstream schools and children at homeschooling; create academic essay(s) in order to ensure the intervention of academics into the field and implement pilot trainings with results of the project in partner countries. Project results then will be transferred to real life and implemented by national education authorities. Project target groups are students with special needs at homeschooling, their teachers and family members primarily; all people with disabilities and special education institutions secondly; and academics, local and national policy makers, students that work on individuals with special needs and non-disabled students tertiarily. Partners of the project have been rigorously selected among many applicants; by taking into consideration their competencies, capabilities and experiences in the field. Moreover, universities and schools were preferred as partners in order to ensure better transfer of project products in real life and involve academic experiences into the field. 2 of project partners are universities, 1 is a massive consortium that involves more than 4000 institutions in itself, 2 of them are schools (1 is mainstream vocational school and the other 1 is a special education school), 1 of them is a local governmental Research and Guidance Center that works on individuals with special needs and 1 is an association of special education and rehabilitation schools. With this structure of partnership, we think project will be more productive and its results will be more fruitful and effective; since partners are from different geographic regions of Europe (Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Turkey) and in a standing that can be beneficial to the project outputs at various levels, universities, special and governement schools, a research and guidance center, a great consortium with all kinds of institutions in its structure and another umbrella organization of special education and rehabilitation schools. Within the scope of the project, 8 intellectual outputs are intended to be created and 5 multiplier events (seminars and workshops) are desired to be organized in 4 partner countries. Partners are intent on (and responsible for) creating all outputs and orginizing all events at the best quality. They will follow quality management plan, work plan, time management plan, dissemination and valorization plan and budget plan; in order to ensure the quality of project, its punctuality and financial efficiency. Project partners will do anything possible to disseminate project results and increase their impact on educational policies. They will use all types of media tools, workshops, seminars, academic publications, websites and paper brochures for dissemination and valorization of the project. Project is expected to be a specimen and touchstone for studies on home-schooled children and other students with special needs. Its results will be utilized after the project ends because e-learning platform, IT materials and the website will be accessible for at least 3 years after the project ends and scientific article(s) will be reachable via internet and will be cited for many years.
Project Goal: Supporting homeschooling students with disabilities between 6-10 ages through researches, need analyses and training programs. SESHOME is created to support the education of children with disabilities; particularly of those who continue to homeschooling because their disabilities inhibit their attendance to mainstream schools or special education schools. Project partners analyzed the current economic, social, psychological and educational circumstances of home-schooled children, their teachers and parents in partner countries Turkey, Italy, Poland and Slovenia; create innovative, comprehensive and accurate training modules for them; create an e-learning platform and supportive IT materials so as to bring class environment to the children's home and eliminate the gap between children in mainstream schools and children at homeschooling; create academic essay(s) in order to ensure the intervention of academics into the field and implement pilot training with results of the project in partner countries. Project target groups are students with special needs at homeschooling, their teachers and family members primarily; all people with disabilities and special education institutions secondly; and academics, local and national policy makers, students that work on individuals with special needs and non-disabled students. The number of teacher respondents was 28 in Italy (27:Woman 1:Male), Poland 48 (40:W 8:M), Slovenia 11 (10:W 1:M), Turkey 29 (20:W 9:M). The number of parent respondents was 24 in Italy, Poland 34 Slovenia 10, Turkey 15. A total of 89 participants, 35 in Turkey, 21 in Italy, 21 in Poland and 12 in Slovenia, received training through online applications. Multiplier Events KYOEML (face to face on 24.06.2021/Ankara - 80 participants) DOST(face to face on 02.08.2021/Ankara - 72 participants) Maribor University (face to face on 01.07.2021/Maribor- 20 participants) WSEI (face to face on 17.06.2021/Lublin- 20 participants) Online Multiplier Event - Europole : 108 registered participants, 8 intellectual outputs are created and 5 multiplier events (seminars and workshops) are organized in 4 partner countries. Output-1. The Needs Analysis; done with questionnaires. There has been questions aims to learn current situation, needs, demands and expectations of disabled children, their teachers and parents. Questions about economic, social and psychological circumstances of these children and parents, regulations in that country on disability rights and expectations of these people about additional facilities, educational issues and what they need and demand for better implementation of homeschooling. The number of teacher respondents was 28 in Italy (27:Woman 1:Male), Poland 48 (40:W 8:M), Slovenia 11 (10:W 1:M), Turkey 29 (20:W 9:M). The number of parent respondents was 24 in Italy, Poland 34 Slovenia 10, Turkey 15. IO2. Education Modules; addresses educational needs of children with disabilities, their parents and teachers. There are 2 modules prepared. IO3. Online Interaction and Learning Platform, consists of supportive online material of an e-learning interactive way, enables to have access to a large variety of training resources, contents of lessons in the syllabus of the school. The Online Interaction and Learning Platform is developed. The address is www.seshome.net. IO4. IT Materials; contains all types of visual and textual information; knowledge and all types of resources concerning the educational syllabuses of disabled students which is uploaded and embedded into the Online Learning Platform. IO5. An Academic Essay was prepared with a broad literature analysis. IO6. Testing and Analyzing Study. IO7. Implementation of Training Modules. All the partners have implemented training modules in their home countries to home-schooled children. They introduced these IT materials (training modules) to students at online learning platform. A total of 89 participants, 35 in Turkey, 21 in Italy, 21 in Poland and 12 in Slovenia, received training through online applications. IO8. Dissemination & Valorization Materials are prepared. Impact of Project: • Improving the accessibility of learning opportunities for disabled children. • Improving the rate of success of education of disabled children • Increased awareness of children with disabilities about the opportunities offered by digital technology in response to their special needs • Making the society be aware of the disabled children and their parents. • Challenges traditional education systems by introducing more innovative programs and delivery methods. A total of 89 participants, 35 in Turkey, 21 in Italy, 21 in Poland and 12 in Slovenia, received training through online applications. • Development of international cooperation and increasing internationalization of education.