An article that I read made me reflect on how important is the integration of children with inferior learning capacities in schools. The concept of special education is centered on the necessities that children with learning disabilities have in order to catch up with the rest of the class.
Nowadays the focus of the problem has changed. And luckily, schools answer to the necessity of each children in particular, instead of focusing on the disability itself that some of they may have. In other words, schools put emphasis in what the kid needs from an educational point of view. So, as he or she can integrate within the normal social situations.
From this approach, to talk about learning disabilities implies also to take into account all type of strategies and services that are required by schools in orther to succed in the integrity. And this idea is not new. In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human's rights included also the right that every person has to education. And in the Conference of Education helded in 1990, the garantee of this right was also defended, regardless of the differences that children may have between them. Following this line, 92 governments and 25 international organizations agreed in the year 1994 that every children with learning disabilities should have access to ordinary schools and that they should be integrated with a pedagogical system which centers in the kid himself so as to satisfy his or her particularly necessity.
All this modern view of the problem places emphasis on all the things a child with learning problems would be able to learn if he or she is supported and encouraged to do this.
So, integrity, educationally speaking, doesn't mean to have inside the same classroom all type of students, but to pay attention to the particular needs of each of them. The benefits of an Integral Educatinal System are really wide. Becasue the implementation of inclusive schools is not only the best way to teach and give the example to teenagers that to discriminate is wrong, but also is the way to achieve a society in which different children are not longer left on the margins of Education.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Journal: It's time to get organized.
It called my attention the petition that many investors are doing in order to obtain a law which controls the expansion of woods in my province. This extremelly necessary activity is stopped nowadays bacause of the lack of an appropiate legislation on the topic and because of the important grade of informality and the lack of organization of the entities incharged.
In addition, one of the main reasons why our woods are not actually in expansion is because the activity is not correctly promoted. The National Forestal Association of Argentina believes that the forestal growing of our country is one of the highest of the entire world and to this optimistic information, we can add that the praices of the lands which can be used in forestation are low in comparision with the neighbouring countries. That is to say that, Argentina can result attractive to the investors of this field.
But beside the benefits that Argentina has as regarding Forestation, in the province of Tucuman the 2,500 hectares of woods that were in existance in the year 2004 have dramatically reduced to 150 hectares in the following year. And luckily the number has raised again to 1,700 hectares during 2007. This are the numbers that the Departament of Forestation has registrated. In the other hand, the producers say that they feel discouraged to get involved in foresation because the national budget for this activity usually arrives late to our province. As a solution, many environmental specialists suggest to make the wooden market an integrated business, because this would make the activity more preofitable and consequently, investors would feel attracted.
It's alarming to know that our province, having the number of possible wooden lands that it actually has, does not autosupply from wood since 20 years ago. In order to compensae this, and the low expansion of the forestal activity, the province has received economic help from the United Nations which was thought to be used in the instalation of a provincial nursery. This project is already in progress and it counts with the support of the Faculty of Agronomics from the National University of Tucuman. The idea is to use this plant nursery to the development of some of our tipical trees that could be then used in forestation. The investors believed that the provincial government is really encouriging the forestation in Tucuman, but the lack of organization unluckily affects the activity a lot.
In addition, one of the main reasons why our woods are not actually in expansion is because the activity is not correctly promoted. The National Forestal Association of Argentina believes that the forestal growing of our country is one of the highest of the entire world and to this optimistic information, we can add that the praices of the lands which can be used in forestation are low in comparision with the neighbouring countries. That is to say that, Argentina can result attractive to the investors of this field.
But beside the benefits that Argentina has as regarding Forestation, in the province of Tucuman the 2,500 hectares of woods that were in existance in the year 2004 have dramatically reduced to 150 hectares in the following year. And luckily the number has raised again to 1,700 hectares during 2007. This are the numbers that the Departament of Forestation has registrated. In the other hand, the producers say that they feel discouraged to get involved in foresation because the national budget for this activity usually arrives late to our province. As a solution, many environmental specialists suggest to make the wooden market an integrated business, because this would make the activity more preofitable and consequently, investors would feel attracted.
It's alarming to know that our province, having the number of possible wooden lands that it actually has, does not autosupply from wood since 20 years ago. In order to compensae this, and the low expansion of the forestal activity, the province has received economic help from the United Nations which was thought to be used in the instalation of a provincial nursery. This project is already in progress and it counts with the support of the Faculty of Agronomics from the National University of Tucuman. The idea is to use this plant nursery to the development of some of our tipical trees that could be then used in forestation. The investors believed that the provincial government is really encouriging the forestation in Tucuman, but the lack of organization unluckily affects the activity a lot.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Journal: Ten things I'd like to accomplish in my life (PartII):
6) To buy a house: I have seen my own family sufering because of not having a place of their own. My parents never had the chance to buy a house, and now they have to solve their elder stage of life without a palce where to live or without anything to leave to us. This situation put them in front of dranatic moments. And I think I would like to work hard and buy a house. I would like to do this just as an intent of trying to avoid having the same problems that my parents did have when I become elder.
7) To visit Cafayate again: Cafayate is the place which makes me think about my happiest memories. Because most of the best moments of my childhood ocurred there. That is the place where I spent several of my holidays with my familiy. And I would love to visit it again. This aim seems not to difficult to achieve and for many reasons I think this is going to occur quite soon.
8) Travelling abroad: I had the chance to travel abroad only once in my life. The trip was to Brazil and I expect to repeat this experience again but I would prefer to go next time to an European country or maybe to the US. This is something that remains more like an impossible dream than as something probable to achive.But, at the same time, I know that achiving this dream depends entirely on me...
9) To practice dance: I love dancing. I love all type of rythms. But I'm quite lazzy in what refers to physical activities. That's why I have never practice any sport. or gone to a gym. I used to swim, but I did it in a very interrupted way. And as reganding gymnastics, I have never succed in attending to a gym fort more than a month. I have a great lack of constancy. But I know how important is to exercise the body. I'm conscious about the negative impacts that being lazy and habing sedentary habits could have in my health. Well, with a little bit of determination, I will start doing some physical activity, and that would be, to practice dance.
10) To cope with sad thoughts: I am really hard with myself as regarding the memories of the past, and with the acceptance of it. I do not allow mysef to forget.And I do not easily forgive. This cause me lots of troubles especially within my social life. I would like to accomplish a more peaceful attitude in what refers to the things that are already gone, and a more possitive point of view towards the present and the future...and finally, I would love to kiss the past goodbye!
7) To visit Cafayate again: Cafayate is the place which makes me think about my happiest memories. Because most of the best moments of my childhood ocurred there. That is the place where I spent several of my holidays with my familiy. And I would love to visit it again. This aim seems not to difficult to achieve and for many reasons I think this is going to occur quite soon.
8) Travelling abroad: I had the chance to travel abroad only once in my life. The trip was to Brazil and I expect to repeat this experience again but I would prefer to go next time to an European country or maybe to the US. This is something that remains more like an impossible dream than as something probable to achive.But, at the same time, I know that achiving this dream depends entirely on me...
9) To practice dance: I love dancing. I love all type of rythms. But I'm quite lazzy in what refers to physical activities. That's why I have never practice any sport. or gone to a gym. I used to swim, but I did it in a very interrupted way. And as reganding gymnastics, I have never succed in attending to a gym fort more than a month. I have a great lack of constancy. But I know how important is to exercise the body. I'm conscious about the negative impacts that being lazy and habing sedentary habits could have in my health. Well, with a little bit of determination, I will start doing some physical activity, and that would be, to practice dance.
10) To cope with sad thoughts: I am really hard with myself as regarding the memories of the past, and with the acceptance of it. I do not allow mysef to forget.And I do not easily forgive. This cause me lots of troubles especially within my social life. I would like to accomplish a more peaceful attitude in what refers to the things that are already gone, and a more possitive point of view towards the present and the future...and finally, I would love to kiss the past goodbye!
Journal: Ten things I'd like to accomplish in my life (Part I):
1) To obtain my degree: Nowadays I can say that I have already passed more than half of my career. This means that I'm closer to obtain my degree than ever before, or at least this how I feel. And I also feel quite possitive as regarding the accomplishment of the end of this task. I think that obtainning my degree is a goal which I'm going to achieve probably by the end of next year. And that is not much time to wait! All I need is to keep on with the effort and to keep on constantly studying, and in this way, I will end my studies by the time I'm supposing to.
2) To move to Buenos Aires: After finishing my carreer, my plan is to move to Buenos Aires. This aim is particurlarly more related to my personal life than to my professional life. The fact is that my boyfriend is already living there. And if you have already read some of my journals you probably know that we have a project as a couple of making our home in Buenos aires.
3) To work as a teacher: I don't know yet if I am going to make my living by working as a teacher of English, but this is something that I really want to do. I mean, to teach. Probably I will devote just a few days to this, and in the rest of the week I will do some sort of work related to the English Language...like being a receptionist or something like that. I suppose this, because actually, teaching in my country doesn't leave too much money. But, in any case, If I can earn my living only from teching, I will.
4) To learn another language appart from English, or two: While learning English I discovered that I really enjoy learning a foreign language. So, after finishing my career I would like to learn some other language too. I have not yet thought about which particurlarly language I will decide on, but for sure I will not learn it as a career. My intetion is to learn it just as some way to enlarging my knowledge. Nowadays, the Educational market offers many ways of learning languages as short courses and I believe I will do this in that way.
5) Having a family: I will move to live with my boyfriend soon and probably I will get marry soon too. And of course, I would love to have a child some day. But this will depend in the way we project our future together. I will prefer to plan my pregnancy in order to prepare in advance to this and in order to do it in a time of my life when I REALLY WISH to.
2) To move to Buenos Aires: After finishing my carreer, my plan is to move to Buenos Aires. This aim is particurlarly more related to my personal life than to my professional life. The fact is that my boyfriend is already living there. And if you have already read some of my journals you probably know that we have a project as a couple of making our home in Buenos aires.
3) To work as a teacher: I don't know yet if I am going to make my living by working as a teacher of English, but this is something that I really want to do. I mean, to teach. Probably I will devote just a few days to this, and in the rest of the week I will do some sort of work related to the English Language...like being a receptionist or something like that. I suppose this, because actually, teaching in my country doesn't leave too much money. But, in any case, If I can earn my living only from teching, I will.
4) To learn another language appart from English, or two: While learning English I discovered that I really enjoy learning a foreign language. So, after finishing my career I would like to learn some other language too. I have not yet thought about which particurlarly language I will decide on, but for sure I will not learn it as a career. My intetion is to learn it just as some way to enlarging my knowledge. Nowadays, the Educational market offers many ways of learning languages as short courses and I believe I will do this in that way.
5) Having a family: I will move to live with my boyfriend soon and probably I will get marry soon too. And of course, I would love to have a child some day. But this will depend in the way we project our future together. I will prefer to plan my pregnancy in order to prepare in advance to this and in order to do it in a time of my life when I REALLY WISH to.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Journal: The fake lawyers.
At the beginning of the year, there was a judicial situation in which our National University was involved , and this shocked me a lot. The fact was that 97 students from the Faculty of Laws received passing marks on their exams even though it was discovered that some of them had failed those exams. And what is worst , is that an important percentage of the students had not even took the exams. All these irregularities, led the authorities of the Faculty of Law to denounced this case on the federal Court of Justice.
Luckily, the investigation was started inmediately and continued during the last months. It is said that the students who are involved in the case are going to be called by justice soon. A local newspaper also announced that untill now, 67 students have been proved to be directly affected by this case and that the justice is willing to hear their declarations. For the time being, the University is not allowing them to continue with their studies. On the other hand, the Faculty is greatly colaborating with the justice by handind over all the evidence that they are requested by the lawyers who attend the case
All this investigation turned also to the students who already have their degrees. And in result, several denunciations have been made by the College of Lawyers. This College is incharged of delivering the permissions to the students that have already finished their career so as to allow them to work as lawyers. This entity have recently discovered that some of the students who asked for that permission had not taken the final exams or some others had just assisted to the Faculty for no more than two yeasr!
All this realization about the existance of fake lawyers and about the situation of some students that were about to became part of this fraud makes me think that at least the controls and measures necessary to avoid this are already functioning. But on the other hand, there's no way to avoid the question about how many fake degrees have already been delivered before all this case saw the light?
The only solution, for the time being, is just to put emphasis on the safety meassures. Universities and Colleges should for example made their data base interchangeable with the governmental organizations. This might be a way of making both institutions stronger to confront this type of frauds and might also be a way to trasmit security to the society about these type of cases.
Luckily, the investigation was started inmediately and continued during the last months. It is said that the students who are involved in the case are going to be called by justice soon. A local newspaper also announced that untill now, 67 students have been proved to be directly affected by this case and that the justice is willing to hear their declarations. For the time being, the University is not allowing them to continue with their studies. On the other hand, the Faculty is greatly colaborating with the justice by handind over all the evidence that they are requested by the lawyers who attend the case
All this investigation turned also to the students who already have their degrees. And in result, several denunciations have been made by the College of Lawyers. This College is incharged of delivering the permissions to the students that have already finished their career so as to allow them to work as lawyers. This entity have recently discovered that some of the students who asked for that permission had not taken the final exams or some others had just assisted to the Faculty for no more than two yeasr!
All this realization about the existance of fake lawyers and about the situation of some students that were about to became part of this fraud makes me think that at least the controls and measures necessary to avoid this are already functioning. But on the other hand, there's no way to avoid the question about how many fake degrees have already been delivered before all this case saw the light?
The only solution, for the time being, is just to put emphasis on the safety meassures. Universities and Colleges should for example made their data base interchangeable with the governmental organizations. This might be a way of making both institutions stronger to confront this type of frauds and might also be a way to trasmit security to the society about these type of cases.
Journal: Our past made us pessimists
I read an article last Sunday on a local nwespaper of my city which really caught my attention. It told about the pessimist attitude that many people in Argentina have which leads them to be complainning all the time. People complain about the weather, about the lack of money, and about whatever they can, without being able to confront all this insatisfaction and without succeding in chaging their point of view about life.
It surprised me a lot that appart from psychologists and sociologist, this is also the opinion of foreign people about Argentinians. They really believe that we are pessimists. At the same time, I felt relaxed because I consider my self quite pessimist and I used to think about my self as a fish out of the water. But now I know, that this pessimist attitude seems to be a characteristic of the whole society wich I belong to.
There's a psychologist who puts emphasis on the origins of this attitude which for her is related to the history of our country. She explains that a complete social class was obliged to remain in silence during the times of the military government. And after it, when all that people could have started to express themselves, this was done with lots of difficulties, which were a consequence of the fear that was still being part of our culture. This woman, compared Argentina with other LatinAmerican countries in which the the militar regimen has also ruled. The fact is that only in Argentina, the reaction against it, has arrived with high dosages of mellancolly.
Before the represion, there was in our country a hard working middle class wich was beaten hardly. And the effects generated by the idea of lose, which the represion caused, was bigger here than in other countries. We had known a moment of cultural and intelectual splendour, and then, we saw our society devastated. And, beside the passing of time, the acceptance of what happened, has not yet completely arrived...
The proposal of who wrote the article is that we should find the way to transform our pessimist attitude and complaints into positive attitudes towards the future. We should take another position in front of our lives and think positively in the possibility of better times. This seems to be the first change that is needed in order to really get to a better future.
It surprised me a lot that appart from psychologists and sociologist, this is also the opinion of foreign people about Argentinians. They really believe that we are pessimists. At the same time, I felt relaxed because I consider my self quite pessimist and I used to think about my self as a fish out of the water. But now I know, that this pessimist attitude seems to be a characteristic of the whole society wich I belong to.
There's a psychologist who puts emphasis on the origins of this attitude which for her is related to the history of our country. She explains that a complete social class was obliged to remain in silence during the times of the military government. And after it, when all that people could have started to express themselves, this was done with lots of difficulties, which were a consequence of the fear that was still being part of our culture. This woman, compared Argentina with other LatinAmerican countries in which the the militar regimen has also ruled. The fact is that only in Argentina, the reaction against it, has arrived with high dosages of mellancolly.
Before the represion, there was in our country a hard working middle class wich was beaten hardly. And the effects generated by the idea of lose, which the represion caused, was bigger here than in other countries. We had known a moment of cultural and intelectual splendour, and then, we saw our society devastated. And, beside the passing of time, the acceptance of what happened, has not yet completely arrived...
The proposal of who wrote the article is that we should find the way to transform our pessimist attitude and complaints into positive attitudes towards the future. We should take another position in front of our lives and think positively in the possibility of better times. This seems to be the first change that is needed in order to really get to a better future.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Journal: The 25th Anniversary of The Falklands War
This year, on June 14th, we conmemorated the 25th anniversary of the militar defeat of the Argentinian troops in the Falklands, which arose after only 45 days of warlike conflict. 74 days before the end of tha war, the militar government which run our country by those times decided to win back the Islands by force. And the consequences of fighting for those territories which were under Britain's power since the 19th century, were really dramatic for Argentina, and still are.
That 14 of June of 1982 was the end of a war faught with disparity as regarding militar forces. Argentina's troop didnt't have the preparation in what refers to the war strategy that is needed to assume such a reponsibility. And what is even worse is that the possible reactions of the main world powers were not took into account by our government.That is to say that not even were proposals about the diplomat alternatives which would have help us to avoid the war.
It is also truth that Britain was determined to fight for the Falklands and as well as Argentina, they didn't pay attention to the international petitions of finding a pacific way out which would have solved the conflict.
Those mistakes and the decision taken by Argentina of confronting a battle under inferior conditions, were the path to that bloody war over the Islands. And the only remarkable thing of it, is the bravery of our soldiers as well as the professional capacity and courage of our pilots. They are the reason why we will never forget that Argentina left there, spread trough the South Atlantic, 650 heroes.
After the end of the war, Argentina went back to a Democratic type of government and to the policy which undestands the pacific solution of international conflicts as the only way to defend the national interest. Together whith those changes, came also the constantly fight for our sovereignity over the Falklands. 25 years after the militar battle over the Malvinas, is time to continue the talks with Britain, which were once unfairy interrupted by a tragic war.
That 14 of June of 1982 was the end of a war faught with disparity as regarding militar forces. Argentina's troop didnt't have the preparation in what refers to the war strategy that is needed to assume such a reponsibility. And what is even worse is that the possible reactions of the main world powers were not took into account by our government.That is to say that not even were proposals about the diplomat alternatives which would have help us to avoid the war.
It is also truth that Britain was determined to fight for the Falklands and as well as Argentina, they didn't pay attention to the international petitions of finding a pacific way out which would have solved the conflict.
Those mistakes and the decision taken by Argentina of confronting a battle under inferior conditions, were the path to that bloody war over the Islands. And the only remarkable thing of it, is the bravery of our soldiers as well as the professional capacity and courage of our pilots. They are the reason why we will never forget that Argentina left there, spread trough the South Atlantic, 650 heroes.
After the end of the war, Argentina went back to a Democratic type of government and to the policy which undestands the pacific solution of international conflicts as the only way to defend the national interest. Together whith those changes, came also the constantly fight for our sovereignity over the Falklands. 25 years after the militar battle over the Malvinas, is time to continue the talks with Britain, which were once unfairy interrupted by a tragic war.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
