Guidelines

The SKATE Guidelines on Inclusive Classrooms for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) teachers, aims to provide the main theoretical aspects of the content and the focus of the learning programmes developed in the SKATE project. The Guidelines provide an overview of various issues considered essential for appropriate use of digital technologies in inclusive educational settings for young learners (0-6 years of age). More specifically the guidelines provide an overview of the main concepts of disability, digital technology and inclusive education, an overview of the basic theoretical principles for creativity and learning in ECEC and the notion of inclusive ECEC. They further examine the role of technology in universally designed learning programmes, as well as how the use of high and low tech technology can empower children with special individual needs or emerging special needs where  the educational activities cannot made fully and permanently inclusive. In addition, guidelines focus on the implementation of technologies through the use of mainstream (e.g., tablets) and assistive technology (e.g. augmentative and alternative communication) tools and emerging (robotics, kinematics, safety wearable devices, simulated environments, smart toys) high-tech technologies as well as low-tech strategies (all often referred to as educational technology in the broader sense to foster the development of cognitive, intellectual, communication and social competences. The document aims to support the content development of the SKATE learning programmes and referenced as one of the reading resources containing the main themes of emphasis of the SKATE curriculum and learning materials.