The teacher Georgina García presented the work: "Inclusive educational practices: what knowledge and skills should future differential education teachers develop?" during a discussion with the Differential Education students of the host institution.

The academic of the Department of Education of the University of La Serena, Mg. Georgina García participated on April 22, 23 and 24 in a work day of the Network of Training Institutions for Special or Differential Education Teachers (IFPEE), held at the University of Playa Ancha. The Network is made up of the universities of Playa Ancha, La Serena, Católica de Valparaíso, Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación, Católica del Maule, Concepción, Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Católica de Temuco, Austral de Chile and Los Lagos, whose representatives meet three or four times a year in one of these study houses.

The purpose of the event was to strengthen the teaching of special or differential education in the country. This was explained by the president of the IFPEE Network, Irene Cabrera, representative of the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences, who explained that the purpose of this meeting was “to establish a work plan for these next two years and also determine our presence in public policies (…), how to improve or transform teacher training and, at the same time, influence national education policies.” 

According to what is stated on the UPLA website, Marisela Vera, teaching coordinator of the Pedagogy in Differential Education career at the host institution, Valparaíso campus, pointed out that the day corresponded to a technical meeting to “reflect on the challenges that Education has today and, in particular, to make it increasingly inclusive, but also, to a series of activities that are scheduled in terms of action programs that the Network has on this occasion.”

The preparation of the report of the II Congress of the Network 2014 held at the Pontifical Catholic University of Temuco, the change of directors of the Network, and the 2015 - 2017 work plan, were some of the actions developed in these days.

In addition, a colloquium was held with the students of the Differential Education program of the UPLA, Valparaíso and San Felipe campuses, in which Mg. Georgina García, academic of the Pedagogy in Differential Education career at the University of La Serena, with the work: "Inclusive educational practices: what knowledge and skills should future differential education teachers develop?; Cristina Julio, head of the career of Differential Education of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, with the presentation: "Pedagogical Innovation around the Universal Design of Learning: two experiences of the School of Pedagogy of the PUCV"; and María Teresa Hidalgo, academic at the University of Playa Ancha , with the presentation "Universal Learning Design: a tool for change." 

Challenges

Regarding the challenges raised at the meeting, UPLA professor Marisela Vera indicated that important changes are required, “we are very convinced that we have to join forces, work together and collaboratively, which is what the world is demanding of us today. system day by day and, obviously, ensuring education, whether inclusive or not, although it is what corresponds, because it is a right that we all require. “We are all different and need quality education, therefore it must be more inclusive.”