The Community Educator in Education

Special, bridge between the institution, the

community and alternative care no
conventional of People with Needs
Specialists in their different fields (Family -
School - Community.
 DIAGNOSIS OF THE CURRENT SITUATION

The school, as a center of community activities, is the place (socio-

cultural) par excellence, to generate and share mechanisms of
communication between it and the community where it is immersed. That is why
this has the main leading role in achieving educational alternatives that
allow, first of all, the education of the students
they address a continuous training; that correlates the values,
customs and traditions with the academic content that is developed
in the classroom; and secondly, it must ensure the continuous training of the
community that is around them, to provide answers in one way or another
way to the social and cultural needs of it.

From there, the role that the Teacher must play and fulfill is enhanced;
As a continuing educator, you have the task of generating projects that
they go for the benefit of the learners and the community in which they are immersed,
responding this way, to comply with Article 102 of the Constitution of the
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (1999) that states: "Education is a right
human and a fundamental social duty... These characteristics
constitutional aspects of education, make the school a larger space of
concurrence and participation within their community.

The aforementioned allows for claiming the need to raise

in the institution unconventional strategies to be fulfilled by the teacher
Community-based, to achieve the social and cultural development of the family,
student and community population, of which it is a part
Institution. All of this based on what is stated in the National Educational Project (PEN 2000):

In the great struggle against educational and social exclusion of the

main entities involved in the education of the student
(family-school-community) and thus raise the quality of the process, in order to

guarantee the comprehensive and ongoing care of students.

(Page 37)

Seen this way, the model of comprehensive educational attention of the Special Education Modality
(1997) is characterized by the holistic conception of the person (bio-psycho-social) requiring
the school in its educational and social function to implement projects that respond to the
needs for attention of learners with mental retardation through "Prevention,
comprehensive attention (family-community-health-education-others) and social integration of them
people". This is why educational institutions that serve this population are
in the duty to oversee and comply with the policies issued by the Ministry of Education and
Sports, through the training of the staff in charge and the participation of the
the same in the different areas where the students are engaged.

In this way, the Special Education Institute 'Lara' in its role of fulfilling
The Educational Policy of the Special Education Modalities: Area of Mental Delay, has proposed
various alternatives through the execution of the sub-projects: Family School,
Health, School Scholarships, Academic Training, Folklore and Recreation exposed in the
Comprehensive Educational Community Project (PEIC) aims to integrate the students and
families under their care.

But, however, and reiterating the effort to continue guaranteeing the rights
"constitutional rights of the population regarding the adversities faced" (Parra, 2005), has
observed through the evaluations of the execution of its sub-projects, that it has
difficulty in implementing unconventional strategies aimed at attending to the community,
families, students in general neglected, whether due to the conditions
economic experiences, due to the geographical distance of the school-home, social ignorance of
the attention provided or because the students have graduated, institutionally,
and have remained inactive at home.

The above described, and reflecting on the guidelines emanating from

Report of the Technical Days held with the family of special education students, the
Interdisciplinary Team of the Special Education Modality, early childhood education teachers and
basic education teachers from the state of Lara (December 2005), where it is described that the
I.E.E. and the representatives must reflect on the implementation of state policies.
through the definition of Projects, a situation that reflects its scope, at the level
local, municipal and state, and where Special Education is development, is prevention, is
social integration.

The Special Education Institute 'Lara' is tasked with formulating the proposal of
Community Teacher in Special Education, motivated by what is stated in the paragraphs.
previous and to the existence of a large number of students, families, and communities,
applicants of our service, both in the Cathedral Parish of the Iribarren Municipality,
as in the Parishes of Santa Rosa, El Cuji and Unión; these needs are based on
diagnosis provided by an approximate population census supplied by the UBES,
Health and Missions Committee existing in the aforementioned Parishes, to determine
the facilitation of the necessary human and material resources, by the Instance
National and State; and in this way, establish the execution of care projects
community education through the use of the necessary networks responding to the
People with Special Needs and the special family neglected in this regard
communities.

Likewise, taking into consideration the aforementioned, and as a key point,

To achieve the realization of this project, we refer to our work.
In school, we take into account the Curricular Guidelines of the Initial Education Levels.
and Basic, making adaptations that promote and benefit the population that
we attend.

In virtue of this, and referring to the pedagogical attention of the Initial Level defined in the
Curricular Proposal (2001) defines the unconventional strategies that are applied in
locales and diverse spaces that include community, family, and arrangements
spontaneous and institutionalized child care, which are planned and carried out
highlighting the Community Educator guiding pregnant women in the areas of
health, nutrition, and stimulation, so that, at the birth of the child, they have
potentialities that favor their integral development.

Consequently, this gives us the basis to reaffirm the consolidation of this resource in
our institution, since it is true that we have a Child Development Center
In our state of Lara, to cover and comply with the Prevention Stage, it is also true
that does not provide enough on its own to fulfill it; hence the importance of what
this project is proposed, since with the figure of the Community Teacher in our area,
we can establish Intramodal and Intersectoral Action Networks to carry this out
stage of Prevention and Care for women at risk of having a child with special needs
special and, if he already had it, would help channel family acceptance and medical attention,
educational and psychological of the child, with the support of the school and its team
interdisciplinary.

That is why and based on the description made in previous paragraphs, the Institute of
Special Education 'Lara' finds itself in need of obtaining human resources.
Community Educator in Special Education as a bridge of connection between the institution,
the community and as an alternative of unconventional care for people with
Special Needs in its different areas (Family, community, others).
 JUSTIFICATION

The present project arises with the purpose of providing a real response to
non-conventional educational attention for people with educational needs
special, through the figure of the Community Teacher in Special Education; since,
currently, there is a percentage of, which are unattended and, at the same time, are
requiring non-conventional educational attention, through the planning and execution of
projects, programs, that involve the family and the community where they are located
immersed.

In the same way, this idea arises as an alternative form of care, so that those
students who have been unable to enter educational institutions, whether due to
the economic and social conditions of their family, due to the distance between school and home or due to their

school dropout and lack of follow-up by the educational entities involved with it (family
or in the environment where it is) thus, it also aims to strengthen alliances with the only Center of
Child Development of the State and agency of the Ministry of Health and Social Development, for
contribute to the implementation of prevention and care plans for children and mothers in
risk situation.

All of this is intended to be achieved through the execution of non-strategies.

conventional practices carried out by the Community Teacher in Special Education,
allowing the school to reach underserved communities and to open its doors to
attention, through the services it offers (medical-psychological-social-educational). Of
In this way, we will contribute to improving the quality of life of people with needs.
Specials through the dignification, inclusion, and social integration of this population, thus
as well as the attention and support for the special family, due to being the first environment

socialization of children with special needs.

In this way, through the Community Teacher in Special Education,

we will be able to reach the family and entities involved in the formation of individuals with
special needs who have not had access to the educational system, as well as,
those who have graduated from the Institutes and Labor Workshops and who are currently,
they are neglected.

OBJECTIVES

GENERAL

Achieve the procurement of human resources in the figure of the Community Teacher in
Special Education, as a bridge connecting the “Lara” Special Education Institute,
the community and as an alternative to non-conventional care for people with
Special Educational Needs in its different areas (family-community-school).

SPECIFIC

• Diagnosing the need for the figure of the Community Teacher in Education
Special, through the Population Census of People with Special Needs
carried out by the UBES, Health Committee, Missions of the parishes Cathedral, Santa
Rosa, the Cuji and Union.

• Define the legal, philosophical foundations, the unconventional strategies, the

profile and challenges of the Special Education Institute 'Lara', regarding the Teacher
Community in Special Education.

• Present the project foundations to the Parish Council of Catedral, Santa Rosa.
the Cují and Union as well as the authorities of the National and state Instance, that
regulate the Special Education Modality, for the analysis and verification of the feasibility of
same.

• Obtain the human resource of the Community Teacher in Special Education,

as an unconventional care strategy of the Special Education Institute 'Lara'.
 PROJECT GOALS
TO MEASURE THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE PROPOSED OBJECTIVES.

Gantt Chart

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE

ACTIVITIES 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
• Diagnosis of the presented situation
necessity of the figure of the TeacherX X X X
Community in Special Education
Formulation to the Director of the IEE 'Lara'
idea of creating the Community Teacher in X
Educación Especial Área Retardo Mental
• Formal notification from the IEE "Lara" to the
Coordination of the Educational Modality in the X
Lara State, Msc. Juana Marlen de Jiménez.
Search for Bibliographic Documentation,
X X X
to support the project.
• Visits to the Cathedral Parish Board in
search for support and information to sustain X
the project.
• Participation in Meetings with the
UBES belonging to the Cathedral Parish
X
to inform about what is desired
achieve with the proposed Project.
• Execution of a formal meeting with the UBES and
Representatives of the Cathedral Parish Board
X
for the formal presentation of the Project and
obtain its approval.
• Visit to the Unión Parish to establish
the contacts with the Coordinator of the Committees X
of Health.
• Visit the El Cuji Parish to establish
Contacts with organized communities x x
of the same.
• Meeting with the Health and Missions Committee x
from the Union Parish to explain the goals of
Community Teacher Project in Education
Special.
• Visit to the Santa Rosa Parish, sector the
They will contact the Association.
x x
Civil Friends of the Special Child (Home of
Care)
• Collection of Information, through
censuses provided by the different parishes x
involved.
• Delivery of the project to the Coordinator of the
Modality in the state.
• To present the Project to the Coordinator
from the National Level Area.
• Achieve the acquisition of the resources for the
creation of the Community Teacher figure
in Special Education.

DIAGNOSIS OF THE CURRENT SITUATION

 THROUGH THE POPULATION CENSUS OF PEOPLE WITH NEEDS
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL
(Parishes near the Institution)

The data that is presented below was supplied by some

organized communities belonging to the different parishes involved in this
project, these are a standard numerical estimate of the people with
special needs that are educationally underserved in those communities. From
In the same way, it is important to highlight that during the visits made and meetings held in
Each parish was presented with the project for the creation of the Teacher Figure.
Community in Special Education supported the idea as it is feasible to have
with a specialist working in the community (meeting minutes are attached); from this
the community spokespersons found it necessary to establish the carrying out of a
formal nominal census to verify special needs: autism, cognitive deficit,
visual impairment, hearing impairment, motor disability, other; and thus obtain assistance from the Modality

State Special Education regarding alternatives for the care of people with
special needs in their communities.

Parish of El Cuji: 174 people, of different ages and varying special needs.
In a meeting held on March 29 at the Parish Board, they committed to carry out the
nominal census of these people.

Santa Rosa Parish: specifically in the Ujano sector where it was possible
establish contact, there is a Care Home 'Friend of the Special Child' where some
caregiver mothers attend to a population of 37 children, adolescents, and young people with
different needs especially visual, cerebral palsy, and cognitive deficit. Of the 37
only 6 are being attended to by the IEE Lara and the others are without schooling due to
economic and social causes of parents.

Cathedral Parish: specific information has not yet been obtained, but there is
around 8 people in each of the sectors belonging to that parish.
 Parish Union: so far we have been able to contact the information of six
communities where there are around 15 people with special needs without attention,
it is necessary to gather the rest of the information from the other sectors, which are around thirty,
In that parish, there are 65 health committees; they only provided their estimate.
 LEGAL BASES

In Article 103 of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (1999)

the right and obligation to education is established, a character reinforced in Article 61 of
the Organic Law for the Protection of Children and Adolescents, LOPNA, (1998), where it
reiterates the fulfillment of this right through access to education services
people with special educational needs and where the state must ensure the
financial resources corresponding to fulfill this obligation. This reiterates the creation
of the Community Teacher in Special Education, as has been reiterated, our
the population, mostly consists of low-income individuals and, often, this prevents,
on one hand, attendance at the educational institution and, on the other, the students achieve and
they complete their school progression, but return, once again, to the family without follow-up and
help from the institution that watched them grow.

By virtue of that, with the help of the Community Teacher in Special Education: Area
Mental retardation, this population can be attended to and a response can be provided, in this way, to the

educational quality reiterated in the existing constitutional rights in the Republic

Bolivarian of Venezuela.

Likewise, in Articles 31 and 32 of the Organic Education Law (1999), it is stated

emphasis on family stimulation and attention, as well as the incorporation of the
community where the person with special needs lives and develops, such as
active participants in the educational training of this population; moreover, this Law reiterates the
projection of the actions of educational institutions towards the community. It is there where it plays

a fundamental role of the Community Teacher, as this is the means for the school to open
the doors to the community in which it is immersed, as well as, it is the instrument for
reach the underserved and unassisted population through planning and execution of
unconventional strategies that lead to:
 The person with special educational needs and their family should be attended to in the
environment where it is found" (Parra, 2005).

Likewise, the Law for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the Lara State
(2002), in articles: 4, 5, 7, and 8 states that people with disabilities have the right
to its family and community integration, in this way, the state and the municipalities with the
participation of society and the family, must ensure and apply educational rights and
social services that support the comprehensive care of this population.
Moreover, in Chapters VIII and IX of this law, emphasis is placed on the registration.
statistic of this population coordinated by the State Council for Care of the
Person with Disability from the State of Lara; in a joint effort with the Boards
Parochial surveys to understand the number, social condition, and characteristics of these people and
thus establishing support networks for them. With the help of the Community Teacher in
Special Education, and in a joint effort with the UBES, Parish Boards,
Health Committee of each community will be able to respond to social needs,
economic and educational, achieving both the dignification of these people, as well as the
protagonistic and citizen participation of underserved families within their community.

Similarly, the National Educational Project (2000), within the framework of Education
that is proposed in order to build the New Republic, establishes among one of its
purposes: the fight against school exclusion, expanding coverage, to guarantee the
permanence, progression, and promotion of students.

Thus the key point 'expanding coverage' makes us think about the Teacher.
Community in Special Education; since with this human resource we can reach without
limits on the population with special needs that is underserved.

EPISTEMOLOGICAL BASIS

To substantiate this project, it is necessary to take into account the

Socio-Historical-Cultural approach, proposed by Vygotsky, which in one of its postulates
mention the school assignment, expressing:
 "The task of the school, in summary, consists not in adapting to
defect if not to overcome it" (p. 119).

This implies rethinking a developmental school, capable of reaching new goals.

for the benefit of the students it serves; starting from the fact that they, even though they have
a special educational need, they can learn and develop, which implies fostering
conventional and unconventional training alternatives that are based on the
various social, emotional, and cognitive components that accompany the learner in their
training, actively incorporating, the family and the community in which it develops.

In this sense, the special school must provide various alternatives, capable of
overcome the passivity of the integral development of the population with special needs, in order to
prepare them for life in the broadest sense. This is how the school should not stay
with what it only teaches within its four walls, but is obliged to reach out to
the community where the person with special needs is immersed. "The Teacher
Community in Special Education would help the educational institution carry this out.
for which strategies must be designed that include the leading participation of the
family and the community.

In this way, creating spaces within the community, the special school
will develop meeting points for reflection, commitment, social participation,
cultural identification and the strengthening of social integration of individuals with
special needs. Consequently, the Community Teacher, as a link bridge
between the educational institution and the community, will carry out community actions through the
monitoring and training of significant adults, who are directly related to the
educating, so that he can make the meanings of cultural products his own
reality in which he is immersed.

All together, family-school-community, mediate in the person with needs

special educational experiences that are significant, to reach their level of development
potential; in this way, we will be 'overcoming the defect' the past struggle of Vygotsky and
our struggle today.
 UNCONVENTIONAL STRATEGIES
PROPOSALS TO BE FULFILLED BY THE
COMMUNITY TEACHER IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

Adapted from the Guidelines for Early Childhood Education, 2003 and from the

Educational Policies for the Mental Retardation Area Modality, 1997

Ensure compliance with the Educational Policy of the Education Modality

Special: Intellectual Disability Area, acting in the role of mediator through the registration of
the enrollment with special educational needs; attention to significant adults
involved; specialized pedagogical guidance to the entities where they are included
population with special needs: Day Care Homes, Multi-Homes
cooperatives, missions, schools, others; through the adaptation of Guidelines
Curricular corresponding, adapting them to different significant scenarios
(family, educational and non-educational centers, and, in general, community environments)
taking into account the social and cultural environment of the community that is being
attending.

Its purpose is to serve children, adolescents, young people, and adults with
special educational needs that are not receiving formal pedagogical attention,
whether due to low economic and social conditions, or because they have already graduated from
the relevant educational institutions or because they have been included: in a civil association
community-based, in educational programs and social welfare of their community; and that are
neglected, then found in the family or under the care of an Organization
Governmental or Not.
Conduct a SWOT analysis of the community you are serving for planning.
concrete actions to be undertaken in mutual agreement and with the help of the Educational Institution to the

which belong to, the UBES and Civil Associations.

Train, guide, provide technical assistance, and monitor pedagogical activities.

to be carried out by the significant adults where the person is immersed
with special educational needs (Civil Associations, Cooperatives, Missions,
others) through direct and indirect attention in community environments.

Promote and organize partnerships, strategies, and community networks that involve the
strategic lines of comprehensive care for individuals with educational needs
special: intramodality, intersectoral and intrasectoral, seeking in this way the
social and cultural development of this population enhancing and promoting thus the integration
social effectiveness of these people.

Provide direct attention to the special family as the first socialization environment.
the person with special educational needs (life project) and the other entities
involved with the person, establishing relationships of trust, affection,
communication, norms and values; thereby acquiring the information for the promotion of
development, learning, and integration of this population.

•To work jointly and directly with the Special Education Institute to which
it belongs to an interdisciplinary team involved through the consolidation of alliances with
the Child Development Center and the Health and Social Development Committee of the community: in
prevention and care plans for both Pregnant Women and children
in situations of risk, to establish programs, plans, and strategies for care of the
population with special educational needs.

To inform the community to which it belongs about its projects, involving

Neighborhood Association, UBE, Health and Social Welfare Assistance Centers, among others
others in the search for meaningful adult training as facilitators of their
community.
 Deliver your planning and projects, as well as your monthly report and
statistical data of the population served and activities carried out and to be executed, and others
administrative precautions, to the management personnel of the institution to which they belong.

PROFILE OF THE COMMUNITY TEACHER IN SPECIAL EDUCATION.

(Adapted from the document of the Initial Education Level: Methodological Systematization of
Work with Family and Community, 2003

• Specialist teacher in Special Education (T.S.U. or Bachelor's).

• To enjoy good physical and mental health.

• Self-confident and high self-esteem.

• Congruent in feeling, acting, and thinking.

• Researcher, innovator, and creative.

• Mediator and objective.

• Open to the religious and cultural beliefs of the community it serves.

• Planner and evaluator.

• Committed to independent study.

• To possess an ethical, moral, and cultural conduct.

• Reflective and communicative.

• Convinced and committed to the new political, educational, and social changes
from your country, region, and community.

• Create and assist families and individuals with special educational needs.

• Promote group work, the exchange between the School and the Community.

• Expert and promoter of the necessary Networks and Alliances to carry out your work.

CHALLENGES OF THE SPECIAL EDUCATION INSTITUTE 'LARA'

TO FULFILL THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY TEACHER IN
SPECIAL EDUCATION

1. Carry out quality community work, under the motto 'Community and
School, united by a common goal," reaching broad sectors of the special population.
needed and neglected.

2. Organizing plans, programs, strategies, through established steps and criteria with
the interdisciplinary team of the institution, to carry out the systematic work of
unconventional attention.

3. Serve as a guiding framework for other educational institutions that cater to the
person with special educational needs, through their promotion and dissemination of
direct work between the institution, the family, and the community.

4. Contribute to the reflection and proposals for attention regarding educational policies.
for the person with special educational needs.
5. Ensure comprehensive care for the person with special educational needs and
agents involved with these, within the community to which they belong

6. Through the Community Teacher, the institution can strengthen and promote the sub-
Family School project, through the execution of the life project for the person with
special educational needs, as a strategy to be developed with the family core
where it is immersed; furthermore, to provide for those needy families or in
risk situation, the necessary guidance, with the aim of generating attitude changes;
that consolidate the family group in emotional, social, and participation areas
citizen.

7. Facilitate, through community work, the formation of meaningful adults

(parents, mothers, brothers, students and other volunteers) who serve as a link between the
institution, the Community Teacher, in this way, to help and support the project to
execute.

8. Consolidate the Intramodality alliance between the Social Integration Teams and the
Special Education Institute, to disseminate the community work carried out, through the
use of media to engage political and social organizations and thus
to achieve effective solutions for the community being served.

9. THE GREAT CHALLENGE: To not fade away and to fight for dignity and Social Integration
(Familiar, School, Community) and citizen participation of the person with needs
special education.

"Enough of Words"
We need to generate concrete actions;
That is what we were formed for, the State and the Community must ensure compliance.
of the
Constitutional and Social Rights of the Population with Special Needs.

(Msc. Yarinès Perdomo)

 THE COMMUNITY TEACHER IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

VISION

Be the link bridge between the special educational institution, the family and
the community; creating real alternatives for unconventional care and
formative, for the benefit of people with educational needs
neglected specials within the social environment where they live and are
they develop.

MISSION

Cater to the population with special educational needs

unsupported through the consolidation of alliances and networks among services
social and educational services of the community, to ensure comprehensive care,
dignification and social integration of this population.
 BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

- Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (1999). Official Gazette 38.680

from 30/12/1999. Caracas - Venezuela.

- I Municipal Days of Unconventional Care. Consultation Material (2005).

Formulation of Socio-Community Projects (CEDESO). Tinaquillo,
Cojedes State.

- Organic Law of Education (1980). Official Gazette of the Republic of Venezuela No.
[Link] 28/07/80.

- Organic Law for the Protection of Children and Adolescents (1998). Official Gazette of the
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela No. 5,266 Extraordinary dated
02/10/98

- Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports (2001). Curricular Proposal of

Initial Education. Caracas.

- Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (2003). Methodological Systematization of

Work with family and community. Caracas.
- Parra, N. (2003) Comprehensive Educational Policy for the Care of the Person with
Mental Retardation. Gear mechanisms. MECD. Directorate of Special Education.

- Parra, N. (2005) Report on the Technical Workshops held with the Family of
Special Educators, the Interdisciplinary Staff of the Modality
Special Education, Early Childhood Educators, Educators of
Basic Education of Lara State. Barquisimeto, MED.

- National Educational Project (2000). The education proposed based on

This Project of Society and of Country under Construction. Caracas. MECD.
BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SPORTS
DIRECTORATE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
SPECIAL EDUCATION INSTITUTE 'LARA' "WITH YOUR HELP I WILL FORM MY
BARQUISIMETO. STATE. LARA FUTURE"
I.E.E. "LARA"

The Community Educator in Special Education, bridge

of linkage between the institution, the community, and alternative of
unconventional care for people with needs
Specialists in their different areas (Family - School - )
Community)

ELABORATED BY I.E.E "LARA"

BARQUISIMETO, MARCH 31, 2006