Optimising the Learning Experience

Dr Melanie Brown
15th/6/18- Carson Street School

What is Conductive Education?

 Originated in Hungary in 1940s  global (contextual influences)
 Distinct integrated approach to the field of neurological disability
 Based on a system of teaching/learning
 Views medical condition as a barrier to learning  not that they cannot learn
 Degree level training for conductors

The Conductive System

Philosophy
 Every human has the capacity to learn (neuroplasticity)
 Learning is not automatic but created
 Psychological intention and action  creation of internal will
 Language as a higher cognitive process and tool to change movement
behaviour (children won’t necessary understand a concept until they have
experienced and had words assigned to)
 Development of the whole personality (social, psychological, cognitive,
emotional, physical, spiritual)
Process
1.The child with the disability
 Strategic teaching required to develop the skills to learn, access new
knowledge, apply
 Function is the product of learning
 Develop will/desire through activity
 Must be meaningful and goal directed
 Exists within a social context
I can learn whatever I want to, whenever I want to- THIS IS IMPORTANT! This is
the mindset we wish to build.
2. The conductor
 Knowledgeable in: neurology, psychology, physiology and pedagogy
 Transformative teaching (more than imparting knowledge!)
 Responsibility to ensure the person learns
 Must teach the person how to learn, use the body they have, problem solve
and have an ‘I Can’ attitude
3. The environment
 Organisation  promote optional learning conditions
 Planned yet spontaneous for the child
 Socially constructed (groups, changing roles, shared success, partnership)
 Always consider what’s next  plan for success, accept failure

Methodology
Task Series- formal movement learning
-Gross/fine motor co-ordination
-Body awareness (model concepts of space etc.)
-Directional awareness
-Meaning of language concepts/instructions
-Use of the body as a tool to communication and learning
Stems from neurological condition or environmental deficits?

Differentiation
 Task- Enabling/Extending Tasks
 Equipment- to promote learning
 Facilitation- the help required to achieve the task
 What we think they are capable of vs what they can actually do are often very
different
 Whose responsibility is motivation/concentration? Ours.
 Observe the ‘state’ of the person in relation to the task  indicators to guide
decision making
 Potential- active role alongside someone else (ZPD)
 Potential is not static, continues to grow and expand
 Independence, doesn’t equate to alone…
 Differentiate learning from practicing in your classroom  more
able/independent students left to work alone… is this fair?

The Flow Theory (Csikszentmihalyi)

 -Based on Montessori Education
 So involved in the experience that nothing else matters  experience itself is
motivating/rewarding intrinsically!
 -Often distorts sense of time, self-consciousness disappears
 -Challenge (differentiation of activity) vs Skill (level of help)
 -Plan with the end in mind always allow them to finish!
  Over facilitate when appropriate to show them harder… make it seem easier!
 Everchanging goal posts can be disheartening!
Observation
 What skills do they have? How are they applied to different contexts?
 What can they do with help? Level of challenge/Impact on learning and
development