School of Special Education N°503 "Remedios de Escalada de San Martin”
Digital Infrastructure Project in Berazategui, Argentina
Numeral provided the School of Special Education N°503 "Remedios de Escalada de San Martin” with a computer and relevant software programs for special education. The initiative came after the Numeral team contacted the school staff to provide them with candid help in their digitization process.
Located in Berazategui, Buenos Aires, Remedios de Escalada de San Martin was founded in 1985 and was created only for students with intellectual disabilities. In 2016, due to the strong demand from visually impaired students in Berazategui, the school created a service for students with Blindness and Low Vision. Currently the school has 276 students enrolled.
The teaching team consists of 7 professors of MD (Mental Disorders), and 8 teachers of CCP (Complementary Curricular Proposal) who work on projects related to Art, Narrative, Healthy Living, Community and Citizenship, Playful Scenarios, and Science and Technology. There are Music and Physical Education teachers who teach twice a week.
Also, the school has 2 Technical teams made up of an Educational Assistant, a Social Assistant and a Speech Therapist, 3 preceptors, 12 teachers of Intellectual Inclusion, and 3 teachers of Visual Inclusion. These teachers provide Braille, Tics, Skills for Daily Life and Orientation and Mobility services for students with Blindness and Low Vision. It also has projects called “Radio Escolar” and “Huerta Escolar”.
School Numbers
1985
Founded
276
Children
36
Teachers & Staff
The need for a new computer arose from the inability to download necessary special education programs on the school’s computers, which had been in service for more than 20 years. Technology is vital in our everyday lives, particularly for those with special educational needs. Thanks to Numeral, students and teachers can now take advantage of the perks that technology provides.
Screen readers are one such example of life-changing technological advantages. The school’s old computers could not run modern screen-readers, leaving blind students unable to use these services. It now uses a screen reader called NVDA, which can read every action performed on the computer. Also, Numeral donated other programs such as "PEQUÉN", which has multiple functions: didactic games, practicing conventional keyboard writing and braille letters, voice recorder, mini challenges / evaluations of practiced topics, etc.
"The computer and software programs have been a great tool during the pandemic. The school was able to implement many innovative technological resources: messages and video calls through WhatsApp, Zoom, Meet, Facebook and didactic games for children to learn," commented the director, Fabiana Martinez.
Fabiana Martinez, Director
We believe that the incorporation of technologies during these challenging times is very important for all children and young people.
The school has a "Visually Impaired Service" where it teaches “TICS” (Technology of the Information and Communication). Here, children can learn skills for handling technology to perform jobs, search for information, and more.
In addition, the school now has a Facebook page, "Especial Berazategui Remedios De Escalada", where they share photos and videos of specific events and activities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the page helped to bring families closer by sharing the activities carried out by students, and advice for preventing the spread of COVID-19.
"We believe that, as a school team, we have worked hard to find new tools to stay connected with the students so the link was not interrupted," commented deputy director Mercedes Ibañez after thanking Numeral for the donation.
Technology and connectivity are vital in schools and homes for maintaining work and learning, more so during the pandemic. Obtaining a new computer, as well as special education systems, has been of immense help for the School of Special Education N°503 "Remedios de Escalada de San Martin”.