Achievements in perspective

by Gabriela Rosell 

BA in Special Education - Early Stimulation Specialist 

grosell@unsl.edu.ar 

“Plan metodológico de integración de niños con TGD en una escuela común” (Methodological Plan for the integration of children with PDD in a common school environment) Award.  Project presented by Professor Verónica Santiago and Ms. Melissa F. Gaibazzi - Stoikheia Institute- San Luis, at the V National Congress on "Learning Disabilities and Language" (“Trastornos del Aprendizaje y del Lenguaje”).

 When it comes to promoting a pluralistic society, there are examples in the province of San Luis, Argentina and the world, unthinkable a few years ago. If we talk about the integration of students with special educational needs – who, in turn, live a condition of temporary or permanent disability - San Luis shows that he path can be made up as one goes along it.

The possibility of living, working, loving, educating and entertaining in diversity is throbbing in our society ; this is equivalent to growing and travelling a road of no return, to functioning as an inclusive society. We may not be able to live enough to see full inclusion, but our children and grandchildren will surely strengthen this movement that began in the second half of last century, with the help of the achievements in human rights. 

Integration processes in all areas - school, sports, and labour, among others - are matrices, basal structures that will hold pro-inclusion steps in the future. In other words, without these integration processes, inclusion would not be possible in the future. 

In this sense, all kinds of events are organized in order to disseminate experiences. In our province, the V National Congress on Learning and Language Disabilities took place on November 19^th and 20^th 2010. Prestigious speakers, such as Dr. Juan Narbona García (Spain), among other leading professionals were present in this event. The objective of the conference was to promote advancements and updates in the field of Learning, Communication and Language Disabilities. The crux of all presentations was the improvement of the life quality and the resources needed to support people with disabilities and their families with a global approach that includes integrity in interactions with the environment in which they grow up. 

San Luis was represented by different professionals.  The lecture given by Professor of Special Education Veronica Santiago, Principal of Stoikheia Institute, and by Melissa Gaibazzi, B.A  in Speech Therapy (who also specializes in Autism and PDD - pervasive developmental disorder- and  who is a member of Children's Medical Center “Pediátrica San Luis” - San Luis Pediatrics) is worth mentioning. Both professionals spoke before an audience made up of people working in provincial, national and international organizations. The main topic of the speech was the integration actions that this institution is carrying out for students with special educational needs, and who also have autism and PDD. This situation was virtually unthinkable a few years ago. Ms Santiago and Ms Gaibazzi also spoke about the apparatus designed to give an appropriate educational response to their students, watching the support needs of students with autism and PDD, as well as the requirements of their pairs (children without disabilities) and their families, faculty and school staff. Among other issues, they highlighted the benefits of teamwork, the importance of external support to enrich the educational intervention, the importance of inviting the family to participate and enhancing their role, the urgent need to work with the environment. A project like this must include the integrated child's peers, as well as all the teachers of the institution, the non-teaching staff (janitors, secretaries, etc) and parents. 

Finally, it is noteworthy that this work has been evaluated by the Scientific Committee and has been awarded a prize to the best presentation, which is a pride for our province, a role model, an incentive to all those who are doing their best in favour of a plural society (from the place that each one occupies in society), in one way or another. It is necessary to highlight the willingness and openness of Professor Gabriela Bodar, Stoikheia Institute's legal representative and that of the management team, who opened the doors of the institution to implement the school integration system, created out of the needs of each group of students. 

The closing ceremony of Stoikheia Institute’s 2010 school year, was an emotional, captivating, and absolutely inclusive event. The viewers could see that children with disabilities and their families could access the same creative, artistic and academic proposals than the rest of their classmates, with the support that each one needs. Parents highlight the successful integration system, and therefore understand that their children, as well as their peers with disabilities, are benefited from these actions in this context. This means that what the professionals presented in the Congress could be seen at work . 

We are witnessing today a large number of institutions in our province, who are going the same way, perhaps with different methodologies for their proposals, but definitely doing their best for the sake of each child and respecting the right of common access to education for persons with disabilities. 

Congratulations to all! 

News from the Sky

by Aldo Hugo Olguin 

Prof. of Mathematics, Physics and Cosmography 

aldohugoolguin@yahoo.com.ar 

January is named after the Roman god Janus, the one with two faces: the face turned towards the past,  and looking toward the future. 

In summer, we can see more familiar constellations, such as Orion’s Belt (The Three Marys), The Three Kings, The Seven Sisters, the Southern Cross, which like the moon, are easy to recognize and locate at this time of year. The first two are part of the beautiful constellation Orion, the third one is an open cluster of about 25 stars of which only 7 are visible at first glance. The Cross’ mainmast shows us the South in the sky when carried 4.5 times. The stars Alpha and Beta Centauri accompany this constellation; Alpha is the brightest star and the one closest to the Earth. Its light takes only 4.2 years to reach us. 

Before leaving I would like to mention other interesting celestial events that you should not miss this summer; they are very easy to visualize: 

- At dawn, on January 4, the New Moon will pass in front of the Sun at sunrise, and we will see the moon cover a portion of the solar disk (Partial Eclipse of the Sun.) It will last until 8 pm. approx. Ask about instructions and precautions to view and photograph this safely. 

- On the evening of January 10^th at 8 pm, the crescent Moon will be near Jupiter (Conjunction of celestial bodies in the sky). The moons of Jupiter will be visible with a binocular! 

- At midnight, on January 15^th, the Moon will be among the constellation of Orion and the seven kids, to the North. 

- At midnight on January 25^th, the Moon will be near planet Saturn's beautiful yellow rings. 

Happy 2011! 

Partial solar eclipse

• Looking directly at the Sun, is dangerous for our eyes. You will need a welding mask or its glasses, which are sold in hardware stores. The most economical and secure way to observe an eclipse –and even to photograph it - is to project the sunlight through a 0.5 cm diameter pinhole made on two thin but stiff pieces of white cardboard. 

Why should we recycle mobile phones?

by Lorena Avila Cantisani 

Correspondent in Spain 

soydeargentinacom@hotmail.com 

Reuse is a key aspect of recycling. It contributes to saving the planet, and it is a way of taking care of it until it get its health back. That is why we do everything we can to promote this concept through my column in Guía Hueney. 

Mobile phones are often used for about 18 months before they are replaced. Most of them are stored in drawers and closets. This pile of used phones could end up in the trash. In any European country this can represent hundreds of millions of mobile phones in landfills. They contain many toxic substances, including brominated compounds that can be released into the air and leach into groundwater when burned in incinerators. Separating toxic materials in these products and discarding them as hazardous waste is very expensive. 

Phones are complex devices that include a printed circuit board (PCB), liquid crystal display (LCD), keypad, antenna, speaker, microphone and drums. The PCB and LCD together account for 98% of the environmental impact during production and recycling. These components contain chemicals that are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. PBTs have been associated to cancer and other reproductive and neurological disorders associated to the development process. It is important to note that 90% of the components of a mobile phone are reusable. 58% of the unit is 17% plastic and glass. A fourth part of the components correspond to different metals, all recoverable, such as iron, copper, silver and even gold and coltan, a very valuable metal contained in small amounts in all electronic devices which allows an extended use of batteries. Besides, many batteries contain cadmium or lead; both materials have been classified as the two most dangerous substances by the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States.  

Can mobiles phones be reused? 

Many of them can be reused. When you recycle your mobile phone for the first time, you provide a communication tool accessible to families and people in developing countries, improving their local economy, quality of life and personal safety. Phones that cannot be reused are recycled to extract their components. This is an action aimed at saving energy, which in turn, reduces the production of greenhouse gases. 

Where do old mobile phones end up in Spain? 

The vast majority of phones are discarded in Tragamóvil, a nonprofit foundation in charge of waste management and recycling. In 2004, the Red Cross, Entreculturas and Alboan launched a recycling campaign that remains active because of its success. The Red Cross uses the funds for environmental programs and activities, while Entreculturas supports its partners in Latin America and Africa "to ensure quality education" among those who have less in life”. 

Corporate Social Responsibility 

There are some companies with a strong ethical commitment, and a balance among economic, environmental and social aspects towards their customers and partners. There are permits and procedures for the recycling of phones, as well as current legislation governing the cycle of electrical waste in the environment. This legislation includes the WEEE Directive (Directive of the European Parliament and Council on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment). There are also ISO 14001, and ISO 9001. Companies or entities must have a permit for waste management. The right thing is being part of the European Union Emissions Trading System. There is a European Union Law on Renewable Energy. 

In Argentina there are 32 million mobile phones - a phone per person over 5 years old. Only a third part of them will be recovered for reuse, which means that a large amount of phones will be set aside unused. In Argentina, there are some environmental acts and regulations, such as National Act No. 24051/94 of Hazardous Waste; there is currently no collection policies aimed at recycling electronic waste, and few companies have the responsibility to comply with environmental standards. Greenpeace Argentina is struggling to make the Congress pass an Electronic Waste Act. 

The truth is that technological advances and trends make phones become obsolete in no time. 

We must begin to question and require companies that make and sell mobile phone to act in order to protect our environment.