ABSTRACT:
The purpose of this article is to present the experiences and conceptions of early childhood school teachers about the use of a Child Monitoring System (CMS) as a method to evaluate their educational practices, the processes of child development and support for school inclusion. The CMS proposes a process and continuous evaluation, monitoring the experience of each child, and aims to promote the best educational responses to each and every child. Five teachers from two public schools in a city in the state of São Paulo participated in the study, for four months, studying and using the CMS in the context of their pedagogical practice. Their experiences and conceptions were obtained through semi-structured interviews. All participants expressed satisfaction at experiencing and using the CMS and considered it an important evaluation tool. The speeches highlighted the possibility of listening to children and the importance given to their initiative and autonomy in the activities. Concerning inclusive education, in general, it was evidenced that the system can be an important tool to assist the teachers in the processes of inclusion. In respect to the reflections on educational contexts, strategies and practices, the majority gave greater prominence to the difficulties related to the lack of time, inadequate physical space and material resources. It was also reported some contributions that the use of the CMS brought to the teachers in their pedagogical practices, specifically in relation to improvements in the educational offer that promote greater autonomy for the children and more inclusive actions.
KEYWORDS:
Special Education; Inclusive Education; Evaluation; Early Childhood Education