1. Presented by: Ruth Dekel (PhD) EAPRIL 2012 Conference Jyväskylä, Finland, 28-30 November, 2012 Improving General Functioning and Academic Achievement among Students Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

2. A specialist in diagnosis and remedial teaching for LD and ADHD students. Founder of the “Israeli Center for Learning Strategies” (ICLS). A lecturer at "Levinsky College of Education" and at "Wingate College" of: Learning Disabilities, ADHD, diagnosis and remedial teaching and learning strategies. 20+ years experience as a teacher for diverse population. Introducing myself Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

3. Improving General Functioning and Academic Achievement among Students Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

4. Why Learning? Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

5. Why Learning? Education is the key to success. Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

6. Why Learning? Education is the key to success. The expanding knowledge and rapid changes that characterized our society require a person to make extensive modifications through learning (Feuerstein, 2010). Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

7. The needed 21 st century skills according to Binkley (2010) are: being able to communicate, share, and use information, to solve complex problems, to response to new demands and changing circumstances, marshal and expand the power of technology, to create new knowledge and expand human capacity and productivity. Why Learning? (Continued…) Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

8. Identifying the Problem Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

9. Different researches show that struggling students are often at high risk of underachievement during school years and beyond (Klein & Mannuzza, 2000; Snowling et al., 2001; Hendrickx, 2010). Identifying the Problem Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

10. Different researches show that struggling students are often at high risk of underachievement during school years and beyond (Klein & Mannuzza, 2000; Snowling et al., 2001; Hendrickx, 2010). Social factors are closely bound up with academic achievements (Carol & IIes, 2006). Identifying the Problem Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

11. The Solution Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

12. The Solution LEHAVA Program Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

13. Theoretical Background for the Solution Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

14. Theoretical Background for the Solution Vygotsky (1962) developed the term "zone of proximal development" (ZPD); the gap between the actual development level and the level of potential development. Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

15. Theoretical Background for the Solution Vygotsky (1962) developed the term "zone of proximal development" (ZPD); the gap between the actual development level and the level of potential development. The key to advancing in the ZPD requires adult guidance in collaboration with peers and emphasizes the creation of meaning rather than the teaching of specific skills (Vygotsky, 1986). Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

16. Feuerstein (1980) refers to deficient cognitive functions to explain the child’s low performance and to the Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) as the way to work with. Theoretical Background for the Solution (Continued…) Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

17. 4 Categories for Deficient Factors Cognition at the Input Phase Cognition at the Elaboration Phase Cognition at the Output Phase Affective Motivational Factors Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

18. Key Criteria of MLE Intentionality and Reciprocity Self Regulation and Control of Behavior Sharing Transcendence Individuation Goal Planning Meaning ChallengeSelf Change Competence Search for Optimistic Alternative Sense of Belonging Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

19. "LEHAVA" Program Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

20. "LEHAVA" Program LEHAVA - a Hebrew acronym signifying: Learning, Organization, Confidence and Success. Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

21. "LEHAVA" Program LEHAVA - a Hebrew acronym signifying: Learning, Organization, Confidence and Success. The essence of the program is a combination of proper organization together with the acquisition of study methods. Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

22. "LEHAVA" Program LEHAVA - a Hebrew acronym signifying: Learning, Organization, Confidence and Success. The essence of the program is a combination of proper organization together with the acquisition of study methods. It is an integration of knowledge and skills under the supervision of the teacher as a mediator who creates the proper learning environment for the students. Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

23. It was first designed in order to give an appropriate solution to high school students with LD and ADHD that in spite of good behavior in class, high IQ and motivation they were underachievers. "LEHAVA" Program (Continued…) Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

24. The goal of the program is to change passive and dependent thinking into autonomous and independent thinking, to transform those students from underachievers into self and efficient learners by providing tools to handle any academic tasks successfully by themselves. "LEHAVA" Program (Continued…) Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

25. The goal of the program is to change passive and dependent thinking into autonomous and independent thinking, to transform those students from underachievers into self and efficient learners by providing tools to handle any academic tasks successfully by themselves. It helps to restore the struggling learner's self- confidence and sense of self-efficacy. "LEHAVA" Program (Continued…) Israeli Center for Learning Strategies™, Ruty Dekel © All rights reserved

26. Thank you for listening and now… Let’s put it to practice