The Macadam Conference on Durable eLearning for Students with Physical Challenges & Medical Needs
	Contact email: greetmeesen@macadam.nl

Autumn 2008 - the Macadam Web Studio will organize a conference in Diemen, The Netherlands, on eLearning for children and youngsters with severe handicaps and longterm illnesses. The participants will be some 50 teachers and attendants from different European and non-European countries.

History and Aims of Macadam

The Macadam Web Studio, a volunteer organization, was founded in 1998 by Greet Meesen, herself a lifelong invalid language teacher. It provides online teaching and e-counselling to young bed-bound patients and their teachers and attendants. In addition, the Macadam Web Studio offers help with the starting up of e-projects, and supports teachers with examples and adjusted web media, such as web posters, spoken letters, musical animations, e-books and e-cahiers, all with or without the use of hands.

Credentials

• Macadam is a member of the MyEurope SchoolsNetwork of the European Union.

• Macadam is leading the European eTwinning Project “Troubadours”, which involves hospital schools and special educational institutions in Belgium, Greece, Israel, Poland, The Netherlands, The Czech Republic, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States. In March 2007 the Greek Department of Education designated this project the most outstanding web project for special education.
• Macadam is in the category ‘Ongoing Projects’ a member of Epals, US, a screened platform for professional teacher development.
• Macadam is an International Liaison organization for Bearable Times: The Kids Hospital Network, US.
• Macadam also participates in Kavor, an independent Israeli distance learning organization for hospitalized students which involves 20 hospitals and includes both Israeli as well as Arab teachers.

Purpose of the Conference

Today there is a growing diversity of e-learning possibilities, but each individual case demands a specifically adapted learning route. This goes often beyond the regular educational facilities or the domestic situation in question.

The purpose of the conference is to enhance the knowhow and awareness in this area on the part of teachers and attendants, as well as to expand their network contacts.

The conference will concentrate fully on teaching methods and content. Several plenary speakers will elaborate on these issues from different points of view. In the afternoons poster sessions will be held, and there will be ample time for the exchange of personal experiences.