"Incorporating diverse people into a truly inclusive community requires vision, commitment, and the belief that each and every individual has a significant contribution to make." (Inos & Quigley)
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I want to begin with this quote simply because it stands out in my own experiences. I am happy to see the old teaching philosphies thrown out as outdated and the new teaching philosphies quickly swooping in to replace that which is old. I have thought for a long time the only way to progess this nation into a more functioning and fluid community we must reshape education, as hard as it may be, and make the student the center instead of curriculum. I want to see this transformation on a personal level as well as a professional level.
On a professional level I want to have the ability to teach everyone in my classroom; to touch every soul whether I am invited or not. I want to inspire future generations to love the art of science or at least appreciate science as anything but dull. I want to possess the skills to excite the learning process. I want my students to take the skills I teach them and apply those skills else where whether it be in another class or in their personal life. I suppose I will have to realize failure from time to time as I reach to attain this goal but then again maybe I should see them as challenges that I need to hone in on.
On a personal level, I battle the old way of thinking, the old way of teaching, on a daily basis. The teaching that states that my son, who faces his own challenges with epilepsy, is too much of a drain during the daily grind of the classroom. Many times I have heard, "I don't have time for this. I have benchmarks and the Westest to deal with." Maybe it's the system I should fight. Afterall, I understand that teachers are under an incredible stressor with No Child Left Behind and the requirements to meet this goal. Maybe I am asking too much of his teachers. I don't think I've asked for anymore assistance or special treatment than what his Section 504 dictates. On the other hand, maybe my child's needs are too overwhelming, especially since he has complex-partial seizures that are hard to detect unless you are tuned into his normal behaviors. I have heard more than once, "He doesn't have seizures. He just stares into outer space." I feel defeated at this point. In fact, the thought that enters my mind is, "Didn't she/he read the information I gave them in the beginning of the year? I thought it was fairly simple and concise information." I feel I am faced with being an advocate for my child but having my voice lost in the red tape; while at the same time I know exactly what these teachers are faced with - timelines and deadlines to meet the guidelines of No Child Left Behind. Knowing both sides of the coin I ask myself this:
When it comes down to all the diversity I will meet in the classroom - will I be able to meet the challenge? Will I be able to recognize the diversity? Will I be able to rise above the timelines and deadlines set upon teachers and realize that my student(s) is facing adversity because of something he or she cannot help? Who in the class will suffer if I redirect my focus on helping those I feel need it most? As a gifted kid myself in school, if the class didn't move fast enough I was bored and I tuned it out. I would like to say, "Yes I can meet all these challenges!" but I have not yet faced them on a daily basis in my classroom. Maybe all the battles I have fought for my child in the end will make me look foolish because I could not rise up to be the teacher I expect my child's teachers to be.When faced with all these questions, I return to something my mother once said, "The student should never be forced to conform to the classroom. Instead the classroom should be built around the student." To me these are powerful words. I interpreted these words as the classroom should flow with the learners and that everyone has something to contribute; ideas to share; ways to teach and influence peers. The classroom is a dynamic, living, and breathing organism - not four walls and 6 rows of desks. No one should stand alone.
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"Educational change, no matter how lofty the goals, will only take place over time and by enlightened, informed people as they truly become committed to a shared vision. Inclusive schools are developing in a unique way based on the needs of their individual students and communities." (Inos & Quigley)
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I focused on this quote as well mainly for the fact that inclusive practices do not happen overnight. It is a process one in which may be thwarted by various principals and teachers according to Michael Remus. His work in Phoenix took 38 schools (K-12) which included 37,000 students 4,000 with special needs, and began restructuring these schools to fit inclusive practices. The old ways of teaching in his district included interventions, evaluations, and placement in a program. He called this the "Hotel California" effect or simply put - the students were placed in boxes that encompassed a wide range of issues instead of focusing on individual need. This obviously didn't work and frustrated many of the parents which resorted in basically moving the child to a different district where a "program" may work more readily. Thumbs down on that idea. Once again, the child has to conform to the classroom. Other requests were made for more professional special education teachers while general teachers claimed it wasn't their problem. There was nothing fluid about Mr. Remus' district. An issue many districts face all around the United States (Remus).
Once inclusive practices were introduced the child no longer had to fit in a box but instead the focus became how to deliver services. It wasn't immediate and wasn't easy but in the end the goal was achieved - a community was built in which everyone was accepted. Friends are being made as they help each other to attain goals, which means ultimately higher self esteem and higher test scores (Remus). In this sense, no one is left behind. Ah ha! My mother may have been right about something after all - the classroom should be built around the student.
Define Inclusive Education and describe the kinds of students Inclusion is meant to benefit:
Inclusion as defined by the article Research Review for Inclusive Practices simply means "including all" (Inos & Quigley). If we take that one step further to define Inclusive Education it would also have a simple meaning - include all in an educational setting. By IDEA standards Inclusive Education would be in the "least restrictive setting".
Inclusive Education is meant to benefit all students. To further strengthen the fact Inclusive Education is meant to benefit all, I liked this quote from the article:
"Not every child has an equal talent or an equal ability or equal motivation, but children have the equal right to develop their talent, their ability and their motivation." ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Likewise not every child is on an IEP or has a Section 504. Inclusive practices should help every child in the classroom meet their goals and help them to succeed in and out of the classroom. It is meant to strength self esteem and build strong, independent students; which eventually when released into the "real" world have teh tools to be independent, strong adults.
3 types of students Inclusive Education is meant to serve:
Inclusive practices reach out to students who have learning needs whether they be high incidence (i.e. learning disabled, behavioral disorders, emotional disorders, mentally challenged to a degree, etc..) or low incidence (i..e. autism, severe mental challenges, physically disabled, etc..). Inclusive practices are also being tweaked and developed to help students with ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic differences (Inos & Quigley). These children are not left in a room, away from peers. Instead they are welcomed into the group, when possible, to share their ideas; become part of a functioning and fluid community.
Inclusive practices can also help gifted children through 2 prerequisite conditions as found by research cited by The Council for Exceptional Children (ERIC Clearing House). The research first suggests gifted children should be grouped homogenously. This is mostly to give them time to explore more indepth ideas (Berger). Secondly it suggests that this grouping should contain "appropriately differentiated curriculum" ( ERIC Clearing House). This "appropriately differentiated curriculum" is meant to address their unique needs and abilities; challenge them to stave off staleness or boredom in the classroom (Berger). I personally believe that this segregation should not be all the time. Being set apart from the rest of the classsroom is just as hurtful for a gifted child. On the other side of the coin, it is also hurtful for the group to have someone who is always placed in charge and ends up with most of the group work. The groups in a classroom should flow. This is a fuzzy area for me on many different levels.
2 characteristics of Inclusive schools:
One characteristic is a sense of community(Inos & Quigley). I think I have focused fairly heavily on this point because I like this idea when it comes to inclusive practices. The fact that those who once remained hidden in the back of the classroom or in another classroom all together are now brought to the front with their peers. They are sharing their points of view, which are valid, and they are gaining a sense of self respect and esteem by being part of a group. This ultimately will give students the skills to enter the working world and the ability to work in a group. It will give everyone in the classroom the chance to value differing points of view from all walks of life.
A second characterisitic is using a common language (Inos & Quigley). Students from all walks of life and varying backgrounds do have some sort of life experience that they can equate on many different levels and to varying problems. When students are able to bounce off one another to tackle a skill or a challenge, it can be surprising how well they are able to come up with a solution. Adult supervision is always required to help moderate disagreements or keep the topic train on track. However, adult languages can be confusing, as well as adult ideas which can be restrictive in a learning enviornment.
In both of these approaches it is surprising how much the teacher can learn in this enviornment as well. There is always room for growth when the classroom comes together to tackle skills and challenges. Which in the long run will create a rather fruitful enviornment where self-esteem is taken to the next level and diversity is nutured.
1 strategy that helps students become more responsible and effective in the inclusive process:
The biggest, simplest way to help a student is to inform his or her parents or guardians of the structure and expectations met in the classroom (Inos & Quigley). I cannot reiterate or highlight this enough. When the parent is in the dark on their child's needs, especially when the teacher is not willing to give this sort of information way, frustration results. I cannot empathsize how many times I, myself, have left the school more confused than when I arrived. A parent cannot help their child succeed if they don't know where to start. Unless the parent is able to sit through their child's classes; which in any case is not feasible or practical. For the most part we are trying to raise successful children who can go into the world independently. However, parents should be in the background somewhere with some sort of direction. Parents also need to know if the staff are able to handle their child's special needs. For instance - What is the protocol if my child has a seizure? I know what it is, do all the teachers? Will a substitute know what to do?
Another point is to reassure the stability of the classroom. In other words - How flexible is the classroom? Will my child's teacher be able to accomodate him if he were to have an absense/ complex partial seizure? Procedure states that he or she prompt my child in a respectful manner. But what if the teacher is not flexible and accuses him of daydreaming? It has happened in the past. In fact he was told, "If I'm going to stand up in front of class and teach, you will have the decency to listen." In a short, cruel instance he was belittled in front of his peers. Set apart from the rest of the class. Later it was confirmed that he was having many seizures throughout the day.
Lastly the parent needs to be aware of their child's rights in the classroom if their 504 or IEP is violated? What is the next step? Reconviening as a team (parent/teacher/special ed teacher/principal)? Going straight to the Board of Education? Filing a claim with the ADA? Finding an advocate? Like I said, I cannot stress the importance of parent involvement and parent awareness enough. It becomes a foundation of trust and eases frustration levels.
Related Sources (Youtube link to an Inclusive Practice sample):
(Art Sight Studion, 2010)
I chose to share this video because it gets to the point of why Inclusive Practices need to be met. The two students in this scenario classroom both feel alone albeit for two different reasons whether it be their inability to learn the content or their physical disability that is holding them back. For a child, feeling isolated may be hard to put into concrete words and even harder to fathom that other children may feel the same way, although their needs may be different. I like the way one reviewer of the video phrased it, "we must learn together, we must be together, no more division". Diversity comes in all shapes, sizes, and needs. If we are to grow as a society or community, we must find a way for all our members to reach their full potential.
References:
Berger, S. (n.d.). Differentiating curriculum for gifted students..
Retrieved from http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10342.aspx
Inos , R. H., & Quigley, M. A. (n.d.). Research review for inclusive practices.
Retrieved from http://www.prel.org/products/Products/Inclusive-practices.htm
Remus, M. (n.d.). The road to systems change: inclusive practices. Retrieved from www.taalliance.org
The ERIC Clearing House on Disabilities and Gifted Education. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions
on inclusion. Retrieved from http://www.teachervision.fen.com/special-education/resource/2942.html
Art Sight Studion. (Producer) (2010). Inclusive education is the basis of harmonious society
[Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAXFWdARPdE
2 comments:
Outstanding! Do you mind if I share some of your blog with the class today?
I don't mind at all. I triple checked it for errors; I hope I got them all.
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