The school considers inclusion to be an important part of its ethos. As a larger institution there are a variety of pupils’ from many different backgrounds, the school as a whole is diverse. It is vital the school provides a ‘secure learning environment in which they feel safe, secure, confident and able to learn.’ (Behaviour for Learning Policy, 1) As a trainee teacher it is important I am aware of who I will be teaching and their requirements. I will support students in the best way I can and seek support from the inclusion team when necessary. I will plan my lessons adhering to the policy guidelines and academic levels for that particular class. I will use differentiation to ensure all pupils are able to achieve their full potential.
As a teacher when delivering any lessons planned we have to make sure that each students individual needs are met, so they will feel included in the lesson. “Inclusion is about creating interesting, varied and inspiring learning opportunities for all learners, ensuring all learners contribute and are never disadvantaged by methods, language or resources” Wilson (2008).
In a contemporary Australian school setting, inclusion is the ongoing collaboration of all members of the school community to effectively meet the diverse needs of all students, including those with additional needs (Blackmore, 2009; Lyons, 2014). All students regardless of their cultural background or ability level should experience an enriching education where they feel included and supported. Creating inclusive cultures, producing inclusive policies and evolving inclusive practices are the best ways to promote learning and participation in schools for all students (Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education, 2012; Dempsey, 2014).
The follow assessment will have a brief description of the importance of inclusion and inclusive practices in work with children and young people. And it also contains an exploration of how our own attitudes, values and behaviour may lead to that inclusive practice, how to challenge discrimination and how to promote some important anti-discriminatory and inclusive practices.
Creating an inclusive learning environment is an extremely important aspect of modern education, which, according to Gravells (2008: p18), ensures that “[…] all learners are entitled to be treated with respect and dignity. Everyone is an individual, with different experiences, abilities and needs.” She also offers a brief explanation of inclusivity (2008: p18), which is “[…] involving all learners in relevant activities rather than excluding them for any reason directly or indirectly.” Inclusion has also been defined by John Tomlinson (1996: p26) as “the greatest degree of match or fit between individual learning requirements and provision”. In the other words, inclusive learning environment nurtures individual potential of all learners,
Aside from providing children with academic benefits, it provides them with a better understanding and respect for diversity. Being in a setting with many different types of students with different needs and abilities provides students with a way to learn about differences and how they can help others. In the Success For All study, results showed that the children involved in the study had “a reduced fear of human differences accompanied by increased comfort and awareness.” (Stout, 2001) If children are separated in the school because of their developmental differences then they will never truly learn that it is okay to be a unique individual. The idea that it is acceptable to be different should become a common knowledge to our students. With that knowledge, our students can make the future a better place for everyone. It has been said that the goal of inclusion is to “create a world in which all people are knowledgeable about and supportive of all other people.” (Whitworth, 1999)
This unit is an introduction to a key area of your course and will help you in maintaining an environment where all learners are included. The tasks provide some of the key information on current policy, theory and practice that you will be required to engage with through your course of study and professional practice. Take a critical and evaluative attitude as you engage with each of these self-study tasks, annotating and keeping relevant notes which will later contribute towards your professional development profile. Bear in mind that the issues and strategies of inclusion are an
This area of research is of particular interest to the researcher, firstly because inclusion is widely recognised by the National Curriculum. It highlights ‘A wide range of pupils have special educational needs’ and consequently, ‘Lessons should be
For the majority of educational history, students with disabilities are placed in segregated classrooms in order to protect them. However, recent controversy details the existence of increased negative impacts on classroom segregation. The importance of classroom inclusion falls under three main categories: mutual acceptance and equal treatment of students with disabilities in society, increased personality development in disabled students, and quicker development of crucial skills (Soponaru, Camelia, et al. 1). Overall, integrated classrooms appear to be effective, but many regular education teachers lack the qualifications to properly instruct integrated classrooms. Even though some regular education teachers are qualified to teach integrated classrooms, regular education teachers with integrated classrooms need to be more thoroughly educated about special needs to ensure an optimal learning environment for all students.
Inclusion, in general, is know as “the action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure”. In the special education world inclusion can be known as the act of including an individual with special needs into a regular education classroom. Special needs including things like learning disabilities, physical disabilities and ever more profound and severe disabilities. In an article on Disability Scoop titled “Inclusion on the Rise In Nation’s Schools” the fact that “As of 2013, more than 6 in 10 school-age students served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act spent at least 80 percent of their day in regular classrooms. By contrast, roughly half of students with disabilities met that threshold in 2004”
Quality inclusion is built upon a community that respects all students regardless of factors, such as race or academic abilities. This is deeply rooted in the concept of the least restrictive environment, which states that students should be educated with their peers to the greatest extent possible. As stated in the article Classroom Management in Inclusive Settings “As the composition of students within classes becomes ever more diverse, educational policies and practices need to become more inclusive” (Soodak, 2003, pp 328). The author gives the readers insight into the movement surrounding inclusion, which is supported by laws protecting those with disabilities. As schools move towards implementing inclusive models standards must be
The inclusion movement is a full inclusion of special education students into regular classrooms. The inclusion movement suggests that inclusion should be one of several alternatives to meeting the educational needs. Inclusion advocates typically support the argument that the segregation of a child by diagnosis or handicap is not in the best interest of the child (CDC,2016). The impact of this movement forces the teachers to look beyond the situation and focus on the educational need of the student. It also forces the requirement that special needs students be educated in the "Least restrictive environment.
As teachers we should focus on the importance of creating supportive learning environments which instil the notion of inclusivity of all students, with or without disabilities. As students enter the classroom they bring a mixture of cultural, academic and behavioural diversity with them (Watkins, 2005). As teachers we need to embrace the unique qualities that each student holds and make the most of this diversity to enhance the learning outcomes of all students. This critical reflection aims to identify how teachers can set up the learning environment to specifically maximise teaching and learning for all. In correspondence to each idea mentioned, I will also reflect on some potential advantages and challenges that beginning teachers may
Inclusive education has increasingly become a focus of debate in discussions about the development of educational policy and practice around the world (Farrell and Ainscow 2002). Education for children with disabilities and special needs is now becoming an established policy objective in many countries. The many issues affecting inclusion of special needs students have been debated over the last 25 years (Odom et al. 2011). The inclusion classroom gives the children with learning disabilities an opportunity to develop social skills and learn with the rest of the group without being separated, this will not hurting their social development somehow. Teacher will have to have prior training if the attempt to teach in a inclusion classroom with children with disabilities and non-disabilities share the same curriculum. Therefore, co-teaching can serve as effective venue to train new classroom educators.
In the webcasts, titled Inclusion: “What does it mean and who is it for?” and “How do we make it meaningful?” Cynthia Pitonyak who works with VCU-ACE and has been a special educator for over twenty years explains inclusion beyond the typical way that it is prevalently used in the realm of public special education programs today. She starts out in video one where she reviews the meaning of Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and how special educators are there to design an individual program to meet the needs of the disabled student in the Least Restricted Environment in order to help the individual progress and grow. She states that inclusion is not the law, and there is no mention of it in federal laws such as IDEA, No Child Left Behind, or in the, Every Student Succeeds Act. However, she points out that because of FAPE, LRE, and the IEP which are all required by federal law, inclusion, which is vitally important, happens.
Inclusion is defined as bringing diverse students, families, and educators together to create schools and other social institutions based on acceptance, belonging and community (Salend, 2011). Inclusion helps in bringing differences together and it can be beneficial for all. Inclusion is based on the belief that all children are capable of learning and need to be guided through a curriculum that is based on their abilities and needs. Inclusion works best with the right supports that includes proper training, adequate funding, support in the classroom, and a strong sense of communication between all professionals and parents.