ESTABLISH AND SUSTAIN A SAFE, INCLUSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT UNIT 2, 4.3
Literature review
Gove argue that Teachers' opinions and views of mainstream inclusion, as well as details of their experiences, including the support and strategies they use to manage students generally, have been explored. These literature reviews give a greater insight into the inclusive learning environment and help to develop teaching experience and understanding for future years. Gove, M. (2010).
Why inclusive learning and teaching? Higher Education is more diverse than it has ever been especially in my placement. I know that different groups of students have different rates of completion and attainment. I need to make sure that the learning, teaching, and assessment at Oxford Brookes do not disadvantage any groups of students and allows all students to reach their potential. What do I mean by inclusive? With a greater emphasis today on equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) I should revisit my teaching and engage with the learning needs of all students by adopting inclusive pedagogies. By inclusive, I mean valuing the contribution of students regardless of their backgrounds and appreciating the contributions of different value systems. Inclusive learning and teaching benefit all students by drawing on the strengths of students from different backgrounds. (Dimbleby, J. 2006)
As a teacher, adopting Inclusive learning is crucial because learners have different ways or level of assimilation. By assessing my learners, I can plan my teaching to include the different profiles of my learners. Knowing or establishing the profiles of my learners allows me to accept them and also prepare my teaching and learning methods to include the different profiles of my learners.
Within the learning environment, setting ground rules is necessary. Ground rules set the expectation and also bring order to the classroom. Ground rules could be set around class management, punctuality, the use of mobile phones in class, talking while lessons are going on, respecting other people's opinions and properties in class and confidentiality in class. Method of setting ground rules could be done by discussing and agreeing with learners in the class, using posters
Furthermore, knowledge of social disadvantage, cultural diversity, and inequality of students can broaden educators' understanding. Knowledge in these areas can be understood as forming part of the ‘hidden curriculum’. Blaise & Nuttall (2011) describe the hidden curriculum as unintentional actions which surround curriculum (p. 82). Due to the importance of the impact of factors in the hidden curriculum, it can be understood that it is critical for teachers to develop a broad understanding of the hidden curriculum so that they can be mindful while interpreting and delivering curricular experiences. Teachers need to consider the hidden curriculum to ensure children's needs are acknowledged and that a safe environment that is free from stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination is
Inclusive learning is about ensuring all your learners have the opportunity to be involved and included in the learning process. It’s also about treating all learners equally and fairly, without directly or indirectly excluding anyone. Inclusion is about attitudes as well as behaviour, as learners can be affected by
Inclusive practice is about adapting what is being delivered to make learning accessible to everyone regardless of ability, special education need (SEN) or any other barrier that might exist. When planning to meet the needs of everyone in the group it is essential that the teacher has as much information about everyone as possible. (The City and Guilds textbook level 3 Award in Education and Training). Features of inclusive teaching and learning starts with knowing which learning styles your learners prefer, to do this you can use VARK (visual, aural, read/write and kinetic) test which was designed by Neil Fleming to help learners and teachers know what learning methods they are best suited to e.g. in the first lesson my tutor asked for us
1.1. Inclusive learning is about recognising that all your students have the right to be treated equally and fairly, have the same access to all products, services and have the opportunity to be involved and included. As a teacher you need to be aware that all students are not the same as they all do not learn in the same way, the ways in which a teacher can overcome this is using the Teaching and Learning Cycle, using visual, auditory and kinaesthetic materials (VAK) and agreeing on individual learning plans (ILPs). Other features could include self reflective exercises, quizzes and providing opportunities for students to reflect on their own
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).
An inclusive environment is a condition where everyone has an opportunity to fully participate. In education, this means everyone has the same opportunity, there should be no borders such as ethnicity, gender or disability. All students should feel valued, be able to mix and participate with all members of the group be in a safe and positive environment.
Consistently throughout the PGDE course we are studying how to become a more inclusive practitioner whether it is through campus based learning, additional readings or teaching experience in local schools. We continuously strive towards learning how to make school a more inclusive environment. This assignment exemplified with references to reading such as Government policies, legislation and research articles as well as reflecting on my own teaching experience I hope to highlight the teachers’ role in creating an inclusive environment within an individual classroom. Having studied selective literature with theories and research, which could have influenced Scottish Education Policies, I draw attention to discrepancies on matters of inclusion and social justice that exist between them and the implications they have for learning.
This is important, as it should not be assumed that all students have been involved in working on ground rules in the past.
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,
Inclusive learning is about making sure that every learner in the classroom has their needs identified and met. It is about realising that every learner will have specific individual needs and it is the job of the teacher to accommodate the needs of all of their learners. Booth et al. (2000) state ‘Inclusion is seen to involve the identification and minimising of barriers to learning and participation’ (Booth et al., 2000: 13).
It means acknowledging that students have a range of individual learning needs and are members of diverse communities. For example a student with a disabling medical condition may also have English as an additional language and be a single parent. Inclusive teaching avoids pigeonholing students into specific groups with predictable and fixed approaches to learning.
In making my teaching inclusive I reassess the material I use in my teaching and the way in which it is delivered and assessed.
Creating a learning environment that maximises learning and teaching in any classroom can be a task in itself, let alone creating a successful learning environment within an inclusive education setting. There are however numerous ways to do this with both advantages and difficulties in implementing such a curriculum; it seems an overwhelming experience, especially as a new teacher.
In today’s classroom, the role of teacher’s is particularly complex, given the increasing educational needs of the diverse students attending. According to Ellis (2005), over the past 20 years classrooms in Australia have undergone significant transformations, with regard to changes in grading and streaming of students. This has lead to the diminishing of streaming and grading students into classes and groups solely based on their ability levels, resulting in classes of diverse ability that encompass extensive physical, intellectual, cultural and behavioural differences (Ellis, 2005). This diversity heightens the need for inclusionary practices, in addition to instructional strategies, in order to meet the compelling needs of a full range of student’s attending schools (Council for Exceptional Children, 2005). According to Shaddock, MacDonald, Hook, Giorcelli and Arthur-Kelly (2009), inclusionary practices should be adopted if or when learning becomes an issue for any student who might experience barriers to learning and participation; whether arising from disability, gender, behaviour, poverty, culture, status or any other reason. Inclusive approaches to teaching and learning should emphasize the creation of instructional environments that expand mainstream thinking, structures and practices, which promote educational success and a sense of belonging for all students. One approach that attempts to accommodate all students in an inclusive and diverse manner is that called