Quote:
“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
Reaction:
Inclusive Education consists of including all children of all diversities in the learning process. No child or group of children should be separate from their peers because of their differences. There should be a feeling of oneness, where every child feels like they belong and that they can be successful in learning. I know from my experience in grade school, the classrooms where I felt like I was an important part of the group are the classrooms where I performed the best academically.
Inclusive Education benefits many types of students, including those with learning disabilities, behavior disorders, and students who have a high intelligence, but low performance. Inclusive Education also benefits students of low socioeconomic status, ELL students, students with more severe learning disorders, and students with physical disabilities.
Inclusive Education benefits ELL students, who do not speak English as a first language. There is a language barrier between these students and their peers. By including ELL learners with their English speaking peers, they can better learn the language by hearing the other students communicating with each other.
Inclusive Education benefits students with behavior disorders who may be disruptive to the classroom. A teacher’s first response may be to exclude them from the group because of the disruptions, but by including them, other students serve as a model for the appropriate behaviors in the classroom.
Inclusive Education also benefits students with physical disabilities who may have less mobility than their peers. Instead of being excluded from the group, Inclusive Education gives them a feeling of oneness and belonging in the educational environment.
One characteristic of an inclusive school is a sense of community. In an inclusive school, every child is respected as a part of the school. Every child should feel like they belong there. I can remember in school, the students who were the lowest performers and who struggled the most were the ones who always seemed to be off on their own, not really being involved in the class. I noticed some teachers never called on them to answer. Another characteristic of an inclusive school is one that supports co-teaching. I observed how well this works in my clinical last semester. There were a few students who had difficulty with math, and a special education teacher would come in a couple times a week to help them while the teacher was instructing.
One strategy that helps students to become more responsible and effective is using students as problem solvers. Students can serve as peer mediators or peer tutors. We had peer mediation in my grade school and it was very effective. Students would rather talk out their problems with peers instead of administrators. Getting the students participating in school activities such as these teaches responsibility and accountability.
Reference:
Inos, R. H., & Quigley, M. A. (n.d.). Research review for inclusive practices. Retrieved from http://www.prel.org/products/Products/Inclusive-practices.htm
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I chose the video about co-teaching in inclusive classrooms because I really like the strategy the two teachers are using with their students. They ask a question and then allow the students time to brainstorm their answer. This way, every child is successful and the teachers can prompt struggling students. I can identify with the anxiety students feel about being called on. I get very nervous and flustered if a teacher expects and answer right away. I do better if I can think my answer over first. The environment these teachers have created is positive and more effective.
Resource
Staff Development, B. E. R. (Photographer). (2011). Co-teaching in inclusive classrooms, grades k-6, part i: Whole group structures and strategies. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek951kXTBzo&feature=related
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