Reflection on Inclusion

[Lucy Hany]

Dear all,

 

Please find attached my reflection on Inclusion & Creating Manageable Tasks. 

 

Looking forward to reading your thoughts on inclusion & whether it is practiced at your school or no.

 

 

Best of luck with your portfolios:)

 

Lucy Hany

[Nada Zaki]

 

I also work at a school where inclusion is practiced.  Being a culturally diverse school, I have some thoughts on how to create an inclusive classroom vis a vis cultural diversity.  On creating an inclusive classroom, I believe all nations, no matter how big or how small, are culturally diverse.  This diversity raises a question for us: How do we organize and operate schools given this diversity?  Fearing that the acknowledgment of diverse cultures in schools would encourage cultural factions and make national unity more difficult to achieve, often, the Egyptian national educational system tries to ignore diversity as much as possible and tries to operate monocultural schools.  I, however, believe that the unity of our nation and effective learning for the individual depends on developing multicultural schools were every student has the opportunity to reach their potential in an environment that is culturally aware and tolerant.  To achieve this we must analyze and understand the ethical commitments of different curricular responses to cultural diversity and analyze and critique the present educational response of schools to cultural diversity.  We must first begin at the personal level by an understanding of the self, we must encourage the transformation of schooling to create positive school and classroom environments and assess the integration of multicultural components into the curricula.  

As an educator, I have a dual responsibility to engage in a critical and continual process to examine how my prejudices, biases and assumptions inform my teaching and thus affect the educational experiences of my students. I have a responsibility to myself to study and understand the lenses through which I understand the people and happenings around me.  Only when I have a sense for how my own perceptions are developed in relation to my life experiences can I truly understand the world around me and effectively navigate my relationships with colleagues.  I also have a responsibility to my students to work toward eliminating my prejudices, examining who is (and is not) being reached by my teaching style, and relearning how my own identity affects their learning experiences.  

To truly create an environment that is conducive for all learners, education must be understood as primarily a social activity where students must actively participate in the process of their own and their peers’ education.  Most importantly, all statements of knowledge and value by students and the instructor must lay themselves open to critical dialogue.  Emphasis should be put on critical and creative thinking, learning skills, and deep social awareness as well as facts and figures.  Central to this is a student- centered pedagogy where the experiences of students must be brought to the fore in the classroom, making learning more active, interactive, and engaging.  To achieve this, I try to utilize learner-centered rather than teacher-directed classroom approaches, were students are involved in the learning process through interactive teaching strategies such as cooperative learning.  Moreover, pedagogy must provide all students with equal potential to reach their potential as learners and must be flexible enough to allow for the diversity of learning styles present in every classroom.  Traditional teaching approaches and pedagogical models must be deconstructed to examine how they are contributing to and supporting institutional systems of oppression.    Known oppressive practices like tracking (even if informal) must be exposed and critically examined.  Also, school cultures must be closely examined to determine how it might be cycling and supporting oppressive societal conditions.  Administrative hierarchies in schools must be examined to assess whether they produce positive teaching environments for teachers and students.  Moreover, teachers and administrators must be held accountable for practices deemed to be racist, sexist, heterosexist, classist, or in any other way discriminatory. 

The biggest challenge for me, as a teacher lies in creating a classroom environment that encourages students to appreciate diversity, to develop awareness of the needs of others, and to demonstrate respect for individual differences.  Conducive to this is designing learning activities that encourage students to be sensitive to others, to employ critical thinking, to overcome negative attitudes, and to develop a positive self-identity, based on their own strengths rather than on the weaknesses of others.  I hope to create a family atmosphere in the classroom by encouraging students and teachers to share their accomplishments, fears and struggles in social, as well as academic, areas.

           To achieve this, I encourage students to use dialogue journals and other ways of sharing their experiences and relating new learning to their own experience and perspectives.  I hope to form planning groups of students and teachers to design thematic units that reflect issues and themes relevant to students’ lives.  This creates opportunities for students to get to know many different kinds of people and learn about their similarities and differences. I also believe that the use art, music, and movement can be used to celebrate the creative elements of different cultures. Lessons dealing with foods or clothing should include ethnic dishes or costumes that are familiar to children from different backgrounds. Approaches toward the study of holidays and historic events should be relayed from the perspectives of all the peoples involved.  For example, how do Native Americans see Thanksgiving?  This approach can build students' understanding of various points of view and empower them to challenge accepted “facts.”  Moreover, educational materials should be inclusive of diverse voices and perspectives. Students must be encouraged to think critically about materials and media.  They must learn to question the information they receive such as  “Whose voice are they hearing? Whose voice are they not hearing? Why did that company produce that film? What is the bias this author may bring to her or his writing?”

 

 

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[trapti purohit]

Dear Lucy,

I like reading your thoughts on 'Inclusion'. Thanks for sharing.

Follwing are my views on Inclusion:

The term inclusion is originally based on the Regular Education Initiative Program (REI), a   model for the full inclusion of students with special needs in general education settings.  “Inclusion, means more than simply placing students with disabilities in general education classrooms. It means giving students the opportunity to participate as members in all school activities and affirming their right to such opportunity”(cited from Dowdy et al, 1998, p.24)

If the classroom teacher is not sufficiently trained or the classroom itslef is not adequately supported. by the necessary aides, consultants, ancillary specialists, materials, etc. then the objectives mentioned in the IEP cannot be met. The benefits of inclusion can also be undermined by the teacher who does not believe, understand or want to teach in such an environment. Inclusion in a class where the behaviour of  non-disabled students is not well monitored by an adult may lead to very negative effects on learning disabled student’s self-esteem (Cited from www.ldonline.org, 2006).

Our school presently has no provision for students with learning disorders and as such we don’t have any student who exhibits any disability outwardly. Yet, we have students with mild to moderate learning disorders in our classes. Once a student is identified having a learning disorder and it is confirmed, teachers share their ideas and make an action plan. Most of the teachers in my school are very keen in helping all the students and they are willing to put in extra hours. Students with learning disabilities benefit a lot from this. Various accommodations, which involves adapting and modifying the curriculum and instructional practices in the regular education classroom are made for students with learning disabilities.

 

“Social competence, communication skills, and other developmental skills of students with disabilities have improved in inclusive settings ( Turnbull, Wehemeyer)”

Last year a student with behavior problems struggled throughout the year. She was isolated and reprimanded. This year she is in a classroom where teacher has experience of working with students with disabilities. There is an improvement in her behavior and she is more confident. She is no longer isolated and she is learning to deal with her problems. As a result of guidance from the classroom teacher, her peers are a lot more supportive and this has done good to her self-esteem.

 

I have a small class size and have students with different age and grade levels. Few of my students have learning disabilities and few are ESL students. I differentiate instruction for my learners. The other strategies that I find helpful are cooperative learning (including peer tutoring that is extensively supported by the school), tiered instruction, manageable tasks and modifications in assessments as needed. Giving students manageable tasks means that everyone will be successful. I have been able to do that successfully as my students don’t compare each other’s assignments. They have seen teachers doing it and

they have accepted it. This is one of the advantages of ‘Inclusion Classrooms’. Not only the students with disabilities benefit, but also children without disabilities become sensitive to the needs of the others and there is greater acceptance of diversity.

 

Reference:

              Ann Turnbull,Turnbull, Wehmeyer Retrieved November 23, 2006 from Exceptional Lives.

              www.ldonline.org (2006). Retrieved November 23,2006 from

             http://www.ldonline.org/articles/5901

              Dowdy, C.A., Patton, J.R., Polloway E.A., & Smith T.E. (1998). Teaching Students with Special Needs

              In Inclusive Settings (2^nd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon           

             Sincerely,

 Trapti

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From: "Lucy Hany" <lh...@cacegypt.org>
Reply-To: I2...@googlegroups.com
To: <I2...@googlegroups.com>
CC: <dell...@tcnj.edu>
Subject: Reflection on Inclusion
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 13:21:15 +0200

><< Inclusion.doc >>

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[hala odeh]

 

Inclusion is a topic really close to home for me because i was an R.I teacher in Kuwait. I taught k-5 classes. Below is  a general overview about the main essential difference between U.S and how it practised at our school in Kuwait.

As a Resource Inclusion Teacher  there are areas in which to adapt the general education curriculum to meet the students' needs. However before going to the adaptations I will explain about inclusion in Kuwait. It's not mandated by law for the child with learning disabilities the right of access to the general education curriculum as in the US. The attempts are only in private schools and not all provide that. Our school provides both general and special education . In Inclusion we have children with moderate to mild learning disabilities that make it in a regular ed. The severe learning disabled student are in self contained classes, and are mainstreamed into PE and music classes.

  My role as a special educator is to help the class teacher in the delivery of instruction, utilize the needed adaptations for the child ,as well as devising an IEP with all the specialists involved with the child as well as the parents. I have to note that unlike the United States, the student has to perform at grade level. So we can't have Down Syndrome child in the 4^th grade but is functioning at grade 1 level.

Here is an example of the adaptation sheet for a child i taught with Dyslexia and Dysgraphia. His full scale IQ is 86, and is in the 5^th grade

 

student's reading test	classroom tests
1. Student not penalized for spelling mistakes	Students are penalized for spelling, and punctuation mistakes.
2. Resource Teacher reads and explains written directions during tests.	Students are responsible for reading test instructions on their own.
3. The student is allowed to answer orally and dictate to the teacher.	Students are responsible for writing the answers on their own.
4. Reduce the number of weekly spelling words ( 10 words)	Students of grade five have 20 weekly spelling words.

This is another student in the 5^th grade. He has severe hearing loss, short term memory problems. The student's full scale IQ is 71. Below is an example of his adaptations.

Student Math Test	Classroom tests
Use multiplication fact sheet or a calculator. If the objective of the test or lesson is to recall multiplication facts and he is able to do that but not in 10 seconds why should he be penalized. Whether he does it by counting as long as he gets it! If the objective is to test his ability to perform the operations in multiplying 4 digits with 2 digit numbers. Then the student is allowed to use a calculator, we want to find out if he can perform the operation in the first place.	Students are expected to have knowledge in the multiplication facts and perform multiplication operations.
Allow extended time during tests and classroom written tasks.	Students are allowed a specific allotted time during tests and tasks

hala

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From: "trapti purohit" <trap...@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: I2...@googlegroups.com
To: I2...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Reflection on Inclusion
Date: Fri, 01 Dec 2006 09:37:05 +0000

[trapti purohit]

Dear Hala,

Thanks for your comments on inclusion. I find the adaptation sheet on dyslexia and dysgraphia very useful and usable.

I worked with two special needs students last year, who were dyslexic. I wrote a paper on 'Dyslexia in Hong Kong' this summer and wish to share a section of my paper with you.

Please see the attachment.

Sincerely,

Trapti

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From: "hala odeh" <ode...@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: I2...@googlegroups.com
To: I2...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: Reflection on Inclusion
Date: Fri, 01 Dec 2006 19:25:32 +0000

[Hanan]

Hi everyone,
It has been really great hearing all your views on inclusion in
education. To me, inclusive education means that all students in a
school, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses in any area, become
part of the school community and share a sense of belonging among other
students, teachers, and support staff. As nations become more and more
culturally diverse, a greater need for inclusive classrooms becomes
apparent. Because all adults work in inclusive communities, work with
people of different races, religions, and disabilities, then by the
same token, children of all ages should learn and grow in environments
that resemble the environments that they will eventually work in.
As with Trapti's school, our school presently has no provision for
students with severe learning disorders, however, we do have students
with mild to moderate learning disorders incorporated into our classes.
I agree with Nada that one of the biggest challenges facing teachers

lies in creating a classroom environment that encourages students to
appreciate diversity, to develop awareness of the needs of others, and

to demonstrate respect for individual differences without bias or
discrimination. When good inclusion is in place, the child who needs
the inclusion does not stand out because the curriculum includes strong
parental involvement, students making choices and taking responsibility
for their work, a lot of hands-on involvement and a curriculum that
focuses on humanity, on one another's worth.
Good luck to all on the teachers portfolio!
Hanan

[Russ]

This is my reflection on inclusion in the form of a values statement.
I wrote this for my Spec Edcourse I took in Mallorca last summer. It
is a philosophical statement, not an addressing of implementation.

I am an educator. I take great pleasure in helping my students develop
and discover their talents, abilities and skills: academic and
non-academic. I want to guide them to into young adulthood, making
them self-educators, preparing them for life as caring and responsible
adults. By doing this, I hope to help them become good human beings
that contribute to the betterment of humanity by seeing all humans as
contributing to the greater goodness and understanding of humanity. It
is the idealist within me. My recent interest in globalization is
leading me to view the world as one great connective web of humans. My
pragmatic side tells me it is necessary to bring this understanding to
my students because it is their future, my future, our future. My
idealist side is reminded of the great river in Hermann Hesse's
Siddhartha where the river consists of all the voices of all those who
live, have lived and will live-one great connective humanity.
When viewed from this holistic perspective, it is readily apparent
that inclusive education is a natural component of education. If every
life contributes something to humanity and the greater ability to
understand humanity, then everyone should be part of the same education
process to the greatest extent possible. Students with disabilities
are a part of humanity and it is important that they know it; that they
see it; that they participate in it. It is equally important for
students without disabilities to know, see and participate in it as
well. It is time to emphasize human similarities instead of
differences-to see the connections between us.
From a practical point of view, the course material reinforces this
perspective. Inclusive education appears to help all students in all
important aspects of education: social skills, functional skills,
communication skills and academics. Because inclusive education is
truly student-based, the needs of students receive top priority. The
skills, abilities and creativity of the educational professionals are
fitted to those needs. It makes teachers better educators, providing
another process where inclusive education benefits all students. A
school or school-system devoted to inclusive education requires a full
commitment from its staff and its larger community. Administrators,
teachers, paraprofessionals, parents/care-givers, and students all
become part of the education process. This transparency creates a
better understanding of the goals and results of education. It is
creating a community dedicated and committed to education. It is an
active dedication and commitment. Inclusive education connects the
community. It helps connect humans with humanity.

[yukicoo]

Hi everyone,

When I took a special education class two summers ago in Bangkok, Dr. Blumberg shared with us how much positive influence inclusion could have on students with severe disabilities. Dr. Blumberg’s influence has made me a strong believer in inclusion. I teach ESL in our school. Since my school is a public elementary school, all the ESL students are included in regular classrooms except for my pullout ESL lessons, which are about 20 to 45 minutes per day. Even though I believe in inclusion, my students, especially 4^th and 5^th graders really struggle in the mainstream class. In the U.S.A., English language learners (ELLs, ESL students) have a program service plan, which is similar to an IEP, where all the modifications and accommodations being used in the regular classroom are described and documented. Hala showed us in an organized way about the accommodations in the table. My students are eligible for the accommodations such as scribe, a reader when the students take a test, testing in a small group, paraphrasing directions, the use of dictionary, and extended testing time, if teachers provide these accommodations in regular basis. Some of these accommodations are provided only when their English proficiency is limited.  Therefore, for testing, the English language learners are provided reasonable accommodations to make up for their limited language proficiency. On the other hand, the students really struggle in the regular classroom during instruction. As an ESL teacher, I encourage the all the classroom teachers to modify the curriculum and materials so that the students can comprehend the content. But in reality, the students end up using the same materials (textbook, worksheet, etc.) and they do same activities as their English-speaking peers. I do collaborate in the classroom for each grade for 30 minutes per day and it is not enough since within such a short timeframe, I only assist my students on one subject. If I can get an instructional aide, more collaboration will be provided to meet these students’ needs. If the regular classroom teachers don’t take time to differentiate the instruction and modify the students’ tasks to make content comprehensive, students would be lost in the classroom. My 4^th and 5^th grade students function well orally with teachers but their cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP) is limited, for example, most of their reading level is about grade 2. Naturally the students don’t comprehend the textbook well. In our school, we have a special education teacher exclusively for each grade level and the number of students for each teacher is between 10 and 14. Compared to these figures, the number of my students is 27 currently. Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model is widely used in many schools where English language learners’ have a high population ratio. Unfortunately, our school hasn’t used SIOP yet because we still have a relatively small number of English language learners. SIOP is a knowledge- and research- based instruction method to facilitate ELLs’ language acquisition and learning grade level content. Here is a quick link about SIOP.  http://www.cal.org/siop/#What%20is%20the%20SIOP%20Model?

 

A primary teacher (in our school, all the primary classes are a mix of first and second grade students) and I team-teach math to the first graders. There are two first grade math classes, advanced and regular, and this is the regular one. The reason for team-teaching is that there are 6 ELLs whose oral English skills are highly limited. Additionally there is one autistic child and there are several students who have behavior problems in this class. With two teachers, we feel that we can reach out to individual students quite well and team-teaching has been working out well.

  

[Pan Yone]

Dear Lucy,
 
Thank you for the reflection on inclusion.  I agree that inclusion is beneficial to all concerned, but only where it works.  I can see it working in private international schools, or schools that are well funded.  But, thinking back on some of the schools that I visited in Scotland, I could not see inclusion working so well.  The schools are underfunded and teachers unmotivated.  Both students and teachers basically were just waiting for each day to end so that they could go their separate ways.  In schools such as these, I cannot honestly see how inclusion could work, which is probably where it needs to work the most.
 
Inclusion, as your reflection stated, is important for students to build their awareness of the varied nature of their society.  My mother is a Special Needs teacher in Manila, and when I am home, I spend a lot of time in her classes.  She fully supports inclusion as it is a benefit to the LD student.  I have seen how it can work, and how wonderful it is for the students in question when it does work.  They feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves, and they begin to push themselves harder and want more for themselves.  I've observed and conversed several kids with aspergers for minutes, without even realizing it.  A lot of them are fully capable of contributing to discussions and conversations.  A lot of the time, they may have that one point of view that is different from all the rest, that could make all the difference.  They have the same hopes and dreams as other kids, and to separate them and shine a spotlight on their weaknesses, to make them feel like they don't belong, is the worst thing a school can do.  I believe that a school is meant to encourage and motivate children to become a part of society, and to play a role.  If we were to exclude ESL and LD students, we could be depriving everyone of that "one thought" that could make a change.
 



 

Pan Yone
2-257 Kaijin-cho
Leo Palace #203
Funabashi-shi
Chiba 273-0022
Japan
mobile: 09096785158

phonemail: pan...@ezweb.ne.jp

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From: lh...@cacegypt.org