Inclusive Education

Students use basic skills every day from looking at the clock to tell the time to handling money when paying and making change. Students who have jobs need to

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

Our conceptualization of inclusive pedagogy focuses on how to extend what is ordinarily available in the community of the classroom as a way of reducing the need to mark some learners as different. This is underpinned by a shift in pedagogical thinking from an approach that works for most learners existing alongside something ‘additional’ or ‘different’ for those (some) who experience difficulties, towards one that involves providing rich learning opportunities that are sufficiently made available for everyone, so that all learners are able to participate in classroom life.

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

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.

Many teachers are faced with the difficult task of managing their student’s behavior. Even if we

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).

Assignment 302 - Understanding and using inclusive teaching and learning approaches in education and training

Lynne Kenney, the speaker in this educational seminar is a pronounced psychologist who works on educational techniques with teachers and parents to improve confidence, communication and collaboration within classrooms. According to Kenney, 68% of elementary teachers, 64% of middle teachers, and 53% of high school teachers report an increase of disruptive behavior in schools. Due to such percentages, time spent in classrooms in allocated to spending 50% of the time addressing behavioral issues rather than to learning. It is not simply the teachers who need to be productive for our student’s sake, but parents and educational administrations as well, such as principles and school district leaders. In fact, many teachers leave their profession just after three years, often due to a lack of administrations and difficulties with behavior in the classroom.

In a perfect world, everyone would be accepted just because we are all human beings, but, that is not the case. Children with special needs have been subjected to everything from separate classes and schools to institutions and facilities for years. With the passing of laws children with special needs were taken into consideration and the need for inclusion was brought forth. Inclusion is when all students learn, participate, and contribute to all aspects of the learning process.

The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education (1995) was an important influence in the development of our current inclusive educational policies. As a teacher of inclusive education in 2014, we should be aware that the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (MCEETYA, 2008) provides the general policy statements for

Inclusive education also recognises that learning occurs both at home and in the community and therefore the support of parents, family and the community is vital (Department of Education, 2001). Truly inclusive schools understand the uniqueness of every child, that all children can learn and that all children have different gifts, strengths learning styles and needs. These schools then provide the appropriate means and support through which these needs can be met (UNESO, 2003)

Every child has the ability to learn, but the way a child learns and processes knowledge can be very different, especially for a child with special needs. (Mainstreaming Special Education in the Classroom) As a society we owe all children the chance to reach their full potential, thus we must set up an environment where this accessible. Integrated education unarguably allows the must vulnerable and excluded children this chance. According to Inclusiveschools.org, “Inclusion” does not simply mean placing students with physical or mental disability in general mainstream classrooms, but rather offers fundamental change to school community and how children learn altogether. Effective models of inclusive education according to various sources, is the right model of education for special needs students because it allows greater access to mainstream curriculum, preparation for integration in an inclusive society, and promotes a tolerant and inclusive society. (Full inclusion: Has its time arrived?, The Benefits of inclusive Education.)

The Zulu tribe of South Africa is the largest ethnic group in the country and its language is the most frequently used of all in South Africa. (Hamlett) The tribe was first discovered when Portugal settled the land, and since then the tribe and its relationships with the colonists is anything but peaceful, and to this day there still is tension. Maybe because of this, the education system throughout the 1900’s refused to allow for the teaching of African culture other than stereotypes and other inaccurate information that the colonists approved. The Zulu tribe’s lack of education and the use of non-native languages in school paired with its relationship toward further discrimination later in life is an indication that not teaching indigenous culture leads to real world discrimination.