Learning by Teaching and Increased Exposure in the Classroom

Schools most frequently use them for selected students with mild to severe special needs. Inclusive education differs from previously held notions of 'integration' and 'mainstreaming', which tended to be concerned principally with disability and 'special educational needs' and implied learners changing or becoming 'ready for' or deserving of accommodation by the mainstream. By contrast, inclusion is about

Inclusion is the act of placing students with disabilities into the general education classroom. Students are given the tools, time, and resources necessary to actively participate in all aspects of the general education classroom. Inclusion is not just adding a student with disabilities into the classroom, but genuinely including them as valued members of the classroom. Inclusion is not an easy system to put into practice because it requires a great deal of teamwork and cooperation between teachers, administrators, and parents. Positive Inclusion programs closely supervise the social and academic progress to ensure the students are thriving. When inclusion is done correctly, the teacher finds a way to meet the student’s needs in a way that is natural and unobtrusive. The resources and supports in an inclusion classroom benefit all students, not just the students with disabilities.

Inclusion is the act of having students with disabilities and abled body students in the same classroom. In concept this has many benefits not only for the students but it also saves time and money for the school, however in practice I do not think inclusion works the way it was hoped to. Inclusion in theory will put light strain on the classroom because of safe guards such as helper teachers are in place to help out. In my experience these teachers are in the way most of the time when students are trying to learn, and students feel cheated when the special needs students are handed a supplemented test making the students feel bad. Lastly that the pros of inclusion in the classroom are set in perfect conditions with good teachers on both sides special education and general education, however most of the time that is not the case.

After reviewing my self evaluation and working with both groups of fifth graders, I have determined a need to provide a wider range of differentiated instruction. I have worked in the past to try groupings that benefited the students, but I am seeing that this is not working as well with this group. These students communicate and respond well to each other and are willing to help each other but some of the learning gaps between them are significant.

They are separated by their IQ test scores and then separated. These students are basically defined if they will make it by the way that they are separated in school. Basically all of the lower class students are written out of the system as if they wont make it while the smarter students get fancier things and will make in with their schooling. Also the teachers do not really encourage the students to progress especially the students who are in the lower classes because they are considered to be slow. Also because the teachers were rude or also hitting the students it would cause them to have fear and not want to go to school and that would not help them to excel.

Inclusive practice in education moves us away from ‘integration’ and ‘mainstreaming’ of learners, which was mainly concerned with separating those with a disability or ‘special educational needs’ until they had reached the required standard for mainstream education. Inclusion is about the learner’s right to participate and the teacher/ institutions duty to accept the learner as an individual. Inclusion rejects the separation of learners with disabilities from learners without disabilities; instead it promotes equality and respect for their social, civil, human and educational rights. From what I can see there are few totally inclusive schools but those that are, restructure their curriculum so all can learn

In my classroom at the school our tables are set up into groups of academic abilities we have higher table who work on their own and have harder work to complete. Then we have middle table who have easier work than the higher table, and then we have lower table who have the easy work to help them understand. Some children in the classroom require 1-1 help so the teacher has set these

When asking the question, is the inclusive classroom model working, the answer is yes. Inclusion is the right direction to go; however, the model that is in place is not the most effective for education. The Education Law for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 mandate that schools provide free public education to all students with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 ended the idea that a free public education meant segregating students with special needs in separate classrooms or wings of the school, and thus began the “inclusive classroom” movement. What does the law actually mean in regards to “inclusion”? All learners between the ages of 3 to 21 with handicaps, defined as students with hearing impairment, visual impaired, physically disabled, emotionally disturbed, or having special learning disabilities, will be provided a free public education. Furthermore, each of these students will have in place an Individualized Educational Plan where the educator and parent decide on the least restrictive environment possible (which in most cases is the regular classroom) as well as set educational, behavioral, or social-emotional goals for the student.

Her flexibility is an important key in being able to reach every student individually. Mrs. Thompson mentioned in conversation although the children are grouped by the school based on commonality of skill level, she finds every year that the skill level is still very varied. With that said, it is imperative as a teacher that creative ways be implemented to allow each student to learn equally verses “teaching to the middle.” By “teaching to the middle” often times the children who fall behind continue to struggle while the students who are more advanced lack a challenge. Chanel mentioned one way to combat this would be to pre-plan agendas because organization is a key component to a successful classroom

“This book is a beginning. It is meant to do four things: 1) be a catalyst for serious reflection on current grading and assessment practices in differentiated classes; 2) affirm effective grading and assessment practices we’ve already employing; 3) provide language and references for substantive

For Tier 1, all students receive high-quality instruction and screenings. The screenings are done periodically to establish baseline for academics and behavior. They are used to identify students who may be falling behind or who are struggling to meet the core curriculum. Students who do not pass the universal screen are at risk for falling behind academically. These children need extra attention or services. Part of Tier 1 is to administer additional instruction to these children during the school day in their regular classroom. Each child’s length of additional teaching may vary, but usually it does not go past eight weeks. Typically in Tier 1 the activities focus on literacy instruction in the early elementary years (Nelson, 2010, p. 335). The student is closely examined and monitored at this time with different measurements, one common being a curriculum-based measurement. After some time with the additional instruction, students that seem to improve and progress usually are able to return to their regular education program. If students are not able to progress and catch up, they will be moved to Tier

Inclusion is an extremely broad topic, so a bit of background on the programs and have they use inclusion in the middle school where I am working may help to understand. We have four different special education programs; a Developmental Leaning Center (DLC), an Educational Resource Classroom (ERC), Learning Resource Classroom (LRC), and an Emotional Growth Classroom (EGC). Each of these programs caters to different levels and needs of the students. The DLC self-contained classroom is by far the program with the lowest functioning students. This classroom is set up to teach basic life skills needed to survive. They do very little inclusion in this class; some are mainstreamed for P.E. and possibly some electives. An ERC is also a self contained classroom and has students who are low in academics as well as behaviors. The students in this program are learning at about a 1st to 4th grade level. This is the program I work in, we mainstream our students for at

Jane Elliott witnessed third grade students who once loved and cared for each other change within a twenty-four-hour period (1985). The exercise A Class Divided is a great tool that teachers could use to become better equipped in the cultural aspect of education. This exercise would be best to apply with educators and the administrators of the district. A Class Divided would greatly improve the relationships between students and teachers, families and school districts, and lastly the overall cultural understanding of the effects of discrimination.

Pros: Supporters suggest gifted classes as a way of tracking to keep the talented students out of mixed ability classes that otherwise would restrict their learning and would place these students in boring classes. Duflo, Duppas, and Kremer (2011) state that the benefits of math ability tracking along with pedagogy that narrowly targets specifics may outweigh the affect of being in a classroom with classmates having lower math skill sets. Ansalone believes a more positive self-concept of students with low IQ when grouped homogeneously (2010). Vanfossen agrees that tracking improves self-concept and motivation (1987). Grouping is often seen as a way to maximize learning potential with the smallest financial investment. Teachers accept tracking because teaching is made easier by limiting the wide range of academic diversity in the individual classroom. Successful teachers often incorporate tracking within their classroom based on students’ ability now commonly called differentiation which stirs a moan within most teacher collaboratives. Ability tracking can be used as an aid to cover the most standards as quickly as possible. Gifted students in mixed ability classes get impatient with their peers who are struggling with the material and continue to ask questions when the majority of the class is ready to move on to newer concepts. Lower ability students may not ask questions they need answered because they are embarrassed to admit they do not understand the standard

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.)