Success for All Learners through Inclusion

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Success for All Learners through Inclusion

• TURKU, FINLAND
• Dr. Ashleigh Molloy Ph.D

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The Meaning of Inclusion

• What it isnt
• What it is
• (activity)

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The Meaning of Inclusion

• Inclusive education refers to educational
  practice based on the philosophical belief that
  all learners, those with and without
  disabilities, have the right to be educated
  together in age-appropriate class groups, and
  that all will benefit from education in the
  regular classrooms of community schools.

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The Meaning of Inclusion

• Within these settings, teachers, parents, and
  others work collaboratively using appropriate and
  sufficient resources to interpret and enact the
  regular curriculum in flexible manner in
  accordance with individual abilities and needs of
  all learners.
• Gary Bunch, York University

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The Meaning of Inclusion

• When one student is not a full participant in
  his/her school community, then we are all at risk
• Inclusion A Matter of Social Justice
• ASCD, October 2003

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The Meaning of Inclusion

• Much of the best research suggests that for
  struggling learners, homogeneous learning
  experiences are not beneficial.
• e.g., Oakes, 1985 Slavin, 1993

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The Meaning of Inclusion

• Inviting all children to learn together in
  classrooms creates an environment where they
  learn to work effectively with those different
  from themselves, where learning increases for
  all, and where a sense of belonging is
  pervasive.
• Whole Schooling
  Consortium

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The Meaning of Inclusion

• Inclusive schools put into place measures to
  support all students to fully participate in the
  life of the school with their age peers.
• Where barriers to full participation exist,
  inclusive schools change the way they are
  organized, adapting the physical premises and/or
  programmatic elements within classrooms to the
  needs of students.
• Moving in Unison Into Action Towards a Policy
  for Improving Access to Disability
• Supports, The Roeher Institute, 2001

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The Meaning of Inclusion

• Our children need to be educated in heterogeneous
  classrooms where the diversity of students is
  welcomed, celebrated and nurtured.
• The Canadian Association for Community Living A
  National Initiative on Inclusive Education, 2005

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The Meaning of Inclusion

• Inclusion is Not Exclusion
• Inclusion is the future
• Inclusion is belonging to one race, the human
  race
• Inclusion is a basic human right
• Inclusion is struggling to figure out how to live
  with one another
• Inclusion is not something you do to someone for
  someone it is something we do with one another
• 
  Marsha Forest
• Inclusion Advocate Founder
  of Marsha Forest Centre

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The Meaning of Inclusion

• Inclusive Education UNESCO
• It is a universal goal to achieve Education for
  All children (EFA) by the year 2015.
• This goal will only be achieved when all nations
  recognize that the universal right to education
  extends to individuals with disabilities.

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The Meaning of Inclusion

• It is only when we question a prevailing paradigm
  that we can be open to changing not only our
  beliefs, but our actions.
• Thomas Kuhn

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Part I

• Strategies for Inclusion in the Classroom

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The Differentiated ClassroomGuiding Principles

• Begin where students are, not from the front of a
  curriculum guide.
• Recognize that learners differ in important ways.
• Engage students through different learning
  modalities, appealing to different interests,
  using varied rates of instruction and with
  varying degrees of complexity.

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The Differentiated ClassroomGuiding Principles

• Individual benchmarks for learning.
• Do not assume one learners road map applies to
  another learner.
• Flexible schedules to accommodate the learner.
• Shape the curriculum and environment to each
  learner.
• Adapted from
  The Differentiated Classroom
• Carol Ann
  Tomlinson 1999

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The Differentiated ClassroomElements of
Differentiation

• Focus on the essentials (as per IEP, IPP, PEP).
• Attend to student differences.
• Assessment and instruction are inseparable.
• Modification of content, process and products.
• All learners participate in meaningful work.
• Teacher and learner collaborate in learning.
• Teacher and learner work together flexibly.

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The Differentiated ClassroomUniversal Design
for Learning (UDL)

• With the premise that each student can benefit
  from a flexible curriculum offering clear goals,
  multiple pathways for reaching those goals, and
  fair and accurate asssessment, the Universal
  Design Curriculum reflects an understanding that
  each learner is unique.
• Hitchcock, Meyer, Rose and
  Jackson, 2002

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The Differentiated ClassroomUniversal Design
for Learning (UDL)

• Universality and equity
• Develop class profile.
• Apply wide range of instructional methods to meet
  needs of all students.
• Flexibility and inclusion
• Make use of all senses, technology, assessment
  strategies, and ways of using space.

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The Differentiated ClassroomUniversal Design
for Learning (UDL)

• Appropriately designed space
• Clear sight, resources at reach, space for
  assistive devices, hand grip size, minimization
  of distraction.
• Simplicity
• Communicating consistent expectations.
• Arranging info sequentially.
• Breaking down instructions into small steps.
• Providing effective feedback.
• Safety
• Adapted from Education
  for All, Ontario Ministry of Education, 2005

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The Differentiated ClassroomUniversal Design
for Learning (UDL)

• In a diverse classroom, no single method can
  reach all learners. Multiple pathways to
  achieving goals are needed.
• Hitchcock, Meyer, Rose and Jackson, 2002

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Vygotsky and Learning

• Learning is most effective in the company of
  others and through social activity (teachers,
  peers, parents, etc.).
• Learning is not a solitary activity.
• Limiting social interaction may be detrimental to
  learning.

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Vygotsky and Learning

• Zone of Proximal Development

Unknown
The completely unknown
Zone of Proximal Development

• Where learning goes on
• Social process
• Facilitated by teacher, paraprofessional, parent,
  peer, or anyone with more knowledge

• Every student has knowledge the starting point
  for each learner
• This knowledge is common to peers, and the teacher

Known
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Scaffolding and theZone of Proximal Development

• Teacher determines what is to be learned.
• Organization of learning plan with specific
  instructional strategies.
• As learner masters each step in learning plan,
  amount of support is reduced or type of support
  is changed.
• Goal is to foster a more independent learner.

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Gardners Multiple Intelligences

• Wide range of interlocking abilities.
• Opens up many areas in which a learner may show
  capability.
• Learner no longer needs to be judged solely in
  terms of verbal, linguistic or mathematical
  achievement.

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Gardners Multiple Intelligences

• Linguistic
• Logical/mathematical
• Spatial
• Musical
• Bodily/kinesthetic
• Intrapersonal
• Interpersonal
• Naturalist
• Existentialist

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Assessment Rubrics

• A set of criteria (expressed as a scale) used to
  assess levels of student performance may be
  adapted.
• List and describe behaviors, processes or
  products that can be observed.
• Precise criteria ? objective.
• Make expectations clear and assessment equitable.
• Allow students to monitor progress and make
  corrections.

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Learning Styles

• The characteristic cognitive, affective and
  psychological behaviors that serve as relatively
  stable indicators of how learners perceive,
  interact with, and respond to the learning
  environment.

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Learning Styles Dunn and Dunns Multidimensional
Model

• Environment
• Sound, light, temperature, formal/informal
  surroundings.
• Emotional
• Motivation, persistence, responsibility,
  structure.
• Sociological
• Pairs, teams, groups, peer group, individual,
  adult oriented, varied.
• Physical
• Perceptual preference, need for intake, time of
  day/night, mobility preferences.
• Psychological
• Thinking styles, internal or external control.

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Learning Styles

• All learners vary across all five dimensions.
• If the teacher can discover the preferences of
  children in the classroom, the learning situation
  can be arranged to provide the individual with
  the most powerful opportunity for learning.
• 
  Gary Bunch, York University

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Learning Styles

• I never teach my pupils I only attempt to
  provide the conditions in which they can learn.
• Albert Einstein

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Learning Styles Assessment

• Learning style inventories
• Direct observation
• Consultation with colleagues, family members
• Input of learner (when applicable)

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Cooperative Learning Peer Support

• Foster active participation of students in the
  learning process shifts role of teacher to
  facilitator
• Benefits for all students (i.e., both typically
  developing and exceptional learners)
• Enhanced academic achievement
• Interpersonal relationships
• Personal/social development
• Fosters inclusion

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Cooperative Learning Peer Support

• Facilitates differentiated instruction
• Promotes distributive leadership among learners
• Provides teacher greater flexibility in working
  with learners

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Part 2

• Strategies for Inclusion Extending Beyond the
  Classroom

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Collaboration

• An essential aspect of effective inclusion
  programs.
• Seland Creating Inclusive Classrooms for All,
  2005

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Collaboration

• Together
• Each
• Achieves
• More

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Collaboration

• Allows all staff to share the responsibility for
  meeting the needs of all students.
• Collaboration of all team members exposes
  learners to different styles, approaches,
  knowledge and skills with enhanced outcome for
  all students.
• Benefits of collaboration extend from the student
  to all team members.

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Collaboration Team Members

• Teachers
• Parents
• Paraprofessionals
• Administrators
• Support staff
• Volunteers

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Collaboration Teachers

• Building a professional learning community
• Team teaching
• Peer mentoring
• Professional development
• Evidence-based research
• Leadership
• Communication

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Collaboration Parents

• Seek understanding of the special education
  process
• Communication/feedback
• Engaging in learning process
• Validation

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Collaboration Paraprofessionals

• Understand and fulfill role requirements
• Relationship building
• Role modeling
• Skill development
• Action planning for learner (with teacher
  partner) short/long term goals, course of
  action, assessment
• Communication

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Collaboration Administrators

• Provision of resources - in school community
• Role modeling
• Distributive leadership (empowerment)
• Servant leadership
• Policy of inclusion made evident in school

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Collaboration Administrators

• Communication
• Flexible organization (e.g., creative scheduling)
• Advocacy with superintendent
• Sharing of the vision and inviting participation

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Collaboration Support Staff Volunteers

• Accessing specialists from board of education or
  community services
• Accessing volunteers from the community
• Parents
• Seniors
• College/university students
• Service clubs
• Etc.

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What Does the Inclusive Classroom Look Like?

• Welcoming environment
• Validating
• Access to resources
• Resources reflect diversity
• Learner-centered
• Schoolwork from all learners on display
• Embraces change
• Supportive of cooperative learning
• Ongoing communication with learners
• Collaboration among team members

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• Inclusion is far beyond the words we say.
• It lies deep in our hearts.
• It is part of being human.
• Inclusion like knowledge belongs to everyone
• and is the private domain of no one
• Inclusion Song
• Marsha Forest

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Resources
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Questions
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