Inclusive Education - Educational and Training Policies - Report Example

Title: Inclusive Education Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Name and Code: University: Date of Submission: Inclusive Education Overview Inclusive education entails incorporating, content, methodology and extra class activities to cater for class that has both the ordinary students and the disadvantaged students. As a teacher, we happen to be most influential stakeholders that can help achieve effective inclusion education. A class with ordinary students and one that has both the disadvantaged students and the ordinary ones will require that a teacher has different approaches to dealing with the content and the method of delivery. As teachers, we have a challenge of having to adopt different style of training in order to facilitate inclusion of new students that have just joined the school. This will mean that we have to change our way of delivery of the content, and the content itself to accommodate the new students. As teacher’s, there is need to put in more effort to ensure that we stick to the curriculum, but at the same time tailor the methodology and the support systems to suit needs of the disadvantaged students (Idol, Jones & North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (U.S.), 2001). The entry of the disadvantaged students, calls for more effort and dedication of time by teachers to both class work and co-curricular activities. This means that as teachers we have to adjust and be able to meet the new demands. We will also be required to study and analyze the specific advantages and disadvantages of special students, as they settle and learn. This will off course take some time (Carrington, Allen & Osmolowski, 2007). Educational and training policies The Australian laws provide that the disadvantaged students are well taken care of regardless of their class setting, be it in an inclusive class or in an ordinary special class that has 100% students, who are disadvantaged. This therefore means that teachers and school authorities have to provide an environment, through which the needs of the disadvantaged students are catered for. This will call for physical and non- physical support from all quarters. However, teachers’ role is the one that is most needed. However, the government has provided room for differentiated instruction. This can be done with respect to the needs of new students. They will be required to be treated with respect to their performance and behavior in school. As such we as teachers have to play our role by liaising with parents of new students, to ensure they get whatever they can with maximum input. The active participation of their parents will be of great help in ensuring that all the challenges they go through, are dealt with regardless of their state. This will also show that there is concern from all quarters for their success. Education and Public Relations are two considerations that mostly affect learning in schools. Given the fact that students have different capacities of grasping concepts, differential instructions are very important for learning. As a teacher, I expect parents and students to ask questions on differential instructions such as: What extra effort is the school doing to ensure my son improves his performance? How will you as a teacher help me in the subject I performed poorly, how do help me improve apart from the general class work? As a tutor, I would be obliged to assure a student who performs poorly in a given subject that I teach that they can perform better. As such, I will take necessary steps to ensure they improve. Such will include giving such students extra assignments and coaching, apart from the class work. I would also be obliged to do the psychological bit, to assure the students that they will make it. To the parents of those students who perform decimally, we should make an effort of getting audience with them and assure them that their children will pass. I would explain to them that students have different levels of grasping concepts and that I will do my best as a teacher to make extra effort, and ensure they improve. Parents that stay away from school would be encouraged to change this trend. I would make an effort of convincing them that for educational success, there is need for both material and psychological support from both teachers and parents. I would encourage such parents to frequently come to school, to make follow up the way their children perform. That would make their children to be more committed to their education, as they feel there is concern from all quarters (Benjamin, 2003). Recent Australian Trends in Inclusion The educational approach towards the disadvantaged in Australia has gone through a great revolution. There is more participation of the disadvantaged in the inclusive schools in co curricular activities. The governments support is part of what has made this possible. This is through policy work and funding. The government in 2006 initiated parallel programs for the disadvantaged that has made them benefit from this (Hayes & Stidder, 2003). They are now able to get involved in these activities, and compete for the various awards just like the rest of the students. As teachers, we are supposed to take advantage of such opportunities and ensure that the new students are also included in such competitions. Challenges that may arise in applying inclusive practices Lack of full Cooperation from other students Inclusive education can only succeed, when we have total support from the non-disadvantaged students. Given that our students have not been having classes with disadvantaged students, there is dire need for them to be involved in the process of helping disadvantaged students. This is putting in mind that while the teacher might do his work in class, failure to get support- either physical or psychological from the rest of the class, may make them not to fully grasp concepts in class (Wakefield, 2004). Slowing down of the syllabus coverage The issue of syllabus coverage will become a challenge when dealing with the new class set up. It is definite that we had planned on how we will be able to teach and cover the syllabus of the various classes. However, visiting of new students is likely to slow down the coverage of the syllabus. This is due to the fact that teaching in class, will have to take care of disadvantaged students. Disadvantaged students may require different methods of teaching to be applied always, which is likely to slow down the topic and eventually syllabus coverage. Long time to adapt to the new environment The new students will also be getting into a new environment. They therefore have to take some time to adapt to the new environment. Having moved from a different school, they are likely to either find a better or a challenging environment in this school. It is therefore advised that we give them some time to adapt to the new environment. This can be done through both psychological and physical assistance (Bulgren et al, 2006) Challenge of keeping up to the required demands of the educational policies and the need to deliver The educational policies require that fairness in the class set up is upheld. This means that we as teachers we shall be faced with the challenge of upholding this policy, even when we very well know that the disadvantaged students will require more attention. This at the same time puts a red line on the need to deliver results (Rouse, 2009). We may be willing to support the disadvantaged students but this may lead to slump down of the performance of the ordinary students, who happen to be having the numbers in class. There is therefore the need to balance between the two (Deshler et al, 2004). Content delivery sensitivity We as teachers have been used to having a class that has the ordinary and physically okay students. These students are not as sensitive as are the disadvantaged or special students (Collins et al, 2001). The choice of words and examples may or may not affect the disadvantaged students negatively. Once a certain action by the teacher has been interpreted negatively, disadvantaged students may feel discriminated against, hence, the need to check out on this. As teachers we may have the challenge of assignments delivery. This is due to the fact that disadvantaged students may not be in position to do the assignments at the same speed as the other ordinary students (Forlin, 2010). This puts the teacher at a dilemma on which way to deal with this so that it may not be used as an escape goat for late assignments delivery by the ordinary students. Dealing With the Challenges Facilitate awareness/student participation Teachers have an obligation of facilitating awareness to the ordinary students of what is required of them. As hosts, students need to be taught the various ways through which they can be able to participate and help special students to get to adapt to the new environment. This will be one of the ways through which goodwill will be seen from the host students. As far as education and psychology is concerned, without the support of other people that disadvantaged students get to interact with, will render efforts to teaching a failure. They will need to be psychologically comfortable (Forlin, 2010). Organize motivational talks for the disadvantaged students Psychology plays a great role in the success of any student. A student that is not psychologically settled may not be able to maximize on their potential. In order to deal with this problem, there is need for one by one psychological talk between a teacher and disadvantaged students (Ainscow et al, 2004). This will help in giving new students a feeling of belonging hence, is able to handle all that pertains their education. Disadvantaged students will require personal interaction to ensure that content is delivered in a manner that it takes care of their disadvantage.. Do capacity building sessions There is need for capacity building to be done to ensure that the host students are able to handle disadvantaged students. This will enable them to know what to do and what not to do in their interaction. For instance, it is expected that they help disadvantaged students and ensure they are able to participate in almost all programs, and activities of the school except those that they may not be in a position to. Do the general class works and more extra class work to the disadvantaged students As teachers, we have no option but to dedicate more of our time to the learning of the disadvantaged students. This will have to be done in a manner that does not display any favoritism to the hosts. It means that as teachers, we are not doing away with the extra class work of the hosts and substituting with the new lot, but it implies that we have to give it more time (Tangen, 2005). As teachers we are supposed to make a follow up of whatever takes place outside the classroom environment. This will help in ensuring the participation of disadvantaged students in the extra-curricular activities, such as debates and sporting. These activities will boost their morale and sense of belonging (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2001). Apply contingency approaches in delivery of content In bid to cater for the disadvantaged students and at the same time make progress with the syllabus coverage, teachers ought to use various approaches and methods in the delivery of the contents. This will mean issues to do with, use of more demonstrations and examples, and making of further follow up on class work. This way, the teacher will be able to deal with the personal specifications and disadvantages of disadvantaged students. References Benjamin, A. (2003). Differentiated instruction: a guide for elementary school teachers. Michigan: Eye on Education. Bulgren, J. A., Marquis, J. G., Deshler, D. D., Schumaker, J. B., Lenz, B. K., Davis, B. & Grossen, B. (2006). The Instructional Context of Inclusive Secondary General Education Classes: Teachers’ Instructional Roles and Practices, Curricular Demands, and Research- Based Practices and Standards. Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal, 4(1), 39–65. Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2001). Australian social trends. Canberra: National Library Australia Carrington, Allen & Osmolowski, (2007). Visual narrative: a technique to enhance secondary students’ contribution to the development of inclusive, socially just school environments – lessons from a box of crayons. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 7: 8–15. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-3802.2007.00076.x Collins, B. C. Branson, T. A., Hall, M. & Rankin, S. W. (2001). Teaching Secondary Students with Moderate Disabilities in an Inclusive Academic Classroom Setting. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 13(1). .Deshler, D.D., Lenz, B.K., Bulgren, J.A., Schumaker, J.B., Davis, B., Grossen, B., & Marquis, J. (2004). Adolescents with disabilities in high school settings: Student characteristics and setting dynamics. Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal, 2(2), 30–48. Forlin C. (2010). Teacher education for inclusion: changing paradigms and innovative approaches. London: Taylor & Francis. Hayes, S. W. & Stidder. G, (2003). Equity and inclusion in physical education and sport: contemporary issues for teachers, trainees and practitioners. New York: Routledge. Idol, L., Jones, B.F. & North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (U.S.). (2001). Educational values and cognitive instruction. New York: Routledge. Mastropieri, M. A. & Scruggs, T. E. (2001). Promoting Inclusion in Secondary Classrooms. Journal of Learning Disabilities, Vol. 24, Fall 2001. Rouse, P. (2009). Inclusion in Physical Education: Fitness, Motor, and Social Skills for Students of All Abilities. London: Human Kinetics. Tangen, R. (2005). Promoting inclusive education in secondary school in Norway: a national programme for teacher development. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 20 (1), 57-70. Wakefield, P. (2004). The Educational Inclusion of Disaffected Secondary School Students. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 15 (70). Read More