Educ. 3351 Double Blog Entry #1

What is Inclusive Education?
 Inclusive Education means that we as educators are aware that our students are diverse on many different levels and we are therefore actively addressing and responding to the needs of all learners. How is this accomplished? We should strive to give all children to opportunity to succeed using their strengths and individual abilities. We need to develop and facilitate learning environments where teachers and students embrace and welcome all kinds of diversity and the challenges/contributions included therein. Most importantly, this needs to take place (as much as possible) within the school/classroom that the student would otherwise be in. Thus including the student rather than excluding him or her from their peers.

What kinds of students will benefit from Inclusion?
Students with varied ethnic, linguistic, socioeconomic, and ability components will benefit from inclusion as they will not be excluded from the general population. However, one could easily argue that all students and teachers will benefit from the common features that characterize the success of inclusive schools  (i.e., a sense of community, a common vision, effective problem solving, flexibility, partners in education, and so on).

 3 types of students Inclusive Education is meant to serve:
Inclusive Education serves can serve many types of students including those from various socioeconomic backgrounds, those from another country who have different cultures and speak different languages, and also students who have varied ability levels.

2 characteristics of inclusive schools:
Inclusive school tend to share common characteristics or features. One of which is a sense of community. This makes complete sense. How do you establish and foster a sense of community? Give everyone common goals, treat everyone as equals, have everyone work together for the common good, and foster a sense of belonging in each and every individual. Another characteristic inclusive schools share is partnering. Schools can only benefit from including students parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, and community members in the educational process. This serves to lay a wonderful foundation for education and support for the students, especially for those who struggle in one way or another.

1 strategy that helps students become more responsible and effective in the inclusive process:
Students can become more responsible and effective in the inclusive process by active participation and partnering in the school community. They can do so in a variety of ways, including: peer mediation, peer tutoring, cross-age tutoring, cooperative learning, and buddy systems.

I found this amazing blog and would love to share it. Please take the time to read it. I am sure you will be touched by it. I chose to include this in my personal blog because this wonderful teacher not only shares but promotes something that should be a common goal for all of us as educators: access to education for all students.

http://overcomingbarriers.wordpress.com/



Resources:

Inos, R.H., & Quigley, M.A. (n.d.). Research review for inclusive prectices.
      Retrieved from http://www.prel.org/products/Products/Inclusive-practices.htm

Den Ouden, Vicky. (n.d.). Overcoming barriers: understanding and promoting inclusive education.
      Retrieved from http://overcomingbarriers.worldpress.com/