Diversity in the classroom Mainstreaming and Inclusion

1. Diversity in the classroomMainstreaming and Inclusion Traci Dunlap Professional Pedagogy Presentation

2. TEXES PPR domain/competency • Domain 1 – Designing Instruction and Assessment to Promote Student Learning • Competency 2 – Diversity • The teacher understands student diversity and knows how to plan learning experiences and design assessments that are responsive to differences among students and that promote all students’ learning. • The beginning teacher: Knows how to plan and adapt lessons to address students’ varied backgrounds, skills, interests and learning needs, including the needs of English-language learners and students with disabilities.

3. Key Terms • IDEA – Individuals With Disabilities Education Act • FAPE – Mandates children are to be provided Free and Appropriate Education • LRE – In the Least Restrictive Environment possible • IDEA stipulates that the LRE begins in the general education classroom • IEP – Each qualifying child should also receive an Individualized Education Program • Accommodations – changes made to the WAY students learn and how they are tested • Modifications – changes made to WHAT students are expected to learn (i.e. curriculum)

4. Disability qualifications • Hearing Impairments • Visual Impairments • Speech/Language Impairments • Orthopedic Impairments • Intellectual Disabilities • Autism • Traumatic brain injury • Serious emotional disorders

5. Mainstreaming • Students split their time between a general education classroom with their non-disabled peers and a special education classroom with other special education students. • More traditional form of special education delivery • In the special education classroom the student would receive remediation in a smaller class setting with one on one instruction

6. Inclusion • Students spend the entire day in the general education classroom with their non-disabled peers and may receive assistance from a special education teacher who joins the lead teacher in the classroom. • Lead teacher can make accommodations to the lesson plan for the special needs learner so that they may enjoy full participation in classroom activities and lessons.

7. Myths About inclusion • General education teachers are not capable of teaching students with disabilities • Only special education teachers know the specialized approaches that are effective for teaching students with disabilities • Special education is synonymous with a place, such as a resource room, special education class or special education school

8. New viewpoints on inclusion • With the right attitude and effective support personnel, general education teachers are more than capable of teaching students with special needs • The fundamentals of teaching that general educators use in the classroom are the same for both non-disabled and special needs learners • By learning to adapt lessons for special needs learners, teacher can develop skills that improve their teaching for all students • Special education is a service not a place and is portable to the individual student regardless of classroom location

9. Successful inclusion in the science classroom • Read all student IEP’s • Collaborate with special education personnel when modifying lesson plans • Talk to the parents about any questions you may have about how their child learns best • Be flexible to change as the year progresses and make notes of accommodations that are working and those that are not. Be prepared to make adjustments as needed.

10. Strategies for success • Create lessons based around themes vs. stand alone concepts • TEKS science standards are built around broad concepts. Individual units work together to promote an understanding of the big picture. (i.e. matter & energy, earth & space etc.) • Use graphic organizers and visual aids • Before the lesson, graphic organizers can relate new material to previously learned material • During the lesson, fill in the blank worksheets can assist students to take notes during lecture • After the lesson, a list of key concepts and questions can reemphasize the material that will be formally assessed

11. Strategies for success • Model behavior for students to follow • Demonstrating steps in a lab experiment • Assigning tasks to complete a group project • Designating steps to write a report

12. Accommodations for science activities • Use multiple sensory techniques in each lesson to accommodate sensory processing disorders • Rewrite lab directions in simpler language for reading comprehension deficits • Simplify worksheets for collecting data • Assign different options for homework • Adjust the grading rubric for specific learning deficiencies (i.e. spelling, grammar) • Adjust/Simplify lab steps for fine-motor disabilities • Offer a variety of options for students to showcase what they have learned in science • Reduce rigidity around the format for class projects allowing students to select a medium that works best with their talents and abilities

13. resources

14. Texas Project First www.texasprojectfirst.org Created by parents, for parents...this web site is a project of the Texas Education Agency and is committed to providing accurate and consistent information to parents & families of students with disabilities. 

15. Council for exceptional Children www.cec.sped.org The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of individuals with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides professional development, advocates for individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.

16. Wrights law www.wrightslaw.com Parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys come to Wrightslaw for accurate, reliable information about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities.