Inclusive School Communities
One of the most significant and controversial trends in education today is the inclusion of children and youth with disabilities into general education classrooms. Inclusion refers to the practice of educating all students regardless of disability in the same classroom as students without disabilities. Though the term is relatively new, the underlying principle is not, and reflects the belief that students with disabilities should be educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE), or as close to the mainstream of general education as possible. The LRE principle is one of the key components of federal special education law.
Advocates of inclusion believe that in most cases, if not all, the LRE for
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Among others, arguments against the inclusion of students with severe disabilities include the following.
1. Students with severe disabilities have significant educational needs that cannot be met in the general education classroom but need to be provided in “special education” classrooms (Hallahan and Kaufffman, 2003). The education of students with severe disabilities in the general education classroom disregards the individual needs of the student.
2. The inclusion of students with severe disabilities may be detrimental to the education of students without disabilities. That is, that the time and other needs of students with severe disabilities may mean that there is less time for the education of students without disabilities, or even those with less severe disabilities (Delisle, 1994).
3. There is no research that supports improved learning or increased socialization skills for students with significant disabilities resulting from inclusion (O'Neil,
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Reduced Fear of Human Differences
Staub and her associates (Peck et al, 1982) found that students without disabilities reported a reduced fear of human differences as a result of regular interaction with students with disabilities and that this was accompanied by increased comfort and awareness. One student states,
If I had one thing to say to everybody, I would say, ‘Don’t be scared of students with disabilities-get to know them even if it takes a long time because it is really worth it’ (p. 38)
Staub also states that parents of elementary aged students reported that not only did their children become less fearful of people who looked or behaved differently but that they themselves felt more comfortable with differences because of their children’s experiences.
2. Increased Social Cognition
Staub also cites an ethnographic study by Murray-Seegert (1989) that high school students not only reported increased tolerance of others as a result of interaction with those with severe disabilities, but also had more positive feelings about self after spending time helping classmates with severe disabilities.
3. Improvement in
Shapiro, Art. "Special Education Inclusion, Making it Work." 2005. Education World. 27 March 2011 .
According to Stout (2001) the concept of inclusion can be differentiated into mainstreaming, inclusion and full inclusion each describing the amount of time special education students become part of a normal education classes. “Inclusion is a term which expresses the commitment to educate each child, to the maximum extent possible, in the school and classroom he or she would otherwise attend” (definitions section, para. 2). This commitment is based on the belief that special needs students would profit from the regular classroom environment (Noll, 2014, p. 225). According to Stout (2001) research based evidence supports this belief as “Recent meta-analyses confirm a small to moderate beneficial effect of inclusion education on the academic and social outcome of special needs students” (Research section, para. 3). There are many who also believe that inclusion is good for the overall class as it can teach empathy, and “teaches us to think about we rather than I” (Sapon-Shevin, 2008, p227). There are others however, who feel that “Contrary to some egalitarians, a good society honors those who through intelligent good will, artistic talent, athletic prowess, or plain honest hard work make our lives better” (Carpenter, 2008, p.235) and therefore believe that it is ok to think of “I” and not we.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's famous Young Goodman Brown is one of the most interesting, yet creepy short stories written. Within this beautifully structured story of the 19th century, is a man whose curiosity started the fight between good and evil inside each individual human being. In addition, the story tells the tragic relationship between the main character Young Goodman, and his young wife. Throughout the story, Goodman's character development is affected by the experiences he goes through. At the beginning, Goodman is a good young man with faith in everyone's "pure intentions." He innocently believes in the good in everyone, but towards the end of the story, he's view on the world changes. He ends up having a dark perspective and finds himself unable to trust those around him.
The Abolition of Slavery Act was passed by the British government in 1807. This abolished slave trade in the British Empire. Amelioration laws and a slave guardian protected the wellbeing of the slaves at the Cape. The lives of slaves improved after this but slavery still existed at the Cape until 1834 when the Slavery Abolition Bill was passed in 1883 was imposed. The manumitted slaves became apprentices of their former masters until 1838 when the apprenticeship was ended by the British.
“The 1% of US students with labels of severe disabilities including mental retardation have been historically excluded from ‘inclusive’ education” (Bentley, 2008, p. 543). Laws such as PL 94-142 and “No Child Left Behind” (as cited in Bentley), say that ‘public school students with all types of disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment—‘to the maximum extent possible…with children who do not have disabilities’ the majority of these students with special education labels, such as, mental retardation and multiple disabilities are still isolated in special education classrooms (Bentley, 2008, p. 545). Wehmeyer (as cited in Bentley), points out that mere access does not promote authentic participation (Bentley, 2008, p. 546). Burkowski et al (as cited in Webster and Cater), “Friendship has been defined as a bond between two individuals that is stable across time and involves mutual affection, mutual preference and having fun together” (Webster and Carter, 2007, p. 201). It is up to parents, teachers and other paraprofessionals to seek ways to facilitate and encourage the types of positive interactions that will foster these types of friendships. If done successfully all students will benefit and there will be true inclusion.
At the beginning of his journey, Goodman Brown’s will and pride were both embedded in the belief that he was a pious man. Goodman’s pride in piety evidently fails him, as he discovers that his faith was based on the principles of individuals who had sworn allegiance to the devil. This deplorable truth destroyed his conviction, and in this sense the devil prevailed against Goodman Brown.
Retrieved Feb 6, 2010 from http://www.newsforparents.org/experts_. Inclusion_pros_cons.html Villa, Richard A., Thousand, Jacqueline S. (1995). Creating an inclusive school environment. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Card, Toby.
Some students may not be able reach their full potential if left in a full inclusion setting. This would be an injustice for this student 's education. Full inclusion is not a “one size fits all” and LRE should guide schools to make the determination if a student with disabilities would benefit best from full inclusion or self-contained classroom. While it is possible for all students with disabilities to benefit from social interaction with non-disabled students, it is not possible for all students with disabilities to be in a full inclusion general
Not much is known about the Cape slaves other than their names, gender and place of origin. Slaves were forcibly removed from their homes, family and friends and were taken to unfamiliar lands. Some even had their names changed by their owners- usually to names from the bible, the months they were captured or their place of origin. Company slaves, however, kept their African names. Slaves were thought of as property of their owners and were transported like animals in the worst conditions. The under deck, where the...
Those who support an inclusion model for all students take the stand that students with disabilities should be placed in and inclusion setting with the idea that all special education students will benefit from an inclusion setting with their general education peers. An inclusion setting will provide academic growth and social growth. The placement of special education students in a general education classroom would also benefit students to respect and accept those students who are different. Students should be placed in an inclusion setting whenever possible (Noll, 2013).
The true purpose of school is to prepare children for their future in becoming lifelong learners and global citizens. For children with special needs, special education services prepare and provide support for them in dealing with the challenges they face daily. Laws such as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has enforced schools to provide education to all children and reinforces the purpose of the school, which is to provide children the Least Restrictive Environment to help them develop to their optimal potential. There are myriad of concerns regarding inclusion’s effect on typical developing students, yet a research done by Bui, Quirk, Almazan, and Valenti shows that “[p]resence of students with disabilities results in greater number of typical students making reading and math progress compared to non-inclusive general education classes” (p. 3). Therefore, inclusion not only benefits children with disabilities, but it also benefits typical developing student’s academic skills and allows them to learn acceptance and respect for students with disabilities.
is a global company that offers internet retail shopping services. Amazon was an online book retailer established 21 years ago during the 1994s, and has grown exponentially in sales and size as the years have gone by. Jeffrey P. Bezos started it in July 1994 and has led to its success. It was possible because of the strategies Amazon used. Emerging of online banking on the internet gave rise to the idea of online shopping. To become a competitive firm strong strategies are to be made. Amazon positions itself as a low-cost retailer and offers a wide range of products and services via online which is unique in the internet retail business. Amazon competes healthily and preserves its competitive advantages as it constantly upgrades itself in the dynamic market. It also shows that Amazon can continue to grow and achieve it mission and vision of being "earth's most customer centric
The idea of inclusion within a classroom tends to breed controversy from many people. Currently there is no clear consensus on a definition of inclusion (Heward, 2006). There are many different views on how students with disabilities should be handled. Those views ranged from students being fully included, partially included, or not included at all in mainstream schooling. Different descriptions of inclusion tend to reflect the person's own opinions towards it. People who feel students should not be included in the classroom focus on the negative characteristics of inclusion, such as the challenges of developing plans for students as well as the hard work it requires to incorporate those plans. However, studies show that full inclusion has many benefits to the students, for both students with disabilities as well as students without them. Inclusion has shown to improve the student's social skills, encourage communication, inspire laws and regulations, and improve the overall schooling experience (Gargiulo, 2012). Although it will take longer then some would like or have the patience for, full inclusion can be done in the classroom, with its benefits outweighing the hard work that it requires.
Inclusion in classrooms is defined as combining students with disabilities and students without disabilities together in an educational environment. It provides all students with a better sense of belonging. They will enable friendships and evolve feelings of being a member of a diverse community (Bronson, 1999). Inclusion benefits students without disabilities by developing a sense of helping others and respecting other diverse people. By this, the students will build up an appreciation that everyone has unique yet wonderful abilities and personalities (Bronson, 1999). This will enhance their communication skills later in life. Inclusive classrooms provide students with disabilities a better education on the same level as their peers. Since all students would be in the same educational environment, they would follow the same curriculum and not separate ones based on their disability. The main element to a successful inclusive classroom, is the teachers effort to plan the curriculum to fit all students needs. Teachers must make sure that they are making the material challenging enough for students without special needs and understandable to students with special needs. Inclusive classrooms are beneficial to students with and without special needs.
Inclusion has become increasingly important in education in recent years, with the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act being passed in 2004 to ensure equality in our system. In summary, inclusion is the idea of there being no child...