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how diversity influnces teaching
how diversity influnces teaching
inclusion in todays classrooms
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Special Education and Inclusion Many people seem to look past how learning-disabled students would feel to be placed in a mainstream classroom which includes students without disabilities rather than go to class in a segregated/special education classroom with only other students who also have learning disabilities. There are many researches constantly going on studying the effects of inclusion in classrooms to see if learning-disabled students achieve better in mainstream classes. Students with learning disabilities feel better about themselves when they are included in classes with their peers who don’t have learning disabilities. Some terms regarding inclusion education should be clarified so that a person who is not knowledgeable about special education will have a better understanding. Inclusion and mainstreaming in class rooms can be switched around to mean the same thing. Essentially, these terms mean the process of putting students with special learning needs into “regular” classes with non-disabled peers. Resource classes, which used in a typical educational setting for learning disabled students, are classes that are for special needs students only. Just like inclusion and mainstreaming, learning disabled and special needs can be used interchangeably. Students with disabilities have educational rights under a special law called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which mandates that students with disabilities have a free and appropriate education (Curry School of Education, n/d). The law requires that special needs students should also be placed in the least restrictive environment (LRE) suitable for their needs(Curry School of Education, n/d). The LRE for some students is often the g... ... middle of paper ... ...ed/resource classrooms and express their opinions on this matter. L., Peter and John (1994). Learning Disabilities. Retrieved April 24, 2003, from http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu States different legal requirements such as the IDEA and LRE laws, and percentages of learning-disabled students in mainstream classrooms. Meyer, Luanna (2001, March). International Journal of Disability, Development and Education. Vol.48, Issue 1. Studied different disabilities and inclusion classes. Wolfe, P., & Hall, T. (2003, March) Teaching Exceptional Children Vol. 35, Issue 4. Suggestions to teachers/parents that provides appropriate education for all children. (2001, November 5). Educational Issues Series. Retrieved April 25, 2003, from http://www.weac.org Definitions and laws for inclusion in education are mentioned here along with different court cases.
This means that children with all different types of a disability are accessible to public education and learning through professional educators and through their peers. Another important legislation that has been established in 1975 is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that includes all ages of children and their rights to learn. Both of these movements helped shape what special education is today and assisted in bringing inclusion into the classroom. They both made it possible for students with disabilities to be integrated into general education classrooms, while getting the assistance they need as well. These acts are what made it possible into what my field of study is and I intend to push the boundaries of getting my future students in these general education classrooms and making them feel apart of something
All three countries acknowledge the need for inclusion and have laws and regulations in place in order to ensure that disabled students receive an equal education. In Italy, in 1977, Italian National Law 517 outlined specific guidelines for including students with disabilities in general education classrooms (Gabel & Danforth, 2008, p. 42). In the United States, the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 stipulated that eligibility for services and placement would be made on the basis of the clinical evaluation of the disabled student (Powell, 2012, p. 42). In New Zealand, children in compulsory education in New Zealand have their rights to inclusion protected by the Education Act (1989), which gives children the right to be educated in their neighborhood school, and this right is further protected under the Human Rights Act (1993) (Powell, 2012, p.
Educators can have strong feelings on the subject because having special needs students in a regular classroom can have a large impact on the classroom community. Those who believe in inclusive classrooms realize that, to be successful, it requires allot of classroom management and differentiated instruction, but feel the benefits are worth the work involved. Those who do not believe in inclusion feel that it leads to “l...
Not many people who are not already involved with special education understand what exactly a student in a special education program does. Most people assume special education is for only the worst cases, such as autism or Down syndrome or that the students are completely different from any other student. However, this assumption is not the case. These assumptions only show some of the stigma against special education. Special education is the term used to “describe specially designed instruction that meets the unique needs of a child who has a disability,” (Hancock). As predetermined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), one qualifies for special education if they meet one or more of the thirteen disabilities included in the act. These disabilities include, but are not limited to, autism, hearing impairment, specific learning disability, visual impairment, and emotional disturbance. The IDEA act requires the public schools to provide a “free appropriate education”, or FAPE, to those who qualify. An example of a free appropriate program is “modifications in the educational program, such as curriculum and teaching methods,” (Hancock).
The research has repeatedly shown that inclusion models are most beneficial to students with disabilities, including students with severe disabilities. The districts in which the students in the teacher education students have been placed in have a problem with incorporating inclusive education for their students. Students are isolated within self-contained classrooms, and consequently, they are missing out on vital academic, social, and functional skills.
What do we do with children with disabilities in the public school? Do we include them in the general education class with the “regular” learning population or do we separate them to learn in a special environment more suited to their needs? The problem is many people have argued what is most effective, full inclusion where students with all ranges of disabilities are included in regular education classes for the entire day, or partial inclusion where children spend part of their day in a regular education setting and the rest of the day in a special education or resource class for the opportunity to work in a smaller group setting on specific needs. The need for care for children with identified disabilities both physical and learning continues to grow and the controversy continues.
In order for inclusion to be implemented properly it is important that teachers, parents, and administrators to know the definition of inclusion. An inclusion program means that the student spends all or most of their school time in the general education classroom rather than a self-contained classroom. However, the students will still receive the support and interventions they would have received in a self-contained classroom. There are different types of inclusive classrooms where different types of teaching occur. There is co-teaching where there is both a general education teacher and a special education teacher that co teach. Both will work with students that have an individualized education plan (IEP) and the student will receive more support. In addition, an inclusive classroom can have a general education teacher but has the special education teacher as a resource or aid, which qualifies as a collaborative model of inclusion.
This part of the law does explain that even though it is the goal of the school to try and include handicapped children in regular classrooms, it is not always possible if the nature of a ...
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.
The majority of students with disabilities should be in an inclusive setting. These students are generally placed based on the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Furthermore, the majority of these students are able to keep up academically with their peers, even
Inclusion of all students in classrooms has been an ongoing issue for the past twenty-five years (Noll, 2013). The controversy is should special education students be placed in an inclusion setting or should they be placed in a special education classroom? If the answer is yes to all special education students being placed in inclusion, then how should the inclusion model look? Every students is to receive a free an appropriate education. According to the Individual Education Act (IDEA), all students should be placed in the Least Restrictive Learning Environment (Noll, 2013).
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...
Special education has undergone immense changes through the years. Research and studies on the debate of whether or not inclusion is appropriate for special education students is just beginning to cultivate. The question has always been, what is best for these students? Schools and teachers are becoming leaders in the exploration of new paths, in search of new teaching styles and techniques. Mainstreaming or inclusion at the middle school and high school level, which is educating students with special needs in regular classes with their non-disabled peers, has proven to be beneficial for the special education students cognitive and social developmental needs. It can not only benefit the handicapped student but all students in the classroom.