Final Inclusion Paper

Joe Kolousek Final Inclusion Paper North Carolina State University

Final Inclusion Paper

Looking back over the initial inclusion paper that I wrote, it has become clear to me that, while I have had some experience working with students with special needs, my experiences really were very narrow and there was so much about students with disabilities that I didnt know, and still dont. However, I have learned much from this class, from the various types of disabilities to the different components that make up an IEP to effective ways to modify instruction and accommodate students with disabilities in a classroom. I appreciated the variety of assignments we had throughout this class. Some of the questions on the in-class quizzes we quite thought-provoking and lead to some interested and at times heated discussions. I felt this was healthy, though, as it forced me to really think hard about how I felt and what I believed. I also feel that this topic of educating students with special needs is not an easy one to solve. There are a variety of teaching methods and inclusion practices, and what works for one students may not necessarily work for another. Listening to others share their thoughts and feelings has helped me understand and figure out what I truly believe about how to be the most effective educator that I can. My favorite assignment of the semester was the movie assignment. I knew immediately what movie I wanted to watch, as I had heard that Temple Grandin was incredibly well done. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to watch that movie within the context of writing the paper about it. It allowed me to watch it on a deeper level and really think about it from an educators perspective. Finally, the group assignment was interesting and challenging. I certainly learned things from my partners and I felt that we all were respectful of each others different opinions. It gave me an idea of what it was going to be like to work in teams as a professional, teams such as multidisciplinary team or an IEP team. Even though each member of a team is working toward the same goal, everyone brings different opinions and

Final Inclusion Paper

beliefs. Its important to stand up for your own beliefs while at the same time listening to and respecting others. The applications in practice were particularly beneficial to me. They were great ways to apply the knowledge of what I was reading about to real-world situations. Many times, there is a great difference between reading about strategies in a text and how the actually play out in real life. For example, the INCLUDE and READS strategies are fairly straightforward in the text, but when asked to apply them to real-world situations was when I really had to think and struggle through the process of how to best utilize them. The topic of inclusion is a multifaceted one. Much more so than I initially thought. There are many different opinions about it and many questions that this topic raises. And, just like most things in life, there are pros and cons to inclusion. On the plus side, students with disabilities who are included in classrooms with their non-disabled peers have increased opportunities for positive social relationships. Through their daily interactions, they get social cues and learn how to interact with many different types of people. Their peers are their role models, not only socially and behaviorally, but also academically, helping these students see what is possible. A second benefit of inclusion is that it helps students with disabilities develop a sense of identity and importance. They dont feel as different. They feel like just one of the kids and it can really boost their self-esteem. Thirdly, students with disabilities are afforded equal access to the core curriculum. For many students with disabilities, with the use of proper modifications and accommodations, they can utilize the same texts and materials as the rest of their classmates. There are cons to inclusion, however. One negative is that if certain students with disabilities have behavior problems, that could present distractions for the entire class. Depending on how major the distraction is, sometimes it could just be ignored in the hopes that it

Final Inclusion Paper

will stop on its own, especially if it is a plea for attention. It may also be beneficial for the teacher to have a conversation with the class about how to best ignore and not draw attention to student distractions. This conversation would have to be done very carefully, however, so as not to call out or offend any particular student. Inclusion may also lead some students with disabilities to feel that they must compete with their regular education classmates. This may also make them feel more conspicuous when lessons or assessments are modified for their benefit. In order to combat this, a conversation may need to take place with the individual student. It may be beneficial to include the school counselor and childs parent in this conversation as well. Another con to inclusive practices is that, with usually only one teacher in a regular education classroom, some students with disabilities may not receive as much attention or personalized instruction as they need. Additionally, the pace of instruction may be too fast for some students who need to go at a slower pace or who need extra time to review and comprehend. In order to combat this, some students may work with a paraeducator or spend part of each day in a special education classroom receiving additional assistance. Also, in order to help students catch everything that happens in class, it could be helpful to provide printed handouts of lesson and lectures for those students to keep and review. These pros and cons of inclusive practices are not to say that inclusion is good or bad, by any means. They are meant more to highlight the complexities of mainstreaming students with disabilities. It really is decided on a case-by-case basis, as each student comes with their own unique qualities. One thing that I really learned a lot about during this course was the vast array of disabilities that exist. I also learned the difference between low-incidence and high-incidence disabilities. I learned about the different ways that these disabilities affect the students who have

Final Inclusion Paper

them, including socially, physically, emotionally, and academically. I learned that its important for a teacher to address all of these needs and not just the academic part of it because all of these needs are interconnected. While I feel that it has taken me the whole semester, I have learned the definitions of and differences between accommodations and modifications. Accommodations are services or supports provided to help students gain full access to class content and instruction, and to demonstrate accurately what they know (Friend & Bursuck 158), while modifications are made when the content expectations are altered and the performance outcomes expected of students change (Friend & Bursuck 159). Accommodations and modifications are really the key to inclusive practices. Only by putting in place strategic accommodations and by effectively modifying instruction can teachers help students with disabilities succeed. Some of the more common accommodations are to allow a student to take an assessment in a separate setting in which they will be exposed to less distractions, allowing them to have extended time to complete an assignment so that they can adequately process the information, or, for a student who really struggles with writing, allowing them to verbally answer questions on an assessment while an aid records their answers. Along with accommodations and modifications is the idea of differentiating instruction. This is something that still concerns me just because of the amount of work that seems to be involved and the stress of ensuring that all of your students are succeeding. However, the steps given by Friend & Bursuck do help to alleviate some of my concerns. One suggestion that they give that I really appreciate is to select strategies with demonstrated effectiveness (162). I know that many successful teachers have come before and there is a plethora of information that

Final Inclusion Paper

I can research and utilize. It will be important for me to rely on those who have come before to see what has worked and what hasnt. Theres no need to reinvent the wheel, as the saying goes. As I stated earlier, typically a regular education classroom has only one teacher, but I learned in this class about the concept of co-teaching, and not only that, I learned that there are a variety of ways that co-teaching can exist. Last year, I had the opportunity to observe at a charter school that was set up exclusively to foster this co-teaching idea. What I saw in practice was extremely effective and was something that I could definitely see myself participating in in the future. However, I believe much of the success of co-teaching can be attributed to how well the two teachers work together. I would not be able to effectively co-teach with just anyone, but given the right partner, I believe our lessons could be dynamic. I like how, even in a classroom with two teachers, the format of how teaching occurs could frequently change depending on the subject matter being taught and/or the group of students. For example, one teacher could actively teach while the other can observe students ability to pay attention, work independently, make productive use of spare time, and seek assistance when they have questions (Friend & Bursuck 92). Or, one teacher could work with most of the class in one large group while the other teacher focuses attention on a small group (Friend & Bursuck 93). The possibilities are many, and the benefits are great. More specialized teaching can be done with two teachers than with one, especially if you have a class that has a handful of students with various disabilities. The skills and techniques that I have learned throughout this course are many. I tend to be a pessimist at heart, so I dont know if I will ever feel adequately prepared to go into the field and begin my teaching career. However, I have to trust that I am learning the knowledge and skills that I need to be a successful educator of both regular education and special education students.

Final Inclusion Paper

Works Cited Friend, Marilyn, & Bursuck, William D. (2009). Including Students with Special Needs: A Practical Guide for Classroom Teachers. New Jersey: Pearson Education Ltd.