Based on your reading from this week and your personal/professional experiences, explain and discuss the following:
Think about some of the students you have taught in the past. If you are currently not teaching, reflect on past classroomsyou participated in as a student. Would you consider the environment to be diverse and inclusive? Describe the classroomsetting and explain why or why not. Be sure to support your discussion posts with citations from the sources in theReading Assignment section of this unit. In your responses to three of your peers, compare/contrast your views with yourclassmates.
The main goal of inclusive education is the right of the child and his/her parents to choose the type of education and to createthe necessary conditions for the educational success of all children without exception (Adams, D., 2016). Officially, the term"inclusive education" was recorded in the Salamanca (Educational Guruji, 2022) Statement of Principles, Policies and Practicesin Special Needs Education and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. These documents define inclusion asa reform that supports and welcomes the differences and characteristics of each person. Inclusive education is interpreted aseducation for all children, despite physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or other characteristics. The purpose of sucheducation is the rejection of social segregation of children with disabilities and the possibility of their participation in the life ofthe team of kindergarten, school, in other words, it is ensuring equal access to education for all students, taking into accountthe diversity of special educational needs and individual opportunities. The social approach assumes that ensuring the right ofstudents with special educational needs to a full education requires changes in the education system itself, and this generaleducation system must become more flexible and capable of providing equal rights and opportunities to educate all childrenwithout discrimination or neglect. Inclusion involves addressing the education of children with SEN by adapting theeducational space, the school environment to the needs of each child, including reforming the educational process(Anderson,A. 2018, January 18) :
- Redesigning learning spaces so that they meet the needs and requirements of all children without exception;
- The necessary teaching tools according to the type of developmental disability of the child, psychological andmethodological readiness of teachers
Based on my past experience as a student, I cannot claim that the learning environment was inclusive. However, it did notoccur to me at the time because the schools where I was educated did not have facilities for children with SEN. The schoolbuilding itself meant that students had to navigate quickly and efficiently through the first, second and third floor classrooms,going down and up the narrow staircases on four sides inside the building, choosing a route that would lead as close to thetarget as possible. The dining halls, classrooms, and restrooms were also not designed for people with disabilities. This is mostlikely why my attitude towards people with disabilities was formed with the development of an emotional spectrum from pityto embarrassment for my lack of understanding how to help and how to behave. So far, when I meet people with disabilitiesmy first reaction is to help, to show some participation, despite the fact that I understand that any person must be treated withrespect for their personal boundaries and emotional well-being. I understand that my pity can offend and alienate a strong,constrained person (Avcioglu, H. 2017), who in many ways overcomes her limitations and deserves admiration. In terms of mywork, online learning involves many of the challenges of creating an inclusive work environment. And it comes to the forefrontto create an inclusive learning plan where the specifics of the student must be taken into account.
Overall, I believe that a diverse and inclusive learning environment is necessary not only for people with disabilities, but alsofor fully healthy people to understand how the world works, what people are like in it, and how to take it in the right way(TEDxTalks.2015, April 24).
References
Adams, D., Harris, A., & Jones, M.S. (2016). Teacher-parent collaboration for an inclusive classroom: Success for every child.Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 4(3), 58-71.
Anderson, A. (2018, January 18). 7 ways to create an inclusive classroom environment. ASCD IN Service.
Avcioglu, H. (2017). Classroom teachers' behaviors and peers' acceptance of students in inclusive classrooms. EducationalSciences: Theory and Practice, 17(2), 463-492.
Educational Guruji, January 04, 2022, Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action, 1994
TEDxTalks. (2015, April 24). The power of inclusive education, Ilene Schwartz, TEDxEastsideprep [Video]. YouTube.
