EDFD261: Assignment 2 Alicia Munce

Inclusive Education: A Practical Guide

Inclusive education has been a gradually evolving practice in Australia, and as Gaylord-Ross
(1989) states, the history of special education can be summarised quite well in two words:
progressive inclusion (p. ix). There has recently been significant encouragement towards the
practice of inclusive education, and furthermore, an inclusive society. The push for a more
integrated and inclusive approach to education has seen children with diverse needs attending
not special schools, but mainstream, public and private schools. The term diverse learners
not only refers to children who have a disability, but also refers to children who do not speak
English, children with different cultural backgrounds and other disadvantages which may
hinder the childs development (Hyde, Carpenter & Conway, 2010).
The word inclusion itself is described by The Oxford Dictionary (2012), as referring to the
action and feeling of being a member or part of a group or activity. Creating such an
environment in the classroom may seem a near impossible task, involving the adaption of
class lesson plans, teaching methods and classroom routine and physical structure. However,
though careful planning, teachers, parents and primarily children are seeing and experiencing
the benefits of inclusive education for children with diverse needs. Villa & Thousand (2005)
argue that the benefits of inclusive education are vast, with students, educators, parents and
the community as a whole seeing and experiencing improvements due to inclusivity.
Generally speaking, diversity is perhaps the main part of what makes our world so interesting
and unique. We have all come from different backgrounds and individual ways of living our
lives, the key is learning to live together with all of our differences. It is our job as teachers to
demonstrate, not just talk about, what it means to be inclusive and accepting of diversities. In
many ways, school does not just teach children how to read and do maths problems, it also
teaches children the importance of doing the right thing, accepting others and many other life
skills, such as resolving conflict and creating relationships. Though the practice of inclusive
education can seem quite large with many influencing factors, the main aim of education
should be that every child has the right to an education.
Many factors influence inclusion in the classroom, such as State, National and International
legislation and policies regarding the rights of childrens education. These policies have a
direct impact on the practical strategies teachers use to promote the inclusion of each diverse
child and the general philosophy of inclusion within the classroom. The philosophy of
inclusive education is formed through the implementation of what is legally required of
schools and educators. National legislation is a key influence throughout all Australian
schools. For example, the Disability Discrimination Act (1992) which states in Section 22
Part 2A, that It is unlawful for an education provider to discriminate against a person on the
ground of the person's disability by developing curricula or training courses having a content
that will either exclude the person from participation, or subject the person to any other
detriment.
Following on from this at an international level, the United Nations Convention on the Rights
of the Child (1989) outlines specifically that every single child has the right to their own
education, regardless of age, race, culture, gender or disability, and each child should have
the same opportunities (Article 28). Article 23 places specific emphasis on children with
disabilities, stating ...Parties recognise that a mentally or physically disabled child should
enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions which ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and
facilitate the child's active participation in the community. This is achievable through the
use of appropriate classroom practices and effective teaching strategies.
Education Queensland (2012) is a government based website, providing examples of age
appropriate assessment for children with disabilities, and offers learning opportunity ideas for
teachers to implement into their classrooms. Education Queensland also encourages inclusive
education practices, stating that The Queensland Government supports kindergarten services
to provide inclusive programs that reflect their community's diverse needs, including those of
children with a disability.
According to the legislation and policies both national and international, teachers have a legal
obligation to provide an education to all children, and cannot exclude any child based on their
disability, impairment, culture or social background. The Government is also supporting
teachers and schools, and has recently introduced a More Support for Children with
Disabilities initiative (Department of Education, Training and Workplace Relations, 2012).
This will see a further $33 million increase in Government funding for public schools,
bettering the resources, facilities and giving teachers further opportunities for personal
development in order to further their knowledge and skills when educating children with
disabilities.
Children with diverse needs, just like every other member of the class, need to feel as though
they are a valued member and are able to actively engage in classroom activities, thus,
fostering a sense of belonging. These can be simple strategies, such as asking each child in
the class the same opinion based question to answer, or giving the children opportunities to
communicate their ideas through small group discussions or one on one discussions,
depending on what the teacher has observed about how each child learns most effectively.
As teachers planning for children with diverse needs, we need to ask ourselves certain
questions regarding the inclusion of all our students. For example, is this activity beneficial
not just for the child with special needs, but for the class in general? Is this activity
unintentionally singling out certain students? If so, how can I improve my teaching strategies
to cater better for the class as a whole? Hyde, Carpenter & Conway (2010) argue that there
needs to be more support for children with disabilities through smaller class sizes and the
streaming of some class subjects such as maths (p. 32).
A classroom is somewhere children and teachers should feel comfortable enough to express
themselves, their point of view and their emotions. Maintaining a balance in the classroom
when challenged with children who may have one or more diverse learning needs is crucial,
and as teachers and future teachers it is of the highest importance that this issue is addressed
appropriately.
In order to create a safe environment, not just for diverse learners but for the class as a whole,
it is important to remember the aim of inclusive education in order to plan appropriately for
the class size, types and numbers of diverse learners in the group and knowing how best those
children learn. Shaddock, Giorcelli, & Smith (2007) suggest the use of multimedia, visual
prompts and images or illustrations to assist children in remembering the instructions and
also for future recognition. In other words, when children know that a certain song or picture
when played or placed on the board means quiet time or pack up time, the teacher does not
need to speak. Simple strategies such as this support the inclusive education philosophy,
using a range of different visuals and learning tools which can be used by all children. A
large part of the philosophy is to create not just a classroom which is accepting and nurturing
of the differences of each and every child, but also to create an inclusive atmosphere, giving
each child an equal opportunity to develop, learn and grow to their full potential.
Teaching strategies and practices are obviously going to differ depending on the type of
disability a child has, and also the severity of the symptoms. To give a more concise idea of
the possibilities of inclusive education, the example of a child who is blind will be used. In
order to successfully implement practical strategies for inclusion for this particular child, we
need to focus on what is legally required of us as teachers, collaborate and form a partnership
with the childs parents and also make use of community support. Gaylord-Ross (1989)
argues that children with disabilities need more practical, hands on approaches to classroom
work, and need to be given a less restrictive atmosphere in order to learn most effectively (p.
13). Applying this strategy to a child who is blind could involve the use of recorded activities,
accompanied by physical objects the child can touch and feel. This fosters a development of
more than just listening skills, but also develops fine and gross motor skills.
Due to growing technology, it is quite easy for teachers to access programs and different
technologies specially designed for use in the classroom with children who are blind or have
a vision impairment. Incorporating the use of brail in the classroom, and again not just for the
child who is blind, but also for the other children to learn with, can benefit all children
through showing them how different people learn to read. Hart (1981) suggest that teachers
need to consider the organisation of the classroom for children who are bind or have vision
impairments, stating Disorganisation may result in a great deal of effort being spent in trying
to locate particular objects (p. 11). The general classroom organisation is important for a
child who is blind to become familiar with, allowing easier access and locating of resources
for the child. If things are constantly being changed in the classroom, the child is going to
become confused. This is where appropriate communication techniques between the teacher,
other children and the child who has a vision impairment become crucial.
As previously mentioned, it is important not to single the child out, therefore exploring other
learning possibilities such as sign language increases the childrens knowledge of diversities,
while taking the focus away from a particular child in the class. Inclusion support staff for
children with disabilities is also a valuable asset in schools and should be used as much as
possible within the classroom. It is important not to rely on teacher aides, and to remember
that they should be there to benefit the class as a whole, rather than just one child. This
provides a child with a disability to feel as independent as possible throughout the school day.
The principles and practices of inclusive education promote a positive relationship with
families through the formation of a trusting relationship between the educator and parents of
a child with a disability. Parent committee meetings along with private meetings are a perfect
time for discussion regarding their childs needs and how best they feel their child will learn.
Teachers should learn to negotiate and be open minded during discussions with parents,
remembering that a parent is the primary caregiver for the child and has the right to make
decisions for their child.
When assessing children with diverse needs, there should be careful precautions taken in
order for children to be examined in a fair and ethical way, stating that teachers should work
predominantly from the basis of student strengths and not their disabilities. This starting point
allows teachers to remain focused on genuine learning support needs rather than on label-
determined deficits (Shaddock, Giorcelli, & Smith, 2007). This can be a particularly difficult
part of teaching children who have diverse needs, which is why collaboration between
teachers and professional development seminars should be utilised.
In order to truly embrace the uniqueness of each childs individuality, we must focus on how
wonderful the differences of each child are and what they bring to the classroom. Diversity
not only gives children a broad spectrum of ideas, cultural awareness and acceptance, it also
invites children to appreciate their own differences as well as others around them.

REFERENCE LIST

AustLII. (2010). Disability discrimination act 1992- section 22. Retrieved from
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/dda1992264/s22.html

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. (2012). More support for
Queensland students with disability. Retrieved from
http://ministers.deewr.gov.au/garrett/more-support-queensland-students-disability

Hart, V. (1981). Mainstreaming children with special needs. New York: Longman Inc.

Hyde, M., Carpenter, L., & Conway, R. (2010). Diversity and inclusion in Australian
schools. Oxford University Press: South Melbourne.

Milner, R.H. (2009). Diversity and education: teachers, teaching and teacher education.
Illinois: Thomas Books.

Queensland Government. (2012). Department of Education and Training. Retrieved from
http://education.qld.gov.au/

Shaddock, A., Giorcelli, L., & Smith, S. (2007). Students with disabilities in mainstream
classrooms: a resource for teachers. University of Canberra.

The Oxford Dictionary. (2012). English dictionary. England: Oxford University Press.

UNICEF. (2012). Convention on the rights of the child. Retrieved from
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm

Villa, R., & Thousand, J. (2005). Creating an inclusive school. (2
nd
Ed.). USA: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.