Course Three: Teaching and Learning in Inclusive Setting
Please find below a summary the third summary from my 2014 study leave.
This course was a nice follow-on to the first semester course I completed on Autism Spectrum Disorders in that it further developed a broader understanding of what it means to be a truly inclusive education environment for students with a diverse range of needs.
A central aspect of this course was developing an understanding of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an approach that encourages educators to consider the design of learning programmes so they embrace the diversity of learners by catering for their individual needs. The best way for you to learn more about UDL is by visiting the CAST website. The principles of UDL provide a really effective blueprint for effective teaching, regardless of any specific needs students may have and is something that I am very enthusiastic about embedding within our own school environment.
The course explored other critical aspects of inclusive practice such as the hidden curriculum, use of technology, individual education plans (IEPs), and the role of teacher aides. One thing I want to ensure we do when I am back at school is utilise the two websites below for their up to date resources and professional development tools. Having paid access to these two websites will give us a wealth of knowledge about the latest developments in inclusive practices:
In terms of the expectations for the course I completed a variety of assignments. The first was an annotated bibliography that explored ten empirical (research studies that involved actual research) studies with the aim of establishing how we can establish inclusive learning environments in the area of mathematics education. There was some really interesting research studies out there and some of the key messages that have resonated with me are the impact of practices such as cross-grouping (putting similar ability students into the same class), withdrawal programmes and the time spent on interventions. You will have to scan my annotated bibliography here to get more detail: Inclusive Mathematics Education Research Summary. Or if you want to save some time, check out the summary I did as a powerpoint presentation for other members of the course, this focusses on the implications of the research and how it should impact on our practice as educators: Inclusive Learning in Primary Mathematics Powerpoint.
The final part of the course gave me the opportunity to further develop my understanding of UDL and how the use of Assistive Technology (AT) can benefit learners with a range of diverse needs. There is again two parts to this work, a literature review aspect and a powerpoint presentation that is designed as a sequence of 3-4 professional development sessions to do with our staff. I have linked them both for your interest: AT and UDL for Inclusive Practice and Using AT to Embed UDL Principles Powerpoint
Catering for the needs of students with a range of developmental and learning issues has always been something I have wanted to learn more about and this course has given me a great starting point for developing my knowledge and skills in this area.
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