I came about this topic for a blog because of its relevance to
my major as a special education teacher and because it is a hot new topic in
education that many people have opinions on. Inclusion in special education is an
important topic to me because in the field of education, every student deserves
the right to be in a successful environment where learning can take place and
grow. As I am in the process of becoming a special educator, it is my job to
provide my students with the education they deserve. This blog will give me a
place to go and talk about what I have learned about inclusion, the in’s and
out’s on a day-to-day basis for the students’ and teachers’ alike.
In this blog I hope to give the knowledge that I know to
others who are questioning inclusion, and also receive feedback from others who
maybe have questions, or know more than I do about the topic and can provide
feedback better feedback then I can. The people that I expect to read this
would be future teachers, such as me, or professionals who work with the topic
on a daily basis.
Hi Samantha. I find your blog very interesting. I have never even considered your topic, but I can imagine that it is quite controversial. I have an uncle who taught special education for several years, and he has never mentioned this topic of inclusion. Actually, now that I think about it, I have never even heard of a school--at any level--that practices inclusion. By the way, I live and grew up in Texas, and I am not familiar with school systems in other states.
ReplyDeleteThe topic of inclusion, in the simplest of terms, is basically just including students who would be primarily in special education classes into the general population more of the time. Now, many schools (I am not so sure about Texas) around here are changing their special education programs so that most students who have more mild disabilities and are thought to be able to handle changing environments will be placed in general education classrooms. The reasoning behind this is to ensure that all students receive education in their least restrictive environment. Which in essence means that they are placed in a classroom where they are best suited. For special education students with mild disabilities, it is best to put them with students who are their age and grade. When special education students are able to spend time with other students their age, they learn their sociable behaviors and how to better communicate. Research also shows that children learn better from their peers than they do from adults. So by placing special education students in the general education environment, they are giving them the opportunity for a better education and to obtain skills from their peers that they will use for the rest of their lives.
ReplyDeleteThis topic can be controversial because some teachers and parents of students who are in general education classrooms believe that by putting special education students in the classroom they can become a distraction and take away from other students' learning. Some general education teachers also find it difficult to help the special education students and the students who are not receiving special education services. This might become difficult for the teacher because many special education students are used to a one-on-one teaching style from being in the special education room where the class size is much smaller. It may take some getting used to from the special education student and the teacher as to where there is a happy medium is from the needs of the special education student and that said student's fellow classmates.