Sabra Hawkes
12/16/18
Inclusive Practice
Final
Course Reflection
Guiding question: How
can we design for inclusion?
Foundations
of Inclusive Practice gave me the opportunity to study the practices of
managing and understanding learning environments that include students who have
disabilities, special needs, and general differences than their peers in school
and create a space where they could be included in learning.
Throughout
the semester we did several projects that helped solidify our learning in what
it entails to teach a student with a learning disability or learning difference.
The Least Restrictive Environment assignment quite honestly introduced me to
what LRE was. I hadn’t heard this term prior to this class but after the
lectures and assignment surrounding it, its quite clear, include students in as
much general education as possible. That will look different for each student
but be sure they are included as much as possible while still learning.
The
mock TEAM meeting was my favorite assignment. I felt is was the most hands on
assignment and I could see such value in it. I’m sure, as a future educator, I will be
involved in an IEP meeting at some point throughout my career. In my group I
was assigned the special educator, while, I don’t plan to be in special
education in the future because of this assignment I got to see that the special
educator takes on a lot, especially in an IEP meeting. They are responsible for
having expertise in the disability laws and regulations, they do much more than
are given credit for. In a standard IEP meeting, a team is chosen, they are a legally
mandated group of decision makers, who as a group, determine eligibility for
Special Education. They set goals and services, they determine classroom
placement and draft an IEP for a student with a disability. They run an initial
meeting, an annual meeting and a revaluation meeting, The group consist of a
few different people; the parent, the Special Education teacher, the General
Education teacher, the student (If they are over 18 or if becomes applicable),
a person who can interpret the results of the assessment and a person who is authorized
to spend money, as IEP meeting typically come down to funding.
From
this mock meeting I learned how an IEP meeting typically runs. It usually behind
with the Special Educator making introductions and opening remarks, then moves
on to the parents voicing concerns, the school based professional updates on
progress, the interventions are decided on and finally, the IEP is written.
The
Universal Design Project, that required us to modify a lesson plan by stuffing
as much Universal Design into it as possible, helped me solidify what it is,
its not just changing a building to make it inclusive but it is including multiple
means of representation, multiple means of expression, and multiple means of
engagement. Giving students the opportunity to receive information in a variety
of different ways, allowing students to express their knowledge not just in a form
of a paper but maybe also in a song, or piece of art and lastly, allowing
students to be a part of their learning. Giving students choices in what they
learn will help engage and solidify learning in children. I once had a professor
ask me, of all the classes you’ve taken in your lifetime, how many of them were
you actively engaged in? My answer was “Very few. I usually tried hard just for
a good grade.” That’s a problem, we nee active engagement in schools, students
to have choices in how they show content knowledge because not everyone learns
and shows understanding in the same way.
Beyond
just the out of class assignments, the content was extremely relevant and corresponded
to my other classes quite well. For example, while learning about IDEA, and
FAPE, and IEP’s we were also discussing those topics in my other classes just
in a different context. This helped reiterate the material and made it easier
to grasp.
Speaking
of IEP’s prior to this class, I didn’t realize all the restrictions that went
into simply obtaining an IEP for a student. For example, to obtain an IEP,
there needs to be the presence of a disability and that disability must fall
within a specified category, like Cerebral Palsy. The student must show adverse
effects from that disability in order to obtain an IEP. If a student has Type 1
diabetes that “disability” doesn’t necessarily impact their ability to learn
outside of more trips to the nurse to check blood sugar. Along with the presence
of a disability, adverse effects, a student also needs to have a need for specialized
instruction. Students who do not meet this criterion and are not IEP eligible can
consider a 504 plan or an Independent Education Evaluation.
Understanding
the difference between accommodations and modifications was a useful piece that
came from this class. Prior to I had interchanged the two words. Now, I
understand when an instructor makes an accommodation for a student, they are making
changes to the routine of running the classroom but does not change the curricular
expectations. For example, A student taking extra time on a test does not
change the content they are being tested on, it simply accommodates for a
slower processing speed. The student needs more time to read and process their thoughts
about each question. Whereas, a modification does change the routine of the
classroom and does change the curriculum for the student who needs that modification.
An example, having a student choose to answer two out of five essay questions instead
of all five like requested of the other students. Why give these options to students?
Offer the least restrictive environment and give work at a level for success.
1:1 service was another topic discussed which I found most
prevalent for a few reasons. One, I knew many students in middle and high
school with 1:1 support service who certainly did not need that kind of
intervention and later in life I worked at a mental health agency with a few
clients who were accustomed to 1:1 support service who were more than capable to
do many things on their own. According to our class notes, 1:1 service is
students have an aide assigned to them. That 1:1 can be a behavior interventionist,
can be a nurse for individuals with medical needs or a scribe, braille, or
signer if the student is hearing or visually impaired. As discussed in class, how
many services and how much of each service is necessary? It’s recommended that
the minimum amount for the student to make progress. Going back to my earlier
years, I know that my clients were capable of so much more than one, they got
credit for and two, or even got to show. Many times, my clients would look to
me for an answer when being spoken to. Funny story: I took a client to a job interview
and as their support person, I was invited into the interview, even though I
protested many times, I eventually, reluctantly went in. Each time the interviewer asked my client a
question they would instantly look to me for the answer. Even a question such
as, “Why would you like to work for us”? The client looked to me. While, I’m
not blaming my client, I understood why they did this. They were so accustomed to
not needing to think for themselves, they had every question answered for every
want met instantly. This is a great example of too many (unnecessary) services
and too much of each service. There was certainly not an increase in inclusion
or independence in many of my client’s high school experiences, until I came
along and demanded that of them.
While I struggle with the overuse of 1:1 service for
students. I see tremendous value in the correct time and place. There are 1:1 service,
as I described earlier as well as direct services. Direct services are services delivered in a separate
space outside of a general education classroom. An example of this would be a resource
room. Direct service services include speech and language services, physical
therapy or adapted Physical Education, counseling services, or separate curriculum
programs. Along with 1:1 service, direct service there is another service called
Inclusive Services, theses are as they sound, they are services delivered in a
General Education setting with accommodations and modifications for the student
as their team sees fit. In Inclusive service, there is in-class small group
support, as well as in-class technological support, along with co-teaching; a
paraprofessional and a General Education teacher. To me, Inclusive services are
the least restrictive environment, but I must remember, its only least
restrictive if they’re learning.
This class was informative and
relevant to my future as an educator. We examined the different ways of providing
services for students with special needs and differences in the way they learn
within a school. Between the in-class lectures, the discussions, the projects
and the in-school observations, I feel I have a better grasp on how to best
help my future students.
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