Month: January 2019

Inclusion, Diversity and Difference

In this short report, I will attempt to identify what inclusive education is and give examples of what it might look like in the classroom.

According to the Special Educational Needs and Disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years, the UK Government is: “committed to inclusive education of disabled children and young people and the progressive removal of barriers to learning and participation in mainstream education.” (2015, p.25) This code of practice was introduced to reform the way Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) children and youngsters were treated in schools. One of the aims was to hand over more control and insight to the children and the parents (or carer) regarding their education. It is the intention that this will increase both the quality of their learning and their general sense of independence, providing possible improvements with employability and standard of living. (DfE, 2015)

I believe for inclusion to happen it needs to be embedded in every aspect of the school. We need to look at how we can adapt methods and conditions to meet the requirements of all the students; this also includes those children who are exceeding academically. Lessons have to be planned in a way that ensures all pupils can reach their potential and teachers should set high expectations for every class member.  (DfE, 2014)


It is necessary to focus on their capabilities and differences to acknowledge what they can bring to the classroom environment rather than solely on their difficulties. In Inclusive Pedagogy in Action: getting it right for every child, Florian, L. and Beaton, M discusses the use of an  “inclusive pedagogical approach” (2017, p.1) whereby children are taught in a way that is accessible for everyone. Instead of using methods that most learners will be expected to understand, and simply adjusting or tailoring these for someone with SEND, teachers need to plan so that everyone has the chance to be part of the lesson. This plan should ensure that no child feels excluded from the rest of the class; it is essential that all pupils have access to everything that the school has to offer, both educationally and socially. (Florian, 2017)  However, the responsibility does not solely lay upon the school, but also local authorities, health, and social care services involvement is needed, to ensure children with SEND receive the care and support they deserve to reach their ambitions. (DfE, 2014) My placement school supported social inclusion and inclusive education for all. There was an ethos that every child had the right to education and should not be excluded from any activities on offer, regardless of ability. Instead, the school tried to work with that child to see what could be done to help. (link removed for anonymity)
One of the boys in my class found it very difficult to sit still and concentrate on the carpet. He would start fidgeting and moving around, distracting the other children. Instead of taking this child out of the classroom (which I have witnessed in other schools), we worked out ways his experience on the carpet could be improved. He was given an Inflatable Dynamic Air Cushion to improve his concentration, the bumps on the cushion provide sensory stimulation and he can start to feel like he is moving when only using minimal motion in reality. We started asking him pre-planned questions to increase his confidence and to make him feel part of the class. The teaching assistant would sit close by him (during carpet time) and make sure he had understood the learning objectives. He started to happily sit on the carpet and take his cushion with him, even to assembly. He could still, occasionally, move around but he was much calmer and did not disturb any of his classmates. By responding to his needs and removing any hurdles that he was experiencing, we could ensure that he received the same education as everyone else in the class.

A great way of improving inclusion is by employing effective grouping; pairing a SEND child together with a higher attaining child. (DfES, 2001) This can take place by the use of talk partners. Talk partners are the idea of the children sharing their ideas and thoughts with the person sitting next to them. It invites the pupils to be fully engaged in the learning and helps get away from the use of ability groups. Other benefits could be an increase of greater feeling of self-belief, especially in the lower attaining children. This also works especially well in group tasks. (Clarke, 2008)

I have seen both good and bad examples of attempted inclusion; one of the worst examples I experienced was when working as a SEN teaching assistant; I worked closely with a pupil who was constantly being told she could not take part in class activities because of her disruptive behaviour. Instead of trying to work out the reasons for her behaviour, the school’s preferred method of dealing with her was to simply remove her from the classroom and the activity. Much of this behaviour stemmed from the pupil not feeling included and from the general lack of understanding the situation.

Defining what we mean by inclusion, and what this looks like, is not easy. What some might think is an inclusive practice might have a very different meaning for others. (Trussler and Robinson, 2015) This school thought just allowing the pupil in the classroom (occasionally) was enough, without providing the appropriate measures or environment to enable a full and meaningful sense of inclusion.

It is clear that some schools have taken a more active role in making changes towards achieving, an all-inclusive school environment, than others. (Mittler, 2000) The challenge therefore still remains to ensure all children receive the education they deserve (Ainscow, M., Dyson, A., & Booth, T. 2006)

 

References :

Mittler, P. (2000) Working towards inclusive education: social contexts. London: David Fulton.
Ainscow, M., Dyson, A., & Booth, T. (2006). Improving schools, developing inclusion. London ; New York: Routledge

Trussler, S & Robinson, D (2015) ‘Understanding special educational needs, disability and inclusive education’. Chapter 1 in Inclusive Practice in the Primary School: a guide for teachers. London: Sage.

Department for Education and Skills. (2001). Inclusive schooling: children with special educational needs. London: Dept. for Education and Skills.

Florian, L. and Beaton, M. (2018) ‘Inclusive pedagogy in action: getting it right for every child’, International Journal of Inclusive Education, 22(8), pp. 870–884. doi: 10.1080/13603116.2017.1412513.

Florian, L (2015) Conceptualising Inclusive Pedagogy: The Inclusive Pedagogical Approach in Action Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.11 -24 Available:<https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/S1479-363620150000007001>(Accessed: 16 January 2019).

Department for Education (2015) Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years, London: DfES, Available: <https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398815/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf> (Accessed: 16 January 2019).|

Clarke, Shirley (no date) ‘Talk Partners’ Shirley Clarke Media Ltd. Available: <https://www.shirleyclarke-education.org/research/talk-partners-2009-year-5-4th-grade-us/ >(Accessed: 17 January 2019).

Department for Education (2014) National curriculum in England: framework for key stages 1 to 4, London: DfES, Available: <https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-framework-for-key-stages-1-to-4/the-national-curriculum-in-england-framework-for-key-stages-1-to-4#inclusion> (Accessed: 16/01/19)

 

 

 

Pedagogy

In this short review of Usha Goswami’s report, Children’s Cognitive Development and Learning, I will focus on two of Goswami’s conclusions:

  • Children think and reason largely in the same way as adults.
  • Language is crucial for development.

Usha Goswami (2015) is of the opinion that a child’s brain works in the same way as an adult’s brain but, as youngsters, they lack awareness and understanding of their own thought process due to less cognitive experience. To help build on this, we need to offer them an environment and atmosphere that will expand and stimulate them.

We can put this stimulation in the classroom by offering a wide range of activities to influence the children, which will build on their experiences. During my placement, the classroom had several areas where the children could play, build, read, draw and create. The play area was equipped with costumes allowing children to act out their own imaginative worlds. This type of play supports the child in logical thinking, creativity and the comprehension of their environment; it is an important stepping stone for them to start understanding their own thoughts and the external world. (Goswhami, 2015)  These areas allow children to work on their independence as they were free to choose what they want to do (during a certain time of the day) but also on their collaborative skills. I observed, many times, how a group of children would collectively decide on making a big drawing for the headmaster and they spent this time discussing what they should draw and how to make and present it. This was such a wonderful example of learning happening naturally, whilst playing. The children were assigning actions and responsibilities to each other to finish a task; it was, fundamentally, the same actions and behaviors adults would employ in a similar situation.

Shirley Clarke (2003) talks about the teacher’s need to encourage students to engage in discussions, both with their peers and teachers, and how this can lead to new understanding or reflections of ones they already possess. I find that this argument should not only be about something that the children learn in school, but also what they experience in their wider, external environment. A great example during my placement was “Show and Tell”; every Friday, children were encouraged to bring an item to the class that was special to them. This could be anything from a story they had written, a football ticket, a medal or award they had won, or a history book. Each child was given an opportunity to tell the class their story about the particular object, and the class was encouraged to ask questions. The teacher would ask a few leading questions to begin like: “Why is this item important to you?” “Where did you get it from?” and the children were then to elaborate more and, if they did not know the answer, they were to investigate and tell the class the following Monday. This invited to discussions in the classroom, sparked new interests and made the children curious and eager to know more. It also encouraged everyone to talk and share; I did not see anyone unwilling to take part. In the Spoken  Language section of the National Curriculum (2013), there is a list of statutory requirements, emphasising the importance of teaching and encouraging talk in the classroom where children are given the chance to practice skills, such as relevant questioning,  explaining and exploring ideas with their peers.  The activity described above stimulate all of these skills in a natural environment whilst meeting the aforementioned National Curriculum criteria.

There is no doubt that language and every day stimulating classroom experiences are some of the most important developmental tools schools have at their disposal and all go hand-in-hand with academic learning. If such discussion and participatory exercises do not happen, how can we expect the children to properly learn to read and write? If the children are not stimulated, there is a risk of them missing these early opportunities to fully develop their skills.

I am heading to a Year 5 class for my second placement; I will bring with me both Goswamis’ and Clarke’s words about the importance of language and how this can help with our learning. I am looking forward to comparing the differences in the age groups ( Year 2 to Year 5) and see how this will affect and change my learning style and the language I use in class.

 

References:

Goswami, U. C. and Cambridge Primary Review Trust (2015) Children’s cognitive development and learning.

Clarke, S. (2011) Formative assessment in action weaving the elements together. Londres: Hodder Murray.

Department for Education (2014) National curriculum in England: Spoken language year 1 – 6; DfES, Available:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/425601/PRIMARY_national_curriculum.pdf