The inclusive secondary school teacher in Australia.

The inclusive secondary school teacher in Australia. Introduction Special schools have existed in Australia since the 1880s andspecial education classes were established in regular schools during the1930s (Ashman & Elkins, 1998). State governments, however, onlyassumed responsibility for teaching all students, including those withsevere intellectual disabilities, in the 1970s (Ashman & Elkins,1998). Education systems offered a continuum of services ranging fromspecial classes and units in regular schools to special educationcenters and schools which were built on separate grounds. Since then,there have been major changes to the provision of special educationservices. Based on the principle of normalization In relational database management, a process that breaks down data into record groups for efficient processing. There are six stages. By the third stage (third normal form), data are identified only by the key field in their record. (Wolfensberger, 2000),integration of students with disabilities into regular classes becamepopular in Australia in the 1980s (Forlin, 1997; Gow, Ward, Balla, &Snow, 1988; Loreman, 1999)}. When integrated, students from specialeducation classes in secondary schools would spend part of their schoolweek in regular classes with their peers. Students tended to beintegrated in more practical subjects such as art, music, industrialarts industrial artsn. (used with a sing. verb)A subject of study aimed at developing the manual and technical skills required to work with tools and machinery.Noun 1. or home science. The impact of the 1992 Disability Discrimination Act (CommonwealthGovernment of Australia This article describes the federal government of Australia. See Australian governments for other jurisdictions. For a description of politics and political institutions, see Politics of Australia. , 1992) on the numbers of students withdisabilities enrolled in regular classes in regular schools has beendramatic (Productivity Commission, 2003). An increasing number ofparents exercise their rights to send their children with disabilitiesto regular schools and expect them to be included in all aspects ofschool life (Senate Employment Education and Training ReferenceCommittee, 2002). The Disability Standards for Education (2005)(Commonwealth of Australia Commonwealth of Australia:see Australia. , 2005) clearly state that students withdisabilities must not only have physical access to regular schools, butmust be able to access the curriculum as well. Although the majority ofteachers were not prepared for inclusion during their preservicetraining, they have taught or are teaching students with disabilities(Forlin, 2001; Productivity Commission, 2003). Defining "inclusion" "Inclusion" refers to all people being valued, acceptedand respected regardless of ethnic and cultural backgrounds,socio-economic circumstances, abilities, gender, age, religion, beliefsand behaviours (Forlin, 2004; United Nations Educational Scientific andCultural Organization, 1994). Inclusion is a human rights or socialjustice principle which embodies values such as equity and fairness(Ainscow, 2005). In an inclusive school An inclusive school is a school that encourages special needs students and students without special needs to learn together. Therefore, students are able to learn to live together. There are some inclusive schools in the world. , children are not treatedequally but are given equitable support to enable every child to be ableto participate physically, socially and academically with their peers.This means that the environment, curriculum, teaching methods,assessment and reporting could all need to be adjusted ordifferentiated. A child in a wheelchair may need ramps to adapt thephysical environment. Teaching may need to cater for a student'slearning needs in the same way. A child with a learning disability mayneed more assistance with reading or to be able to present knowledgeverbally rather than in written form. A child who has difficultyconcentrating may need the amount of work to be reduced, to have taskspresented one at a time and to be shown how to self- monitor. Teachingchildren with disabilities is just one aspect of inclusive schools andcommunities but is the focus of this paper, specifically in secondaryschools. Aim of the research Some of the literature on inclusion argues that teachers needtraining in special education to include students with disabilities(Fuchs & Fuchs, 1995; Heward, 2003; Kauffman & Hallahan, 2005;Mock & Kauffman, 2002; Zigmond, 2003). Other researchers andacademics propose that inclusion is simply a matter of good teachingpractice (Ainscow, 1999; Giangreco, 1996; Skrtic, 1995; Stainback &Stainback, 1996; Thousand, Rosenberg, Bishop, & Villa, 1997). Thedispute in the literature inspired the first research question: 1. What are the attributes, attitudes, knowledge and skills ofinclusive teachers in secondary schools? Collaboration in learning communities has resounding re��sound?v. re��sound��ed, re��sound��ing, re��soundsv.intr.1. To be filled with sound; reverberate: The schoolyard resounded with the laughter of children.2. support in theliterature (Dettmer, Dyck, & Thurston, 1999; Friend & Cook,2000; Idol idol,an object, frequently an image, which is worshiped as a deity. Idols are usually found in human or animal form and may be treated as though alive; they are fed, bathed, anointed, crowned, and sometimes even provided with a consort. , 1997; Palincsar, Magnusson, Morano, Ford, & Brown, 1998;Thousand, Villa, & Nevin, 1995; Walter-Thomas, Korinek, McLaughlin,& Williams, 2000) as the optimal means of teacher skill acquisition,but was this realistic in the secondary school context? Thus the secondresearch question: 2. How can teachers acquire the attributes, attitudes, knowledgeand skills of inclusive teachers? Method A qualitative methodology was selected to gain a deeperunderstanding of the inclusive teacher in the secondary school context.Initially, twenty leaders in integration and inclusion, to be referredto as "leaders", who were known to the interviewer wereselected. Using a snowball technique, each leader nominated nom��i��nate?tr.v. nom��i��nat��ed, nom��i��nat��ing, nom��i��nates1. To propose by name as a candidate, especially for election.2. To designate or appoint to an office, responsibility, or honor. otherleaders. In total, 50 leaders, 43 female and 7 male, agreed toparticipate in the research. Once written consent had been received,each leader was interviewed in person or by phone for an average of onehour. The interviews were taped, then transcribed. Participants weregiven the opportunity to edit their scripts and further consent wasobtained to use the edited script. Summaries of the interviews were sentto the leaders for comments as part of the validation See validate. validation - The stage in the software life-cycle at the end of the development process where software is evaluated to ensure that it complies with the requirements. process. Demographic data The sample group consisted of 7 academics, 16 consultants, 1psychologist, 2 administrators, 10 executive staff, 9 Learning Supportcoordinators (LSC LSC Learning and Skills CouncilLSC Legal Services Commission (UK)LSC Legal Services CorporationLSC Lyndon State College (Lyndonville, VT)LSC Learning Skills CouncilLSC Life Safety Code ), 1 secondary teacher and 4 special education teachersin units. The role of the LSC varies considerably from school to schoolbut typically involves coordinating services to students withdisabilities and supporting teachers. The coordinator does notnecessarily have special education expertise. Twenty-one leaders workedin the government sector, 10 in the Catholic schools, 12 in independentschools and 7 in universities teaching pre-service education courses.Thirty-six participants came from Western Australia Western Australia,state (1991 pop. 1,409,965), 975,920 sq mi (2,527,633 sq km), Australia, comprising the entire western part of the continent. It is bounded on the N, W, and S by the Indian Ocean. Perth is the capital. ; 14 from 6 otherstates and one territory. Seventy-two percent had special educationqualifications and the remainder had expertise in including studentswith disabilities in secondary schools. Twenty-eight participants hadprimary training, 17 secondary and 5 both primary and secondarytraining. The sample group had a wide range of experiences teachingstudents with disabilities in regular and segregated settings. Sevenleaders had PhDs, nine had Masters degrees and the remainder degrees ordiplomas. Interviews Ten interview questions were generated from the research questions.A small pilot study with four participants enabled the interviewquestions to be refined. Three questions elicited e��lic��it?tr.v. e��lic��it��ed, e��lic��it��ing, e��lic��its1. a. To bring or draw out (something latent); educe.b. To arrive at (a truth, for example) by logic.2. demographicinformation. Other questions related to inclusion: the issues leadershad observed in secondary schools; the current and future roles ofteachers, special educators and education assistants. Another questiondirectly asked leaders to describe the attributes, attitudes, knowledgeand skills of inclusive teachers they had observed in secondary schools.Five hypothetical Hypothetical is an adjective, meaning of or pertaining to a hypothesis. See: Hypothesis HypotheticalHypothetical (album) case studies of students with disabilities includingautism autism(ô`tĭzəm), developmental disability resulting from a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain. It is characterized by the abnormal development of communication skills, social skills, and reasoning. , acquired brain injury A neurological condition, Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is damage to the brain acquired after birth. It usually affects cognitive, physical, emotional, social or independent functioning and can result from traumatic brain injury (i.e. accidents, falls, assaults, etc. , dyslexia dyslexia(dĭslĕk`sēə), in psychology, a developmental disability in reading or spelling, generally becoming evident in early schooling. To a dyslexic, letters and words may appear reversed, e.g. , mild and moderate intellectualdisabilities were given to the participants. Leaders were asked how asecondary teacher in a nominated subject could include each studentacademically and socially. Interviewees were questioned about theirexperiences in effective methods of teacher learning and were asked toprioritize pri��or��i��tize?v. pri��or��i��tized, pri��or��i��tiz��ing, pri��or��i��tiz��es Usage Problemv.tr.To arrange or deal with in order of importance.v.intr. the learning needs of teachers. All the questions wereembedded Inserted into. See embedded system. in the secondary school context, drawing on observations andexperiences rather than special theory or literature. Leader perspectives Two leaders strongly supported full inclusion. Ninety-six percentof the leaders, however, were strongly in favour of the continuum ofservices model. This group believed that students should accesswhichever setting met student needs at a particular time rather than beguided by parental commitment to any one philosophy. Some children maycommence in special education settings, then move into regular classesin primary school and return to special education settings in secondaryschool. A student may access a special education class for one programand be in regular classes for others. Regardless of their philosophies,many of the participants were concerned about the effects of segregatedspecial education schools on children. They valued opportunities for allchildren to interact. There was a high level of agreement amongst theresponses. Results Leaders acknowledged the great challenges of including students insecondary school and felt that only a minority of secondary teacherscould be described as inclusive. Inclusive teachers were accomplished orexpert teachers because a high level of knowledge and skills wasrequired. The inclusive teacher could require special educationexpertise or immediate access to special education expertise. Theimportance of a supportive system and school was stressed repeatedly.Teachers could not become inclusive on their own. The profile of theinclusive secondary teacher centered on four characteristics: * inclusive attitude * student rather than curriculum focused * learns through collaboration * inclusive teaching practices Each quote from the research illustrates the beliefs of theparticipants. Inclusive attitude "If you've got the will, you'reabout 95% of the way there." During the last decade, research (Forlin, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001,2003, 2004; Forlin & Bamford, 2005; Forlin, Douglas, & Hattie,1996) has shown that a positive attitude is the most crucial factor inbecoming an inclusive teacher. Leaders believed that attitude was evenmore important than knowledge and skills. Some teachers seem to beinclusive by nature or through nurture NURTURE. The act of taking care of children and educating them: the right to the nurture of children generally belongs to the father till the child shall arrive at the age of fourteen years, and not longer. Till then, he is guardian by nurture. Co. Litt. 38 b. and welcome the opportunity toteach every child. These teachers think it is important that childrenwith and without disabilities interact and learn values from each other.Differences are accepted as a normal part of life. Children withdisabilities are not special, just members of the class. There areteachers who become inclusive after they have successful experiences inteaching children with disabilities. Improving pedagogy thereforeincreases the chances of teachers having successful experiences. Someteachers respond positively once they understand the philosophy ofinclusion which is emotionally appealing. They feel that they would wanttheir children to be included too. Some teachers, however, reluctantlychange their attitudes only when they understand the legal requirementsof the 1992 Disability Discrimination Act and the accompanyingDisability Standards for Education (2005) and realize that they have nochoice. Teachers may not always agree with the choice of setting by theparents, but they did need to respect and accept the parents' legalright to make the choice. Inclusive teachers accept responsibility to teach all the childrenin their classes rather than try to give it to an assistant or recommendthat the student with disabilities selects another course. They believethat all students learn so have high expectations. Accordingly,opportunities are created for everyone to succeed. Successful learningbuilds the self-esteem and status of the students amongst their peers.Students can improve their status when they are given responsibilitiesin the classroom, leadership roles or age-appropriate praise. Theinclusive teacher celebrates even small achievements. They do not blamethe child for failing but change their teaching methods or strategiesuntil they find one which works. Their understanding of inclusionmotivates the inclusive teacher to devote the extra time and effortrequired to differentiate the curriculum or support the student. Having a student with a disability in the class does not mean thatthe child's needs are the most important or that they have todominate the learning activities of the class. The needs of all thestudents and how the teacher can support everyone in the class areconsidered. There is awareness that adjustments made to include onestudent have the potential to help many others. The child with adisability blends into the class and is not singled out by beingisolated with a teacher assistant at the back of the class. The studentsare given a variety of activities to choose from so everyone is doingsomething different. The students understand that everyone learnsdifferently and that there are different ways of achieving goals. The relationships in the classroom are respectful re��spect��ful?adj.Showing or marked by proper respect.re��spectful��ly adv. , positive andsupportive. Disparaging dis��par��age?tr.v. dis��par��aged, dis��par��ag��ing, dis��par��ag��es1. To speak of in a slighting or disrespectful way; belittle. See Synonyms at decry.2. To reduce in esteem or rank. comments are not tolerated. The teacher modelsappropriate attitudes for the students. The inclusive teacher does notpretend the student does not have a disability but helps the otherstudents understand and support their peer. This could require thestudent with a disability, parents, a teacher or a disability supportgroup providing peers with information about the student'sdisability and ways they can assist the student. Permission from thestudent with the disability and the parents is necessary and theawareness-raising must be handled sensitively. Acceptance andunderstanding can be enhanced through the curriculum. The class maystudy a novel featuring a person with a disability. Students can study adisability in science or famous people in history, some of whom justhappen to have disabilities. A guest speaker may talk about their ownexperience having a disability. Pre-service training is more likely to contribute to inclusiveteaching if it concentrates on developing inclusive attitudes amongstthe pre-service teachers. There is a marked difference in attitude whentrainee teachers are aware that they will be teaching children withdisabilities compared to those who never expected to do so. Listening toparents of children with disabilities talk about their children andtheir aspirations aspirationsnpl → aspiraciones fpl(= ambition); ambici��n faspirationsnpl (= hopes, ambition) → aspirations fpl, or to adults with disabilities about their schoolexperiences builds empathy empathyAbility to imagine oneself in another's place and understand the other's feelings, desires, ideas, and actions. The empathic actor or singer is one who genuinely feels the part he or she is performing. amongst teachers and can become a valuablepart of training. Children who attend classes with other children withdisabilities are less likely to have negative attitudes to inclusion inthe future. Strategies for teaching students with disabilities are best infusedthrough all education courses rather than designated as specialeducation and taught separately. Teachers need to learn how to teachliteracy and numeracy numeracyMathematical literacy Neurology The ability to understand mathematical concepts, perform calculations and interpret and use statistical information. Cf Acalculia. from the early years to the final years ofschooling. With the legal situation today, there could be classes wheresome students are still learning early literacy skills and others arestudying university levels of literature. Knowledge of childhooddevelopment from birth to adulthood is an advantage. It is important that a teacher emerges from pre-service trainingwith an inclusive attitude because negative attitudes are difficult toreverse. Teachers can be reluctant to attend professional development ifthey do not support inclusion. Even if every teacher in the schoolattends in-service courses, they may not be attentive at��ten��tive?adj.1. Giving care or attention; watchful: attentive to detail.2. Marked by or offering devoted and assiduous attention to the pleasure or comfort of others. . Teachers canresist learning if they are not interested or cannot see any relevance,much like their students. For teachers with negative attitudes,professional development on teaching strategies may be more effective. Student centred "It's actually knowing who that person is, acknowledgingwho that person is and making the adjustments that you can." Knowledge of their subject, curriculum and content, is importantbut so too is student knowledge. Despite the increased difficultyacquiring student knowledge, with over one hundred students per week,inclusive teachers do their best to get to know their studentspersonally in the same way as primary teachers. The whole child isconsidered by an inclusive teacher: academically, socially, emotionally.Teachers gain personal knowledge by observing students in variouscontexts like the classroom, school excursions and the playground.Inclusive teachers listen to their students and parents to learn aboutstudent interests. Teachers need time to get to know their studentsbefore they can understand how to apply effective strategies. Thisexplains why even the best preparation for the transition of a studentwith a disability from one year to the next does not have immediateresults. Teachers find out how their students learn best, assess theirlearning styles and use Gardner's (1999) multiple intelligencesapproach. They access or develop learning profiles of their students bygathering information from past teachers, parents, and the schoolpsychologist. Standardized tests, curriculum-based assessment andobservation increase their knowledge. Inclusive teachers want tounderstand why the students are experiencing learning difficulties. Evenmore importantly, they want to identify the students' strengthsbecause these can be used to improve learning. If a student is a visuallearner, for example, the teacher knows to provide diagrams, pictures,photos, posters and visual material on the computer or in books. Social and emotional inclusion is just as important to theinclusive teacher as academic inclusion. Social inclusion is promoted byproviding opportunities for students to interact with each other.Co-operative learning, working in pairs or groups, using peer tutors,team activities, structured games, and changing seating arrangements seating arrangementsnpl → distribuci��n fsg de los asientosseating arrangementsseat npl → Sitzordnung fseating arrangementsallpromote social inclusion. If a student appears to be isolated frompeers, social groups can be established to support the student. Buddy orpeer support systems and vertical roll groups offer opportunities forinteraction. By encouraging students to email each other or playcomputer games at the end of a lesson or lunch times, students can formfriendships and improve their social skills. If a teaching assistant isallocated to the class to support the student, the assistant must becareful to work with all the students to avoid isolating or labellingthe student with the disability. Not too many adolescents enjoy havingan adult by their side throughout the day. The student should be asked about their post-school goals. Having along-term vision guides the inclusive teacher in curriculum delivery.Parents and teachers can contribute suggestions for long term goals atIEP IEPIn currencies, this is the abbreviation for the Irish Punt.Notes:The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. meetings. Students may need to learn functional skills such aseating or living skills such as money management and literacy throughthe curriculum. They could learn the skills by attending alternatecourses within the school or community. If available, a job coach cansupport the student initially during work experience. Independence is a goal for all children. The inclusive teachermakes sure that the student with a disability does not become dependenton the teacher, a teaching assistant or peers. The student who needs toimprove organizational skills is taught to use checklists, color-codedtimetables or memory books. Prompts and assistance are graduallywithdrawn. The inclusive teacher talks to the student about theirstrengths. Students are given strategies to help them learn so that theycan take responsibility for their own learning. In doing so, studentsdevelop self-awareness which can prepare them for life. Discussionbetween the teacher and the student occurs privately or with parentsrather than in front of peers. Learning goals and strategies arenegotiated between the teacher and the student. A student who hasdifficulty writing may negotiate to present his or her workalternatively through a PowerPoint presentation, an oral report or avideo clip A short video presentation. . All students are given choices. The student with adisability helps to develop the IEP or behavior plan. Feeling ownershipof the plan is more likely to produce a positive outcome. Knowledge of the educational implications of the disability isessential to inclusive secondary teachers because it provides anunderstanding of how the curriculum, content and pedagogy will need tobe changed if the student is to learn. The teacher needs specificinformation about how autism affects the student in their class ratherthan general information on autism. The "label" or category ofdisability is of little benefit without specific information about thechild. A child with cerebral palsy cerebral palsy(sərē`brəl pôl`zē), disability caused by brain damage before or during birth or in the first years, resulting in a loss of voluntary muscular control and coordination. , for instance, may have minorproblems with fine and gross motor skills or may be unable to walk. Inthis respect, parents have expert knowledge to share with teachers. Schools need to have an efficient means of accumulating and storinginformation so that teachers can have quick-gain student knowledge.Student databases are very effective if they are kept up-to-date. Theschool psychologist may be the person who can explain medical reports orassessments related to the student's disability. On occasions,teachers will find a student's disability has such an impact onbehavior or learning that they need further assistance. Although itwould be beneficial, the teacher does not need to complete a specialeducation course at university but does need access to professionalswith the expertise at the point of need. This, of course, will only workif the system or community provides the time for collaboration andexpertise through consultants or colleagues with special educationexpertise within the school. Collaboration "If you can get people collaboratively to work together withthe right will, you can solve anything." To be able to include students with disabilities in their classes,inclusive secondary school teachers may require new knowledge andskills. Professional development in the form of one-day workshops orconferences has limited value, and few teachers have time for academicstudy. The knowledge and skills teachers need can be learnt at the pointof need by collaborating with any of the stakeholders StakeholdersAll parties that have an interest, financial or otherwise, in a firm-stockholders, creditors, bondholders, employees, customers, management, the community, and the government. in thechild's life. The relevant stakeholders will vary depending on thechild, the disability and the situation but could be medicalprofessionals, therapists, disability support groups, teachingassistants, colleagues with experience in teaching the student, specialeducation teachers or consultants. Inclusive teachers developpartnerships with parents who have so much knowledge of their own childto share. There is an honest exchange of opinions. Teachers areresponsible for giving students and parent the information they need tochoose appropriate curriculum pathways. Effective communication skills are essential for a teacher to workcollaboratively. Teachers continually solve problems throughout theschool day. The same problem-solving approach is applied by an inclusiveteacher when it comes to a student with a disability. The teacherremains confident that a simple solution can be found and thinkscreatively of solutions. When a solution is elusive, the teacher openlyexpresses concern and seeks knowledge and assistance from others. Thiswas described as a "special attribute", perhaps implying thatit is not commonly evident amongst secondary teachers! Inclusiveteachers regard teaching as a lifelong learning Lifelong learning is the concept that "It's never too soon or too late for learning", a philosophy that has taken root in a whole host of different organisations. Lifelong learning is attitudinal; that one can and should be open to new ideas, decisions, skills or behaviors. journey. They are on aquest to learn new skills and strategies. Therefore, learning how toteach a student with a slightly different learning profile is inspiringrather than daunting daunt?tr.v. daunt��ed, daunt��ing, dauntsTo abate the courage of; discourage. See Synonyms at dismay.[Middle English daunten, from Old French danter, from Latin . This study suggests that secondary school teachers are moving frombeing autonomous and teaching behind closed doors to being or wanting tobe far more collaborative and collegial col��le��gi��al?adj.1. a. Characterized by or having power and authority vested equally among colleagues: "He . . . . Collaborative learning Collaborative learning is an umbrella term for a variety of approaches in education that involve joint intellectual effort by students or students and teachers. Collaborative learning refers to methodologies and environments in which learners engage in a common task in which each can beas simple as asking colleagues for advice in the staffroom staffroomn → sala de profesoresstaffroomn → salle f des professeursstaffroomstaff n (Scol) → or via email.The whole staff or faculty can attend sessions within their schoolswhere teachers speak about a course they have completed, professionaldevelopment, resources or strategies they found useful. Teachers withina department can work on a project together. The advantage of colleaguesworking within departments is that they can learn content knowledge andpedagogy from their peers. They may focus on differentiating the Year 9curriculum to cater for a group of students with learning difficultiesand several who are gifted. Teachers can share units of work they havecreated or store them in a central file or on their computers forcolleagues to use. Teachers from different departments may work togetherto develop integrated units of work based on a student's strengthsor interests. The computer and history teachers may develop a projectfor their students. Learning to use PowerPoint can be combined with astudy of World War II. Teachers can observe their colleagues teaching todiscover how to support a particular student or apply a new strategy.Colleagues can combine their experience and knowledge to brainstormpossible solutions to any problem. A teacher with more experience in aparticular area may act as a mentor to a colleague, help plan lessons,give demonstration lessons, provide feedback on their colleagues'lessons or team teach. Professional networking with teachers from otherschools and visits to other schools inspire teachers to try new ideasand explore other possibilities. Teachers with special education expertise or consultants can leadtheir colleagues through the IEP process, the development of behaviormanagement behavior managementPsychology Any nonpharmacologic maneuver–eg contingency reinforcement–that is intended to correct behavioral problems in a child with a mental disorder–eg, ADHD. See Attention-deficit-hyperactivity syndrome. or social skills plans, differentiation of the curriculum.They can withdraw a student for specific skills training. Many schoolshave Learning Support Teams, comprising the deputy principal,psychologist, special education or learning difficulties teacher and oneor two other experienced teachers. The team meets regularly to listen tothe concerns of teachers of students with learning or behavioraldifficulties. Members of the team suggest strategies the teacher cantry. The teacher trials their recommendations and reports the results tothe team. If the teacher needs further advice, the team may arrange fora person with specialist knowledge to visit the school. Most Australianschools have access to consultants, although the access is limited bythe large caseloads and the limited time that can be allocated to anyone school. The ideal support is a full-time LSC with specialistknowledge. Inclusive teachers not only draw on the strengths of theircolleagues, but on the strengths of their students. They highly valuepeer support and make maximum use of the resource. Students may becalled upon to support their peers socially and academically. To helpstudents learn, teachers carefully allocate students to groups based ontheir strengths. Consultants in the study reported impressive ideas fromstudents. For instance, a young man with severe cerebral palsy whichrestricted speech and movement was included in drama classes as a resultof the suggestions and support of his peers. The students were far moreinnovative than their teachers! As part of their own learning programs,some students can use and improve their skills by producing computerprograms or art work for peers with disabilities. The targeted studentcould be in the same class or in a completely different year. Studentswith disabilities may tutor TUTOR - A Scripting language on PLATO systems from CDC.["The TUTOR Language", Bruce Sherwood, Control Data, 1977]. much younger children, or be tutored byolder students or peers. Teaching assistants and teachers work in partnership in aninclusive classroom. The teacher is responsible for developing thecurriculum and directing the assistant. There is effective communicationbetween the two. The teacher is always consulted before changes are madeto the program or problems occur and is given feedback on thestudent's progress. The assistant often works with groups ofstudents and the student with disabilities, or with other students inthe class so that the student is not stigmatized. Assistants areencouraged to attend IEP meetings. Their contribution and experience arevalued and respected. An executive staff member or LSC is responsiblefor all the assistants so that there is co-ordination, representationand a sharing of student knowledge. Inclusive teaching practices "Straight away when I walk into a classroom I can see whetherteachers are inclusive or not." Inclusive teachers love teaching. They are described as"compassionate com��pas��sion��ate?adj.1. Feeling or showing compassion; sympathetic. See Synonyms at humane.2. Granted to an individual because of an emergency or other unusual circumstances: ", "approachable","friendly", "warm" and "kind hearted". Theword "soft" is not mentioned because inclusive teachers demandhigh standards of behavior and work. Well-organized, inclusive teachersmanage their classrooms efficiently and work comfortably with otheradults in the room. Managing challenging behavior is another skill theyare forever striving to improve. Well aware of the link between learningand behavior, they think of ways to engage their students. A disabilitymay affect a child's behavior so the inclusive teacher makes surethey understand the connection. The teacher also knows which strategieshave and have not worked in the past. They are hard working and preparedto devote the extra time and work they need to prepare work for studentswho need differentiation. Calm personalities and a good sense of humor Noun 1. sense of humor - the trait of appreciating (and being able to express) the humorous; "she didn't appreciate my humor"; "you can't survive in the army without a sense of humor"sense of humour, humor, humour help teachers maintain a positive outlook. Inclusive teachers have a wide repertoire of teaching strategieswhich gives them the flexibility to match student knowledge to pedagogyand to apply another strategy quickly if the first does not work. Theydo not rigidly use the same lessons and same methods each year butchange them to suit the needs and interests of their students indifferent classes. They use good teaching practices such as giving clearinstructions, breaking tasks into smaller components, demonstrating thetask, providing opportunities for guided practice and independentpractice, monitoring progress, giving feedback, reviewing learning atthe end of one lesson and again at the beginning of the next. Adept withtechnology and computers, they use technology to boost learning andstudent motivation. To be able to include a student with a learning disabilityacademically, the inclusive teacher must differentiate the curriculum,teaching strategies, assessment methods and reporting. The teacherunderstands that children learn at different times, and there are manydifferent pathways to learning the same outcomes. A student is notincluded by merely sitting in the classroom but must activelyparticipate in the program and learn. The student needs to move alongthe learning continuum. To guide differentiation, teachers may break thecurriculum into "must know, should know and could know". Allthe students "must learn" core knowledge. Once this knowledgehas been learned, students may move on to the knowledge that they"should know". It is possible that only the most giftedstudents learn the "could know" knowledge. Some students will have quite different learning goals built intothe curriculum. The whole class may be conducting a science experiment.The majority may be learning about the properties of gas and liquid. Thestudent with an intellectual disability is learning to concentrate, helphis peers and practice his communication skills. No matter how difficultthe content or tasks may be, simple goals can be woven throughout.Leaders could explain how to do this even when the class was studyingalgebra algebra,branch of mathematics concerned with operations on sets of numbers or other elements that are often represented by symbols. Algebra is a generalization of arithmetic and gains much of its power from dealing symbolically with elements and operations (such as and Hamlet HamletTragic hero who tarries and broods over revenge and suicide. [Br. Lit.: Hamlet]See : IndecisionHamletintrospective, vacillating Prince of Denmark. [Br. Lit. . All but two leaders, however, did caution that thereare times when alternate work or courses are far more relevant to thestudent's goals. They did not adhere to adhere toverb 1. follow, keep, maintain, respect, observe, be true, fulfil, obey, heed, keep to, abide by, be loyal, mind, be constant, be faithful2. the belief that childrenmust remain together at all times to learn. Inclusive schools and systems "It is hard to actually talk about an inclusive teacherwithout also talking about an inclusive school as I wouldn't liketo give the impression that it all depends on a teacher." According to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.2. In keeping with: according to instructions.3. the participants in the study, some secondary schoolsare impressive in their inclusivity. Their principals are committed toinclusion and provide strong and courageous leadership. Policies andpractices have been reviewed to make sure they are inclusive. The schoolculture is inclusive and the school community actively promotesinclusivity. Through the employment of additional staff, teachers aregiven time, that most precious of resources, to collaborate, plan andlearn the skills they need. Effective teaching and inclusion areprofessional development priorities. The school builds closerelationships with the community so it can access vocational courses andworkplaces to prepare students for life after school. Partnerships withparents and universities are fostered. Timetables are flexible so thatstudents can access any classes or external courses that suit theirneeds. There is a genuine desire to support students to achieve theirpost-school goals, whether they be to attend university or to enjoytheir leisure time. Interviewees were adamant that inclusion is not the soleresponsibility of teachers. It is very difficult for teachers to beinclusive if their schools and the education system are not alsoinclusive. Inclusion must be a systemic systemic/sys��tem��ic/ (sis-tem��ik) pertaining to or affecting the body as a whole. sys��tem��icadj.1. Of or relating to a system.2. priority or policies will betokenistic and funding will not be forthcoming. Education systems mustoffer inclusive policies, funding, resources, expertise, professionaldevelopment and a curriculum which promote and facilitate inclusion.Western Australia Department of Education and Training was cited as anexample of a system which has endeavored to provide an inclusiveeducational environment for all students. The Review of EducationalServices for Students with Disabilities in Government Schools(Department of Education of Western Australia, 2001) resulted ininclusion becoming a much greater priority. A new strategy was launchedcalled Building Inclusive Schools: Managing Diversity (Department ofEducation and Training of Western Australia, 2003). Administrators andprincipals were all given three days of professional development oninclusion. Building Inclusive Classrooms was developed as a professionaldevelopment package to prepare teachers for inclusion (Department ofEducation and Training of Western Australia, 2003). A new model ofresourcing called Schools Plus gives schools greater flexibility in theselection of resources they use to support students with disabilitiesand features additional teacher time (Forlin & Bamford, 2005). Bythe end of 2007 all schools should have nominated a staff member to bethe LSC for half to one and a half days per week. Although specialeducation skills and full-time positions are preferable, this is a stepin the right direction. Coordinators are funded to complete the BuildingInclusive Classrooms course and receive further training days over twoyears. Consultants and specialist services are available to provideinvaluable support to LSCs and regular teachers. These include a Speechand Language team, Autism Intervention team, Assistive Technology Hardware and software that help people who are physically impaired. Often called "accessibility options" when referring to enhancements for using the computer, the entire field of assistive technology is quite vast and even includes ramp and doorway construction in buildings to support team,Disabilities High Support team, Hospital Schools Services, VisionImpairment Impairment1. A reduction in a company's stated capital.2. The total capital that is less than the par value of the company's capital stock.Notes:1. This is usually reduced because of poorly estimated losses or gains.2. and West Australian West Australian commonly refers to people or things from Western Australia.Specific things to which it may refer include: the newspaper The West Australian; Institute for Deaf Education. Inclusivityis a core value of the outcomes-based approach to learning and teachingcurrently being implemented. Within the last five years, the governmentsystem has taken strong measures towards becoming inclusive. Conclusion The portrait of an inclusive secondary school teacher is anidealistic i��de��al��is��tic?adj.Of, relating to, or having the nature of an idealist or idealism.ide��al��is representation. It is important to understand the attributes,attitudes, knowledge and skills of the inclusive secondary teacher andto understand how they can be acquired before teachers in general can beassisted to gain them. Attributes such as creativity, flexibility,enjoying teaching and regarding the student as the centre of learningrather than the curriculum are common to inclusive teachers. They havepositive attitudes to inclusion. Although good teaching practice isessential, teachers also need access to special education expertise forthe foreseeable fore��see?tr.v. fore��saw , fore��seen , fore��see��ing, fore��seesTo see or know beforehand: foresaw the rapid increase in unemployment. future. Secondary teachers, with a wealth of knowledgeto share, will learn through collaboration if they are given the timeand opportunities to do so. Although slow to have an impact, the 1992 Disability DiscriminationAct has given the inclusion movement impetus and a legal framework. Itis difficult to imagine education systems responding to the extent theyhave today in Australia without its existence. The relative simplicityof the primary school structure has meant that success has been moreevident in this setting more quickly. The research did establish,however, that it is possible for secondary schools to be inclusive, evenin systems dominated by external examinations, shortages of funding,teachers who are mostly untrained in special education and stressed dueto constant curriculum changes. It is to be hoped that the needs ofchildren with disabilities will lead reforms to providing a morerelevant, responsive secondary school system for all students. Further Information The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needshttp://www.unesco.org/education/pdf/SALAMA_E.PDF (Portable Document Format) The de facto standard for document publishing from Adobe. On the Web, there are countless brochures, data sheets, white papers and technical manuals in the PDF format. 1992 Disability Discrimination Act (Australia)http://www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/dda_guide/dda_guide.htm Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education The Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education (CSIE) is an independent centre and registered charity based in the United Kingdom which aims to promote inclusion in education. , UKhttp://inclusion.uwe.ac.uk/csie/csiehome.htm Council for Exceptional Children USA http://www.cec.sped.org Professional Development Activities for Teacher Training forInclusion 1. Invite parents of children with disabilities to talk about theirexperiences as parents. 2. Arrange for pre-service teachers to teach students withdisabilities during their prac teaching in schools. Discuss theirexperiences. 3. Discuss inclusion as a philosophy. Trace its origins. Is aninclusive society a desirable goal? 4. Examine the Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action onSpecial Needs Education. What are the implications for your country? 5. Study how people with disabilities have been treated throughouthistory in different cultures. 6. A teacher has just learned that a student with a disability isenrolling in the class. Develop a resource that the teacher could usewhich explains how to teach the student. The resource could be apamphlet pamphlet,short unbound or paper-bound book of from 64 to 96 pages. The pamphlet gained popularity as an instrument of religious or political controversy, giving the author and reader full benefit of freedom of the press. , a booklet, a CD, a video clip. 7. The group watches a film featuring a character with adisability. How is the character portrayed por��tray?tr.v. por��trayed, por��tray��ing, por��trays1. To depict or represent pictorially; make a picture of.2. To depict or describe in words.3. To represent dramatically, as on the stage. ? What impact does this haveon viewers' attitudes to people with disabilities? 8. Use case studies to consider how a teacher could include thestudent academically. For example, Alison is a student with a mildintellectual disability in her first year of high school. She has justlearned to write and read simple sentences and can count to ten. Therest of the class is studying a novel. How can Alison be included in theactivities? 9. John is aged eight and is having trouble making friends. He sitsalone in the playground. Brainstorm ways of helping John make friends. 10. Prepare a lesson using co-operative learning. Pretend yourpre-service class is a group of primary students and demonstrate how youwould group the students and teach the topic. References Ainscow, M. 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