Inclusion education is not a trendy pedagogical phrase. Inclusion education is the core of the ideas. methodologies and practices of today's classroom. In Julie N. Causton-Theoharis article, "The Golden Rule of Providing Support in Inclusive Classrooms:...", the author instills the values of inclusion by describing inclusion as "a way of thinking - a deeply held belief that all children, regardless of ability or disability, are valued members of the school and classroom community."
This article discusses the educational practices of segregation. I believe that segregation breeds discrimination. Segregation was an incorrect model of community, and it did not teach children how to build better social skills, Inclusion education offers students, with and without disabilities, an opportunity to "learn to live, work, and play together" so that everyone can "successfully live, work, and be together in the community as adults" (Causton-Theoharis, pg. 37). So, how do we effectively achieve inclusion in the classroom? As author Causton-Theoharis explains, inclusion requires both careful action and inaction. I would agree that the students need to be given the space to find their full potential, without drawing attention to the support that they are given. If the support hinders the student, then we can consider the support as undermining the student's potential. The right amount of inclusion support is a balancing act for everyone in the classroom. In addition to balancing our support, as educators, we need to monitor our actions on our students. In the article, the author talks about not only offering support, but learning to eventually fade support in the classroom. Fading support encourages independence in the student and discourages unnecessary dependence on the adults. Fading support is also an opportunity for the student to find ways to express their own ideas within the curriculum. In the article, "The Golden Rule of Providing Support in Inclusive Classrooms:...", I believe that the idea of including the student in the decision making process is one of the most effective ways of engaging the student in building their independence. This mindset of including the student in the decision-making process encourages the student to learn to make independent decisions, which leads to a student taking ownership of their learning. As we facilitate a fading plan, the adults will have additional opportunities to support others in the classroom. Integrating a stronger team sense into the classroom will offer benefits for everyone, and consequently this will model the concept of working well with others! I think this would be a win-win for everyone. So what exactly is the golden rule? Causton-Theoharis encourages us to create a philosophy and a classroom environment that "support others as you would wish to be supported". Citation: Causton-Theoharis, J. (2009). "The Golden Role of Providing Support in Inclusive Classrooms: Support Others as You Would Wish to Be Supported". TEACHING Exceptional Children, Vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 36-43.
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Lorie PennerCurrently, I am enrolled as an undergraduate Education student in the U of A/RDC Collaborative Program in Alberta. ArchivesCategories |