Double Entry Journal #1

           Inclusive education is the practice of "including" or accepting all students despite their individual differences and ensures that all students have the same opportunity to receive the best education possible. Faculty members and parents work together in order for inclusion to work properly and succeed. Teaching strategies are made in order to meet the learning styles of the students to ensure high quality learning is taking place for each student in the classroom. It gives all students a chance to receive the best possible education based upon their own abilities. Changes are occurring within the school districts to bring together educational programs and services for all children. Inclusion benefits students with special education, bilingual, homeless, minority, mental health, and other support programs. In general, inclusive education is meant to serve all students and families within the community.

            Three types of students that inclusive education is meant to serve are ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic. All of the students above come from a different background and learn differently. Inclusion gives all of the students a chance to learn at high functioning levels good despite their differences. Many laws are set for students with disabilities, but inclusion is set to include all students to be educated in the same classroom and to be treated equally. There are many types of characteristics that must take place in order for inclusion to work inside of the classroom and school. One of the characteristics is for teachers and other school staff members to work together in order to create and maintain an environment, or sense of community, dedicated to learning and to share the responsibility of all of the students. Every child is recognized as an individual and is respected as a part of the school community. Another characteristic of an inclusive school is for parents, teachers, principal, special education teacher, etc. to be involved in the students’ life and to figure out what is the best way to meet the individuals’ needs. This is also known as a problem solving team. The group decides what type of services is needed for each child and develops a plan to help that child. These are only a few of the characteristics that are needed in the school in order for inclusion to take place. Participating in the community of the school will help students to become more responsible and effective in the inclusive process. Students can take a role as being a peer mediator or tutor. Helping other students with problems they may be having or just having someone to socialize with will help students to feel a sense of belonging and help them to more successful.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is a video worth?
Attached is a video of students in a 4th grade classroom explaining how they used Skype during class to include a student who could not attend school because she had leukemia and was taking chemo treatments at the time. I choose this video because it shows how caring the teacher is including his new student in the class through Skype. Seeing the joy on her face on the computer and how happy she was to attend a regular school day with her classmates made me so happy for her! While watching the video, you can also see many different diverse students within the classroom.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is a video worth?
 Blog page for video

Sources:
Inclusion- helping a classmate join the classroom from home. (2007, April 26).
Retrieved from http://blogs.skype.com/en/2007/04/inclusion_helping_a_classmate.html

http://www.arisleyschool.org/Inclusion.mov(2007). If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is a video worth? . (2007). [Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://learningismessy.com/blog/?p=196