The next topic we have discussed in class is related to the idea of delivering special education to your students. There are several different methods, that all have their place in the education system, but some are more popular than others, and I feel it is important to discuss this different options.
Firstly you have your traditional special education classrooms, which are those specialized classrooms within a school where the students with learning disabilities are placed all day long. This classroom has a very highly structured environment, and surrounds the idea of operant conditioning. This means that when the student acts in a desirable way, he/she receives a reward and when he/she acts in an undesirable way, then the student will receive a punishment or consequence. The whole idea behind this program is so that the students not only learn their required program of studies but they also learn how to manage their behavior, and make appropriate decisions. Some other advantages of this program are that the teacher is trained in delivering special education, which is very beneficial, because most teachers are generalists (like me) and don't have any experience with special education rather than the minimal requirements taken in university for our degree. Because of their training, these teachers are able to use a variety of instructional methods and different motivational strategies which they learned in school, and have a much better chance at getting those students with disabilities to get the required work done. Now, you look at a teacher like me (well the one I will be in two years) and I have no experience in this area, and although I will be very confident in dealing with the "regular students", I know that when it comes time to deal with the children who have learning disabilities... Unfortunately, I will not be very confident. In our textbook it says that some students report feeling safer and more comfortable in a contained setting, as well as believing that this type of program emphasizes their skills, confidence, and self esteem. I would definitely have to agree with this! I personally can't imagine being a child with a learning disability and being put into a regular classroom, and I think that the student is also able to receive much more assistance when in the special education classroom, since it is a one-on-one approach. But then... after looking at the disadvantages of this type of program, it actually makes sense why they are trying to avoid this type of an isolated special education classroom. So, it is quite evident that I am still on the fence regarding this whole argument! Some of the disadvantages of this type of program that really stick out in my mind are that the students in most cases are completely isolated from the other students. In some schools, it's even as severe as the special education students arriving and leaving the school at a different time, having different breaks, and a different lunch break from the regular students. This causes these students to have no other role models to look up to either than their teacher and they are unable to form relationships with "regular students" even if they wanted to because they are kept in isolation. Because of this, they do not have access to any spoken languages and social models outside of their classroom and really lack a sense of "belonging" to the school or even the community.
This is why most schools have recently moved from these isolated special education classrooms to the "resource room", or "withdrawal models". This has probably been the most popular method since the 80s. This is the type of program which allows the student with disabilities to still be part of the regular classroom, but then is pulled out of class to receive extra assistance with the classes that are causing them the most difficulty. I think it is clear that this program would be favored over the previous one because the students are still able to interact with the "regular students", and because of this, they have other role models to look up to. It also allows teachers to collaborate with each other and view the student in different environments and understand where he/she excels the most, and with what types of materials. This allows you to essentially customize your instruction for that particular student better. The problems with this model is that it can disrupt the classroom's daily routine. Not only does it disrupt the student with disabilities because suddenly the student is pulled out of class, and he/she may really be enjoying what they are doing in the regular classroom. It disrupts the teacher's routine because the teacher has to essentially plan their days around that particular student so that he/she doesn't miss out on any crucial material. However, no matter how well planned the teacher is, the student will probably still be late in returning back to the regular class, or miss important information well he/she is gone. Lastly, it interrupts the rest of the students in the class, because suddenly, one of their friends is gone! It is important for the teacher to plan the "pull out" in a way that the student is not stigmatized, since the rest of the class clearly notices when the student leaves. I remember being in elementary school, and my school handled it quite well, and now that I'm older and have reflected upon it, they did it in quite a brilliant way. I don't remember exactly how they had the students leave the class, but I do remember discussing with all my friends that we thought they had to have been very intelligent, because they get to leave during important classes, and usually came back with suckers! I remember being quite jealous of those two girls... But essentially, it is important that schools are operating the withdrawal system in this manner, so that students are not viewed at as "different" in a cruel way. But overall, I think this method is quite beneficial for students with disabilities because they are still able to live a "normal childhood".
The last service delivery model is of course the inclusive classroom. This model is most preferred right now because the students become a member of the classroom, of the school, and of the community. However, as I have discussed several times already in my blog, many teachers feel unpreparred for inclusive education, and are uneasy about the idea of delivering the same curriculum to what could possibly be a classroom with a huge variety of students all sitting at different levels. Currently, teachers are using documents called IPPs (Individuals Program Plans), which help to create an individualized approach of teaching the student with a disability. This document is great because it helps you keep track of the student's progress, as well as your progress with the student. However, teachers are finding that they are having to create more and more IPPs in their classrooms, and many feel that it is a timely process, especially when you include all the meetings and testings that also have to take place. Now... there is talk about a new program being implemented along with this whole inclusive education movement in which teachers will have to create IPPs for every single one of their students in their class.... One word comes to mind - AHHHH!
Upon skimming through the textbook, I came across some other material that I found to be very interesting, and I figured that it would be appropriate to discuss it in this blog entry as well. It was talking about disabilities anD how conventions of language have changed, and what are considered to be acceptable. Firstly, it is important to name the people first. This means that instead of referring to the student as a disabled child, it is important to refer to him/her as a child with disabilities. This puts emphasis on the child rather than on the disability. Secondly, it mentioned the importance of taking shifts in social meanings of terms in account. This means that in the past it was okay to refer to people with hearing difficulties as "deaf", but with more research being done in this area, it is clear that these people experience different "ranges of sound" so it is more appropriate to call these people "hearing impaired", since their disability is somewhat difficult to "pinpoint". The text also talked about the importance of avoiding derogatory terms, and although our elders may call people living with disabilities, "retards", this does not mean it is okay for us to do the same. Yes, these terms once did have meaning, but it is important to realize that they have now become insults, and have the ability to hurt these groups of people badly.
But yes in conclusion, I think it is quite evident that there is still a lot of uneasiness about inclusive education, and I am quite excited to learn more about it in the upcoming years. As of right now, I am still not completely convinced with this whole inclusive education "thing"... even though it is the more appropriate way to deliver instruction, and does have several benefits. I'm sure my opinion on it will change after learning more about it.... well I at least I hope so... because it's looking like I'm stuck with it! Oh Oh!
Hope you enjoyed, and there will be more to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment