Inclusive Teaching and Learning
ILSA Spring Conference 2018
Helen Roycroft
NCSE Advisor
March 9th, 2018
© NCSE 2017
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Seminar Overview
What is inclusion?
Meeting Needs of our Pupils – Continuum of Support (CoS)
Planning for Inclusive Pedagogy – A Flexible Approach
WHAT IS INCLUSION?
Context of Inclusive Education International Aspiration
‘A child with a disability should attend the neighbourhood school that would be attended if the child did not have a disability.’
Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education (UNESCO, 1994)
‘States shall ensure an inclusive education system at all levels so that persons with disabilities receive the support required within the general education system to facilitate their effective education.’
United Nations Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006)
Vision of Inclusive Education
• ‘To provide that people with special educational needs shall have the same right to avail of, and benefit from, appropriate education as do their peers who do not have such needs’ EPSEN (2004)
• Responsibility of each and every teacher
NCSE Vision Statement A society where children and adults with special
educational needs receive an education that enables them achieve their potential.
NCSE Mission Statement
The NCSE will promote a continuum of educational provision which is inclusive and responsive, and provides an appropriate education for children and adults with special educational needs. We will do this by providing supports to schools; advice to educators, parents and guardians; undertaking and disseminating research into special education; and by providing policy advice to the Minister for Education and Skills on special education issues.
What the Research says:
Inclusion is not about placing children in mainstream schools. It is about changing schools to make them more responsive to the needs of all children. (Mittler, 2000)
Access and presence in mainstream classrooms
and schools is a necessary step towards inclusion, but it is not enough. What happens in those classrooms is equally critical to achieving genuine inclusive education. (Ferguson, 2008)
Inclusive Practice
Inclusive practice requires significant changes to be
made … and is a whole school endeavour which aims
to accommodate the learning needs of all pupils…
(Ainscow et al, 2006)
http://ncse.ie/inclusive-education-framework
Theme 8 - Teaching & Learning
Inclusive Education
The NCSE described inclusion as a
process of addressing and responding to
the diversity of needs of learners. It
involves removing barriers so that each
learner will be enabled to achieve the
maximum benefit from his/her schooling.
(NCSE, 2011 cited in DES, 2017, p21)
One of the 6 Guiding Principles of the SEN Guidelines is: To facilitate the development of truly inclusive schools
Schools with strong inclusive cultures are characterised by:
• Positive ethos
• All pupils, including those with special educational needs
• Feel welcome
• Sense of community and belonging
• Promote pupils’ participation
• Active engagement in their learning
• Academic, social, emotional and independent living skills
• High aspirations
• Improve outcomes for all pupils
What does a truly inclusive school look like? (Pg 21 SEN Guidelines)
Reflection on Inclusive Practice
Workshop 1
Inclusive
Checklist
MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR
PUPILS ON THE CONTINUUM
OF SUPPORT
Three Step Process to Support Students
Step 1: How can we identify needs?
Step 2: How can we meet needs?
Step 3: How can we monitor and record
outcomes for students with special
educational needs?
3 Step Process - Collaborative Approach
• Class Teacher
• Special Education Teacher
• Principal & SNA
• Parents
• Pupil
• Outside Agencies
School Support Plus
• Class Teacher
• Special Education Teacher
• Principal
• Parents
• Pupil
School Support
• Class Teacher
• Parents
• Pupil
• Principal
Classroom Support
Planning Template –
Pupils prioritised to receive support though the CoS
Meeting the Needs in the Classroom (Pg 12 SEN Guidelines)
Co-operative teaching and learning within mainstream classrooms
Collaborative problem-solving activities
Heterogeneous group work
Differentiation
Interventions to promote social and emotional competence
Embedding Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in teaching, learning and assessment
Meeting needs through a Collaborative
Approach
Identify the level and type of
intervention
Suitable methodologies to
promote meaningful inclusion
Evidence-informed interventions
Challenges
• Time
• Planning
• Timetabling
• Whole School Approach
• Parental Involvement
• Willingness
• Attitudes
• Competence & confidence
• Change
• CPD
PLANNING INCLUSIVE PEDAGOGY –
A FLEXIBLE APPROACH
Differentiation stems from the research-based perspective
that students will engage more fully with learning and will
learn more robustly when teachers proactively plan with
their differences – as well as their similarities – in mind. Tomlinson et. al (2003),Differentiation and the Brain
What is differentiation?
Class teachers & Special Education
Teachers
Teachers can differentiate through…
Content
• Material taught and how pupils access this
Process
• Methods, materials and activities used
Product
• How pupil demonstrates their learning
Environment
• How the learning is structured
• Move towards the creation of meaningful learning experiences • Teachers as facilitators of learning • Creating opportunities for learning • Limitless learning
Strategies to support differentiation
Differentiation Strategies
Tiered assignments
Tic Tac Toe Boards
KUDo’s
Jigsaw Bloom’s Revised
Taxonomy
KWL Chart
ICT
NEPS & NBSS Learning Environment Checklist
Pg. 66
https://www.nbss.ie/sites/default/files/publications/nbss_learning_behaviour_chec
klist_lec.pdf
Inclusive Practice to support Differentiation
Collaborative Teaching & Learning
Strategies
Inquiry-based learning
Aistear Framework
Co-teaching
Co-operative Learning/
Group work
Literacy & Numeracy Stations
Early Intervention/
prevention Programmes
Peer tutoring
Movement groups/
Inclusive PE
Social Skills/
Well Being Programmes
Class teachers & Special Education
Teachers
Teachers as facilitators of
Learning
Link between strengths &
needs
Structured or unstructured
Teacher as facilitator
Cross-curricular
Mixed ability groups
Active/hands on learning
Supports
Differentiation
Co-operative learning
Social Constructivist Theory
Discovery Learning
Active Learning
Meaning making
ZPD
What is co-teaching?
“Co-teaching is two or more people sharing responsibility for teaching some or all of the students assigned to a classroom. It involves the distribution of responsibility among people for planning, instruction and evaluation for a classroom of students.”
Villa et. al (2008), A Guide to Co-teaching
Co-teaching
Students with SEN are provided access to the curriculum and general education setting.
Due to greater access to teachers, students can participate in mainstream class activities with differentiated instruction.
Students with SEN will benefit from a greater sense of connectedness with their peer group.
Co-teaching ensures access to, participation
in and benefit from the curriculum
Models of Support “It takes two teachers to try in-class support and invariably it then
becomes infectious.” King, F. (2006)
Co-teaching
One teaching, one
drifting/assisting
Parallel Teaching
Station Teaching
Team Teaching
Alternative Teaching
Benefits to pupils
Greater interaction and
engagement
Greater individual attention
Inclusive environment
Language development
Variety of learning methods
Transfer of skills
Social skills & life skills
Sense of Belonging & self-esteem
Peer to peer learning
Professional Benefits
Reflective Practice
Variety of approaches
Collaboration/Shared responsibility
Peer learning & Collegial Support
Experimentation/
Creativity
Monitoring & reviewing
Preparation & Planning
Planning for Co-teaching
Learning objectives
Transfer of skills
Strengths and needs of the students
Physical environment and resources
Grouping of pupils
Roles and responsibilities
Inclusion of Pupils from Special Classes
Understanding the Phases of Skills Development
Supporting the transfer of skills
PLC – SEN Pathways
• Experiencing
• Attending Responding
• Initiating
• Acquiring
• Becoming Fluent
• Generalising
CAT GLD
• Acquiring
• Becoming Fluent
• Maintenance
• Generalisation
• Application
• Adaptation
Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy
• Remembering
• Understanding
• Applying
• Analysing
• Evaluating
• Creating
As educators, we want to enable our pupils to transfer their skills to new situations and to apply what they know in different learning environments (classroom, SET room, school yard, home).
How can we do this?
Activity: Think, Pair, Share
Continuum of Support – Student
Support Files
•Indicated several pupils with Literacy difficulties
Priority Learning Need:
Spelling
•Free writing samples
•Error Analysis
Strategy – Visual
Approach to Spelling
•Team teaching to model this
•2 weeks
Mixed Ability Group Work
In-class
•4 weeks
•Followed by Free writing sample
•Error analysis
Review & Plan Forward
• Small group withdrawal
• 4 weeks
SAMPLE 1- Literacy
Continuum of Support – Student
Support Files
•Pupils with ASD
•Pupils with Numeracy difficulties
Priority Learning Need:
•Social Skills
•Emotional Regulation
•Identified numeracy difficulties
Small group Withdrawal (Pupils with
ASD)
•Social stories to prepare for Mata sa Rang
Mata sa Rang
(in-class support)
•8 weeks
•Option for short breaks to support self-regulation
Review & Plan Forward
•Small group numeracy session
SAMPLE 2- Numeracy & ASD
“Is what we’re doing enough?” (Teacher quote from NCSE School Support Visit)
WORKSHOP 2 – Meeting the Needs of our Pupils
What inclusive practices are you currently using and how do they
support the learning targets of the pupils with identified needs (CoS) in
your school?
Examples of how inclusive teaching & learning
strategies can meet the needs of our pupils?
LLO
Literacy
Social Skills
Language Development
Movement Breaks
Maths Blast
Numeracy
Social Skills
Language Development
Movement breaks
Friends for Life
Mental Health &
Well-being
Social Skills
Emotional Regulation
Language Development
Reading Comprehension
Group Work
Language Development
Literacy
Social Skills
Think Aloud
PE Stations
Co-ordination
Gross Motor Skills
Social Skills
Language Development
NCSE Support Service
Services that have transferred:
Special Education Support Service
National Behaviour Support Service
Visiting Teacher Service [Blind/Visually Impaired and
Deaf/Hard of Hearing]
Contact details across all organisations will
remain the same for this school year and
existing services will continue to be provided
as normal without disruption.
NBSS
SENO
NEPS
SESS
Visiting
Teacher
Service
NCSE
Support
Service Support for
Schools
Contact details across all organisations will remain the same for this school year and existing services will continue to be provided as normal without disruption
How schools can avail of support
www.sess.ie
Primary & Post-Primary CPD Programme
CAT GLD - www.sess.ie Planning, Monitoring & Reviewing
SESS Functional Language Tool
http://www.sess.ie/sess-functional-language-and-communication-resource-0
In Conclusion
Understanding
Flexibility
Balance
Reference List
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inclusion. London: Routledge.
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[Accessed 27 Sep. 2016].
Creative Emotion, Mata sa Rang (2016). [online]. Exploring Maths Blast. Available at:
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Department of Education and Science (2009). Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties. A
Continuum of Support. Guidelines for Teachers. Dublin: The Stationary Office
Department of Education and Science (2005). Circular 02/05. Dublin: The Stationary Office.
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Mittler, P. (2000). Working towards inclusive education. London: D. Fulton Publishers.
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