Envisioning Inclusive Classrooms

 

This fall, I've been engaged in conversations at a variety of schools with caring, dedicated educators who are struggling to find the most successful way to be inclusive of all learners in their classrooms.  I know of many people who are open to embracing the diversity in their classroom spaces, but do not always know how, or when, to provide options or supports, to allow all learners to get the most out of their experiences.  Knowing this is problem-solving that we do every fall as we meet new children and begin to build community, I went seeking a resource over the summer that might help guide our fall conversations.

 I found June Downing's Academic Instruction for Students with Moderate and Severe Intellectual Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms.    How I've not encountered June Downing's work prior to now, I'll never know-  what a practical and pragmatic approach.  I'm looking forward to exploring some of her other books...

This particular text has a chapter where she explores something she's titled an Ecological Assessment.  Downing argues that undertaking an "observational assessment [which] occurs in the natural environment, where the demands and impact of that environment can be seen....is a valuable approach to assessing student with severe disabilities."  These focused observations, first of the class as a whole, and then of individual students in that environment, allow teachers to determine what students are expected to be able to do in the environment, and what natural supports exist to support them.  For me, the most lovely part of this type of observation is the underlying assumption that ALL learners are PART OF the learning community, and that there is at least a foundational set of expectations and goals that are achievable for everyone.   Here are some sample tables from the book: 

  

While I was excited about the potential of Ecological Assessments as a strategy for enhancing inclusive classroom practices, and for framing IEP goals, the strategy was not as accessible for some of my colleagues as I had hoped-  not everyone had spent the summer immersed in the ideas presented in the book, and it is a lot to process in the first weeks of a new school year.

Last week, our school district was fortunate enough to spend a morning with Shelley Moore-  (you'll see her name on my blog roll)-  an exceptionally talented BC educator who has reframed what is essentially an Ecological Assessment into a simplified planning document.  She encourages teachers to consider the physical, social/emotional, and curricular aspects of the learning community, to think about what ALL students should be able to do in that environment, and then find a place of connection for the students who need additional time or support to access them. 

Shelley and I come from a similar perspective.  It's not IF a student can/should participate, it's HOW.   Inclusion is a complex process, and it may not be possible to include everyone in every environment right away-  but that should be the end-goal for all students-  and if we all choose one place to begin, we'll get much closer to reaching that goal.

By observing all students and the learning environment carefully, it becomes much easier to determine what things ALL students are able to do, as well as illuminating the types of structures and supports to be more inclusive of EVERYONE. 


For example, in a content classroom, a student might be in there practicing regulating behavior, his social/emotional goal might be to greet peers, and his learning might be to participate in a partner reading activity or  have hand-over-hand support from a peer or adult during a science project. 

Shelley was also part of developing a new course for SET-BC called Curriculum For All - a great set of modules for people to work through individually, or in groups.  In our district, we're looking forward to hosting some sessions for classroom teachers, support teachers, administrators and educational assistants, to do some learning about UDL and inclusion together.  You can link to it at:  http://www.setbc.org/course/curriculum-for-all/. 


I can't wait to discover the ways our learners find themselves in environments that they've never explored before as we work together to make inclusion happen.  It takes a village.  They're All Our Kids.