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

Recent

Publications

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

Ainscow, M., Booth, T., Dyson, A. and Farrell, P. (2006). Improving schools, developing

inclusion. London: Routledge.

Cat.sess.ie. (2016). Curriculum Access Tool. [online] Available at: http://cat.sess.ie/tool

[Accessed 27 Sep. 2016].

Creative Emotion, Mata sa Rang (2016). [online]. Exploring Maths Blast. Available at:

https://vimeo.com/65879867 [Accessed 27 Sep. 2016].

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.

Department of Education and Science (2007). Special Educational Needs. A Continuum of

Support. Resource Pack for Teachers. Dublin: The Stationary Office

Department of Education and Science (2016). [online].NEPS student support file. Available at:

https://www.education.ie/en/Schools...NEPS-/Student-Support-File-Form.docx [Accessed 27

Sep. 2016].

Gartner, A. and Lipsky, D. (2000). New conceptualizations for special education. European

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Government of Ireland, (2000). Data Protection Act. The Stationary Office: Dublin.

Government of Ireland, (2005). Disability Act. The Stationary Office: Dublin.

Government of Ireland, (1988). Education Act. Dublin: The Stationary Office.

Government of Ireland, (2004). Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act. The

Stationary Office: Dublin.

Reference List Government of Ireland, (2004). Equal Status Act. Dublin: The Stationary Office.

Government of Ireland, (2000). Welfare Act. The Stationary Office: Dublin.

Mittler, P. (2000). Working towards inclusive education. London: D. Fulton Publishers.

National Council for Curriculum and Assessment(2005) Supporting Assessment in Schools – 1: Assessment in Primary Schools. Dublin: NCCA

National Council for Special Education (2011). Inclusive Education Framework. Meath:NCSE

Nccaplanning.ie. (2016). NCCA. [online] Available at: http://www.nccaplanning.ie/ [Accessed 27 Sep. 2016].

Professional Development Service for Teachers. (2016). [online]. Literacy Lift-Off in Action.. Available at: http://pdst.ie/node/292 [Accessed 27 Sep. 2016].

Rosario, B., Coles, C., Redmon, P., Strawbridge, J. (2016). [online]. Co-Teaching in the Classroom. Available at: http://da.halifax.k12.nc.us/UserFiles/Servers/Server_102128/File/migration/CoTeachingInTheClassroomREVMAGPresentation.pdf [Accessed 27 Sep. 2016].

UNESCO (2016). [online]. Salamanca Statement. Available at: http://www.unesco.org/education/pdf/SALAMA_E.PDF [Accessed 27 Sep. 2016].

United Nations (2016). Convention on the rights of persons with Disabilities. [online] Available at: http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/convention/convoptprot-e.pdf [Accessed 27 Sep. 2016].

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Wageman, R. (2008). Senior leadership teams. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press.