Curricular Design and Collaboration
Inclusion means that everyone belongs everywhere in our school community and the community beyond. Curricular design which meets the needs of all and collaboration are essential in making inclusion work. The components of inclusive education are:
- Attending the neighborhood school
- Having a general education homeroom
- Avoiding all instances of segregation
- Establishing a collaborative decision making planning process to address the needs of all learners
- Designing universal and differentiated lessons in advance with specialists, such as special education and related service professionals, being support consultants for lesson delivery
- Solving problems as a team
- Using innovative, diverse learning strategies
- Making all team members equal
- Eliminating unnecessary supervision, assistance and learned helplessness
- Seeing behavior as a form of communication
- Using the whole educational bag of tricks
- Allowing individuals to experience the “dignity of risk” and to enjoy the positive self-esteem and reinforcements that result from having taken a risk and being successful
- Providing access to and support for after school clubs and activities
- Being committed to making it work
Source: Dr. Patrick Schwarz, www.patrickschwarz.com