Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
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to the work of others and I have complied and agreed to the University statement on Plagiarism and Academic Integrity on
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Students with learning difficulties may have a particular learning disability, but
more commonly their difficulties have arisen as a result of background factors such as
poverty or lack of support for their individual learning (Westwood, 2008). According to
Westwood (2004) students with learning difficulties can be best assisted by teachers who
have a good understanding of learning processes and overall pedagogical content
knowledge; strategies to assist these students may include modifying teaching styles and
curriculum content to incorporate individual students interests and competences.
When teaching English as Additional Language (EAL) students, it is important to
remember that these students may come from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds
and have arrived in Australia under a variety of different circumstances; EAL students
may include migrants, refugees or international students (Hongyan & Maithus, 2012).
According to Graf (2011) simple strategies can be employed by teachers of EAL
students to ease the students transition into the classroom, including learning to
pronounce and spell the students name correctly and seating the student with another
student who can speak the primary language of the student (if no such arrangement is
possible then it may be beneficial to appoint a buddy to the student).
Article 26 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations
general assembly, 1948) addresses the fundamental right of all individuals to access an
education which promotes acceptance and tolerance of all people regardless of diversity.
The promotion of acceptance and understanding of others may be endorsed by inclusive
education, as it promotes awareness of diversity within the community (Carrington &
Macarthur, 2012). Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights details that
everyone is permitted the opportunity to engage culturally within the community (United
Nations general assembly, 1948); this article of the declaration serves to strengthen the
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case for inclusion in mainstream schools, particularly as if students with diverse needs
were to attend specialist schools they could be potentially isolated from the community
(Friend & Bursuck, 2012).
The Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, 1994) recommends that all children be
enrolled in regular schools, except in the case of extreme circumstances which prohibit
successful inclusion; the Salamanca Statement also states that schools with an inclusive
approach are at the forefront of modifying discriminatory attitudes and eventually
creating more inclusive communities. Article 23 of the Convention on the Rights of the
Child (UNESCO, 1989) outlines the importance of children with a disability being given
the best chance of social integration; the greatest opportunity for a child with diverse
needs to achieve this goal would be to receive their education in a mainstream school
(Carrington & Macarthur, 2012). Article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
dictates the right of every child to an education; Article 29 articulates the right of all
children to develop their own personality, individual talents and mental and physical
abilities to the greatest possible level (UNESCO, 1989).
The Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth of Australia, 2006)
convey the benefits of inclusive education, stating that by the education provider holding
a non-judgemental and supportive view of all students (including permitting students
with a disability to participate in education on the same basis as other students)
childrens talents and strengths will develop. The Disability Standards for Education
apply to all education providers, working to enable students with a disability to attend a
school of their choice. However, in the case of the school facing unjustifiable hardship in
order to admit a particular student other arrangements will be made for the student
(Commonwealth of Australia, 2006).
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focus on the importance of professional development for teachers and the significance of
interacting efficiently with colleagues (AITSL, 2012).
The review of funding for schooling (Department of Education, Employment and
Workplace Relations, 2011) reports that in 2010 4.9 % of students met the state and
territory eligibility for disability funding; this statistic is in contrast to the 8.8 percent of
Australians aged 5-15 who identified as having a disability, indicating that only
approximately half of students with a disability are supplied with funding to support
their educational needs. With a lack of funding to purchase resources and provide
support staff to assist students with disability or diversity the main liable option is for
teachers to develop their understanding of support strategies to best assist these students
(Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2007).
Differentiated Instruction involves teachers adjusting the curriculum content
where needed to fit with the requirements of individual students, taking into account
student diversity along with other factors such as socio-economic background, as
opposed to expecting students to adapt to the learning content regardless of their
individual needs (Hall, Strangman & Meyer, 2003). According to Tomlinson (2001),
there are three parts of the curriculum which can be differentiated: Content, Process and
Products. In terms of Content teachers consider modifying the ways in which learning
content is presented; task descriptions might be modified to ensure that instructions are
clear and concise, and the learning outcomes may be modified to adhere to students
individual developmental levels. In relation to Process student groupings should be
flexible and altered regularly; the teacher should practice good classroom management
and be familiar with a range of strategies in order to ensure that student learning is
promoted at all times. The final area of the curriculum which may be differentiated
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students to potentially have aspects of their own interests and cultures included in their
learning as the content is altered in order to be more engaging to individual students
(Graf, 2011). By allowing flexible grouping during cooperative learning experiences
these students would have the opportunity to engage with students with a range of
differing ability levels (Hall, Strangman & Meyer, 2003); regular assessment
incorporated into learning tasks would ensure that the students were appropriately
challenged in their studies (Tomlinson & Imbeau, 2010).
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) aims to provide access to curriculum
content for all students. In contrast to Differentiated Instruction, UDL seeks to create a
curriculum which is inclusive of all students with diversity from the onset, rather than
individualising curriculum content for students (Hall, Strangman & Meyer, 2003). UDL
promotes the use of mixed media to express learning content, which would benefit
students with learning difficulties who may experience difficulty when decoding written
text, similarly EAL students may not yet be able to read English proficiently; as such a
spoken or simplified task description may assist both of these types of diverse learners
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(National Center on Universal Design for Learning, 2012). There are three principles
represented within the UDL framework which communicate the importance of flexible
methods of presentation, expression and engagement in order to promote ultimate
student engagement (Burgstahler, 2007).
The wealth of information available in support of inclusive education may be
described as overwhelming, deeming it certain that inclusivity is the learning approach
of the future. Current legislation and policies support the implementation of inclusive
practices within educational facilities, with much academic literature available to assist
teachers in developing strategies in order to ensure that inclusivity is practised within
schools. If inclusivity is embraced within the education sector, it is definite that students
of the future will become more accepting of others and will be well equipped to handle
challenges in life.
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References
Allen, K., & Cowdery, G. (2012). The exceptional child: Inclusion in early childhood
Education. (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Ashman, A., & Elkins, J. (Eds.). (2009). Education for inclusion and diversity. (3rd ed.)
[CD]. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia.
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL]. (2012). Australian
professional standards for teachers. Retrieved from
http://www.teacherstandards.aitsl.edu.au/OrganisationStandards/Organisation
Burgstahler, S. (2007). Universal design of instruction (UDI): Definition, principles and
examples. Seattle, WA: University of Washington.
Carrington, S., & Macarthur, J. (2012). Teaching in inclusive school communities.
Milton, QLD: John Wiley & Sons Australia.
Commonwealth of Australia. (2006). The disability standards for education. Retrieved
from
http://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/disability_standards_for_edu
cation_2005_plus_guidance_notes.pdf
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. (2011). The Review of
Funding for Schooling: Final Report. Retrieved
from http://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/review-of-funding-forschooling-final-report-dec-2011.pdf
Foreman, P. (2011). Inclusion in action. (3rd ed.). South Melbourne, VIC: Thomson.
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Friend, M., & Bursuck, W. (2012). Including students with special needs: A practical
guide for classroom teachers. (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education.
Graf, M. (2011). Including and supporting learners of English as an additional
language. York Road, London: Continuum International Publishing Group.
Hall, T., Strangman, N., & Meyer, A. (2003). Differentiated instruction and implications
for UDL implementation. Retrieved from
http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/differentiated_instructi
on_udl#.UyGiiOeSyyc
Hongyan, L., & Maithus, C. (2012). Experiences of clinical tutors with English as an
additional language (EAL) students. Nursing Praxis In New Zealand, 28(3), 412.
Mastropieri, M., & Scruggs, T. (2007). The inclusive classroom: Strategies for effective
instruction. (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.
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National Center on Universal Design for Learning. (2012). Learner Variability and
Universal Design for Learning [Online seminar presentation]. Retrieved from
http://udlseries.udlcenter.org/presentations/learner_variability.html?plist=explore
Poed, S., & Elkins, J. (2012). Legislation, policies and principles. In A. Ashman & J.
Elkins (Ed.), Education for inclusion and diversity. (4th ed.) (pp.37-62). Frenchs
Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.
Rose, R. (2010). Confronting obstacles to inclusion: International responses to
developing inclusive education. Hoboken, NJ: Taylor & Francis.
Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms.
(2nd Ed.) Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Tomlinson, C., & Imbeau, M., (2010). Leading and managing a differentiated
classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
United Nations General Assembly. (1948). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/
United Nations General Assembly. (1989). Convention on the rights of the child.
Retrieved from http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/ProfessionalInterest/crc.pdf
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation [UNESCO]. (1994).
The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs
Education.
Retrieved
http://www.unesco.org/education/pdf/SALAMA_E.PDF
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from
Retrieved
from
http://www.unesco.org/education/wef/en-
conf/dakframeng.shtm
Westwood, P. (2004). Learning and learning difficulties. Camberwell, VIC: ACER press.
Westwood, P. (2008). What teachers need to know about learning difficulties.
Camberwell, VIC: ACER press.
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Assessment Criteria
Distinction (70-79)
Credit (60-69)
Pass (50-59)
Demonstrated an accurate
understanding of a range of
legal documents and teacher
standards relevant to inclusive
education
A sound working
understanding of key legal
documents and teacher
standards relevant to inclusive
education was demonstrated
An accurate understanding of
the diverse educational needs of
students was demonstrated
A well-informed critical
reflection on key approaches to
cater for student diversity was
provided, with pertinent
consideration of the evidence
for the models effectiveness in
teaching practice
Present an argument in
written essay format with
in-text and reference list
according to the APA style
(6th Edition)
Name:
Comments:
Grade:
Assessor:
Date:
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