ETH306W Inclusive Education B EXAM PREP SUMMARY STUDY NOTES 2022.

ETH306W Inclusive Education B EXAM PREP SUMMARY STUDY NOTES 2022. 1. WHAT IS INCLUSIVE EDUCATION? - We accept ordinary learners as well as disabled learners, learners with behavioural problems and learners with learning difficulties. - All children, regardless of their differences should have the opportunity to learn with and from each other and that all need some form of support in learning - We attempt to change attitudes, behaviour, teaching methods curricula and environments to meet the needs of all children - Incl education is broader as it includes the home, the community and other opportunities for education outside of schools - It is a dynamic process which is constantly evolving according to local cultures and contexts and is part of the wider strategy to promote an inclusive society 2. WHAT TYPES OF ADAPTIONS ARE NECESSARY TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO LEARNING AND TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR ALL LEARNERS TO PARTICIPATE? - The classroom and school environment – making changes in the classroom and in the school building and environment that could make it easier for the learners to come to school and to learn and also by using assistive aids that may be needed - The learner – find out how the barriers to learning of the learners in your class affect their learning – find out from specialists and experts what you can do - School subjects – make changes to subjects you teach in terms of level and expected outcomes including the level at which you teach the subject to the learners as well as the range of subjects - Teaching strategies –make changes to ur teaching methods to suit the learners needs - Participation in other school activities – make changes in order to ensure the learner’s active participation - Tests, exams and assessments – make changes in order to assess the learner’s learning more accurately 3. WHAT ARE BARRIERS TO LEARNING? - It refers to anything which stands in the way of a learner being able to learn effectively. - A learner may experience one or more barriers to learning - It requires support to accommodate him in order to reach his full academic potential - Barriers can be present in: o The learner – when a physical/physiological impairment becomes a disability o The learning centre – the school o The system of education o The broader social, economic and political context (incl the environment) - Physical and physiological impairments in learners can be id’ed at an early stage and can be treated by implementing effective methods and processes. - Barriers on the other hand, can occur at anytime during the learning process if these learners do not get the necessary support 5. DISCUSS INTRINSIC AND EXTRINSIC FACTORS THAT CAN CAUSE LEARNERS TO HAVE LEARNING NEEDS - Intrinsic factors o Are usually born with the problem or acquired them later o These are the learners with physical/physiological impairments o Are sometimes obvious – blindness and sometimes not so obvious – hard of hearing o These physical or physiological impairments can occur in different measures – total loss of hearing or partial loss of hearing o These impairments may become disabilities if society and the system of education do not make provision for these learners - Sensory impairments = one of the person’s senses is affected - visual or aural - Physical impairments = a person whose external physical appearance or functioning is affected has a physical impairment. - Mental or intellectual impairments = refers to persons who are mentally less capable than the average - they find it more difficult to comprehend and to learn. - Multiple impairments – Some people have more than 1impairment – they may for eg have physical & intellectual impairments, or visual &hearing impairments - Physiological impairments refer to an impairment in the functions of the body - chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, Aids etc - Developmental problems – refer to learners whose development does not correspond more or less to that of other learners his age. - Genetic factors – these are hereditary factors - Prenatal, Perinatal and Postnatal brain damage – Some physical and/or physiological impairments arise in children as a result of brain damage incurred before, during or after birth.  Personality problems – some learners have specific personality characteristics that have a negative impact on their achievement at school and give rise to barriers to their learning. - Learning problems – when they find it difficult to master learning tasks which most other learners in the class can manage eg. In maths or languages etc - Underachievement – the learner does not do as well as one would expect of someone with his intellectual ability. - Extrinsic factors o Are not born with the barriers – because of other factors that affect their ability to learn such as their environment in which they are growing up or the school that does not encourage a learning culture o Some examples are:  Environment – unfavourable socioeconomic circumstances, urban areas (apartments, little supervision), rural environments (poor school attendance), prosperous areas (bored, drugs, pressure)  Education – poor teaching (lack of qualifications, unmotivated or lazy), incomplete participation on the part of learners, inappropriate study material, inefficient school organisation, crowded classrooms  Language – many learners taught in Eng (not home language), often the teachers can’t speak proper English either. They perform poorly due to a lack of understanding  Culture – need to accommodate diff cultures, we learn, think and do things differently – keep that in mind (religion, language, food, sense of humour)  Job prospects – many learners leave schools but there are no jobs available so they get depressed and discouraged = underachieve at school - Emotional problems – this is reflected in the following ways: nervousness, tension, anxiety, depression, suicidal tendencies, etc. - Behavioural problems – refers to those learners who show unacceptable conduct. Other behavioural problems include: 12. WHAT IS DOWN SYNDROME AND WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS THEREOF - It is the result of an oddity of genes in the twenty first chromosome - Usually have a slow rate of learning and other physical symptoms. Children with Down Syndrome are often very lovable hence the name “children from heaven” - In order for the learner with Down’s syndrome to be included in school activities, the following characteristics will need to be given consideration : MEDICAL ISSUE/ PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS IMPLICATIONS STRATEGIES Motor Skills Poor manipulation skills due to: Hypotonia (low muscle tone) Low shorter limbs Reduced stamina  Handwriting may be oversized or undersized and light/sketchy  Manual skills like cutting, using concrete material & equipment may be less accurate and completed more slowly  Slow at drawing up tables, charts etc  Use alternate tasks for recording eg: cut and paste for multiple choice questions  Use large/adapted equipment – ruler with a bridge for gripping  Reduce the amount of activities/work expected  Provide proformas in a larger size with some info already recorded Visual Perception Difficulty - ordering & patterning Reversal of images Difficulty reading info presented in a random way  Difficult to perceive and predict a pattern or sequence  Unable to reliably read a number eg: 43 becomes 34  Will miss info when presented in a cluttered or random manner  Model patterning by using concrete objects  Rote learn numbers  When counting physically touch or move or cross out objects Cognitive - Intellectual Comprehension/ interpretation of verbal written instructions appear to be more advanced than actual ability level Literal understanding of vocab  May be more skilled in reading than maths.  Comparisons are difficult as they vary in their abilities and skills  Working pace is slow  Appear/confirm to understand but fail to  Reduce the workload so he can complete activities  Teach components of a skill in sequence. When mastered - model the whole process  Abstract concepts need to be supported by using concrete materials and learn Abstract thinking is limited Unable to transfer knowledge to a new situation Unable to separate pieces of information to form links comprehend the task  Misinterpret words with more than one meaning eg light  Unable to interpret and complete a task by rote. Teach each piece of info separately while continually showing the links visually eg: 4+1=? It won’t mean the same to them as 1 + 4 =? Memory Short-term memory is poor Long-term recall is poor Difficulty recalling and following the sequence of a process – eg. Using a calculator  Unable to store info long enough to process and respond to it  Incorrect responses to previously known skills  Difficulty getting started as they are unsure of sequence  Use visual instructions  Use over learning and ongoing revision of skills  Use rehearsals (self talk) to go through a process  Eg: turn on the calculator, verbalise each number and symbol Specific learning dificulties Are easily distracted by visual distractions, noise & movement Experience difficulty attending when the task is perceived as difficult or boring Experience more difficulty attending to verbal info when they are part of a large group Experience difficulty focussing on and responding to key element of verbal info and tasks  Work is incomplete  Adult intervention is often required to keep the student on the task  The student will exhibit a range of problem behaviours – may not follow whole class verbal instructions – only follows the last instruction  Learner may pick up an element of the instruction and go off on a tangent in their thinking  Remove the student to a less distracting environment  Give simplified instructions  Use visual displays of tasks to be completed followed by a reward/free time activity.  A number of shorter tasks produce better results than one longer task  Redirect the learner  Provide visual prompts Errorless learners  Difficult to correct wrong responses  Don’t allow a learner to practice/internalise an incorrect procedure/task as it is difficult to unlearn and re-teach something Failure Avoidance  Refuse to attempt a task if  Present only a small task/ it is perceived as too difficult - like too much info, written or verbal, even if the task is appropriate part of a task at a time  Present activities in a routine format, intro changes to format or task gradually.