Strategies to Include Students: Individual Fingerprints with UDL

This video has an overview of how students’ unique fingerprints require educators to minimize the barriers and maximize the learning with flexible curriculum that offers more than access, but challenging work that fuels all students’ interests.

 

Posted in Classroom Ideas, disABILITY Awareness, Successes of Students with Disabilities, Technology | Comments Off on Strategies to Include Students: Individual Fingerprints with UDL

Dive into these CCSS resources!

IDEA Partnership’s Collaborative Work on Common Core State Standards

 

Posted in News, Professional Development, Successes of Students with Disabilities | Comments Off on Dive into these CCSS resources!

Universal Design for Learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a way for students with disabilities to access the knowledge and skills in classrooms. The UDL principles are based upon neuroscience with a belief that curriculum should be diversely presented by educators and expressed by students in multiple ways. The universal aspect of UDL offers a broad range of goals, methods, materials, and assessments for students. Preparing teachers how to deliver the curriculum to students in their classrooms using UDL principles requires training. The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) offers many ideas.

 


 

 

Posted in Classroom Ideas, Professional Development, Successes of Students with Disabilities, Technology | Comments Off on Universal Design for Learning

Lessons to be Learned from CEC’s Yes I Can Ceremony!


These Wordles depict the most popular comments from Council for Exceptional Children’s Yes I Can Ceremony on 4/13/12 in Denver. They offer visual insights on how these remarkable young individuals achieved such incredible feats. YES, YOU certainly CAN! Congratulations to you, your families, and the educators who support your endeavors. The world awaits your brilliance!

Posted in Classroom Ideas, disABILITY Awareness, Inclusion: Families Partnering with Educators, Professional Development, Successes of Students with Disabilities | Comments Off on Lessons to be Learned from CEC’s Yes I Can Ceremony!

Ways for Families to Support the Learning

Family and School Connections

Read on to find out what happens when the learning takes a walk….

Posted in Inclusion: Families Partnering with Educators | Comments Off on Ways for Families to Support the Learning

What is inclusion and how can co teaching help?

Thoughts from Hackettsown School District from elementary to middle school and high school:
  • Inclusion is a school version of society as a whole.
  • Co-teachers benefit from each other’s expertise and are able to better service all needs!
  • Inclusion is my best teaching year ever!
  • A great way to teach children at all levels, from those with disabilities to gifted students.
  • Working together to provide the best learning environment for our students.
  • Curriculum becomes less challenging with 2 teachers collaborating to assist all students!
  • Meeting the needs of all students and allowing students to be and feel successful while showing growth.
  • Inclusion is having all students succeed to the best of their ability.
  • Co teachers help all students find success!
  • Inclusion is team teaching together.
  • Inclusion is an important part of class, as it helps us see a variety of perspectives, and gives us a more full picture of the world.
  • Inclusion is amazing if done correctly!
  • Inclusion is a level playing field for all students.
  • Inclusion is providing those with disabilities additional resources to help them have the same chance at success in a gen. ed. classroom.
  • Inclusion is the best way for all students to see that no one learns exactly the same way, and everyone benefits from seeing other ways to learn things.
Posted in Professional Development, The Inclusioner | Comments Off on What is inclusion and how can co teaching help?

Inclusion Insights

I just had the pleasure of coaching a group of Georgia educators. Collaboratively, we figured out ways to allow the research-based inclusion strategies to come alive in their classrooms. They creatively incorporated good teaching practices such as cooperative learning, technology, VAKT elements, multiple intelligences, study guides, and graphic organizers for instruction and assessments, while thematically teaching figurative language, biomes, WW II, and data analysis in English, Science, History, and Mathematics. Whew-and they made it seem easy with rap songs, word acrostics, PowerPoints, research, and more! Way to go GW Carver MCSD! Looking forward to continuing the learning in February!

Posted in Classroom Ideas, HS Inclusion | Comments Off on Inclusion Insights

Inclusion the IDEAL WAY!

The IDEAL School has innovative ways to tap into students’ interests from visual stories of Beowulf to punctuation math, a performance of Where the Wild Things Are, snake stories, mandalas, TaeKwonDo, dance, learning Spanish or Mandarin, place value, history, science, and more. Inclusion is a way of life that as evidenced by the smiling faces of your students, happily lives and breathes at your locale!

Posted in News | Comments Off on Inclusion the IDEAL WAY!

Inclusion is Not So Puzzling!

 

 

 

 

The educators at the Paramus workshop collaboratively put the inclusion pieces together to affirm that inclusion is not so puzzling! I hope that the inclusion pieces all fit together with the students in your school settings as well!

Posted in News | Comments Off on Inclusion is Not So Puzzling!

Inclusion thoughts from Maritime Academy Charter School

Although inclusion is defined by individual students and classroom communities, the first ingredient is a positive attitude. After meeting the educators of Maritime Academy Charter School, I know that their students will experience many successes. Here are just a few of the inclusion definitions that they shared. More customized definitions to follow in the upcoming year!

Inclusion is_______

 

to involve every student in the classroom.

 

possible!

 

evolving the classroom environment for all students to succeed!

 

collaboration and modification.

 

an excellent way to ensure students are all given equal opportunities while meeting all needs.

 

giving all students individual opportunity within each classroom.

 

the capability and ability of an educational community to reach all learners.

 

an effective instructional practice to ensure the success of all learners.

 

great:-)!

 

a wonderful cooperative learning opportunity for both Gen. Ed & Special Ed. students.

 

an effective way to ensure social and academic growth for all students.

 

including ALL students in the classroom environment.

 

having the resources and opportunities and then making it work!

 

 

Posted in Professional Development | Comments Off on Inclusion thoughts from Maritime Academy Charter School