Blog Post: The Interview Process and Inclusive Education

 

Inclusive education presents many challenges for educators.  With the implementation of common core standards, the No Child Left Behind Act, and standardized assessments, educators have had more stress added to their daily routines.  This leaves to question, what are the perceptions of teachers, special and regular education, regarding inclusive classroom settings?  I have had the opportunity to interview three educators in order to support my topic for the major assessment within my doctorate course.  The interviewees include the director of special education within my county, a special needs educator, and a regular educator.  These educators presented me with a wealth of information regarding inclusive education and their perspectives on special needs children within the regular classroom setting. 

One response to an interview question stated, “One of my first assumptions was that as educators we are the experts in our field. However, over time I've grown to understand that many of our families of students with disabilities are also experts as they've spent much more time and many hours of research for their child's specific disability. How has this changed over time? Trying to convey that to my peers while maintaining a balance as experts as well is probably one of the most challenging because we can most often visualize the "big" picture from an educational standpoint, whereas many of our parents are unable to do so.”

Educators need to understand the importance of parental involvement and encourage this type of behavior within their classroom environments.  Parents can prove to be a valuable tool for regular education teachers as well as special educators, with the knowledge that they have about their own child’s disability.  My interviewee emphasized the importance of embracing the families each school year; although educators are considered experts in the field, they must also understand that different perspectives can become visible when these opinions are voiced.  Equipped with this valuable knowledge, an educator can work toward building positive social change within the educational environment by embracing all points of view and encouraging involvement in order to better serve all students whether they be special needs or regular education students. 

I feel that the interview process was very successful.  The interviewees that I chose for my project were readily available via e-mail, as well as in-person.  These individuals felt comfortable sharing their true feelings with me about the topic of inclusion.  This openness and honesty adds integrity to my final project because only when true ability, feelings, and confidence toward inclusion is shared, positive changes can be made in this area in order to better prepare our educators for this type of classroom environment. 

 

I am currently compiling the information and knowledge that I have gained from the literature reviews, discussions, and research conducted throughout this course in order to begin my major assessment project on inclusive education and the perceptions of special and regular education teachers.  One question that I face when compiling my information is whether or not a focus should be presented on the certain types of disabilities that are served within the inclusive classroom setting.  Could the disability types be the cause of negative perceptions toward inclusive classroom settings?  What factors are considered when deciding whether or not the inclusive classroom is, indeed, the least restrictive environment?

Inclusion of Students with Disabilities

 

“For the majority of students with learning disabilities, the least restrictive environment for all or most of the school day is the regular education classroom attended by their same-age peers. The movement toward full inclusion of all students with disabilities in regular classrooms, however, has many professionals and advocates for students with learning disabilities worried. They think that although the full-inclusion movement is based on strong beliefs and has the best intentions at heart, little research supports it.” (Heward, 2010, para. 1).

Students with disabilities are being mainstreamed into the regular education classroom within today’s educational school systems.  The inclusion of these students presents many challenges for regular education teachers.  Educators strive to accommodate to the individual needs of all students within their classroom; however, many teachers are not equipped with the knowledge and experiences to handle students with disabilities within the regular education classroom.

As a regular education teacher with a master’s degree in special education, I feel it necessary to expand the knowledge base of the inclusion impacts on students, as well as educators.  An educator’s attitude toward inclusion is critical in order for successful implementation of inclusion based classrooms.  Collaboration between regular education teachers and special education teachers also proves to be a large component to the success of an inclusion program.  The purpose of this study is to identify the attitudes and perspectives of regular education teachers and special education teachers, as well as ways in which inclusion practice can be improved within the early childhood environment. 

“The collective message of research on outcomes for students with learning disabilities in inclusive classrooms and other settings is consistent with the findings for students with other disabilities: the location in which a student is taught is not as important as the quality of instruction that student receives.” (Heward, 2010, para. 4).  This emphasizes the importance of further research on the impact of inclusion settings on disabled students as well as teachers’ attitudes toward this type of classroom setting. 

References

Heward, W. L. (2010). Should all students with learning disabilities be educated in the regular classroom? Retrieved March 31, 2015, from http://www.education.com/reference/article/learning-disabilities-regular-class/

Global Perspectives Research: Technology and Child Development

 

 

 

Mr. Rogers “sums it all up” with the following quote, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning.  But for children, play is serious learning.  Play is really the work of childhood.”  During the course of my research efforts, I have been challenged and inspired to dig deep into the effects of technology on child development.  I have found that technology has changed the way in which children play within our technologically driven society. 

 

Technology usage increase at a steady rate as technological tools continue to advance.  Our children are exposed to this technology at early stages of life and, as adults, we are modeling this ‘plugged in’ behavior.  When one attends a restaurant and takes the time to absorb what is going on around them, you will see many people engaged in technology rather than enjoying the company of those that are with them.  Cell phones, I pods, laptops, I pads, and many more take our attention away from those around us.  We are so ‘plugged in’ that we are not plugged in to what is really going on around us.

Much of the research in which I have conducted supports technology within the facets of educational means.  The research that I have encountered also discusses the importance of creating a balance between play and technology during the early childhood years. 

 

Educators have an advantage of being equipped with many facets of technologies in the classroom environment.  These tools include computers, SMART boards, laptops, I pads, and many more.  Educators are competing with leap pads and apps that are engaging for these children as well.  Educators are having to work hard to implement technology as well as play based instruction in order to ensure that children are developing in an appropriate manner. 

 

My experiences in researching the topic of technology and child development through the realm of play has been challenging, enlightening, and inspiring.  I have learned much about this current topic that will continue to grow and change as technology continues to change and advance at a continuous rate.  However, it is my goal to influence others to research this topic and to understand the negative effects that technology can have on child development.  All of the research in which I have conducted has one thing in common, there needs t be a balance, an opportunity to unplug and take in the surroundings that are all around.  Technology is not going to disappear or be removed from a child’s life, it has many positive effects as well.  My goal as an advocate for social change is to make people aware of the need for a balance in order for children to develop in a positive manner.

 

IDEO: Innovative and Inspiring

Technology: Innovative and Inspiring Approaches

Technology is a tool which is constantly changing and updating; within early childhood settings, these technological tools are being implemented in order to better serve our early childhood students.  Early childhood classrooms are equipped with computers, I pads, SMART Boards, tablets, and much more. In my own classroom, I utilize these tools on a daily basis.  Children learn in many different ways, whether it be auditory, visual, or tactile and it is our job as educators to plan lessons and create a positive environment which facilitates to these ways of learning.  One way to meet these needs is the implementation of technology.  These applications and tools can be individualized to meet student needs.  There are many companies that are innovative and utilizing inspiring approaches to foster the needs of early childhood educators in their endeavors of incorporated instructional technology.  (http://www.ideo.com/expertise/education/). 

IDEO is an international design and consulting firm which designs effective learning experiences, so that students stay engaged, discover new meaning, and achieve desired outcomes. IDEO develops new digital apps and platforms, designs schools and other learning environments, and builds knowledge sharing systems for managing complex data across institutions - all of which center around the needs of core users, typically the learners themselves.  This company works toward developing innovative ways to help educators and students reach the goal of higher level of education through innovative and creative means. This company works toward enhancing student experiences through technological applications, creating positive online learning environments, as well as developing curriculum approaches for educators.  There are links on IDEO’s home page that go into much depth on their research and development that describe how they are creating positive change in the areas of early childhood education and frequently asked questions from the clients that will allow educators to continue to grow within the technological world in which we reside. 

According to IDEO and many other educators across the country, how might we help children learn through engaging, media - based experiences? How might we design tools that bring learners what they need when they need it? How might we inspire a generation of entrepreneurs to develop apps that effectively engage others in learning?  (http://www.ideo.com/expertise/education/).  As an early childhood educator, I can relate to the anxiety of learning to use the new technological tools that are being implemented into the classrooms each year.  For example, the SMART board was an intimidating tool when I first received one in my classroom and now, I could not imagine my instruction without it.  We continue to grow and find new innovative ways in which to educate our children.  Companies, such as IDEO are striving to make these technological challenges easier to utilize and more user friendly for educators as well as the students who use them.  How do you utilize technology within your classrooms?  What types of technological tools do you have available to you?  Do you utilize any applications that have been developed by companies such as IDEO that are beneficial in the early childhood environment? 

Technology and Academic Achievement

 

Technology and Academic Achievement

Children in today’s society are exposed to many facets of technology at an early age.  It is important to look at the use of instructional technology within the early childhood realm from multiple perspectives in order to uncover the positive and negative effects that technology can have on child development.  Experts in the field of child psychology such as Piaget, Vygotsky, and Freud discuss the importance of play in order to support the developmental process.  However, society has moved toward more technological approaches of play utilizing tablets, leap pads, computers, smart phones, just to name a few.  Therefore, the ways in which play has changed may alter the findings of these important figures in history on their perceptions of child development.  The question at hand is, are these effects and changes creating a positive or negative impact on the early childhood development process?

Within my county, students at the middle and high school levels will be participating in the one-to-one program.  This program designates one chrome laptop to each student for the duration of the school year.  The school system is also implementing wireless internet access on the school buses, so that these students may utilize these laptops on the buses to and from the school environment.  What are some of the technological tools that your systems are incorporating? 

It is my observation that we live in a ‘plugged in’ era.  Many youth are utilizing technology for dating, gaming, and other means that are not linked to educational purposes.  What are your thoughts on how these technologies are effecting the development of our youth?  After much research and discussions with educators in the early childhood field, it is apparent that we need more research on the effects of this technology on the development of our young children.  I believe that technology has positive and negative effects and it is imperative that we limit the amount of exposure or the facets in which the technologies are used in order to support the positive development of our children.   

 “Digital technologies are changing the developmental landscape for young people. The task of designing innovative approaches to support children and youth in their good uses of technology goes beyond educators. It involves families, child development experts, mental health professionals, child advocates, and all others who have influence in a child’s life.” (Bers, 2010, p. 21).  With this being said, how do educators and parents work toward balancing play-based exploration and the utilization of technology? 

References

Bergen, D., & Davis, D. (2011, Summer). Influences of Technology Related Playful Activity and Thought on Moral Development. American Journal of Play, 4, 80-99. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/detail?vid=5&sid=7d5ae49f-9080-490f-8b76-314abb7a3502%40sessionmgr110&hid=127&bdata=JnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#db=eric&AN=EJ985549

Bers, M. U. (2010). Beyond Computer Literacy: Supporting Youth’s Positive Development through Technology. New Directions for Youth Development, 2010(128), 13-23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/yd.371.