Question 1:
I most definitely think all student have the right to be in a first grade classroom. But, like Cathy Apple, If i felt like i was the one lowering the students ability to succeed because of my own teaching ability then i too would have addressed it and ask for additional help. My intentions would never be for the student to be excluded but only to find better way to accommodate that particular student.
Question 2:
In my opinion, the biggest benefit of inclusion is the way the students teach each other. In the video Sean learns basic courtesy and life skills from watching the other students while he learns actual content from his teacher. In return, the other students in the class learn to be more open and loving because everyone is different. The little girl at the end even said that what she learned was that Sean was a regular kid. I mean if you really want to change something in the world you should start with the upcoming generation. If we include exceptional learners in the class room with "normal" children, then as they are raised the word "normal" wouldn't mean what it does in this context.
Addressing Question 1:
ReplyDeleteI think that we may be shedding light on a different problem and not even realize it. I believe its not the problem of a special needs student needing more attention, i believe its a problem of too many children and not enough teachers. Smaller class sizes typically yield higher test scores. I believe that every student needs special attention and it is our duty as educators to figure out how to meet those needs