Is it Inclusion? Test Your Knowledge!

 

Using AI to Modify Curriculum for Students with Disabilities: A Guide for Teachers and Families

In today's diverse classrooms, creating truly inclusive educational materials can be challenging. Artificial intelligence offers powerful tools to help modify and adapt curriculum resources to meet the unique needs of all learners. This guide will walk you through practical ways to leverage AI for inclusive education.

Why Use AI for Making Curriculum Modifications?

AI tools can help you:

• Save significant time on adaptations and differentiation
• Create multiple versions of materials for different learning needs
• Ensure consistent quality across modifications
• Address specific accessibility requirements efficiently

Step-by-Step Guide to Using AI for Curriculum Modifications

1. Identify the Learning Barriers in Your Materials

Before using AI, assess your current materials:

• Which elements might create barriers for certain students?
• What modifications would make the content more accessible?
• Which students need what specific adaptations?

How Inclusive is Your Classroom?

Classroom Inclusivity Assessment

Question 1 of 12

Three Lessons Learned About Inclusion From My Marathon Journey

Author, blogger, and cerebral palsy (CP) advocate, Zachary Fenell, is back on our blog with a story about inclusion and a marthon. Read below to find out how the two intersected and changed Zachary's life in ways in couldn't have imagined. For the full story, check out Zachary's new book, Slow and Cerebral.

Discussing inclusion proves important. Through such discussion we learn from each other. Gathering ideas which will help inclusion thrive. Exactly why I approached Nicole and asked about providing a new guest post for The Inclusive Class blog. 

A lot has happened since my last guest post, published nearly a decade ago. Nearly a decade? Wow! Where the heck does the time go? Anyway, amongst those prior mentioned happenings, one in-particular stands out to me. I accomplished a feat that nearly a decade ago I deemed “unreasonable.” Becoming a marathoner.

The Effects of Presuming Competence

Ms. B is a teacher at XYZ Middle School. She has 32 students of various abilities in her class, including a student with intellectual disabilities. The student with intellectual disabilities has the support of a paraprofessional who facilitates access to the curriculum. Ms. B is about to plan for an upcoming unit on plants. The grade-level learning outcomes require students to understand the structure of plants and plant biology. She wonders if the topic and content will be too challenging for her student with intellectual disabilities to understand. Ms. B is concerned that the student will become overwhelmed and frustrated when presented with such a complex topic. Should she plan for the student to work with a list of science vocabulary words that were targeted for review in a recent assessment or should she plan to modify the unit lessons for the the student so they can participate in the class lessons and learn the same new concepts as their peers? Ms. B wonders what to do. 

How to Make Accessible and Inclusive Education Materials for Students With and Without Disabilities

You've heard me say this many times. Inclusion isn’t a program. It’s the process of including students of all ability levels in our education system to the fullest extent possible. There are dozens of articles and books that cite the research on inclusion, describe the process and practice of inclusion, provide tips for writing inclusive IEPs, and name strategies for facilitating inclusion in the classroom. 

I've written many times on the types of materials that are widely used in an inclusive classroom such as visual timers, highlighters, color-coded folders, and more. However, one area that I haven't said much about is the text-based educational materials that we use in our daily instruction. After a year of viewing online coursework and hundreds of presentation slides, it's time to talk about providing accessible and inclusive text-based education materials for students with and without disabilities. 

10 Powerful Strategies for Teaching Students With Different Ability Levels in Your Classroom

There is no doubt that we will see greater disaparity in ability levels amongst the students in our classrooms given the time lost learning in a consistent, structured, and equitable educational environment over the past year. 

In fact, a recent study conducted by researchers at the Annenberg Institute at Brown University projected that most students will return to school with, "approximately 63-68% of the learning gains in reading relative to a typical school year and with 37-50% of the learning gains in math."

Virtual Accommodations and Modifications

What do a beanbag chair, a living room couch, and a dining room table all have in common? They are just some of the many places where students in the U.S. are attending school this fall. 

The 2020-2021 school year is like no other. Instead of walking to class, many students are now logging in to their laptops and desktop computers to watch their teachers deliver a daily lesson. While some students are thriving online, others are ..........READ MORE HERE. 

Work with Me!

 

Wondering how to make your school and classroom truly inclusive? Want to know more about the process of inclusion? Learn all you need to know about inclusion from an inclusion teacher! 

I am passionate about inclusive education and love to share what I have learned from over 15 years as an inclusion classroom teacher.

If you are eager to learn what inclusive education is, how to successfully include students with special needs in your classroom, advocate for inclusion or find resources, then we need to connect!

I am available for keynote presentations, breakout sessions, workshops, and webinars to organizations and schools interested in successfully including students with disabilities in the classroom. 

10 Easy Ways to Create an Inclusive Virtual Classroom

    Believe it or not, teachers can create inclusive learning environments even though students may not be physically present in the classroom this fall. 

Using research-based teaching strategies and activities, teachers can build an online community that is inclusive of students with a wide variety of abilities and interests. These teaching techniques can facilitate inclusion. Thus, not only will the student be present in the daily lessons, but he or she will also be an active participant. 

How to Include Students with Disabilities by Modifying Curriculum in 3 Easy Steps!

Modifying curriculum for students who do not yet have an understanding of grade level content has long been the sole responsibility of the special education teacher. 

However, since the goal of inclusion is to include the student in as much of the general education environment and curriculum as possible, then we have to expect that modifications will occur as frequently as possible across all areas of the educational program. 

Thus, if we want to see full, authentic inclusion exist in our school system then making modifications needs to be the responsibility of EVERY teacher. 

(Read more here.)

What New Teachers Need to Know About Inclusive Classrooms

The more I talk to schools and families about inclusion, the more I realize that one of the biggest barriers to inclusion is the lack of training in teacher education programs. Through no fault of their own, new teachers know very little about inclusion. They are not given the knowledge, skill set, or resources to teach in inclusive classrooms. I would love to be in a situation where I could teach and prepare new teachers for inclusive classrooms but I'm not quite there yet. So, in the meantime, here are a few things that I want new teachers to know about inclusive classrooms.....

Now Offering Professional Development!

As you know, I am passionate about inclusive education and loves to share what I've learned from being "in the trenches". I spent over 15 years as an inclusion classroom teacher in a fully inclusive school system.

If you are eager to learn what inclusive education is, how to successfully include students with special needs in your classroom, advocate for inclusion or find resources, then we need to connect!

I am available for give keynote presentations, breakout sessions, workshops, and webinars to those interested in successfully including students with disabilities in the classroom.

Current topics include:

Everything You Need to Know About Inclusion (from an Inclusion Teacher)

Creating Inclusive Classrooms for ALL Students

Access for ALL:  Making Accommodations and Modifications to the Curriculum  

Modifying Curriculum to Include Students with Intellectual Disabilities in the General Education Curriculum

I am happy to discuss other topic options to better suit your specific needs. Contact me at theinclusiveclass@gmail.com!

5 Essential Classroom Management Strategies to Keep Your Inclusive Class Running Smoothly

As any teacher will tell you, teaching isn't just about lessons, marking school work, and tests. It's also about keeping track of a million little details such as how many available pencils are in your classroom at any given time, which student has gone to the bathroom, who needs to finish an assignment, and remembering to hand-out permission forms for the class field trip. It's enough to make you forget what you have to teach that day!

Classroom management plans are established to make school life a little less chaotic for teachers and a lot more predictable for students. Those plans are made of routines and protocols that are meant to be consistent and effective. For example, students can write their name (or use a name tag) on the board before leaving the classroom. Thus, a teacher only has to glance at the board to know who or who is not in the classroom. 

Modified Lessons All in One Place!

I am currently in the process of putting together an online binder that contains lessons and lesson ideas for modifying curriculum for students with intellectual disabilities.

You can view the binder @ http://bit.ly/modifiedlessons.

3 Big Misconceptions About Inclusion

Despite years of research that concludes inclusion is best for students with AND without disabilities, there are STILL misconceptions about inclusive classrooms. In a recent discussion with Understood.org, I summarized 3 of those big misconceptions: 

1.  The first big misconception about inclusion is the concern that the student with disabilities will not be able to “keep up” with the class curriculum. Fortunately, inclusive classrooms recognize that not every child will be learning at the same rate, and at the same time. 

Including Students with Disabilities in Classroom Lessons - Part One

In a previous post, I discuss the different layers of inclusion within a successfully, inclusive school. Inclusion must exist within the community, school, classroom, AND LESSON. 

It is inclusion within the class lesson that can truly make or break an inclusive opportunity. It is not enough for a student with disabilities to be physically present within the general education classroom, without participating in the class lessons. 

***NEW BOOK!!*** Inclusion in Action: Practical Strategies to Modify Your Curriculum

How can K—12 educators break down the barriers to full inclusion and teach all learners effectively? Curriculum modifications are the key! 

You'll start with a big-picture guide to creating an inclusive culture in your classroom and school, with invaluable guidance on key topics like team collaboration, universal design for learning, co-teaching, social-emotional supports, and accommodations. Then you'll get 40 specific, teacher-tested strategies to modify your curriculum for students who work below grade level. Ready to use in your classroom right away, each strategy comes with student goals, simple step-by-step directions and implementation tips, suggested interventions and extensions, and samples of authentic student work that illustrate the strategy in action. 

Equally useful as a beginner's guide to inclusion and a goldmine of practical ideas for experienced teachers, this must-have book will help make your curriculum “possible and achievable” for every learner, with and without disabilities. 

PRACTICAL MATERIALS: More than a dozen reproducible forms for use with specific modifications; lists of helpful inclusion-themed websites, blogs, books, and videos. 

40 modifications that help students: 

• Learn new vocabulary words
• Understand story structure
• Sequence materials, concepts, and numbers
• Develop recall ability
• Demonstrate relationships among ideas
• Organize information
• Make a representation of a concept
• Identify similarities and differences
• Make decisions based on evidence
• Learn to recognize and correct errors
• and more!

Order today @ Paul H. Brookes Publishing or on Amazon. 

Alternate Achievement Standards for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Students with cognitive disabilities deserve the same quality education as their peers. In an inclusive classroom, students with intellectual disabilities are not required to meet the grade-level standards. Instead, students with ID have their own set of achievable goals created for his or her specific needs (and indicated in the student's IEP).

The state of Wisconsin has created a set of alternate achievement standards for students with intellectual disabilities that are aligned with the achievement standards for the Common Core curriculum. These corresponding standards provide opportunities for the students with ID to work with the same material as his or her peers yet reach ability-level goals. 

The English Language Arts alternate achievement standards can be found here. The Math alternate achievement standards can be found here. There are also alternate standards available for Science here. 

16 Inclusive Education Blogs You Need to Know About!

I first wrote this post in 2013. Since then, I have come across many more wonderful blogs about inclusion that are a great resource for teachers and families! So, I'm adding another 10 fantastic blogs to this list!!

With school starting in just a few short weeks, teachers and parents are thinking about the new beginnings that each school year brings. We reflect on our student’s growth over the past year and look forward to what the future holds. For me, the new school year also means finding new resources for the classroom that I can use to spur on creativity, enthusiasm and learning throughout the coming months. I can easily spend hours in bookstores and online searching for information that will help guide my inclusive practice.

Over the past couple of years, there have been many internet sites created to support inclusive education. While I am not going to be in a classroom this year, I have used my time instead, to search for resources for you. In particular, I have searched for blogs (sites run by individuals or small groups)  that have provided information but have also shared personal experiences and opinions about inclusion. The following is a list of my top 10 inclusive education blogs that I feel will be very useful for your upcoming school year (in no specific order as they are all as equally good):

1.  Think Inclusive - Tim Villegas uses his experience as a Special Education Teacher to blog and promote ideas about inclusive education. Posts such as, Things I Wish I Knew My First Year of Teaching Special Education, give readers an insight into the world of special education and encourages us to see one another as all equal.

2.  ParaEducate - this blog is dedicated to providing resources for paraeducators and teachers. Renay H. Marquez expertly provide practical tips that can be used in the general or special education classroom, like this series on the beginning of the school year.

3.  Lisa Jo Rudy on Authentic Inclusion - Lisa devotes time to this blog by writing about ways adults and kids with various learning abilities can build on strengths. She has had the opportunity to view authentic inclusion in a wide variety of settings and shares her experiences in posts such as, Inclusion Through Simplifying or Dumbing Down?

4.  Removing the Stumbling Block - educator and blogger, Lisa Friedman, has helped build a synagogue special needs program from "the ground up".  She believes that everyone should feel connected to his/her heritage and offers ways to live inclusively in posts like, Each One of Us Counts.

5.  Beyond the Crayon - Educator Renee Laporte challenges readers to see others as equal and break down existing barriers. Looking through her blog posts, you will find other articles that explore our understanding of inclusion. Inclusion in High School Biology is a post that tells how inclusion can be done in the older grades. 

6.  Climbing Every Mountain - Mary Ulrich describes her blog as a base camp for parents and caregivers of people with disabilities. From her own experiences as a mother and educator, Mary has many unique stories of inclusion such as Supportive Living: What an Inclusive Day Looks Like.  She also writes about other topics like advocacy and disability awareness.

7.  Eliminating the Box - author, Monica Braat, is a Mom and Inclusion Facilitator to children with complex needs. In her blog, she writes about numerous issues related to educating students with special needs. By looking at ways to include kids, Monica writes posts such as, Shame as a Barrier to Learning.

8.  In-kloo-zhuhn - Brenda Giourmetakis, now a Supervisor of Inclusive Learning for a large school district, was a principal to an inclusive school.  Brenda wrote posts like Empathy Needed... to share her school's journey with inclusion. She believes that all children have a right to attend their community school. 

9.  Friendship Circle Blog - this extensive blog includes resources and information on a wide variety of disability-related topics, many of which provide valuable tips like, 23 Ways to Communicate with a Non-Verbal Child.  The Friendship Circle of Michigan, a non-profit organization, oversees this site.

10. Differentiation Daily - the contributor to this blog is Paula Kluth, as well-known expert on inclusive education. Packed full of tips and strategies by subject area, Differentiation Daily has posts like, Science and Stories.

11. Carolyn Coil focuses on a variety of ways to reach and teach all learners. For example, check out Curriculum Mapping and Differentiation: How They Work Together. You will also find book suggestions, videos and links to her various workshops.

12. ollibean - a site dedicated to disability-centric news and editorial pieces, however through their blog, ollibean posts articles about the world of inclusion. Self-advocates and change-makers explore and discuss a world where everyone is equal.

13. National Catholic Board on Full Inclusion is full of research and information about inclusive education. Stories, prayers and inspriational quotes give families and teachers the encouragement needed to seek inclusive schooling for their children. 

14. Brookes Inclusion Lab - this site is stock full of information, articles and excerpts from inclusion authors and advocates! You will spend hours exploring resources such as printable charts and calendars, checking out available books and enjoying the beautiful graphics. 

15. AZ is Amazing - this blogspot is written by AZ Chapman who gives us first-hand insight into the value of inclusive education. AZ's video depicts her journey from elementary school to college, where she earned her Bachelor's degree. Moments, ideas, reflections and photos fill this very helpful blog. 

16. Blogsomemoore, written by inclusive educator, author and presenter Shelley Moore, is compiled of information about inclusive education. Shelley uses stories to illustrate her insight and experiences with inclusion. In her latest blog post, Shelley writes about the recent publication of her book, One Without the Other.

Can you name any other blogs about inclusion that will be a helpful resource?