Articles

= **Articles:** =

[] This article was beneficial and informative for me as a pre-service general education teacher. The article discussed inclusion and the necessary parts to make an inclusive classroom be successful. As a teacher, I need to make sure that I have high expectations for all of my students regardless of their ability. I need to know that all students can and will succeed in my classroom. I also learned the importance of working with the parents of the students with disabilities. We need to work as a team to form similar goals and be a support system for each other and the student.

When I am planning lessons I need to seek feedback and suggestions from the special education teacher. Special education teachers are experts in their field and can offer me ideas that I may not have considered. Many of my courses at UCF have explained the importance of building lessons on student’s prior knowledge and this article also emphasized this. To be an effective teacher for all of my students I need to present material in a variety of ways to meet the needs of all my students. In my classroom I plan on using cooperative groups which will be beneficial for my students with disabilities and all students to learn from one another. This article served as a great resource to creating an inclusive classroom where all students can and will learn.

[] This article presented information on families that come from diverse backgrounds and have children with disabilities. Prior to reading this article I was unfamiliar with the challenges that these families face. As a teacher, I need to understand that these families may have different needs and can sometimes feel helpless. When some families from diverse backgrounds seek assistance for their children with disabilities two things may happen. Someone may step in and take control by making all decisions for the family or at the other extreme, may not offer any assistance because they don’t want to offend the family. I need to be aware that the families need to find the balance where they are given the proper resources and they can decide which is best.

I also need to consider that some families maybe more reluctant than others to seek help. For example, the article discussed how some of the Asian culture see children with disabilities as a punishment and are less likely to ask for help. I need to make sure that all children in my classroom never feel that way! I want to make all students feel welcome and to be proud of who they are. I plan on discussing diversity in my classroom and teaching all students to appreciate themselves and their peers. So I need to be aware that I may need to offer resources to some families that don’t ask for help and show them I am there to support them in their decisions and to help their child in every way possible. This article was also a great resource and I was surprised by some of the information they presented.

[] This article discussed the growing number of diverse children that are present in the general education classroom. As a teacher, I see the importance of meeting all the diverse needs of the children in my classroom. When planning lessons there are many things I need to consider. I should consider student’s backgrounds, abilities, interests and method of instruction. I need to make sure that I am up to date with the best practices of the field. All of my lessons should “engage and encourage” all students to learn to the best of their potential. I also need to group my students effectively in heterogeneous groups.

I never want to isolate any of my students especially those students with disabilities. Research has shown the benefits both academically and socially for all students who work in cooperative groups. I also need to use developmentally appropriate practices. For example, I need to have active lessons that scaffold students. I also need to use alternative forms of assessment. More importantly I need to create a learning environment that accepts and appreciates diversity. I need to have high expectations for all of my students and make sure they appreciate others differences. The information in this article will be very relevant and beneficial for me in the future.