REVISED+Learning+Experience+1

** Theme: Situating the Self within Inclusive Classrooms  ** ** Following from Inclusive Classrooms, Part 1, in which participants engaged in a discussion of self identities, this Learning Experience will ask participants to deepen the understanding of how these self identities relate and reflect in classroom teaching practices. The theoretical basis of this Learning Experience will stem from Tyrone Howard. ** ** Howard writes that to be a culturally relevant pedagogue, and we posit, an inclusive educator, one must participate in reflexive practices that asks critical questions about one’s identities and beliefs and its impact on curriculum (big “C” and little “c”). ** || ||                 **  ACTIVATE  ** || ** To provide opportunities for course participants to introduce themselves to group. ** ** To engage in reflecting about one’s social identity through historical narrative. ** ** To build a sense of community as the participants journey through the discussion ahead. ** || || ** Post your introduction in the // Welcome Galley // discussion board. Read the other introductions and get acquainted with other members of our community. As you do, reflect on the following questions and post your responses. ** ** The entries in the // Welcome Gallery // or our abilities to narrate our maternal grandmother’s stories show the extent through which personal narratives, traditions or ideas are present in our lives – be it in pictures, videos, memorabilia or stories. These give each of us a sense of who we are, where we come from and in some instances how we move forward. ** ** Just as educators have narratives, students too present themselves in classrooms with pictures, videos, memorabilia, stories or memories that narrate who they are, what they believe in and how they will move forward. ** ** As this community begin to journey forward, it is imperative that we consciously make ourselves aware of the different narratives that situate us in a specific space of thought or belief and ask ourselves how these spaces interfere / interact with our daily tasks and responsibilities as educators. ** || || ** To conceptualize “Inclusive Classrooms” and understand the existence of a continuum of definition ** ** To engage participants to reflect upon this continuum and to identify perceived struggles, conundrums, issues and barriers when faced with creating an inclusive classroom. ** || > > ** || || || ||    **  ACQUIRE  ** || || ** We are a community of educators. Our profession binds us under a common identity. However, our experiences play a role in how we view and see the world around us. One’s faith, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, race, primary home language, abilities, age, etc. all frame how the world looks and how our practice looks. These frames lead us to our definition of “inclusive classrooms”. ** ** In the last E-Tivity, you had an opportunity to share your working definition of “inclusive classrooms” and you also had an opportunity to read and discuss some of your colleagues’ work. I am sure that we were able to make connections to some, had questions about others or even misunderstand a couple of postings. ** ** We could take all the postings and chart a continuum of definitions of inclusive classrooms. As students taking part in this journey, it is important to see how other students, beyond the confines of this online space, define inclusive classrooms. ** ** Option A: View the “The Danger of a Single Story” from < **  and complete the summary reflection chart. ** ** Option B: Read the article “Building Inclusive Classrooms and **** Communities” by Sonja Corbin Dwyer and Lynn Gidluck and complete the Summary Reflection chart. ** || ** In the // Defining Inclusive Classrooms Gallery // reflect on the text that you had selected. ** ** Think and write about: ** ** 1) **** How does the key note address (Option A) or research (Option B) conceptualize this idea of “inclusive classrooms”? What are its characteristics? Provide examples from the resource to illustrate your thinking. **  ** 2) **** Read through your colleagues’ posting and reflect on some of the struggles, conundrums, issues and barriers you have face in implementing this concept of inclusive classrooms. ** || || || ** Inclusive environments has two components to it: technical and adaptive. ** ** “Technical” is refers to the actual mechanics of how one teaches, plans and creates new space for inclusivity in a classroom or school setting. These action items are crucial in ensuring that spaces are equitable and inclusive where, as noted in E-Tivity __, voices, beyond only physical presence, are validated and valued. ** ** The “adaptive” component refers to the attitudinal change required to become inclusive. It speaks of learning and understanding that there are more than one ways of knowing and seeing the world and one’s view is only that, a personal perspective on issues at hand. An adaptive change moves an individual from the awareness stage to the conscious stage because now the individual is awakened to see inequities and exclusion in different aspects of a school day and beyond. ** ** In this E-Tivity focus will be given to the technical conceptualizations of an inclusive classroom. ** ** We have defined inclusive education as the validation and valuing of student voices. Here and throughout the course, the word ‘voice’ is meant to be all encompassing to include sounds emanating from the larynx to the philosophical notions of voice as identity, knowledge, culture, etc. ** ** In Inclusive Classrooms, Part 1, participants were introduced to the James Banks Model for Curriculum Reform. Here James Banks identifies five dimensions or components of an inclusive classroom (in his writing Banks uses the phrase “multicultural education”). One of the five dimensions he writes about is “Content Integration.” Banks defines this as “the extent to which teachers use examples, data and information from a variety of cultures and groups to illustrate key concepts, principles, generalizations and theories in their subject area or discipline” (Banks, 1995, 15). On a technical level it seems appropriate to view inclusive classrooms as dealing with the integration of picture books from different cultures, time frames or settings or researching about different people from all over the world. Banks does not argue this; however, he cautions educators of the need to go beyond a content integration when thinking about inclusive classrooms. ** ** One of the other five dimensions or components of an inclusive classroom he writes about is an equitable pedagogical approach. He defines this as, “when teachers use techniques and teaching methods that facilitate the academic achievement of [all] students” (Banks, 1995, 17). Here Banks point to the need to ensued equitable teaching practices where these practices are such that meet the needs of students in the classroom. Very much tied to teaching practices and content integration is the idea of assessment and evaluation. ** ** Download and save a copy of the Ministry of Education’s Growing Success document from [] ** ** Growing Success sees assessment and evaluation as a process versus and end itself. It is organic and dynamic process whereby information does not only go from the student to the teacher but ensures that information travels back from the teacher to the student about the students’ learning and progress. ** ** The document speaks of assessment not just of learning but rather assessment // as // learning and // for // learning. ** ** Assessment // for // learning is defined as “the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and, how best to get there” (31). ** ** Assessment // as // learning focuses on “the explicit fostering of students’ capacity over time to be thier own best assessors, but teachers need to start by presenting and modeling external, structured opportunities, for students to assess themselves” (31). ** || ** Please read pages 6 – 8, 28 – 31 and 45 (Late and Missed Assignments). ** ** After reading these sections, reflect upon whether or not these new policy statements and vision align with how we have defined inclusive classrooms. ** ** Complete the chart below and post it in ____. Read and comment on two of your colleagues’ post. ** ||  ** Evidence from Text **  ||  ** Reflection **  || || || ** In this E-Tivity focus will be given to the adaptive conceptualizations of an inclusive classroom. ** ** The Equitable and Inclusive Education Strategy quoted Geore Stefa-Dei as saying, “Inclusive education is not … it is creating a new space. A better space.” ** ** What exactly does this space look like? If it is not the space that already exists, what is it and where is it? ** ** Inclusive classrooms place as much emphasis on trying to define what inclusion means as any other curricular subject area. Inclusive classrooms are spaces where all (educators, parents/guardians/caregivers and students) are included. To be “included” does not only refer to their physical presence in a circle or activity. To be “included” refers to valuing and validating the voices, narratives and ideas of those who are in the community. ** ** An inclusive classroom does not only refer to what it looks like, but it also refers to what it sounds like and what it feels like. “All students [parents/guardians/caregivers and educators] feel welcome and accepted in our school, where they see themselves reflected in their learning and in the environment. Students [All] feel and are accepted and fairly treated, according to their different needs and experiences. (// Promoting Equity and Inclusive Education in Schools: A Teacher’s Guide, p. 2) // ** ** George Stefa-Dei refers to the “creating of a new space”. This process of creating a new space speaks of awareness that the current one does not meet the needs of those currently in it. This awareness is a product of reflexive practices in which the educator questions the current settings and seeks to find a better way to serve the needs of the students. ** ** This reflexivity is a requirement, according to Tyrone Howard, if educators wish to become culturally relevant educators. It can be argued as a necessity in building inclusive classrooms and schools as well. ** ** Read the article and consider the main ideas presented by Tyrone Howard. Complete the Summery Reflection sheet using the following icons. **    The “big idea” of the article Main ideas of the article A question or concern you still have after reading the article || ** Post your Summary Reflection sheet on the discussion board. **  ** Summary Reflection **  || ||  ||     ||   ||     ||   ||     ||   ||     ||   ||    ** //  APPLY  // ** || || ** Tyrone Howard asks three great questions: ** ** The third question can be altered to read: ** ** These three questions form a base for our community’s reflection today. ** ** Though Howard frames his thinking around becoming a culturally relevant pedagogue the argument and questions are very much valid to thinking about how to become an inclusive educator. ** ** Think of this continuum as a framework for thinking about becoming an inclusive educator: ** ** The first stage is to become aware of inequities and practices that exclude. By becoming aware and seeking further understanding individuals become conscious that such realities exist and begin to critically see daily activities through a different lens. This “becoming conscious” can propel individuals to act through questioning and challenging inequities and exclusionary practices. ** ** This first stage in this continuum seems to point to an awareness of issues within and around one’s classroom. However, this awareness stage very much begins with an awareness of self. Howard’s reflexive questions provide a very strong foundation for becoming aware of one’s social identities, beliefs and its impacts on pedagogy and curriculum. ** ** The questions are themselves powerful and are not meant to be a ‘one moment reflection’ but rather a continuous examination of one’s belief and practices vis **** à vis the students in the classroom. It is meant to illuminate the educator to see his or her practice as something that does not occur in a vacuum nor does it stay within a vacuum but something that is affective, living and historical. ** || ** Submit a reflection on Howard’s three questions to the instructor through the drop box for feedback. ** ** You are invited to think about your philosophical belief about education and how these affect curriculum and pedagogy. ** ** You can use these following questions adapted from the Toronto District School Board’s reflections on Inclusive Curriculum: ** ** OR ** ** You can use the following questions adopted from the Ontario Institute for the Studies of Education’s Central for Urban Studies’s Culturally Relevant and Responsive Framework. ** ** 1. **** How are learning expectations meshed with high, rigorous standards for all students? ** ** 2. **** How is teaching personalized in order to build caring relationships and better know students and their realities? ** ** 3. **** How are instruction, assessment, and evaluation differentiated to meet the interests, learning profile, and readiness of all students? ** ** 4. **** How do the curriculum studied and the resources used reflect students’ lived experiences and social identities (race, gender, sexual-orientation, class, ability, etc.)? ** ** 5. **** How does the curriculum promote critical thinking among students and their engagement in challenging biases, stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination? ** ** 6. **** How are opportunities created in your school for authentic student voice and leadership inside and outside the classroom? ** || || ** Knowing and reflecting about one’s beliefs is an important process of the teaching process. Reflections give structure to our thoughts which illuminate how these inform our practices be it resource selection or particular slant. However, knowing one’s opinions and its effects is only the first part of this process. Thinking and reflecting about the students’ social identities and lived realities is the other. ** ** Knowing the student, their learning profile, mitigating circumstances ,interests, readiness for a specific program, and social identities allow the teacher to respond to the students’ needs be they social or academic. Knowing mitigating circumstances provides an opportunity for the teacher to understand why students may act / react to certain situations which propels educators to respond rather than react. Knowing the students’ learning profile, interests or readiness gives educators an opportunity to create programs and learning experiences that are rigorous, real and relevant to the student thus increasing engagement with the topic. ** ** We’ve come to define inclusive classrooms as a function of valuing and validating voices. In order to do so, educators should get to know their students. ** ** But how do we do this? ** ** Educators have, over the years, collected different ‘Get to Know You’ games to begin the first day of school. Energizers such as “the Name Game,” “Classroom Bingo,” or “Two Truths and a Lie” promote a sense of awareness and inclusion. These games or energizers are often relegated to the first couple weeks of school. The writers of TRIBES and other researchers comment on the need to consistently revisit these activities to build inclusion and community especially as new members join the classroom throughout the school year. As members of the community changes so does group chemistry and a sense of group community. ** ** “There are layers of meaning in the language we use in our classrooms. Whether it’s the vernacular our students bring with them or the literary classics enshrined in the curriculum, language raises issues of culture, identity and power that demand attention ... teachers [can] discuss ways to explre those issues and put the power of words in our students’ hands” (Rethinking our Classrooms 2, pg 5). ** ** Linda Christensen, in the first chapter of // Rethinking our Classrooms 2 //, about a poem she found written by Georga Ella Lyon entitled, “Where I’m From.” She writes, “Lyon’s poem follows a repeating pattern, ‘I am from …’ that recalls details, evokes memories – and can prompt some excellent poetry.” (// Rethinking our Classreooms, //pg. 7). ** ** To view Georga Ella Lyon’s poek “Where I am From” visit: ttp://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html ** ** Educators from all over the world have taken up the same activity to create opportunities for student voice to permeate the classroom life. ** || ** Task ** ** A) **** Create your own “I am from” utilizing your own personal narrative as well as utilizing some of the reflection pieces from Howards 3 questions. ** ** And ** ** B) **** Research and select 2 energizers or activities whose product or end goal is to get a better awareness of who the students are in the classroom. Post these activities in the // Activity Wall //. ** ||    **  CONNECT  ** || || ** Choose a text (i.e. picture book, magazine article, website, poem, fiction, nonfiction), appropriate for your school structure (K – 6, K – 8, 7 – 8, or 9 – 12), that can be used in a staff meeting or professional learning session to begin a dialogue about the importance of understanding the self in order to understand our roles as educators in inclusive classrooms. ** ** Using the RAFT matrix below, select one role and its corresponding audience and form to complete the assignment. Submit it RAFT Gallery. Comment on two of your colleagues’ posts. ** ** A RAFT Matrix allows for differentiation of assessment. Here, the student, in this case you, will select a role. Within the context of your role, you are going to prepare a product that meets the identified learning goal found in the “TOPIC” column. What is this ‘product’? That product is identified in the ‘FORM’ column. The audience for your product is located under the ‘AUDIENCE’ column. ** ** For example, I can choose to take the role of the author of the selected text. I will be creating a text walkthrough and discussion points. I could take ‘my’ article and select key points and identify how these points demonstrate the importance of self reflection in creating inclusive classrooms. As I create my assignment, I will need to keep in my mind the audience of my assignment which is the Editor / Publisher of “Inclusive Classroom Quarterly”. ** ||  ** ROLE **  ||  ** AUDIENCE **  ||  ** FORM **  ||  ** TOPIC **  || ** Resources for Learning Experience **
 * Learning Experience One **
 * ** // Introduction/Overview of LE: // **
 * ** // By the end of this LE candidates will: // **
 * ** E-Tivity #1  **
 * ** // Purpose: // **
 * ** // Task: // **
 * 1) ** Introduce yourself to our online community as your maternal grandmother (your mother’s mother).  **
 * 2) ** Share two to three narratives you know about your maternal grandmother and end off your statement with “… and I have a granddaughter/son named _____ who is taking this course with you. **
 * ** // Response: // **
 * 1) ** Why do you think a course dedicated to understanding Inclusive Classrooms would begin with an activity such as this? **
 * ** // Debrief: // **
 * ** // Debrief: // **
 * ** E-Tivity #2  **
 * ** // Purpose: // **
 * ** // Task A: // **
 * 1) ** View the powerpoint entitled “Visual Synectics / Four Corners”. **
 * 2) ** Follow the instructions to complete a Visual Synectic.
 * ** // Response: // **
 * 1) ** Complete the prompt as identified in “Visual Synectics / Four Corners” and share it in the // Synectic Gallery //. **
 * 2) ** Read and respond to two or more of your colleagues’ postings. **
 * ** // Task B: // **
 * 1) ** View the MS Powerpoint entitled, “Debriefing Visual Synectics”. **
 * ** // Response: // **
 * 1) ** In the // Debriefing Synetics Gallery //, reflect on how the Visual Synetics or Four Corner activity may support / not support an inclusive classroom. Give reasons to your reflection. **
 * ** E-Tivity #3 – Defining Inclusive Classrooms  **
 * ** // Purpose: // **
 * ** // Task: // **
 * ** // Response: // **
 * ** E-Tivity #4 Assessment and Inclusive Classrooms. **
 * ** // Purpose: // **
 * ** // Task: // **
 * ** // Response: // **
 * ** E-Tivity # 5 **
 * ** // Purpose: // **
 * ** // Task: // **
 * ** // Response: // **
 * ** E-Tivity #6 Reflecting on Howard’s 3 Questions **
 * ** // Purpose: // **
 * ** // Task: // **
 * ** Who am I? **
 * ** What do I believe in? **
 * ** How does who I am and what I believe in impact my teaching? **
 * ** How does who I am and what I believe impact my teaching and your learning? **
 * ** Awareness **
 * ** Consciousness **
 * ** Action **
 * ** // Response: // **
 * ** Whose voices are present? How are they presented? Whose voices are absent? **
 * ** What and whose knowledge is recognized? How is it recognized? **
 * ** Do resources acknowledge all people and perspectives? **
 * ** What assessment and evaluation tools will be most equitable? **
 * ** How can we create a classroom and a school climate that supports and welcomes the diversity of all students, staff and community members? **
 * ** How can the knowledge and experience of families and the general community be valued and reflected in our curriculum? **
 * ** Are a variety of differentiated instructional methods used to ensure that __all__ students are engaged in learning? **
 * ** E-Tivity # 7 Who are my Students? ** ||
 * ** // Purpose: // **
 * ** // Task: // **
 * ** // Response: // **
 * ** E-Tivity #8  **
 * ** // Purpose: // **
 * ** // Task: // **
 * ** Teacher ** || ** Students ** || ** Lesson plan on delivering this text to your students. ** || ** To demonstrate understanding of the importance of knowing the self as a precursor to creating inclusive classrooms and schools. ** ||
 * ** Author of the selected text ** || ** Editor / Publisher of the fictional Education journal “Inclusive Classroom Quarterly” ** || ** A text walkthrough and discussion points for key sections of the text. ** ||^  ||
 * ** Staff Developer ** || ** Staff Meeting ** || ** Visual presentation (i.e. MS PP, -- what are other presentation software) ** ||^  || ||