Inclusive Instructional Strategies

By: Tiffany, Carrie, and Shalyn

Ideas for Inclusive Instructional Strategies

• How to apply different strategies to facilitate the entire class
• Effective Co-Teaching
• Use UDL to create “expert learners”
• Maximize technology in the class
• Give choices in assignments
• Accommodations – meets goals in different ways without changing the goal
        Example: 504 plan
• Modifications – changes the goal which needs to be met
  Example: IEP’s
• UDL – supports all learners
• Differentiation – retro fits the lesson after it has been made / supports learning styles

Inclusive Instructional Strategies

Inclusive instructional strategies are many teaching approaches that help meet student’s academic goals and needs with their learning styles, abilities, cultural backgrounds, and skill level in an overall inclusive learning environment and curriculum.

Why Use Inclusive Strategies in the Classroom

Teach me and I will remember. Involve me and I will learn. – Ben Franklin

The use of inclusive instructional strategies is valuable in a classroom because it aids to all the students in a class and provides students with the opportunity to learn at their skill level by involving them in the process of learning. Through thoughtful planning, meaningful management, and encouraged engagement inclusive strategies assist the instruction of goals of a class.

Benefits of Inclusive Instructional Strategies includes:

1. An ability to connect and engage with all the students in the classroom.
2. Teachers are prepared for unexpected issues, such as controversial material (religion, politics), behavior problems, and class assignment issues.
3. Students connect with course materials that are relevant to them, this will ensure student engagement in assignments and finishing assignments and/or activities.
4. A student friendly environment encourages students to express their ideas, thoughts, and questions with ease. 
5. Students will experience success in the class through assignments or activities that support their learning styles, abilities, and backgrounds. 

How to Teach Inclusive Instructional Strategies

Reflect on the classroom by:

• Realize that a student’s culture influences their interaction on assignments and social activity in the class/school.  
• How a student’s background experiences influence their motivation, engagement, and learning in your classroom.
• Modifying course materials, activities, assignments, and/or exams to be more accessible to all students in your class.
• Use UDL guidelines and principles to maximize all learners’ abilities to achieve their learning goals throughout the school year.
  Inclusive Instructional Strategies Practices

1. Create a curriculum that has diversity
2. Set clear guidelines of how students will be graded and evaluated on classwork, homework, project, and other assignments. Be flexible.
3. Create classroom ground rules for a safe learning environment
4. Apply a variety of teaching strategies, activities, and assignments that will accommodate the needs of students with diverse learning styles, abilities, backgrounds, and experiences. 
5. Utilize Universal Design Principles to create accessibility for all learners in the classroom.
6. Create flexible assessment opportunities for the students. View effort as a means of assessment not just the product. Each student achieves success differently and this should be valued.
7. Reflection on classroom climate often and have student feedback on what can improve the learning environment in the classroom.

Inclusive Instructional Strategies for Lessons

1. Provide opportunity for small group learning
2. Flexible means of teaching assignments, material (video, worksheets, games, projects, computer software, and use of classroom manipulatives, etc.)
3. Create graphic organizers for subjects that are more difficult to learn, such as math, social studies, and science.
     
4. Proper use of technology in the classroom and during assignments that best meet the needs of the students and their learn goals.
5. Incorporate Differential Instruction through flexible grouping, give various learning-style preferences on learning activities which will appeal to the student, provide students with choices on assignments, creating alternative activities and assessments

Inclusive Instructional Strategies for Planning

1. Collaborate with other general education teachers, special education teachers, special service teachers/aid, school counselors, doctors, etc.
2. Share the work load with other teachers/aids that are in the classroom
3. Use co-teaching strategies to aid the classes capacity to learn

• Interactive Teaching
• Parallel Teaching
• Alternative Teaching
• Station Teaching

Inclusive Instructional Strategies for Classroom Management

1. Classroom rules and expectation should be clearly displayed for all students to refer to.
2. Provide opportunity for students to move around the room to help with frigidity, anxiety, and restlessness in the class.
3. Develop classroom cues to refocus the class when off task, students getting material in the class, to quiet down, and etc.  
4. Have students stay organized, such as their work areas, work folders, pick up after themselves, etc.
5. Make an organized plan for transition periods, such as lunch, recess, walking in the hall, etc. So that the class moves smoothly through transition periods throughout the day.
6. Create a consistent routine for the class to follow throughout the week. Have it posted can help manage time and students remain productive throughout the day.

For more idea on how to implement Inclusive Instructional Strategies, click on the links:

• Paula Kluth-toward inclusive classrooms and communities: http://www.paulakluth.com/
• The Inclusive Class-strategies & solutions for teaching ALL students: http://www.theinclusiveclass.com/
• Inclusive Schools Network: http://www.inclusiveschools.org/
• Resources to help create inclusion: http://www.kidstogether.org/inclusion.htm

References

http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/

Which can aid in developing ones knowledge of inclusive instructional strategies and differential instruction through web modules, tutorials, webinars, IRIS materials, etc.

Discover Wednesday - Fact Sheet - Instructional Accommodations

Connections Friday -Writing Strategy URL

Connections Friday - Math Strategy URL

Connections Friday - Learning Through Real Life Technology Use - Edutopia URL

Connections Friday - Learning Through Real Life - Community and Service Learning URL

Module 5 Power Point

IEP examples used in module that were utilized in the module lesson

IEP JJ.pdf

IEP Mary.pdf

IEP Polly.pdf

IEP_2008-2009_Sam.pdf

Citations:

Introduction Photo -

(n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2015, from http://susanfitzell.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/2014-07-03-               14.49.41.jpg

Idea format-

Inclusive Teaching Strategies. (n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2015, from          http://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/building-inclusive-classrooms/inclusive-teaching-                strategies.html

Strategies for Lessons Photo-

(n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2015, from https://hs4learning.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/cpm-     strategies.jpg

How to Teach Strategies Photo-

(n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2015, from https://szahid47.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/assess-reflect-        teach-plan-e1417007117394.png

Classroom Management Photo-

(n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2015, from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/images/shs.gif

Strategies for Planning Photo-

(n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2015, from http://cheekylit.com/wp   content/uploads/2010/12/readstrat111.png

UDL website-

Home | National Center On Universal Design for Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2015, from                 http://www.udlcenter.org/

Ed Helper website-

Graphic Organizers Printables and Ideas - Print them - Venn Diagrams, Concept Maps, Writing, Character, Reading. (n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2015, from    http://edhelper.com/teachers/graphic_organizers.htm

Graphic Organizer-

Classroom Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2015, from http://eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/