Education 605 Inclusion Artifact Description

Artifact Description
The artifact I chose for Education 605 is my Inclusion Action Project. It is a weeklong unit which involves the students on my special education caseload as well as
the other third grade students in our building. There are five goals for this project:
a.) to introduce disability awareness into our building using literature and
experiential activities
b.) to build compassion for students who have emotional/behavioral disabilities
c.) to build compassion for students with learning and print disabilities
d.) to build compassion for students who have physical disabilities
e.) to understand that there are many ways that we can get a task done, even if
it is not the same for everyone
My rationale for teaching this unit is that third grade is the first time students really
begin to notice the differences between themselves and others. It is my hope that
by teaching this unit, students will develop compassion and understanding for
students whose disabilities they might not understand. I chose this as my artifact
because I want to make a difference in the lives of my students. I think it is a
misunderstanding of inclusion to believe that just because students sit near each
other in a classroom they will have a relationship. Real relationships take mutual
understanding.
It is aligned to the following teaching standards, which will be described in further
detail below.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard

1:
2:
5:
9:

Teachers
Teachers
Teachers
Teachers

know the subjects they are teaching.

know how children grow.
know how to manage a classroom.
are able to evaluate themselves.

Professional Growth and Development

I have been teaching special education for 16 years. Prior to participating in this
course, I have had 3 years of experience with inclusion and team-teaching. I gained
the following knowledge from taking this course:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Research articles to support why inclusion is so important

Resources and articles that I can share with my co-workers
Helpful websites to assist parents of students with disabilities
Different types of assistive technology to help students (i.e. Co-Writer and
First Author)
5. Knowledge of organizations dedicated to helping kids with disabilities make
friends (i.e. Circle of Friends).

Throughout this course, I was reminded of the value of inclusion. My instructor did
a great job sharing the following resources:
1. WSTI website (Wisconsin Statewide Transition Initiative) which is dedicated to
helping students with disabilities transition to higher education or the work
force
2. WSPEI website (Wisconsin Statewide Parent Educator Initiative) which is
dedicated to helping parents navigate the special education process
3. how to have students run their own IEP meeting
4. Video examples of inclusion and its benefits. For example, my favorite video
was a 20/20 special, in which we applied our knowledge of inclusion by
creating an inclusion plan for Bill Porter.
I realized that I must be very careful about how my personal actions help or hinder
the inclusion of my students. I have to be careful make sure that they are not being
grouped together because of scheduling or ability, and that I must trust others to be
able to deliver the intervention that they need. Sometimes I think as teachers we
can become very territorial about our students, and have a hard time letting
them go, not because they arent capable, but because we develop a sort of
Savior complex that we are the only teachers that can meet their needs.
Impact on PK-12 Student Learner for the artifact
This week long unit will directly impact students with disabilities, the third grade
teachers, and third grade students because it will open up dialogue and make it
safe to talk about disabilities. For real inclusion to occur, there has to be mutual
respect and understanding as well as shared experiences. I have carefully planned
a unit on disability awareness to share with each 3 rd grade classroom. I have also
planned simulations which allow students to feel what it is like to have a particular
disability. Nothing makes a more lasting impact than experiencing something
personally and hands on. The project is a culmination of the coursework that I did
for EDUC 605, EDUC 650 and EDUC 580.
I have also created time in our schedule to help students learn about how to have
better social relationships and how to be more independent learners through the
use of technology. The outcome of this project is to have students without
disabilities develop an understanding of and mutual respect for students who have
disabilities. It is my hope that this would also reduce bullying that sometimes
occurs. I also want to empower the students on my caseload to be able to advocate
for themselves, develop relationships with students without disabilities, and be as
independent as possible.
Impact on PK-12 Student Learner for the course
Taking this course helped me re-examine why inclusion is so important. I was
especially intrigued by the Impact Article assigned during week 3 of our course. In

it, the article describes how mindsets impact our vision for inclusion. It says that
whenever we want to change something, there are 3 ongoing and interrelated
aspects of change:
1. How we see or view the focus of change. In other words, what you think will
impact what you do. For example, do you deliver intervention within the regular
classroom or pull students out to the special education classroom?
2. What will you do about it to institute change? For example, does everyone take
responsibility for a student with unique needs or does it fall primarily onto the
special education teacher? The cycle is ongoing in that what you get will in turn
impact how you see students with disabilities.
3. What you get as a result of your actions. This means that we must adopt
certain paradigms in thinking:
a. The expectation that each individual is capable of making contributions to
the community.
b. A sense of personal responsibility for the success of all students in a
community.
c. Collaboration with others to meet student needs is standard practice.
d. Differentiation of curriculum and instruction is the norm.
e. Valuing parents and community members as resources for learning.
In summary, having students side-by-side in the same classroom does not
guarantee that respect for differences will be honored without intentionally seeking
that goal. As a result of implementing my Inclusion Action Project I would like to
see the following outcomes:
1. Third grade students with and without disabilities to interact more with each
other
2. Compassionate friendships to develop with empathy for each other
3. Instances of bullying reduced/eliminated
4. Ultimately for these children to grow up to be more compassionate adults
Understanding and Application of Standards:
Standard 1: Teachers know the subjects they are teaching.
Through the use of literature and disability awareness simulations, I can create
meaningful experiences that the students will remember when they encounter
someone in their life who has a disability. Rather than look upon that person with
prejudice or pity, the students can look at that person as someone who has likes
and dislikes just like them, but uses accommodations for which non-disabled peers
make take for granted. For example, one of the days I will bring in a wheelchair, so
that students can experience what it might be like to have a physical disability.
Another day we will read a story that has picture symbols and letters to simulate
what it might be like to have a learning disability.

Standard 2: Teachers know how children grow.

Students first start to notice each others differences at around the age of 9. Before
this, children are more self-focused and do not realize that a peer may leave the
classroom for intervention. Third grade is a good age to introduce children to how
they are the same and different from each other because they are old enough to
understand, but young enough to not use the information to hurt their peers. This
supports their intellectual, social and personal development.

Standard 5: Teachers know how to manage a classroom.

Teaching units on disability awareness is the perfect way for students to see that
there are all kinds of ways that a task can be accomplished regardless of how it gets
done. For example, one student may walk to the lunchroom while another uses a
wheelchair, but they both accomplish the task. One student may read from a
textbook, while another uses assistive technology or Braille, but they all can read.
One student may speak while another does sign language, but both can
communicate. Barriers are really just opportunities for creative thinking. It
creates a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction and
active engagement.
Standard 9: Teachers are able to evaluate themselves.
I taught this week long unit to 90 third grade students for 30 minutes daily during
morning meeting at the conclusion of this class. I gave each student a survey with
the following questions:
1.) Which day or activity was your favorite?
2.) Why was it your favorite?
3.) What did you learn from doing this unit?
4.) What can you do to help others feel more included?
5.) What would you change about this unit?
6.) Are there any disabilities we didnt cover that you would like more
information about?
7.) Any other comments or suggestions?
Doing this gave me valuable feedback on how to plan for future lessons.

Bibliography:
Vandercook, Terri. Perspectives on the Vision of Inclusion: The Voices of
Experience. Impact. Winter 2003. Volume 16, Number 1. Pp. 2-3.