This article was written by Linda Crane Mitchell and it talks about how to have an inclusive environment.
One of the first key issues is her discussion about the inclusion of children with disabilities and specific learning needs in regular classroom activities. Her suggestion is that teachers need to provide appropriate curriculum to meet the varying ability of all children. This is supported by Arthur (2007) she states that “an inclusive approach to curriculum acknowledges and embraces diversity and difference. This approach recognises that everyone needs to ‘understand diversity is integral to life within the global community’ and that everyone needs to ‘learn to live and work with difference’” (Hamston & Murdoch, 2004).
The NSW Department of Education and training (2003a; 2003b) support this argument and they state that “Strong evidence of inclusivity occurs when all children from diverse sociocultural contexts contribute to learning experiences and educators take seriously their contributions.
Her second key issue is about how research shows that children with disabilities develop skills more easily if they are included in activities alongside normal developing children and this can be achieved through the modification of the environment.
An inclusive approach argues that children with additional needs should be included in mainstream educational settings rather than segregated into special settings. It encourages the acceptance and valuing of diversity within educational settings, so that children’s strengths and existing expertise are valued and built on (Arthur, 2007).
The third key issue is her strategies for promoting creativity and she suggest using the M.O.S.T model, which are modifications, objectives, space and time.
While the issues she raises and strategies she provides are appropriate they are not in-depth nor do they provide for the varying abilities and needs of all of the children. Her examples using this model are tokenistic and inappropriate.
To provide for all children creative art activities should be offered within a flexible daily routine and use open-ended resources. Time and space should be organised so that children can return to the activities to extend their own creativity and learning (Arthur, 2007).
Open-ended resources include natural materials such as sand, water and mud as well as artefacts and tools. These materials may include wooden blocks, pieces of fabric, recycled materials, paints, pencils and blank paper all of which can come in varying sizes and width to allow children to choose which materials work best for them. Computers and software such as KidPix or Word for painting, drawing and writing can also be made available (Arthur, 2007).
Teachers should advocate large blocks of time with minimal transitions and a flexible routine or the integration of other units of work into creative art activities, this will allow to all children the freedom to immerse themselves and be creative (Arthur, 2007). Space for creativity is also very important as specific types of environments promote different behaviours, to help with creativity areas need to be assessed as they can be hard or soft, light or dark, active or quiet, aesthetically pleasing and respectful, so depending on the type of creative arts experience will depend on the space needed (Arthur, 2007). Space also needs to be considered in terms of how much room children have to move around in.
Teachers should offer child-initiated and directed experiences and activities, provide a range of experiences and activities diverse competencies, ages and interests, offer children the opportunity to choose resources and make decisions about what is available in the environment and encourage children to use the materials in different ways with no preconceived notions of purpose (Arthur, 2007).
Inclusive environments will support children with diverse abilities. Children have a wide range of physical skills, intellectual abilities, experiences and success with interactions and communication, and each child has the right to become an active participant within their settings (Arthur, 2007).
One of the first key issues is her discussion about the inclusion of children with disabilities and specific learning needs in regular classroom activities. Her suggestion is that teachers need to provide appropriate curriculum to meet the varying ability of all children. This is supported by Arthur (2007) she states that “an inclusive approach to curriculum acknowledges and embraces diversity and difference. This approach recognises that everyone needs to ‘understand diversity is integral to life within the global community’ and that everyone needs to ‘learn to live and work with difference’” (Hamston & Murdoch, 2004).
The NSW Department of Education and training (2003a; 2003b) support this argument and they state that “Strong evidence of inclusivity occurs when all children from diverse sociocultural contexts contribute to learning experiences and educators take seriously their contributions.
Her second key issue is about how research shows that children with disabilities develop skills more easily if they are included in activities alongside normal developing children and this can be achieved through the modification of the environment.
An inclusive approach argues that children with additional needs should be included in mainstream educational settings rather than segregated into special settings. It encourages the acceptance and valuing of diversity within educational settings, so that children’s strengths and existing expertise are valued and built on (Arthur, 2007).
The third key issue is her strategies for promoting creativity and she suggest using the M.O.S.T model, which are modifications, objectives, space and time.
While the issues she raises and strategies she provides are appropriate they are not in-depth nor do they provide for the varying abilities and needs of all of the children. Her examples using this model are tokenistic and inappropriate.
To provide for all children creative art activities should be offered within a flexible daily routine and use open-ended resources. Time and space should be organised so that children can return to the activities to extend their own creativity and learning (Arthur, 2007).
Open-ended resources include natural materials such as sand, water and mud as well as artefacts and tools. These materials may include wooden blocks, pieces of fabric, recycled materials, paints, pencils and blank paper all of which can come in varying sizes and width to allow children to choose which materials work best for them. Computers and software such as KidPix or Word for painting, drawing and writing can also be made available (Arthur, 2007).
Teachers should advocate large blocks of time with minimal transitions and a flexible routine or the integration of other units of work into creative art activities, this will allow to all children the freedom to immerse themselves and be creative (Arthur, 2007). Space for creativity is also very important as specific types of environments promote different behaviours, to help with creativity areas need to be assessed as they can be hard or soft, light or dark, active or quiet, aesthetically pleasing and respectful, so depending on the type of creative arts experience will depend on the space needed (Arthur, 2007). Space also needs to be considered in terms of how much room children have to move around in.
Teachers should offer child-initiated and directed experiences and activities, provide a range of experiences and activities diverse competencies, ages and interests, offer children the opportunity to choose resources and make decisions about what is available in the environment and encourage children to use the materials in different ways with no preconceived notions of purpose (Arthur, 2007).
Inclusive environments will support children with diverse abilities. Children have a wide range of physical skills, intellectual abilities, experiences and success with interactions and communication, and each child has the right to become an active participant within their settings (Arthur, 2007).
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