Individualization to create Inclusive Classrooms

“Our job is to have an educational system where everybody succeeds and everybody learns to their potential.” – Peter Shumlin, Governor of Vermont

In the emerging new story, it has become apparent that not all students learn the same way, making individualization in classrooms more in demand. Drake, Reid, and Kolohon (2014) define individualization as a teacher modifying instruction to meet the needs of each individual learner. I remember throughout my high school experience most of my teachers would give us quizzes at the beginning of the year to determine what kind of learner each of the students were (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic). The problem is I don’t recall any of my teachers actually implementing this information into the classroom dynamic. For example, all though year by year I was found to be a Kinaesthetic learner I consistently remember the classroom setting being the teacher stating the material, us as students listening to what is being taught, and more often then not having no opportunity to tangibly apply it. This is why I found myself excelling in the science and physical education setting (both what I am pursuing today), because there are labs or direct application of what’s being taught. Although I didn’t necessarily do poorly in my other classes, I always wonder how my grades would be affected if each teacher utilized this information about me as a student, and created a more individualized learning plan?

Retrieved from http://gettingsmart.com/2014/02/making-personalized-learning-plans-personal/

The photo above is a great visual representation of how in a traditional classroom, students may be consistently asking questions because the delivery of material does not meet their individual learning style. In "Making Personalized Learning Plans Personal" Renfro (2014) discusses the importance of the teacher in developing individualized instruction.

The importance of individualization is profoundly important when working with children who have specialized learning needs. For the past two years I’ve worked as one-to-one support to children who have an intellectual or physical disability while they participate in a day camp program. I see how most summer camps are unprepared to integrate these children into their programs, and as support staff I try my best to modify activities to suit their ability level. With this, some parents have expressed the same struggle these children face in the school setting. Horn (2009) indicates that the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states: students individualized education program (IEP) must include a description of how the child’s disabilities affect the child’s progress in the general curriculum, the measurable goals that will be set in order to enable the child to progress in the general curriculum, and supports necessary for the child to progress through the general curriculum. Developing a high-quality, universally designed curriculum is the first step, teachers then need to make modifications to meet the individual needs of specific children’s goals. Objectives should meet the unique needs of the child, be meaningful to the child, and be functional in a variety of contexts. A curriculum modification is simply changing a classroom activity or material to allow a child to participate this can include environmental support, material adaptations, special equipment, peer support, and simplification of the activity. Therefore, all teachers are more then able to implement individualization within all their classrooms.

Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTXtT05782Y

            The video illustrates how various Edmonton Public Schools do a variety of lesson plans, applying kinaesthetic, visual, and auditory learning. The ideal is to touch on everybody’s learning style and once the basics have been established go from there. If you have a child that is continuing to struggle you can work more one on one, and those who are excelling can move onto a more elaborate concept. The main idea is that everything you do as a teacher is differentiated to meet the needs of each and every student by the student by the skill; “Diverse needs, diverse learners, and meet it with diverse teaching.” For further information, and personalized stories from the Edmonton Public Schools visit Inclusive Learning: Everyone’s In – Learning Guide.

References

Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging the 21^st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.

Edmonton Public Schools. [edpublicschools]. (2012, September 25). Inclusive Learning: Everyone’s In – Overview [Video File]. Retreived from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTXtT05782Y

Edmonton Public Schools. (2013, September). Inclusive Learning: Everyone’s In – Learning Guide. Retreived from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bxfb-aS2_8yvNWJQREN5VzlhaWM/edit

Horn, E., & Banerjee, R. (2009). Understanding curriculum modifications and embedded learning opportunities in the context of supporting all children's success. Language, Speech & Hearing Services In Schools, 40 (4), 406-415. doi:10.1044/0161-1461(2009/08-0026)

Renfro, A. (2014, February 28). Making Personalized Learning Plans Personal. Retreived from http://gettingsmart.com/2014/02/making-personalized-learning-plans-personal/