Monday, June 13, 2016

Teachers: Kathryn Bullock and Carolyn McKee

Topic: Mainstreaming students is not the reality of todays school
environment
Lesson Length: 20-30 minutes
Resources:
Powerpoint
The Spark
Treat for activity
Learning Objectives
Students will:
Become aware of the differences between both mainstream and
individualized classroom policies as well as the realities facing them
Understand the importance of creating individualized classrooms
Understand the benefits and drawbacks of individualized and
mainstream classrooms
Be able to differentiate between fairness and equality
Introduction (~5 minutes)
Define mainstream and individualized classrooms
Introduce second point by asking Who has felt too challenged by a
class? Who has felt not challenged enough? Express the two different
sides: being too challenged and not being challenged enough both
created issues the individualization can remedy
Discuss past education strategies/trendstreadmill versus personal
programs
Discuss the philosophy of mainstreaming as opposed to its actual
classroom implication
Main Body (~15 minutes)
Begin by stating our positionwe support individualization in
schools
Fair versus equal
o Every student has different needs, background, family, personal
expectations.
o Each individual studentachieving what is in the students best
educational interests based on equality, sharing, participation,
and the worth and dignity of the individual (Pepneck-Joyce) this
cannot be done in a situation where children are being held back
or pushed beyond their abilities.

o We are not promoting segregation, but instead recognizing the

importance of individuality and the abilities every person is
capable of
o Class participation: ask someone to explain this comic and also
the importance of itwhy have we seen this 3 times in the past
3 weeks?
o Bullying: students would still have opportunities to be together
during recess and other school events, it wouldnt be total
separation. Students wouldnt just be separated according to
age, but also school ability
Activity

Finding your area

o Individual drive: everyone has a passion for learning that cannot
be explored in a classroom with one stream
o Talk about The Spark
o Why should I spend 6 hours doing math when I could be focusing
on writing or computers or history or any other area that I will be
able to use to benefit others?
o Students are being assimilated and homogenized into one group
with special talents and abilities ignored and put on the wayside
o Skateboard storyas soon as the two boys had a purpose for
their learning they had the motivation
o Katy story (if time allows)

Inadequate Teacher Training

o Regular stream teachers are inadequately trained to deal with all
different ranges of exceptional students.
o This would mean those students would not get the extra
attention they need
o For example: severe physical mental or physical handicap, many
teachers arent trained to know how to adequately help the
student excel.
o There are special Ed. Teachers, they are trained, so they should
be the ones teaching special ed. Classes.

Alternative Methods
o More teacher aides/educational aides
o Individualized programs

Pros and cons of mainstreaming

o Discuss list, hold conversation with class
o Direct discussion based on various opinions

Sponge Activity Vid. Comparing Pull-Out & Inclusive Settings for

Literacy Instruction http://study.com/academy/lesson/comparingpulloutinclusivesettingsforliteracyinstructi on.html1:453:15

Closure (5 minutes)
Repeat main points
Bibliography
Barnett, Kristine. The Spark: A Mothers Story of Nurturing Genius. Toronto:
Random House Canada, 2013. Print.
Kelly, Aine, Catherine Devitt, Donal OKeefe, and Anne Marie Donovan.
Challenges in Implementing Inclusive Education in Ireland: Principal's
Views of the Reasons Students Aged 12+ Are Seeking Enrollment to
Special Schools. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual
Disabilities. 11.1 (2014): 58-61. Web. June 2, 2016.
Pepneck-Joyce, Helga. Inclusion: A Case Study from Within. MA thesis.
University of Lethbridge, 1999. Print.