Whole Schooling
The Journey Towards Schools
Where Diverse Students Learn Together Well

CHAPTER 3

Embrace verse Students in the Classroom

Learning tools. Tools for analysis, discussion, and planning you may use in class, professional development, and in your own practice as a teacher.

• Thinking about differences. Use Activity Tool 3-2 to think about differences and disabilities and their response to the teacher in the beginning of the chapter
• Jigsaw groups: Best practices for students with special needs. Use Activities Tool 3-3 and have individuals work in groups to summarize: (1) definition, (2) impact of condition on the functioning and needs of the child, (3) key strategies for instruction and support, and (4) issues and controversies related to children with specific categories of special needs.
• Comparing best practices to meet needs of different students. Activity Tool 3-4 asks respondents to compare best practices for teaching students who (a) are gifted and talented; (b) are second language learners; (c) have learning disabilities; (d) have mentally retardation; or (e) have traumatic brain injury and draw conclusions about the relationship of needs of these different groups.
• Helpful and hurtful practices. (See Activity Tool 3-5). Ask participants, either as a whole class or small group, to list these separately and then discuss responses to the following question: What teaching practices help students with vastly different academic, social-emotional, and sensory-physical abilities learn well together?
• Case studies: High school students with sensory and physical disabilities. These four case studies provide tools that participants may use to develop teaching and accommodations plans.Use Activity Tool 3-6 a-c.