Education Standards

Inclusive Educational Practices-Creation of a Lesson Plan

Inclusive Educational Practices-Creation of a Lesson Plan

Overview

This module is part of a course on Inclusive Educational Practices that offers professional development for educators who aspire to provide a supportive learning environment for dyslexic and with learning difficulties learners.

Students have different needs, interests, and abilities. In order to effectively teach them and provide them with rich learning experiences, lesson plans need to be as diverse as they are. This module aims to help educators analyze different learning styles and accordingly build  their lesson plans as to embrace and support not only the needs of specific learners but provide quality education for all students. To this end, tools, articles, guidelines, videos, and examples are provided. Planning a lesson for an inclusive classroom entails less modifications for future use in a different learning context, facilitates a substitute to take over the class, and ensures learning for every child.

"It is not the disabilities of the students that prevent the implementation of a long effective instructional model, but the environment that is disabling"

                              Katz, 2015

 

Identify and analyze the importance of planning activities for inclusive learning practices

This activity discusses why educators should apply inclusive learning practices. Students are as unique as their fingerprints. Sir Ken Robinson (2014) in the video “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” successfully refers to institutions that promote rote transfer of knowledge, within a framework of subject importance hierarchy, disregarding the need for an individual to develop an integrated personality. He further describes that they view individuals as being disembodied and looking at “the body as a form of transport for the head”.

Choose any resource better facilitates your learning. A Padlet activity has been designed for you to share thoughts on the importance of inclusiveness in education.

1. Rouse, M. (2008). Developing inclusive practice: A role for teachers and teacher education.pdf. (p. 11-17)

2. UDL: Reducing Barriers.[video presentation]

UDL: Reducing Barriers

3. TMA TED, (2014). Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity? [video lecture].

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

 

Identify, describe, and analyze diverse learners’ needs

There is no "One Size Fits All" method that can apply in a learning environment. Gillian Lynne, a British ballerina, dancer, choreographer, actress, and theater/television director, noted for her popular theatre choreography associated with two of the longest-running shows in Broadway history, Cats and The Phantom of the Opera was condemned by her short-minded teachers but literally saved by the open-minded doctor, should be a case not to be ignored.

Study the following resources after having taken the Multiple Intelligence Test: "Find your strengths". Retrieved from: http://literacynet.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html 

  1. Clark, D. R. (2011). Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Learning Styles. Retrieved from: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/styles/vakt.html 
  2. Clark, D. R. (2011). Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. Retrieved from: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/styles/gardner.html 

Additional resources:

  1. Davidson, R. (2010) The Heart-Brain Connection: The Neuroscience of Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning [video lecture]. 
    Davidson, R. (2010) The Heart-Brain Connection: The Neuroscience of Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning

     

Identify, describe, and analyze methods and tools for the creation of a positive and supportive learning environment

Planning an inclusive lesson plan is not an easy task. There is need to apply a pedagogy that is friendly to the target audience, providing multiple means of representation, engagement, and action and expression. The following resources will help you build/modify your lesson plan to address these needs providing your learners with rich learning experiences that will lead to success, thus, boost their self-esteem and self-value.

If you first study the UDL guidelines and watch the video UDL at a Glance, you can then take the Quiz .

  1. CAST (2018). Universal design for learning guidelines version 2.2  [graphic organizer].Wakefield, MA: Author
  2. CAST (2010, January 6th). UDL At A Glance. Retrieved from: UDL At A Glance
    UDL at a Glance
  3. Kumar , K. (2012). Universal Design for Learning with Kari Kumar. [video lecture]. (Watch 4:40'-5:50' to learn more about how UDL might be applicable to assessments)
    UDL with Kumar

     

  4. Lazou,  C. (2018). A Concept Map of UDL Guidelines.  The Inclusive Educators' Toolbox. Retrieved  from: http://www.inclusivetoolbox.org/tool18

 

Additional resources:

1. Ministry of Education (n.d.) UDL Principles Overview NC.

Ministry of Education (n.d.) UDL Principles Overview NC

2. Lazou, C. (2018). Dyslexia. Inclusive Educators’ Toolbox. Retrieved from http://inclusivetoolbox.org/tool14 

Design effective strategies with the application of tools and assistive technologies for inclusive practices in the learning setting

Today's technological age has brought forth a number of very useful computer programs and tools to help individuals with learning difficulties or diverse learning preferences optimize their potentials. 

Use of Technology in Lesson Planning

The following resources can help you make good use of software tools and assistive technologies that best accommodate your teaching context. Apart from designing your lesson, they will further help you with classroom management as they provide opportunities for engagement and motivation. They capture students' attention, relate new information to real world context, thus, activating prior knowledge, provide learners with easy to retain chunks of content and opportunities to assimilate, communicate, and create new knowledge. These strategies will be a profit for all students promoting rich learning experiences.

1. Cool Tools for School (2018). Retrieved from https://cooltoolsforschool.net/. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.

2. National Center on Educational Accessible Materials (n.d.). Display Options for Personalizing the Reading Experience.  Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License 

 

 

 

Review or create an inclusive lesson plan

Now you are well-equipped with examples, tools, and guidelines to design, modify, or adapt your lesson plan as to better accommodate your students' needs. Some additional examples are provided for you.

Writing a Lesson Plan

For the successful creation of an inclusive lesson plan there are some points to be considered:

a) the target audience and their needs;

b) designated goals and how to be achieved;

c) the materials/aids/tools available;

d) assessment;

e) motivation and engagement;

f) prior knowledge;

g) student-centered pedagogy;

h) accommodations/modifications;

i) contingency plan;

j) clear, well-organized presentation and sequence of activities that would allow a substitute teacher to take over the class.

Examples:

Dyslexia-Friendly Lesson Plans