Diversity and Inclusion

 

    In Sparks, Digital Technology and Inclusive Learning, he examines how Inclusive education is defined. The goal, which he explains, is “practices which engage all learners who achieve through being present, actively participating, learning, and feeling a sense of belonging.” (Sparks, 2019) He continues to say that for this to be plausible, “systems and practices need to be flexible and responsive to diversity, rather than expecting learners to be flexible.” (Sparks, 2019) But, for this to work, we need to lean away from the student being the problem and lean into understanding inclusive learning “through a social model lens, where impairment or learning difficulties are not biologically determined but created by the context within which learning takes place.” (Sparks, 2019) When we do this, we can remove the barrios that keep learners feeling othered by the systems in place. As someone who has a learning disability, I was always told that the school system was not made for someone like me, and I had to adjust to how they wanted me to do it to get through. This meant taking a lot of extra time outside of school to be taught what was learned in school in a way that I could conceptualize. Additionally, I spent a lot of time trying to conform to the expectations that were set for me. 

    Another aspect of this article is the use of technology. Sparks points out that paper and pencil were once innovative technologies, and now we are faced with “digital computers, mobile, and wireless technologies” as “the latest innovations being incorporated into teaching and learning practices” (Sparks, 2019). When planning for inclusion, teachers are encouraged to use “Universal Design for Learning (UDL),” which “supports the design of more flexible and inclusive learning environments.” (Sparks, 2019) by taking into consideration how each learner in the classroom has an “in” to the material, or project. This can be achieved by having a class set of iPads available to all students to use for assignments. For example, I had a student with autism in my class for the last two years who did not enjoy written output, so if the assignment did not assess their writing abilities, I offered the opportunity of verbal assessment through voice recording. I was still able to gain an understanding of what they had learned, and it was a simple accommodation I could offer any student. 

    Similarly, Paul Newton addresses inclusion in his article, Leading for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Canadian Schools, from the perspective of the tone leadership sets.  He mentions that “an important foundation for social justice leadership is a critical self-examination of biases.” If “leaders can understand their own intersectionality and their location on the spectrum of privilege and marginalization through critical self-reflection.” (Newton, 2021), they can help their staff recognize this in themselves. Further, the promotion of professional development “for teachers and other personnel on how to effectively teach in inclusive classrooms.” (Newton, 2021) they can work toward “fostering a school environment based on acceptance and celebration of difference.” (Newton, 2021)

    Further, “in the case of supporting newcomer language learners, there is a need to determine the suitability of supporting struggling learners within the classroom through embedded models of support versus traditional notions of segregated pull-out support such as are common in reading and math interventions (Newton, 2021) another example where UDL and technology can be helpful. Where I work in BC, I have a lot of English language learners of various levels. This past year, I had three students at levels 1 and 2. To help them succeed in the classroom, I gave them access to our class iPads to use the translator app. This allowed the students to see the information portrayed in English and the language in which they are proficient. 

As for my definitions of innovation, teaching, and learning, it goes without saying that inclusion is one of the foundational motivators in innovation. When you have experienced what it is like to be on the outside looking in, nothing can stand in the way of ensuring that I never make a student feel the way I did. 


References

Newton, P., Jutras, M. (2022). Leading for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Canadian Schools. In: Peters, M.A., Heraud, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Educational Innovation.Springer, Singapore. https://doi-org.proxy.queensu.ca/10.1007/978-981-13-2262-4_228-1

Sparks, H. (2019). Digital Technology and Inclusive Learning. In: Peters, M., Heraud, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Educational Innovation. Springer, Singapore. https://doi-org.proxy.queensu.ca/10.1007/978-981-13-2262-4_136-1