Education Equity - Inclusive education

Preparation:
Course organizers will send to the participants list of materials related to the course topic they can read in order to prepare for the course. Organizers will be available in case participants need any information related to the accommodation, plane tickets or any detail necessary in organizing the course.

Course description

Inclusive education  generally means when all students are placed together in one classroom. Imagine when all students, regardless of any challenges they may have, are placed in age-appropriate general education classes to receive high quality instruction, interventions, and supports that enable them to meet success in the core curriculum.
The main premise of inclusive education is that students with disabilities are as fundamentally competent as students without disabilities. Consequently, all students can be full participants in their classrooms and in the local school community as well. However, great part of inclusive education is that environment is not restrictive, but highly natural which enables the students to express themselves.
Successful and effective inclusive education happens through accepting, understanding, and attending to student differences and diversity, which can include all the aspects of multiple intelligence -  physical, cognitive, academic, social, and emotional.
The main principle of inclusive education is to make all students feel welcomed, appropriately challenged, and supported in their efforts. It’s also critically important the adults are supported, too. This includes the regular education teacher and the special education teacher as well as all other staff who are helpful. Also, we shouldn’t forget about parents.

Methodology:

• The methodological approach implicates:
  
• Team – Building Sessions;
  
• Outdoor activities;
  
• Ice – Breaking and Warm – Up Sessions;
  
• Energizers
  
• Group Discussions;
  
• Debates;
  
• Science projects;
  
• Creation of individual learning pathway for the learners;
  
• Problem – Solving Activities;
  
• Project – Solving Activities
  
• Inquiry – Based Activities
  
• Questioning;
  
• Goal – Setting sessions;
  
• Decision – Making Sessions;
  
• Action – Based Strategies;
  
• Brainstorming;
  
• Planning and Structuring;
  
• Negotiation and Persuasion;
  
• Self – Motivation Sessions;
  
• Questionnaires

Objectives

• Learning the terminology regarding Inclusive Education
  
• Developing tools and techniques for teaching in inclusive classroom
  
• Learning how to include students of different cultural background in the classroom
  
• Increase students’ engagement by outdoor activities
  
• Encouraging students to express themselves in included classroom
  
• Stimulating learner-based approach in education
  
• Learning how to perform different projects in the inclusive classroom
  
• Learning how to engage students through game-based approach

Learning Outcomes

• Integration with teachers from various European countries
  
• Improvement of language and communication skills
  
• Increased capacity to cooperate on international level
  
• Getting practical ideas for applying in classroom
  
• Enhanced intercultural awareness
  
• Internationalization at the level of education
  
• Broader understanding of practices, policies and systems in inclusive education
  
• Improve the teaching of strategies and methods in inclusive education
  
• Improve knowledge of best practices and latest research in teaching in inclusive classroom
  
• Enhance diversity and intercultural awareness, critical thinking and cyber media literacy
  
• Encouragement of sharing best practices, ideas and materials between colleagues within the EU
  
• Mastery of teaching techniques, e.g. multiple intelligences, editing and structuring reading texts, reinforcement and different approaches to teaching.
  
• See and analyze examples of good practice

Follow-up

Trainees will be given soft and hard copies of all lesson materials, which they presenting to their colleagues at their own organizations to generate interest in 21st-century teaching methods with creative thinking. In addition, a mailing list of participants will be created in order to exchange ideas/experiences. Self-evaluation materials will be provided. At the end of the course the participants will accomplish a questionnaire in order to get a detailed feedback for the effectiveness of the training event.

Program of training activities day-by-day:

Day 1 – MONDAY

• Welcome and registration
  
• Introduction to the terminology of included classroom
  
• The importance of environment when teaching students with special needs
  
• Integration of multicultural students in the classroom – workshop
  
• Overcoming age, cultural and other differences among the students

Day 2 – TUESDAY

• Ice – breaking activities
  
• Multiple intelligence theory
  
• Helping students with learning disabilities to adapt to inclusive classroom
  
• Examples of inclusive education from European countries 

Day 3 – WENDESDAY

• Practical exercises aimed for inclusive education
  
• Encouraging child’s learning by stimulating them with various learning materials
  
• Improving social skills in the included classroom
  
• Critical debate: Advantages and disadvantages of included classroom

Day 4 – THURSDAY

• The importance of parental involvement
  
• Art and learning: Stimulating picture smart children in inclusive classroom
  
• Creating lessons plan for inclusive education

Day 5 – FRIDAY

• How to explore in learning: Workshop for inclusive education
  
• The importance of playing games: Games as a vehicle for learning
  
• Helping the students to improve their performance in the classroom

Days 6/7 – SATURDAY and SUNDAY Workshops and Cultural/Sightseeing Activities

Day 8 – Monday

• Music and learning: Stimulating effect of music for inclusive classrooms
  
• Inclusive classroom strategies
  
• Project-based learning in the nature

Day 9 – Tuesday

• How to inspire students: Brainstorm of ideas?
  
• Inquiry – based learning: Stimulating students to ask questions
  
• The magic of involvement: Creating a small laboratory in the school

Day 10 – Wednesday

• Project – based teaching: My 6 months' plan for dealing with children in the inclusive classroom
  
• Feedback, course evaluation and dissemination focus