Including Diverse Learners

Definitions According to Webster  Inclusion: An including or being included  Inclusive: Including everything, comprehensive

How can we make it work?  Environmental arrangements  Modifications of materials  Simplification of activities  Special equipment  Peer support  Adult support

How Can We Make It Work?  Embedded learning opportunities  Occasions where teachers create short teaching episodes within ongoing activities

 Discover a range of techniques for modifying and managing the class environment to support all students´ learning.

 Learn easy curricular modifications that don´t stray far from original lesson plans but meet the needs of all ability levels.

 Explore teaching tactics to foster inclusion and celebrate diversity in the classroom  Effectively guide your students on proper interaction with their peers with special needs

 Identify the causes of challenging behavior  Maslow  Environment  Does it work for everyone?  Increase desirable behaviors  Consistency  Guidance  Misbehavior vs Mistaken Behavior

If you could describe a boy using one word…

What is happening here?  Eighty percent of the discipline problems are caused by boys.  Of children diagnosed with learning disabilities, 70 percent are boys.  Of children diagnosed with behavior disorders, 80 percent are boys.  Over 80 percent of school children on Ritalin or similar drugs are boys.

The Brain

Biology… Wiring of the Brain  Boys tend to have more dopamine in their blood stream—which can increase impulsive behavior.  A boy’s corpus callosum is smaller in size than a girl’s. Harder to cross-talk.  Multi-tasking=frustration!

 Girls tend to have more activity in the temporal lobes —better listeners and memory storage.  Boys need more sensory-tactile experience to light up the brain.  Touching helps them focus…to listen. They need to touch to think!!

 Boys frontal lobe tends to be less active then girls. It develops slower.  The male brain tends to renew and recharge itself between tasks. It needs to rest.  Boys compartmentalize brain activity. They use less of the brain at one time. They are “wired” to learn one thing at a time, and in-depth.  Multitasking? Boys who feel overwhelmed or stress experience…anger, frustration, increase in adrenalin, the result…behavior problems.

 BLOCKS, BLOCKS, BLOCKS AND a reason to use them  BIG ART & Art that MOVES!  Music, Rhythm, Music,Rhythm  Incorporate nature

 Visual Guidance—Schedule of the day  Less Talking…Louder Voices  Karate Chops—This is male affection  ACTION!! Climbing, Running, Digging, Building, Throwing, Construction, Pushing/Shoving, Handshaking, Sword Fighting, Jumping…  SENSORY PLAY—EVERYDAY

 Look at your environment  Interesting interest areas?  Space for physical activity  Strong Choices  Brain Breaks & Calming Strategies  Talk in Private, Mediate, Acknowledge Emotions  Look at your environment again

Spirited Children  Challenging children are “spirited children” according to Mary Sheedy Kurcinka  Spirited Children are:  Normal children who are more: intense, persistent, sensitive, perceptive and energetic  They are NOT out to get you!

A “Goodness of Fit”  Focus on strengths  Identify who has come to be with you  Teach essential life skills  Take time to plan for success

Arousal System  Some children by their very nature have a more reactive arousal system  Behavior is a reflection of what is happening inside of the brain AND how we respond to it  Our job is to develop self-regulation  Actions  Thoughts  Feelings or desires

 Help children learn to follow directions

 Improve children’s communication skills

 Nurture social skills through role-plays and peer interactions  Coach children as they practice social skills in the course of the day

Resources  Challenging Behavior in Young Children: Understanding, Preventing & Responding Effectively- Kaiser & Rasminsky, 2003  The Power of Guidance- Gartrell, 2004  Pathways to Play:Developing Play Skills in Young Children- Heidemann & Hewitt, 1992  You Got It! Teaching Social & Emotional Skills-Fox & Lentini (NAEYC Online Journal, 2006)  Lisa Brown, “Boys” Powerpoint Slides, 2008  The Minds of Boys. Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life. Michael Gurian  Teaching with the Brain in Mind. Eric Jenson  Bev Bos. Great Things for Kids Conference 2008  The Spirited Child: Four Keys to Effective Discipline Mary Sheedy Kurcinka

Websites       Children’s books/posters/resources   Second Step Violence Prevention Curriculum