Implications for Professional Practice

What does Implications for Professional Practice mean to you?

It raises further questions and answers for me like-
How do I make adjustments? - Look at the signs and document how they present in the class. Look to resources for suitable methods. (EQ, ACARA, QSA)

What sort of adjustments do I make? Adjustments that are based on evidence and research, and that follow current guidelines for catering to diversity.

How do I support this child in the best way possible? Through professional development of yourself and by implementing contemporary methods under strict guidelines (Law and school policy).

What else do I need to know about this condition? Consult specialists

How is this condition going to effect the child and the rest of the class? Research, organisation and professional development will determine how well you respond to diversity, and how well you cater to the students needs.

Trauma and Children

Here are some creative ways for dealing with trauma in the classroom:

Click here to watch a video from the ABC about how students have been inspired by trauma.

Click here to view a simple presentation about trauma and in children in a school setting.

Below is a video which looks at art therapy and trauma.

The video below discusses practical ways to support a child at school after a traumatic experience. 

Teaching deaf students in the inclusive classroom

Teaching deaf students in the inclusive classroom Part 1

Interestingly, these videos don't have captions for deaf viewers. 

HOW do we include children with diverse learning needs in the classroom?

I thought I'd start a post about the 'how' to include children with diverse learning needs in the classroom, rather than 'what' diverse learning needs are. Feel free to comment however you wish to this post to get the ball rolling - but I think this may help give us a more practical approach and practical attitude towards this particular topic.

The four forms of diversity I have chosen are - Down Syndrome, Dyslexia, Autism and Hearing Impairment.
Based on my research so far I've gathered the following methods. These are not explored in full, but simply an accumulation so far..

Here is a link to a website that lists many ways to educate a child with dyslexia. Click here.

Here is a link to a PDF file entitled "Supporting the Student with Down Syndrome in Your Classroom". Page 15 has a table that outlines ways of "Modifying the Curriculum for Students with Down Syndrome".

Here is a link from the Education Queensland Website that discusses ways to include children with hearing impairments and ways to adjust the curriculum to manage and develop their learning.

Here is a link to a website that outlines "6 ways to include a child with Autism in a classroom" and then discusses ways to achieve the 6 goals.


How do we determine whether these are 'contemporary methods' - do we just look at the date of publication? What are your thoughts?

Down Syndrome

"One of the greatest challenges that people with Down syndrome face is the attitudes of other people who do not understand what it means to have Down syndrome. Despite much change, many people still don't see the individual person. Instead they just see 'Down syndrome' and expect everyone with Down syndrome to be more or less the same".Source: http://www.downsyndrome.org.au/what_is_down_syndrome.html

This YouTube clip shows how the inclusion of this particular individual with Down Syndrome works very well and he achieves grades that match the grades of his peers.

References

Source: http://www.downsyndrome.org.au/what_is_down_syndrome.html accessed 8/4/14

English as an Additional Language

Hyde et al. consider that a "communicative language  teaching" approach is required when teaching English as an additional language. On page 53, the competencies that the teacher is trying to develop are listed.

Below is a lecture from Edgehill University in England which explores EAL and the various approaches to teaching EAL.

Here is a shorter video from AITSL which looks at how a teacher has adapted his practice in order to engage students from an EAL background:

Cultural Diversity: Homeland Learning Centres

Cultural diversity is important in so many Sydney schools and in other parts of Australia. Like Emma, I will also be looking at cultural diversity.

Something I had not heard about until recently is the concept of Homeland Learning Centres. These centres are not schools, yet they provide education (usually only primary education) to students living on their traditional lands. There is a lot of debate regarding the equity of education services provided in indigenous and non-indigenous communities in the NT. 

Please read the transcript below of an interview which discusses Homeland Learning Centres. 

What do you think of Homeland Learning Centres?

How would it be different teaching in a Homeland Learning Centre in comparison to a school?

Student diversity

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) has included in the Curriculum policies that surround student diversity.  ACARA specifically looks at students with a disability; gifted and talented students; Teaching students English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) and ensuring that education is accessible for all young Australians (ACARA, 2013).  The attached link is the ACARA website:

http://www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/student_diversity/student_diversity.html

Vision impairment

Vision impairment does not always mean complete blindness, it can also be low sight. There are endless learning aids that can assist in the classroom to ensure that all students are able to learn in the classroom environment.

'Braille soon coming to Visual Libraries Project' by Claire Sambrook available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/create_up/3485756495/ under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0.

In relation to learning needs, some of the aids that may assist a visually impaired student include:

• Braille
• Low vision devices such as hand held magnifiers, 
• Large print books
• I-pad app's specifically for visually impaired
• Allowing students to have additional time in completing activities
• Being mindful of lighting; desk height, situation and position
• Pedagogy

Ideas sourced from Hyde, Carpenter and Conway (2010). Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement (2nd ed). Oxford University press

Hearing impairment

Another very quick (46 second video) regarding aboriginal ear health.  Hearing impairment can be of major concern when it comes to children learning and may result in serious consequences developmentally.  One condition that is quite common in the community where I reside is called 'Otitis media' otherwise known as glue ear.

This condition has been reported to be more prevalent in indigenous communities and in low socio-economic groups.  When it comes to hearing impairment there are three major areas which seem to be affected - inner ear; middle ear and outer ear, Otitis media affects the middle ear.

Some of the symptoms known to be associated with Otitis media include:

• behavioural problems;
• complaints regarding sore ears
• difficulty hearing
• hearing buzzing noises

I will be focusing on hearing impairment as one of my forms of diversity as this is one field that is particularly relevant to where live.  Being able to recognise the symptoms and perhaps escalate medical treatment may avoid the long term effects.

Diversity!

Here's a short clip regarding cultural diversity specifically in regards to learning.  The primary focus is on student learning and interpreting that all backgrounds need to be respected.  All students can learn and it is important to value diversity.  One of my interests and forms of diversity that I will be investigating further is cultural diversity...