Inclusive education is the foundation of our world. Unless we have inclusion, we can't have a democracy
Building Community, Challenging Exclusion, Developing Friendships and Connections
Ability Differences in the Classroom: Teaching and Learning in Inclusive Classrooms
29 December 2006
Although we may talk about classrooms as "the kindergarten" or "the 3rd grade," and may assume similarities in the skills and interests of chronologically similar students, the reality is that all classrooms are heterogeneous. Typical classrooms have always served (or ill-served) students who varied along any number of continua, including performance or ability, either by ignoring those differences or through elaborate tracking and grouping strategies. Now, however, many schools are moving towards more purposive heterogeneity; teachers recognize the value of teaching children to interact comfortably with a wide range of people and so work to create classrooms and practices that acknowledge differences among students in the classroom and respond to them thoughtfully and creatively (Sapon-Shevin, 1999, 2001, 2003). Read More »Cooperative Learning
Cooperative Learning and Middle Schools
30 December 2006
Cooperative learning can be defined as a way of organizing instruction that involves students working together to help one another learn. Cooperative learning requires structuring learning tasks so that students must serve as each other's resources in order to be successful. The recent report by the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, Turning Points (1989), identifies cooperative learning as one of the key strategies for ensuring success for all students: Read More »Differentiated Instruction and Multi-level Teaching
Building a Safe Community for Learning
29 December 2006
Visiting my students in the field, I have the opportunity to go into a lot of classrooms. I get to absorb little snatches of conversation, notice what hangs on the walls and how the room is arranged, observe a wide range of lessons and management strategies. And always, if I allow myself to notice, I have feelings about what I see and hear. I enter one classroom and am immediately struck by a feeling of gloom —tension, uneasiness, silence or bickering, a sense that all is not well in the world. The teacher is yelling, threatening, brow furrowed and intense, unhappy with this stance but somehow resigned to it. Entering another classroom, the easy joyfulness strikes me just as quickly— students talking, sharing, heads bent together over a shared project, the teacher talking, laughing, smiling, joking, the atmosphere light and alive with energy. How does one make sense of this contrast? Read More »Related Links
Beacon Press
My new book is available here
GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network
Organization for students, parents, and teachers that tries to affect positive change in schools. Offers information on what you can do in your state.
Paula Kluth
This website is dedicated to promoting inclusive schooling and exploring positive ways of supporting students with autism and other disabilities. Most of my work involves collaborating with schools to create environments, lessons, and experiences that are inclusive, respectful, and accessible for all learners.