Innovative learning environments and spaces of belonging for special education teachers

Author(s):  
Angela Page ◽  
Joanna Anderson ◽  
Jennifer Charteris
Teachers Work ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Page ◽  
Alex Davis

This article examines Innovative Learning Environments (ILE’s) in terms of its promise to deliver an inclusive environment. While ILE’s underpinning philosophy is to be inclusive for all, it appears that inclusion serves the needs of a wider mainstream audience. The article considers the research in this area critically, with a focus on the inclusive needs of students with disabilities and asks - whose inclusive needs are best served in an ILE context? This article argues that inclusion in an ILE which addresses the needs of students with disabilities has yet to be fully realised, and that an alternative inclusive education (IE) paradigm is required that aligns itself with the new ILE pedagogical environment.


Author(s):  
Kyungbin Kwon ◽  
Sang Joon Lee ◽  
Jaehwa Chung

Evaluating the quality of students’ programs is necessary for better teaching and learning.  Although many innovative learning environments for computer science have been introduced, the scarcity of program evaluation frames and tools is a demanding issue in the teaching practice.  This study examined the quality of students’ Scratch programs by utilizing Dr. Scratch and by analyzing codes based on four computational concepts: conditions, loops, abstractions, and variables.  Twenty-three Scratch programs from two classes were examined.  Dr. Scratch results revealed that Scratch programs demonstrated a middle level of competency in computational thinking.  The analysis of computational concepts suggested that students had a sufficient understanding of the main concepts and demonstrated computing competency by applying the concepts into their programs.  The study also discussed inefficient programming habits, instructional issues utilizing Scratch, and the importance of problem decomposition skills.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfonso Rodríguez-Oramas ◽  
Pilar Alvarez ◽  
Mimar Ramis-Salas ◽  
Laura Ruiz-Eugenio

In the international context of a progress toward more inclusive educational systems and practices, the role of Special Education teachers is being transformed. From an inclusive perspective, these professionals increasingly support students and their teachers in the mainstream classroom, avoiding segregation. However, Special Education teachers often struggle to reach and support all students with special needs and their teachers to provide quality inclusive education. For this reason, more research is still needed on in-service training strategies for the inclusion of students with special needs that effectively translate into evidence-based school practices that improve the education of all students. This article analyses the impact of two evidence-based dialogic training programs of Special Education teachers working in mainstream schools carried out in Mexico during the 2018–2019 school year. Through in-depth interviews with participants, it was identified how, after the training, teachers increasingly grounded their actions on scientific evidence and promoted interactive learning environments that improved the educational inclusion of their students with special needs. This training also became the venue to make evidence-based educational actions available to other students without special needs, improving the quality of education provided to all students.


2021 ◽  
pp. 14-19
Author(s):  
Mark Osborne

Over recent years, innovative learning environments (ILEs) have become the default style of new-build educational architecture in New Zealand. While offering potential benefits, the implementation of ILEs represents a departure from established practice in most schools and therefore requires significant change leadership support in order to succeed. Prototyping ILE practices can help schools transition into new physical spaces by decreasing status quo bias while increasing individual and organisational readiness for change.


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