Today we had a divisional Professional Development day. It was a division-wide event so it was held at the local community center with about 200 teachers plus many other professional staff in attendance. It was wonderful to get together with colleagues from all over the division! This PD day, we had guest speaker Dr. Shelley Moore present on Inclusive Education.
Dr. Shelley Moore
Dr. Moore is clearly very knowledgeable in her field with both a masters and PhD in Special Education. Moore has also had much experience in the classroom teaching many students but also collaborating with staff. She grew up in Edmonton, Alberta and lives in British Colombia, Canada with her family. She now spends her time travelling to present her research at various conferences around the world. Dr. Moore was inspired to pursue this career as she herself experienced much exclusivity when she was diagnosed with ADHD as a young student. She is dedicated to making every student, nay, person included in all aspects of life, not necessarily just education.
Inclusive Education
Dr. Moore began the conference by asking what Inclusive Education is typically percieved as. Many answers included modified learning, individualized lesson planning, adapted lessons or assignments, and differentiated learning. Much to our dismay, Dr. Moore obliterated this perception as bandaid fixes and not actual solutions to the issues. And just what is the issue?
Through diagrams, articles and humourous anecdotes drawing on her own experiences as both a student and a teacher, she was quick to point out that Inclusive Education draws on the identity of each individual. The paradigm has shifted from teaching directly to people with disabilities (to what is thought to be their capacity), to teaching to diverse learners which shifted to teaching identity.
What are the barriers?
Each person is capable of learning. It is the barriers that may prevent the learning. This was depicted by a photo of a person in a wheelchair beside a staircase waiting for accessibility. This continues to be an issue from a lack of resources or time to simply understanding and perception. How does one develop independance in an autonomy that they can be confident in? To be confident and successful?
Maslow before Bloom
In the context of education, there’s a saying “Maslow before Bloom.” American Psychologist Abraham Maslow states that human motivation comes after significant needs of that person are met. For example, a student will not learn as well on an empty stomach as he or she would after a satisfying meal. For more on Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, check out my post here. Educational Psychologist Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonamy depicts the stages of which learning occurs. Each student goes through these stages, but it may look different for everyone. See the process of learning according to Bloom below (taken from https://www.teachthought.com/learning/what-is-blooms-taxonomy/ ).
Historically Educated
Dr. Moore briefly walked us through Inclusive Education as we were trained throughout our experiences. The two models discussed were the “Medical Model of Disability” and “Social Model of Disability”. My favorite quote that Dr. Moore used was from Alexander den Heijer: “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” It goes without saying, but a who a person is cannot be changed, but the accessibility to which they can learn, gain independence, confidence and success can be changed. She encourages educators to observe the environment of the students, alluding to the fact that there may be other students who require the same accessibility to a different extent.
The Paradigm Shift
The model that Dr. Moore proposes is called the “Person-Place Model of Need”. This truly encourages inclusivity for all by identifying different barriers, educating the students about the barriers, and practicing strategies or supports to navigate said barriers. By educating students about their needs and required supports, stigmatism is elminated but then communication is displayed. Dr. Moore demonstrated this by tying in our curriculum with examples to test drive.
The Music Room
I feel as though an early years general music class does inclusivity pretty well. The focus is pretty much on experience and large group ensemble participation. As far as activities go, there are lots of options for instrumentation for different physical capablities. These are easy to spot and adapt on the fly. Is the cabasa too difficult to operate? Try a guiro!
Inclusive Education in the Music Room
Inclusive Education means that each student reaches the same goal, but potentially with different strategies. The first thing that comes to mind are rhythmic assessments. Music teachers get really excited with higher grade levels because we assume that all of our students have mastered the art of performing rhythms on melodic instruments when they get to our class. Sometimes we even give them instruments that require several strings or different facial embourchures.
Don’t Complicate It
But look at the curriculum; does it specifically state that a learning outcome for a sixth grade student is to play an E-flat on a trumpet with perfect tonality? I’m going to take a wild guess to say that it isn’t quite that specific. Does it say to identify and play a certain rhythm? Most likely, yes. Give the students an option, how do they want to achieve this? On the trumpet, xylophone, or even with rhythm sticks work just fine! Meet the students where they are at.
Safety First
The music room can be a rough place for students who are overstimulated more than others. Have some options available. Have procedures in place where students can take a sound break. I have a bucket in my room with earmuffs beside my mini library. A few students frequently use the earmuffs as the acoustics are not always healthy. A couple other students read books to self-regulate. Get to know your students. Music should be an enjoyable experience for everyone. Please consider Maslow and Bloom.
I encourage you to take a look at Dr. Moore’s research and materials. You can connect with her in several different places, but there is a collection of topics presented and conferences visited. Click here to see!