against inclusion Essay

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The Debate Over Inclusion in the Classroom

Unit 4 Assignment-Educational Psychology

02/01/2014

Inclusion in the classroom has been a huge debate in the educational field for many years. The question is whether or not children with special needs should be placed in a regular classroom or if they should have special education classrooms in addition. I believe students should have separate education classrooms to they can get extra assistance in areas they are struggling with and have more individualized assistance from teachers who have extra training in supporting students with special needs. I feel teachers may not have the time or adequate training to help students who need more assistance in certain areas so Inclusion in the classroom is not a good idea.
In order to understand inclusion, it’s important to know specific vocabulary that relates to it. Inclusion in the classroom means to fully support each student to the maximum extent and having supportive services available in the regular classroom so students don’t have to go outside of the classroom and separate from their classmates. Mainstreaming refers to taking students out of their regular classrooms during certain times when they need extra assistance in a subject area and provides support outside of the classroom typically in special education resource rooms or if the school cannot accommodate sometimes at a residential setting (Shultz, 2001). It’s a general idea that some students may struggle in certain subjects and would benefit from additional resources.
In the article, Enabling or Disabling? An observation in Changes in Special Education, by James M. Kauffman, Kathleen McGee, AND Michelle Brigham, discusses peoples mixed feelings and attitudes in regards to special education and disabilities in general. It also talks about how opinions on this topic have shifted over decades. Later on in the article, the author discusses where they stand on this controversial issue. They explain that disabilities are “real” and that they must be addressed. As a society we cannot make assumptions that people with disabilities can do the exact same as everyone else (Kauffman, 2004). Schools should have special resource teachers who are specially trained in aiding students with special needs so they can perform at their fullest potential. Students should have extra resources so they can get the best out of their education.
It’s important to realize that students all have individual strengths and weaknesses in school subjects and it’s important that schools understand this and accommodate accordingly since the primary purpose of schooling is so students can learn/grow and take what they have been taught and use it in life and whatever they decide to do career wise. Students should all have the opportunity to learn the same curriculum as their peers. Some students may need more time and extra support to learn the material. It’s unrealistic to expect everyone to be proficient at everything and students have different learning styles. Resource teachers are trained to assist students to learn things to the best of their ability and offer alternative ways of learning something in a way they are able to comprehend (Charlotte, 1998).
The opposing argument in favor of inclusion is supported in the article, Extending Inclusive Opportunities by Michael Giangreco, provides why they feel students should all learn in one classroom. He feels that teachers can succeed at supporting students with special needs in their classroom by using multi-level curriculum and overlapping. Using this approach students with special needs along with regular students participate in shared activities. “In curriculum overlapping all students may be working on either the same or different assignment in the same subject but they each have different learning outcomes from using broad curriculum areas like social learning. The main goal is “approaching inclusive education this way