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15 markers
Many
classroom teachers -- both beginning and experienced -- often say they
feel
unprepared to teach students with disabilities in the general education
classroom.
They report being unfamiliar with different ways to adapt curriculum,
instruction,
and assessment to meet the diverse needs of all learners. This can be
understood,
in
part, as a result of the growth of our dual system of special and general
education
-- leaving teachers with the misconception that specific disabilities
require specific
teaching methodologies.
But teachers already do make instructional plans that work to promote
learning for a
wide range of students. Research as found that specific changes made to
foster
inclusion of students with disabilities also benefit typical students.
To quote
several
educators:
"Many of the
strategies used to increase the social and curricular inclusion of students
with disabilities are directly relevant to and supportive of many student
without
disability
labels." (York, Doyle & Kronberg, 1992, p.4)
Specifically,
research has demonstrated that all students learn best when instruction
involves active student participation, problem-solving, social interaction
to support peer learning,
building
on prior knowledge, considering student interests, and a variety of ways
for student to
display
their knowledge.
There
are fifteen classroom markers that support the following theories for
multilevel instruction:
- Multilevel
curriculum selection
- Curriculum
overlapping
- Differentiating
instruction
- Culturally
relevant pedagogy
- Multiple
intelligences theory
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