SEN Education: Exclusion or Inclusion

Inclusion in education means that children with mild to moderate special education needs are taught alongside their peers without special education needs.

photo credit: crabtree junior school

Exclusion on the other hand is when children with special needs attend special schools. ( Exclusion is gradually fading in modern education societies). Though children with severe and multiple SEN are adviced to be in special schools where proper provision will be made for their needs.
 

 photo credit: SEN Dairy

Inclusion is well practiced in schools in Nigeria. I believein  inclusion beacause I know inclusion in our schools is the first step towards inclusion in the society. Also inclusion brings diversity into the classroom.









 photo credit: Griffe Primary School

To make SEN inclusion easy, below are seven principles of inclusion :

1. Teaching All Students
Educators should take several different approaches to teaching the same material so that information becomes more interesting and tangible to a greater number of students.

2. Exploring Multiple Identities
Students who are proud of themselves and excited by the world around them will be more compassionate and understanding people; the same is true for educators.

3. Preventing Prejudice
Educators should take a proactive approach to debunking preconceived stereotypes and preventing them from escalating into prejudices and negative biases.

4. Promoting Social Justice
Students are good judges of what is fair, especially when they are affirmatively challenged to consider issues of social justice. Educators should talk to them about issues of social justice and injustice in terms of fair versus unfair, respectful versus disrespectful.

5. Choosing Appropriate Materials
Inclusive classrooms use books and materials that reflect accurate images of diverse peoples and 

 challenge stereotypes.

 

photo credit: crabtree junior school

6. Teaching and Learning About Cultures and Religions
Educators should create curiosity and expand students’ horizons by teaching about others in a positive manner. Students should have the opportunity to learn from their peers as well as other cultures.

7. Adapting and Integrating Lessons Appropriately
Educators should be flexible when using and adapting lessons in our curricula, as well as in prescribed curricula in general. Many of the most teachable moments are unplanned and unscripted.

click on the link to read more 

Biblography:- 

https://tanenbaum.org

The woes of my Nigerian private school pupil

It looks like it is my challenges but they are not mine she bears them all. She is in Nigeria but is learning about Abraham Lincoln and the great London Fire.
She is in Nigeria and understands little of her father's tongue yet is a living,breathing and Eba eating Oxford Dictionary
 


The overpriced school fees and the class projects indirectly sent to me, it looks like my challenges but she bears them all. She knows summer, Autumn, Spring and Winter but can not understand the Dry and wet seasons. Do I blame her? She wrote about what she did during her summer vacation not "long vac" (like I fondly remember) which was spent in the city Lagos.


I once asked what curricula do you use? A British, American, Japanese,Chinese  with a Nigerian strength. That answer will always remind me never to ask such. I have since wondered if the "Nigerian strength" was a metaphor for the poor teacher who is left to make sense of this gibberish. Not at all my headache ,she bears them all.
 

Where are the fields we had to run about and play? They are now classrooms she answered with a defeated sigh. How many subjects do you study? She counted her ten fingers and ten toes. So I asked again how many? Slyly she enquired mummy can I borrow your fingers and toes too? 



Tears flowed down my face, like she read my mind.she looked at me and said mummy don't worry when I become the president teacher  I will make everyone happy.

She  may not understand the tears I shed. But I don't also think we need to wait till she becomes a president teacher (whatever that is) to make the so much needed changes to the Nigerian Education sector.

Supreme Education Foundation Junior School in the eyes of Mrs Da silva

I'm glad to see that you've taken time to know more about our wonderful school. We have made huge improvements in every sphere of our learning facilities to fulfill the new SEF vision. Admission into the Junior School is offered to children aged three (3) months to eleven (10) years. We run a Creche (3 months - 1 Year), Preschool (1 Year - 2 Years), Nursery One (2 Years - 3 Years), Nursery Two (3 Years - 4 Years), Reception (4 Years - 5 Years) and Primary (Elementary) School (5 Years - 10 Years). The upgraded infrastructure, curriculum, teaching staff, teaching methodology, technology, learning environments all come at a great cost but these measures will pay off in the long run.
The students learn values and morals through various co-curricular activities which include clubs. We raise funds annually for Charity as part of our 'social responsibility project'. We promote positive attitudes to learning and by so doing, build on the foundation for future learning. All 'in the name' of developing the academic, cultural, and physical aspects of each child, an 'extra' personal effort is put into preparing them for the demands of the society.
It is the aim of the teachers of the Junior School and myself to provide a positive, calm working atmosphere at school by working hand in hand with parents and their wards.
 

The above is credited  to Funmilayo Da silva (Mrs.) is the head of SEF Junior school. More about Supreme Education Foundation School Junior School below
Supreme Education Foundation Junior School.
Mrs Da silva blogs at  funmillayodasilva.blogspot.com

Austism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

There is considerable overlap among the different forms of autism. The wide variation in symptoms among children with autism, however, has led to the concept of autism spectrum disorder, or ASD.

ASDs affect one out of every 68 children in the U.S. They occur more often among boys than girls. While autism appears to be on the rise, it's unclear whether the growing number of diagnoses shows a real increase or comes from improved detection.

Early diagnosis is important. That's because early treatment can help a child with autism make significant gains in language and social skills.

 

Signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorders affect three different areas of a child's life:

• Social interaction
• Communication -- both verbal and non verbal
• Behaviors and interests

 

Each child with an ASD will have his or her own pattern of autism. 

Sometimes, a child's development is delayed from birth. Some children seem to develop normally before they suddenly lose social or language skills. Others show normal development until they have enough language to demonstrate unusual thoughts and preoccupations. 

In some children, a loss of language is the major impairment. In others, unusual behaviors (like spending hours lining up toys) seem to to be the dominant factors.

 

Parents are usually the first to notice something is wrong. But a diagnosis of autism is often delayed. Parents or a physician may downplay early signs of autism, suggesting the symptoms are "just a phase" or a sign of a minor delay in development. Children with a possible autism spectrum disorder, though, should be evaluated by a professional team with experience in diagnosing autism.

Until recently, the types of ASD have been determined by guidelines in the diagnostic manual (DSM - IV) of the American Psychiatric Association. According to the CDC, the three main types of ASD are:

• Asperger's syndrome
• Pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)
• Autistic disorder

 

The DSM -IV also included two rare but severe autistic-like conditions -- Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder. 

The new diagnostic manual has made some major changes in this list of disorders. It's unclear, though, how these changes will affect the way health professionals define exactly what is an autistic spectrum disorder.

 

Asperger's Syndrome

The mildest form of autism, Asperger's syndrome (AS) affects boys three times more often than girls. Children with AS become obsessively interested in a single object or topic. They often learn all about their preferred subject and discuss it nonstop. Their social skills, however, are markedly impaired, and they are often awkward and uncoordinated.

Asperger's syndrome is mild compared to other ASDs. Also, children with AS frequently have normal to above average intelligence. As a result, some doctors call it "high-functioning autism." As children with AS enter adulthood, though, they are at high risk for anxiety and depression.

Read more about ASD 

 ASD 

ASD1

ASD2

SOURCE:- webmd

World Teachers' Day: Happy Teachers' Day to Mr. & Mrs. Annor

It once again world teachers' day. I salute every teacher. I wish we were more appreciated, more recognised, more celebrated. But with all these we still do our best to educate tomorrow's leaders.
On this day I want to say a big thank to one man who's influence in my life has been powerful.
Even from the grave Mr. Annor I still feel your influence like an indelible ink in my life.

 
Your unrelenting reliance to help me achieve at my best.
I remember fondly how I will sneak out of extension class without completing my work and you send for me saying "Mumuni call me Mariama Atos"
Mr Annor believed in me when I didn't believe in myself.



And two decades on I'm still thankful. I will be for a lifetime and some
He is survived by his wife another mentor of mine, Mrs. Florence Annor and four adult children. Mrs Annor also worked as a teacher at Achimota Primary school,Accra, Ghana. Until her retired some years ago.
 
My life will never be the same. And I know so because of the impacts that this important man and many others too numerous to name made in my life. All these great men and women consumed themselves to light the way for me. Happy teachers' Day. And keep up the splendid work.

#ThankaTeacherToday
#Worldteachersday

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!! GIVEAWAY!!!

Yes people you read right.......... its a GIVEAWAY. This the first edition of my monthly book giveaway.
I decided that since I want to keep more people ( children and adults alike)  reading . There will be a monthly book give away on the blog.



How to enter
1. Visit the blog ( often and leave a comment)
2. Follow on Twitter (@mtakintunde)
3. Follow on Instagram(@mimmiet)
4. Like the facebook page (not your average nigerian teacher)
5.At the end of each month a winner will be RANDOMLY selected


Please note that for now, this giveaway is only open to Nigerian residents ( I have limited it only because this is the pilot project). My readers all over the world will soon participate.

The winner of the first (October) Giveaway takes home 5000 naira worth of book.
Subesquent winners will have 3000 naira worth of books


May the best man, woman or child win!!!
Also always don't forget to follow, share and comment.