Inclusive Education Essay Example for Free

Inclusive Education Essay The article I have chosen for review is â€Å"What Matters Most in Inclusive Education: A Practical Guide for Moving Forward†, published in the Intervention in School and Clinic Journal. As the title of the article suggests, what is more important where inclusive education is concerned? This topic is illustrated in the article through the authors own experiences and research. More specifically, the authors note that the concept of inclusion implies a sense of belonging and acceptance. The topic of this article is promoting inclusion of children with disabilities into the proper environment. The authors state â€Å"the physical placement of students with disabilities in general education classes is often overemphasized, while other aspects of developing inclusive environments are neglected† (Voltz, Brazil, Ford, 2001, p. 24). This sets the context for the more specific research problem. The authors state â€Å"although it is not generally conductive to inclusive environments to create separate spaces designated for special education, it is helpful to maintain physical spaces that can be used by any group of students or teachers on an as is basis†(Voltz et al., 2001, p. 24). The authors go on to note that, â€Å" by providing for flexibility in student groupings, without designating physical spaces for special education, the overall academic, affective, and social goals of inclusion can be met†(Voltz et al., 2001, p. 24-25). The authors did not note a specific research question or hypothesis, but they do address the overall context for their qualitative study. They state that â€Å"the intent of this article is to highlight for general and special education practitioners the critical elements of inclusive education and to provide practical suggestions for how to promote these elements in general education classrooms† (Voltz et al., 2001, p. 24). After reviewing the literature, the authors state that, â€Å"in order to make inclusive education work, attention must be given to the physical environment of the classroom, the instructional strategies employed, the classroom management techniques used, and the educational collaboration that occurs among faculty†(Voltz et al., 2001, p. 25). The authors began their article with a review of the movement of maximizing the participation of special education students into general education  classrooms. The critical elements of inclusion discussed by the authors are: Active, meaningful participation in the mainstream, sense of belonging, and shared ownership among faculty. Next the authors discuss supporting the critical elements of inclusion. In this section of the article the authors discuss instructional strategies to make inclusion work in the classroom. The authors state â€Å"in order for students with disabilities to participate meaningfully in inclusive classrooms and feel a sense of belonging, special attention must be given to differentiating what is taught, as well as how it is taught†(Voltz et al., 2001, p. 25). The authors also discuss the classroom climate. The authors note that â€Å" one of the most critical elements of successful inclusive classrooms is a facilitating social/emotional climate in which students and teachers feel safe, valued, and accepted†(Voltz et al., 2001, p. 26). The last topic that the authors discussed was educational collaboration. The authors state that â€Å"in order to facilitate the inclusion of students with disabilities, it is critical that general and special education teachers routinely meet to engage in collaborative problem solving around issues that may emerge in the inclusion process†(Voltz et al., 2001, p. 29). The authors conclude their study provides important information that can assist educators to move forward with diverse learners. The authors argue that inclusion is not just about placing children with disabilities into general education classrooms. Children that are in special education also need to be placed into the proper environment. While this article has provided detailed information about how to promote an environment suitable for special education children, it lacks information specific to the affects of inclusion on children without disabilities. The authors assert that their study can help educators refine educational environments to embrace special education learners. The bible, which is God word revealed, provides educators with a framework for teaching. Educators who teach using Gods framework will embrace diverse learners. In conclusion, the title of the article suggested, what is more important where inclusive education is concerned? The authors noted that the concept of inclusion implies a sense of belonging and acceptance. The article provided a review of the movement of maximizing the participation of special education students into general education classrooms. The authors argued that inclusion is not just about placing children with disabilities  into general education classrooms. Children that are in special education also need to be placed into the proper environment. The authors provided information to help educators with inclusion of special education into general classrooms. References Voltz, D. L., Brazil, N., Ford, A. (2001, September). What Matters Most in Inclusive Education: A Practical Guide for Moving Forward. Intervention in School and Clinic, 37(1), 23-30. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/211752403?accountid=12085