Inclusional Best Practices, Supporting Inclusion

Inclusional Best Practices, Supporting Inclusion The inclusive classroom means that all students have the right to feel safe, supported and included at school and in the regular classroom as much as possible. There is ongoing debate about placing students completely in the regular classroom. Views from both parents and educators can create a great deal of anxiety and passion. However, most students today are placed in agreement with both parents and educators. Often, the placement will be the regular classroom as much as possible with some cases where alternatives are selected. The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), amended version 2004, does not actually list the word inclusion. The law actually requires that children with disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment appropriate† to meet their â€Å"unique needs.† The least restrictive environment typically means placement in the regular education classroom which typically means Inclusion when ever possible. IDEA also recognizes that it is not always possible or beneficial for some students. Here are some best practices to ensure inclusion is successful: An Overview of the Inclusive ClassroomIn the inclusive classroom, it is important that the teacher fully understands the learning, social and physical needs of the students. A teacher has a special role to play when trying to maximize learning potential for students with special needs. It becomes the educators role to create a welcoming environment and provide students with ongoing opportunities to learn, share, and engage in all classroom activities. Determining what alternate assessment needs to occur is another area where the educator needs to make changes to specifically support the student in the regular classroom. Preparing Students for the Inclusive ClassroomThis checklist helps both parent and teacher prepare the student for the inclusional classroom setting. The child needs to know what to expect, equally important is to ensure that there are no surprises.The Inclusional Classroom ChecklistI am a big fan of checklists. This checklist provides educators with guidance about m aximizing success for students in an inclusional setting. There are 12 key items that will guide the establishment of a successful inclusional setting. Each item points to some form of action which will be key in maximizing sucess for the student with special needs. Youll find that the checklist includes strategies for academic, social and physical success. Using Peer Support in the Inclusive ClassroomPeer support is one of the most essential ingredients in the inclusive classroom setting. Peer support helps to build rapport and a sense of belonging and community among students. Students with special needs often become the targets for inappropriate behavioral conduct from other students, however, by education the whole class and having members of the class become peer supporters, the problem of teasing is often minimized. How To Reach and Teach all Students in the Inclusive ClassroomIt always helps to have great resources to help out. Without a doubt, this resource is my favorite! The pages of my book are dog-eared, marked up and highlighted. I have come across and read many books and articles about inclusion but this book is the practical one that my colleagues all agree on as needing at their fingertips. Some food for thought regarding some of the challenges of the full inclusional model include: How can you ensure that the student relationsips in your class are not superfical?How will you provide intense one to one instruction? Time for this is often greatly reduced.How will you ensure that equal rights are in place for all students?Sometimes youll be faced with research that suggests the inclusional classroom may not be as successful based on the specific needs of the student.Many parents want both inclusion and alternative settings. Sometimes the full inclusional model just wont support all the needs. Although inclusion is the preferred approach, it is recognized that for a number of students, it is not only challenging but sometimes controversial. If you are a special education teacher, there is no doubt that you have discovered some of the challenges of inclusion.

Biography of Camilo Cienfuegos, Cuban Revolutionary

Biography of Camilo Cienfuegos, Cuban Revolutionary Camilo Cienfuegos (February 6, 1932–October 28, 1969) was a leading figure of the Cuban Revolution, along with Fidel Castro and Chà © Guevara. He defeated Batista forces at the Battle of Yaguajay in December 1958, and after the triumph of the Revolution in early 1959 he took on a position of authority in the Army. Cienfuegos is considered one of the greatest heroes of the Revolution and every year Cuba celebrates the anniversary of his death. Fast Facts: Camilo Cienfuegos Known For: Cienfuegos was a key guerilla leader in the Cuban Revolution.Also Known As: Camilo Cienfuegos GorriarnBorn: February 6, 1932 in Havana, CubaDied: October 28, 1959 (Presumed dead after his plane disappeared over the Straits of Florida)Education: Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes San AlejandroNotable Quote: Vas bien, Fidel  (Youre doing fine, Fidel)  (Uttered during a revolutionary rally in 1959 after Fidel Castro asked Cienfuegos how his speech was going) Early Life Camilo Cienfuegos Gorriarn was born in Havana, Cuba, on February 6, 1932. As a young man, he was artistically inclined; he even attended art school but was forced to drop out when he could no longer afford it. Cienfuegos went to the United States for a time in the early 1950s in search of work but returned disillusioned. As a teenager, he became involved in protests of government policies, and as the situation in Cuba worsened, he became more and more involved in the struggle against president Fulgencio Batista. In 1955, he was shot in the leg by Batistas soldiers. According to Cienfuegos, that was the moment at which he decided he would strive to free Cuba from the Batista dictatorship. Revolution Cienfuegos moved to Mexico, where he met up with Fidel Castro, who was putting together an expedition to head back to Cuba and start a revolution. Camilo eagerly joined up and was one of 82 rebels packed into the 12-passenger yacht Granma, which left Mexico on November 25, 1956, and arrived in Cuba a week later. The Cuban Army discovered the rebels and killed most of them, but a small group of survivors was able to hide and later regroup. The 19 rebels spent several weeks in the Sierra Maestra mountains. Comandante Camilo As one of the survivors of the Granma group, Cienfuegos had a certain prestige with Fidel Castro that the others who joined the revolution later did not. By the middle of 1957, he had been promoted to comandante and had his own command. In 1958, the tide began to turn in favor of the rebels, and Cienfuegos was ordered to lead one of three columns to attack the city of Santa Clara (another was commanded by Chà © Guevara). One squad was ambushed and wiped out, but Guevara and Cienfuegos ultimately converged on Santa Clara. The Battle of Yaguajay Cienfuegoss force, joined by local farmers and peasants, reached the small army garrison at Yaguajay in December 1958 and besieged it. There were about 250 soldiers inside under the command of Cuban-Chinese captain Abon Ly. Cienfuegos attacked the garrison but was repeatedly driven back. He even tried putting together a makeshift tank out of a tractor and some iron plates, but the plan was not successful. Eventually, the garrison ran out of food and ammunition and surrendered on December 30. The next day, the revolutionaries captured Santa Clara. (Today, a museum in Cienfuegos honor- the Museo Nacional Camilo Cienfuegos- stands in Yaguajay.) After the Revolution The loss of Santa Clara and other cities convinced Batista to flee the country, bringing the revolution to a close. The handsome, affable Cienfuegos was very popular, and upon the success of the revolution was probably the third most powerful man in Cuba, after Fidel and Raà ºl Castro. He was promoted to head of the Cuban armed forces in early 1959. In this capacity, he assisted the new Castro regime as it made changes to the Cuban government. Arrest of Matos and Disappearance In October 1959, Fidel Castro began to suspect that Huber Matos, another one of the original revolutionaries, was plotting against him. He sent Cienfuegos to arrest Matos, as the two were good friends. According to later interviews with Matos, Cienfuegos was reluctant to carry out the arrest, but followed his orders and did so. Matos was sentenced and served 20 years in prison. On the night of October 28, Cienfuegos flew back from Camaguey to Havana after completing the arrest. His plane disappeared and no trace of Cienfuegos or the airplane was ever found. After a few frantic days of searching, the hunt was called off. Death Cienfuegos’s disappearance and presumed death have caused many to wonder if Fidel or Raà ºl Castro had him killed. There is some compelling evidence on both sides, and historians have not yet reached a conclusion. Given the circumstances of the case, it is possible that the truth will never be known. The case against: Cienfuegos was very loyal to Fidel, even arresting his good friend Huber Matos when the evidence against him was weak. He had never given the Castro brothers any cause to doubt his loyalty or competence. He had risked his life many times for the Revolution. Chà © Guevara, who was so close to Cienfuegos that he named his son after him, denied that the Castro brothers had anything to do with Cienfuegoss death. The case for: Cienfuegos was the only revolutionary figure whose popularity rivaled Fidel’s, and as such was one of a very few people who could go against him if he wished. Cienfuegos’s dedication to communism was suspect- for him, the Revolution was about removing Batista. Also, he had recently been replaced as head of the Cuban Army by Raà ºl Castro, a sign that perhaps they were planning to move on him. Legacy It will probably never be known for sure what happened to Cienfuegos. Today, the fighter is considered one of the great heroes of the Cuban Revolution. He has his own monument at the site of the Yaguajay battlefield, and every year on October 28 Cuban schoolchildren throw flowers into the ocean for him. Cienfuegos also appears on Cuban currency. Sources Brown, Jonathan C. Cubas Revolutionary World. Harvard University Press, 2017.Kapcia, Antoni. Leadership in the Cuban Revolution: the Unseen Story. Fernwood Publishing, 2014.Sweig, Julia. Inside the Cuban Revolution: Fidel Castro and the Urban Underground. Harvard University Press, 2004.