Welcome Discussion: Inclusive Educational issues

Welcome to the MA Inclusive Education

Welcome to everyone on the new MA Inclusive Education.

I am Ruth Green and I lead the MA programme. We hope that you enjoy your online experience through discussion with us, other "expert guests" and each other. Your discussions should be added to your portfolio as evidence of your learning.

Discussion Board Topic:

 As a student on the MA Inclusive Education you will be encouraged to develop inclusive approaches in your school or educational setting.  We will be exploring what we mean by that and part of our shared understanding will develop as you provide examples in the context in which you work illustrating what 'inclusive practice' means to you.

As a starting point for your reading and thinking in September and as a focus for discussion on this web space you could begin by reading chapters from the following books:

Special Teaching for Special Children? pedagogies for inclusion  2005 ( edited by Ann Lewis & Brahm Norwich) McGraw - Hill Open University Press

As the title suggests these chapters open up the discussion around  how inclusive education  can become more 'about extending the comprehensive ideal of education' and therefore less concerned with 'children's supposed special educational needs'.

Another thought provoking chapter along similiar lines is  entitled

 'Learning Without Limits'by Susan Hart in

  Inclusive Education: Learners and Learning Contexts  2003  (edited by Melanie Nind, Kieron Sheehy and Katy Simmons ) London: David Fulton

This chapter was part of a research project exploring and trying to understand the distinctive features of teaching that does not rely on the concept of fixed ability. 

This book is part of the series entitled 'Learning from Each Other' which is extremely pertinent as we hope that you will be doing just that during the course of your study with Middlesex University.

Enjoy your reading.

Ruth Green

(Both of these books are available new and second hand from Amazon.)