Wondering how you are going to meet the variability of learning needs of the students in your classroom? Keen to plug into the experience of other teachers or hear first-hand recommendations from students? Come and explore Inclusive Education: Guides for schools.
Inclusive Education: Guides for schools” is the new Ministry of Education’s website. There you’ll find a range of guides which provide “New Zealand educators with practical strategies, suggestions and resources to support learners with diverse needs”.
To orientate yourself visit the Guide intro or About Inclusive Education pages. Alternatively just dive in and explore guides such as:
- Dyslexia and learning
- Making the curriculum accessible to all
- Inclusive use of digital technologies
- Creating a more inclusive classroom culture
- Universal Design for Learning
It’s worth noting that guides focused on an area such as ASD and learning have separate content dedicated to supporting teachers in primary contexts and intermediate/secondary contexts.
Valuing first-hand experiences and perspectives
On the website you’ll also find videos of NZ students talking about how teachers can create more effective learning environments. For example, here a high school student with dyslexia makes some useful recommendations that could be employed in every classroom and could benefit all students.
Having dyslexia – how teachers can help from Ministry of Education on Vimeo.
You can also view videos of NZ teachers talking about how they are adjusting their practice to develop more student-centred approaches in partnership with families and carers.
Involving families in transitions from Ministry of Education on Vimeo.
International content has also been curated for the website.You’ll find videos, articles and research papers from leading educational researchers and teachers from around the planet, plus there’s TED Talk videos and relevant case studies and stories. It’s great that we can now both access an international body of knowledge and tailor it for our own context. We can also make a considerable contribution.
Resources
The website includes a growing Resources and downloads archive where you can filter your search by both subject and format. We’re also keen to add to the archive, resources that you have found particularly useful, so do let us know about them using the inclusive@tki.org.nz email.
Bookmark the site — more content to come
It’s worth bookmarking the site as new content will be available early in term 2. Upcoming guides focus on leadership, governance, assessment, deterring bullying behaviour, supporting positive behaviour, approaches to support Māori and Pasifika students, IEPs, and developing the teacher's aide role.
Help us improve and refine the website
Lastly we would love to hear your feedback and recommendations of things we could refine and improve on the website. We want this site to be useful for NZ schools and their communities. The design and content development have been underpinned by many, many cycles of inquiry and cross-sector collaborations and we are keen for this to continue.
Email feedback, ideas and suggested resources to inclusive@tki.org.nz, add a comment below or just utilise the feedback link on the website.
Chrissie Butler
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