Monday, March 30, 2015

New post, a bit behind schedule.

I had a big star in my notes this week next to something that was said in class this week.  I'm not sure if I wrote it down exactly as it was said, but it was something like, "We need to shove this stuff down kindergartners' throats."  I had a big star next to it because I agree, and I liked the line.

Now my question / curiosity is how does one accomplish such a task for a group of individuals who are so young?  Beyond some of the obvious changes, like getting rid of the short buses, or having working lifts on all school buses, is there another way to actually teach about ableism?  Or is this really something that needs to be done subtly when it comes to younger children?

I recall some discussion about inclusive education where we discussed some of the benefits and downsides to the approach.  I was thinking about this because other than using this approach to create an environment where everyone has access to the same space, I have no idea where I would think to begin combating ableism.  My first inclination is to look at the educational environment at an early age- the time during which young individuals are learning and developing their attitudes.

But as we discussed, inclusive education isn't always "inclusive" for everyone, and some people prefer to be in different spaces at certain times.  But this approach to education seems to be taught heavily in this program.  Unfortunately, I haven't really been taught about anything other than our current system, or this inclusive system.  So I guess I'm looking for something else if anyone can recommend something (maybe something I haven't read & should?).


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