Inclusive education for ALL (ITALY)

Inclusive education is a modern educational approach whose main objective is to ensure equal access for all pupils to the educational good and to overcome the structural obstacles and stereotypes of the system that make it unable to respond to the heterogeneity of the needs of the students. Inclusive education values diversity and the unique contributions each student brings to the classroom. In a truly inclusive setting, every child feels safe and has a sense of belonging. Students and their parents participate in setting learning goals and take part in decisions that affect them and school staff have the training, support, flexibility, and resources to nurture, encourage, and respond to the needs of all students.
Inclusive education is based on the values of equality, social justice and the acceptance of diversity and equal opportunities in education. It involves all pupils, including pupils with disabilities and/or special educational needs or disabilities (SEN or SEN(D)) students, as well as disadvantaged pupils from vulnerable social groups (refugees, Roma and etc).

Purpose
This course intends to contribute to inclusive education. It aims to help teachers to adopt the principles and approaches of inclusive education and to be able to respond to the heterogeneity of the student population, equipping them with the way of organizing the learning process and motivating students to self-action, experimentation and active learning. At the end of the course participants will be equipped with a number of innovative approaches such as differentiated teaching, the basic principles and techniques of active and experiential learning and collaborative teaching, the exploitation of the potential offered by new technologies, arts and multimodal means so they will have the chance to enrich their teaching potential and be able to response to the needs and interests of ALL students.
Objectives
✓ Learning the Key Principles of Inclusive Education
✓ Learning issues of social and societal responsiveness and cultural heterogeneity of the modern school
✓ Discovering ways of developing inclusive school culture
✓ Developing Support Strategies to Help Students with Learning Difficulties
✓ Implementing techniques that help in experiential learning and in active learning
✓ Learning questioning for understanding and empathy
✓ Finding ways for prompting action, reflection and learning
✓ Creating a positive learning culture in the classroom
✓ Discovering the use of New Technologies in Differentiated Teaching
✓ Adopting ways for the cultivation of critical and creative thinking of students in Differentiated teaching

Target Groups
Teachers: primary, secondary, vocational, adult, special needs; - Teacher trainers; -
Headteachers; Principals; Managers of schools. The student population

Methods & Tools
Lectures, brainstorming, concrete exercises, discussions, teamwork, role-playing games, case studies, group discussions and outdoor activities

Agenda
Day 1
✓ Introductory meeting, explanation of practical arrangements, presentation of timetable
✓ Information about course venue
✓ Ice-breaking activities
✓ Introduction to Inclusive education

Day 2
Communication skills :
✓ Developing skills to understand other People - Active Listening & Empathy
✓ Listening and questioning and developing a positive environment in the classroom
✓ Listening skills: Effective interpersonal skills
Emotional Intelligence at class
✓ Self regulation
✓ Self motivation
✓ Social awareness

Day 3
✓ Self-awareness: Being in the Know
✓ Types of Personality
✓ Ηistorical review, theoretical framework, definitions and Key principles of Inclusive education
✓ International research findings
✓ Anticipating Problems with Inclusion for both Learners and Teachers
✓ Introduction to issues of social and societal responsiveness and cultural heterogeneity of the modern school
✓ Ways of developing inclusive school culture
The important role of teacher in inclusive education

Day 4
✓ Recognizing Accessibility issues in education, in evaluation, and in early intervention
✓ Introduction into differentiated pedagogy and teaching
✓ Planning a Differentiated Teaching Course
✓ Essential components of cooperative learning
✓ Techniques that help in experiential learning and in active learning
✓ Differentiated Teaching and New Technologies
✓ Differentiated teaching and cultivation critical and creative thinking of students

Day 5
✓ Identifying Characteristics of Different Types of SEN Learners
✓ Checklist for Possible Presence of Specific Learning Differences
✓ Identifying Key Areas of Support in the Inclusive Classroom
✓ Recognizing differences of discrimination and finding ways fighting against them : from theory to educational practice (case study)
✓ Issues to respond to their educational needs pupils with disabilities and / or special educational needs
✓ Cognition and Learning Difficulties- Identification & Problems
✓ Developing Support Strategies to Help Students with Learning Difficulties


✓ Erasmus+ program : objectives, priorities, actions, forms, budget, tips for applicants
✓ Planning follow up activities, dissemination and exploitation of learning outcomes
✓ Course Evaluation
✓ Certification