Contributions from: Ruth Gold - USA and Darra Pace - USA
Abstract
As we enter the millennium, the importance of teacher preparation in meeting the demands of the changing classroom garners much attention. The role of the special educator is no longer defined by the segregated self-contained setting. New directions in education put the special educator in the forefront of educational change.
At our university we are striving to adapt teacher preparation to meet the demands of the inclusive setting. To this end we have revised our student teaching framework and have developed the 'Inclusive Teaching Rubric' (ITR) which identifies the knowledge, skills and values needed for exemplary inclusive teaching. For the teacher educator and supervisor in the field, the ITR offers specific diagnostic feedback, a continuum of effective practice, and a guide for scaffolding and interacting with students.
This presentation will introduce attendees to the ITR and our experience with its implementation across a variety of school settings during the spring and fall of 1999 semesters. We agree that "at the heart of moves towards forms of education that are inclusive, is the development of forms of pedagogy and organisational structures that involve all learners within a community."
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