Integrated Learning - What Is It? Every child has the right to support from his parents and society in order to grow, learn and develop from an early age. And having reached school age, children should go to school and be perceived normally by both teachers and peers. When children, regardless of their differences, receive education together, everyone benefits - this is the cornerstone of inclusive education.
Integrated Learning - What Is It?
The essence of such training is that students of different levels of development of mental and physical abilities learn side by side in the same class. They are happy to attend field and after-school events, together participate in student self-government, go to the same sports meetings, play games.
Integrated learning is a process in which the diversity and unique contribution of each student in the classroom is appreciated. In a truly inclusive environment, every child feels safe and has a sense of belonging to the group. Students and their parents participate in setting educational goals and making decisions, and school personnel have sufficient qualifications, support, flexibility, and resources to educate, promote, and meet the needs of all students.
Why is this so important?
Integrated education provides better education for children and contributes to changing discriminatory attitudes. The school introduces the child to the world outside their families, helps to develop social relations and interactions. Respect and understanding increase when students with different abilities and experience play, communicate and learn together.
Integrated education of children does not exclude and does not separate members of the collective, and does not promote discrimination against traditionally marginalized groups. Indeed, an individual special education does not guarantee success for children who need special attention. Schools that provide support and create the conditions for integrated learning demonstrate much better results.
Key elements of integrated learning
- Attraction of assistants, teachers or specialists who will help teachers to meet all the needs and needs of students, working with the whole group.
- Adapted curriculum for children with special educational needs.
- Parent involvement Most schools strive for a certain level of parental involvement, but often this is limited to only once a quarter.
For everyone and everyone
Integrated learning is the acceptance of all children in society, regardless of their physical, intellectual, social or linguistic development. The group often includes children from disadvantaged groups, as well as representatives of all races and cultures. Gifted students and children with limited physical abilities coexist perfectly in the classroom.
Integration, of course, will not happen instantly, it requires careful planning, a positive attitude, a certain model of behavior, the use of the necessary specialized support, in a word, everything is necessary for the children to feel part of the school, actively participate in the education system, and then become full-fledged members of society.
The main duty of school institutions is to cover the diverse and special needs of all students, identify and minimize barriers to learning and communication, create a tolerant and respectful atmosphere in which everyone is perceived as a valuable person. Thus, all the children should be given the support they need in order to succeed in the future and find themselves in the modern world and society.
Benefits of Integrated Learning
- The development of individual abilities of each child.
- Involvement of parents in the cultural, educational and educational activities of the school.
- Formation of school culture, respect and ownership. Integrated training provides an opportunity to learn and accept individual differences, which will eliminate the risk of persecution and bullying in the team.
- Development of friendships with a wide range of other children, understanding of their individual needs and abilities.
New functioning system
Integrated learning is optional. First of all, it is worth relying on the opinion of the parents and the desire of the child himself. Roughly speaking, integration is a combination of individual components into a single whole.
As for education, this process cannot be called a purely mechanical association of healthy children and children with any deviations. This is a complex set of interactions between children, teachers, and correction specialists. This is not something local, because you need a holistic systematic approach to organizing school activities in all areas.
Innovative technologies
Modernization of the education system includes the active use of innovative ideas and solutions. Integrated learning technology is aimed at developing cognitive and creative abilities. In practice, a holistic and deep understanding of the reality of the world is achieved. Education should be a harmonious combination of rules and creativity, science and art. Innovative technologies (explanatory, illustrated, personality-oriented and developing learning) play an important role here.
The following forms of integrated learning are distinguished:
- The combined form in which a child with special needs is able to study in the classroom along with absolutely healthy children, receiving the necessary regular support and the help of specialists (pedagogue, speech pathologist, speech therapist, psychologist).
- Partial integration, in which students with disabilities are not able to master the educational program along with peers. Such children spend only part of the time in general classes, the rest of the time in special classes or in individual lessons.
- Temporary, in which children from special classes and students of ordinary classes gather at least two a month for joint walks, celebrations, competitions and other educational events.
- Full, in which one or two children with developmental disabilities learn in the usual group. This form is more suitable for children of preschool and primary school age. Basically, these are children who, according to the level of psychophysical, speech development, correspond to the age norm and are psychologically ready for joint training with healthy peers. They receive corrective assistance at the place of study, or parents do this under the supervision of professionals.
Integrated training and education is a common practice in foreign countries. In our country, inclusive classes and schools are just beginning to appear.