The more I think about inclusion in education, the more perplexed I become by the idea. As Moore writes, “The reality, however, is that there is no answer. There is no one way to be inclusive. (11) This does not mean that inclusion is not possible, but rather that depending on who you are, where you come from and who you work to include, the way you approach it will change. I often think of the British Columbia education system for learning disabilities, which I have experienced firsthand. I received a formal Individual Education Plan when I was in grade four, although I was getting extra help much earlier. Looking back, and having learned about inclusion as an adult, I can only hope that our approach has improved over time.

First and foremost, I often think about how I was pulled out of class regularly for more personalized help making me miss a lot of instruction time and singling me out in my class. I have only a vague memory from this period, as I was very young but I wonder now how much extra help this actually provided when I was missing class content from my own grade and additional time exposed to French the language I was supposed to be learning. As many educators have now realized, separating students from their class is not true inclusion (“The Evolution of Inclusion: The past and future of education” )

Another aspect that concerns me today is that I was expected to be my own advocate within the system. As soon as I grew up and reached middle school, it was up to me to make sure my teachers knew about my IEP and again, any help I received was outside my classroom. At the time, as a child, I didn’t mind, but now I wonder how beneficial it was. I got extra help, for the most part, which I certainly needed and if the system was trying to help me with my challenges, isn’t that enough? It is certainly important that children with different learning needs receive extra help, but surely there is a way to create an educational environment that allows all types of learners to express themselves and provides opportunities to meet those different needs. As a child, I did not feel that the education system was there for me, but rather that I was separate from my class and ‘different, which is exactly the opposite of what an inclusive educational environment should do.

My current PLN is somewhat diverse, but could certainly be improved. I would say I am most certainly more of a listener and than a talker because I tend to listen only and engage very little. As for being in “a silo”, I tend to lean much towards content related to education, working with children and similar subject matter and while I think there is less division there than in other areas I could likely use more varied thoughts and opinions in that content. PLNs are an excellent way to integrate diversity into your understanding of the world and topics you find interesting. Personally, I could benefit from voices from the broader world, as I seem to follow primarily western individuals.

PLNs have the ability to broaden your idea of inclusion and diversity because they can expose you to a wider range of diversity than you might see in everyday life. Diversity exists on all scales, and that includes globally which is hard to conceptualize for many. In terms of my professional setting, I think inclusion is an ongoing practice and probably always will be. I currently work with young children, and learning to provide as much support and openness to diverse children and their needs is a process. I do think that the fields of childcare and education are some that are having to be the most proactive about inclusion and diversity but still have their challenges. For example, it is a heavily female-dominated field a fact that we should definitely be exploring how to change.

References

“EDCI 338 – 20 Minutes Moore.” YouTube, uploaded by Jesse Miller, 30 May 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeSV0rUl1bA.

Moore, Shelley. One Without the Other: Stories of Unity Through Diversity and Inclusion (Reimagining Inclusion: The ONE Series (1)) (Volume 1). HighWater Press, 2016.

“The Evolution of Inclusion: The past and future of education.” YouTube, uploaded by Five Moore Minutes, 1 Oct. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQgXBhPh5Zo&feature=youtu.be.