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Diversity & School Culture
Related Topics:
Featured Resources
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ICARE School Study - "Kids with Cameras"
Connectedness (sometimes called “school engagement” or “school bonding”) is the attachment of students to their school and the belief that the adults in the school care about them and believe in their ability to succeed. Kids with Cameras was used by the ICARE School Study to obtain information about what students connect with in the school and a verbal account of why each of these connections is important. Read more about the ICARE Kids with Cameras Activity.
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Including Samuel is an excellent resource for schools and organizations looking to foster rich, honest discussion about the benefits and challenges of inclusive education. The Inclusive Schools Network (ISN) was proud to partner with filmmaker Dan Habib and the Institute on Disability during the 2008 Inclusive Schools Week, and Including Samuel DVDs are now available for purchase through ISN. Click here to watch video clips of Dan Habib talking about the film and leading a discussion on the benefits of inclusive education for all students.
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Autism Speaks - School Community Tool Kit
At the start of the 2008-09 school year, Autism Speaks launched an online School Community Tool Kit to assist educators and school staff in understanding and supporting students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. This free Tool Kit includes several modules: an overview of autism, information about inclusion of students with autism, strategies for intervention, information targeted to specific members of the school community, and information about a variety of resources. To view the press release and learn more about Autism Speaks and their work, visit: http://www.autismspeaks.org/press/school_community_tool_kit.php. Click here to view and download The School Community Toolkit.
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Tolerance.org Classroom Activities
Tolerance.org, a web project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, hosts a variety of resources and lesson plans to help parents, kids, educators and others promote diversity in their schools and communities. Site visitors can browse a full list of classroom activities or search by topic, grade-level and subject area at: http://www.tolerance.org/teach/activities/index.jsp.
Several activities focus specifically on disability rights and disability awareness, although topics on this site touch on issues of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, body image and size bias, bullying, conflict resolution, and more. The following activities are valuable resources for educators and parents working with students with disabilities:
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Responding to Learner Diversity in the European Union
Funded by the European Union, teacher educators from seven EU countries: the Universities of Malta, Amsterdam (Netherlands), Dalarna (Sweden), Leipzig (Germany), Manchester (UK), Marijampole (Lithuania), and the NGO Motivace-zivotni styl (Czech Republic), came together in 2008 to produce multicultural and multimedia teacher education materials for online and face-to-face courses on responding to pupil diversity. The materials consist of a teacher’s handbook, DVD with readings and video clips, and a tutor’s manual. They can serve as a basis for teacher education through reflective practice in opening up to and understanding and responding to the diversity of strengths and needs of students in the classroom. They reflect the experience of a varied international group of practitioners in different European countries and up-to-date research on teaching and learning. The handbook, DVD, and tutor’s manual are available to download for free from: www.dtmp.org.
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UNESCO - Languages of the World
One of the goals of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is to encourage linguistic diversity while respecting the mother tongue at all levels of education. A key component of inclusive education is the value and celebration of cultural diversity toward a greater unity among all children. The UNESCO Education Sector has prepared a World Languages Map, as an illustration of the linguistic diversity of our planet, as well as a tool that contains practical information on the languages spoken throughout the countries of the world. This interactive map allows students to search the globe in pursuit of a greater awareness of cultural and linguistic diversity. To find out more go to: http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=12871&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
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Related Tips:
Together We Learn Better: Inclusive Schools Benefit All Children
Parents and Families are Valuable Partners in Supporting Inclusive Education
Khooneh Takouni - "Shaking the House"
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If you have suggestions for a Resource or Tip related to Diversity and School Culture, please comment below or email ISN at: inclusiveschools@edc.org.