Culminating Project: Mainstreaming and Inclusion
Culminating Project: Mainstreaming and Inclusion: Report and Content Area Unit
The Culminating Project is a two-part assignment consisting of a written report and a content area unit.
Complete Parts 1 and 2 below.
Part 1: Written Report on Mainstreaming or Inclusion
Write a 700- to 1,050-word report reviewing any aspect of mainstreaming or inclusion that interests you. The topic you select must be preapproved by your instructor prior to Workshop 2. The report must have a minimum of two current references.
Include the following in your report:
- The legal foundations, legislation, and due process related to your topic
- Current state and special education standards that provide appropriate curriculum and instruction to students with varying abilities and disabilities
- Assistive and adaptive technology and other modifications for students with varying abilities and disabilities
- Benefits and barriers to successful mainstreaming or inclusion
- Roles of educators and families in the process
Format your report according to APA guidelines
Part 2: Content Area Unit
Select a grade level and content area and develop a content area unit on an associated topic. The unit should adhere to state and special education standards, providing appropriate curriculum and instruction to students with varying abilities and disabilities. The unit must contain a set of three lesson plans that includes the following:
- Goals and objectives
- In-class activities
- Description of modifications for students with varying abilities and disabilities
- Listing of any materials required for each lesson
- Complete description of how each lesson will be carried out, including differentiated instruction strategies
- Description of evaluation methods
- Appropriate homework assignment(s)
- Explanation of how adaptive technology will be used to access and assess the unit
- A daily family communication plan for the unit
- Summary or review of the lessons
Include specific examples of modifications, differentiated instruction, and assistive technology appropriate for diverse learners in the regular classroom.
Refer to the textbooks and videos provided throughout the course for examples of modifications and accommodations appropriate for your specific target population and content area.
Note: The unit should be typewritten and include copies of all applicable handouts and worksheets, along with complete descriptions of specific activities modified for the diverse learner.
Include a reference page and in-text citations formatted according to APA guidelines.
Submit your written report and content area unit to the Assignment Files tab.
Culminating Project: Mainstreaming and Inclusion
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Culminating Project: Mainstreaming and Inclusion
Part 1: Report on Mainstreaming or Inclusion
The Education of Handicapped Children's Act, which eventually came to be referred to as the IDEA Act, changed how education was provided for children differently-abled to have a cost-free and adequate public education in 1975. The provisions were later improved in 1990, and the name was changed to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA provided special education to learners aged 3 to 21 with access to a free, suitable public education. Since then, the IDEA's laws have been modified in some way to handle all of the special education concerns. Modern teaching environments have altered to accommodate the requirements of all children due to the IDEA being modified to meet the specifications of special education students while offering students the most effective education in the most suitable educational atmosphere (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2022). Mainstreaming gives special education learners the chance to spend the entirety of the instructional day(s) in a general education classroom to give learners with special needs the most effective educational experience in the most accommodating setting. Classroom instructors, child study team members, government, and guardians recommend the technique.
Mainstreaming includes learners who are differently-abled in general education classes to whatever level is necessary to suit their needs. To achieve their educational needs, learners with special needs can show they can participate in a general education class for the instructional days. When choosing placement and adjusting to the educational environment for the current school year and the one after, the parents incorporate mainstreaming. All placement adjustments have potential good and negative effects that could impact their educational experiences (Vaughn et al., 2019). When mainstreaming is being evaluated, examining the child's talents, social and emotional skills, and competencies is crucial based on data acquired from the present or previous educational setting. The primary goal and legal requirement are integrating students with special needs into the normal education environment for a suitable period of the school day.
The benefits of mainstreaming extend beyond learners with special needs to include the general education learners within the classroom. These benefits include an improvement in acceptance, socializing, and academic performance. Given that they can converse and interact with others while participating in educational activities, students differently-abled who are displaying the necessary skills and preparedness to be mainstreamed into a standard education class show improvements in socializing. The relationships developed during small group learning/activities, whole class sharing, and question-and-answer sessions help to enhance interpersonal relations and communication skills. Communication is the beginning of acceptance and tolerance. Many times, the vast majority of students are not exposed to children who have special needs. In addition to enabling learners to benefit from other students' knowledge and collaborate with them during the school day, this teaches students who work with special education students that they are frequently very similar but have a disability. Being tolerant and accepting of all pupils, regardless of their impairment, is a life skill one should exhibit throughout life. Academic performance will frequently start to improve when a supportive learning environment is developed for all students in the classroom. The