Removing the Barriers: Planning for ALL!

Summary

In 'Five Moore Minutes' episode 'Reducing the Barriers: Planning for All,' Shelley Moore discusses the need to shift educational paradigms towards inclusivity and equity. She highlights the limitations of the traditional special education model, which focuses on fixing students rather than addressing environmental barriers. Moore advocates for a social model approach, emphasizing the importance of anticipating and reducing contextual barriers to support all learners effectively. This perspective aligns with universal design for learning, response to instruction, and collaborative support models, urging educators to create inclusive environments from the outset.

Takeaways

• 🏫 The existing educational model is a significant barrier to inclusivity and equity in schools.
• 🔍 The traditional approach in education has been to create a plan for most students and then provide special support for those who do not succeed with that plan.
• 🤔 The special support model often focuses on identifying what's wrong with the student and adapting the plan to fit them, which can be inefficient.
• 🌟 The idea of creating a single, inclusive plan for all learners from the start is proposed as a more effective approach.
• 👩‍⚕️ Special education has evolved from a medical model that reacts to students' struggles by identifying problems and offering fixes.
• 🛠️ The current system relies heavily on processes that emphasize student failure, costly evaluations, and intervention systems focused on deficits.
• 💡 Learning from the disability community, the video suggests that struggling does not mean being broken and that people do not need fixing.
• 🔄 A shift from the medical model to a social model is advocated, where success is hindered by environmental barriers rather than individual deficiencies.
• 🌐 The social model views a person's struggle as a result of contextual limitations rather than personal shortcomings.
• 🚗 Shelley Moore's personal experience in Hong Kong illustrates how environmental factors can impact a person's independence and success.
• 🛣️ The video emphasizes the importance of anticipating barriers and assessing the environment to reduce individual needs for support.
• 🔗 The social model of support is foundational to universal design for learning, response to instruction, and collaborative models of support.
• 🛠️ The challenge is to look beyond the student and focus on fixing the context to reduce barriers, rather than trying to fix the student.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the 'Five Moore Minutes' episode titled 'Reducing the Barriers: Planning for All'?

The main topic of the episode is about shifting the educational paradigm towards more inclusion and equity by addressing the infrastructure of the existing educational model and planning for all learners from the start.

What is the traditional model of special education described in the script?

The traditional model of special education described in the script is one where a plan is made for most students, and special support is offered to those who do not succeed in the original plan, often focusing on figuring out what was wrong with the student and offering adaptations and modifications.

Why does the speaker suggest that the traditional special education model may not be effective in diverse classrooms?

The speaker suggests that the traditional model may not be effective because it can lead to an overwhelming feeling that inclusion is a lot of work, as more students require retrofit support to be successful, and no teacher can effectively follow more than one plan.

What is the alternative educational model proposed in the script?

The alternative model proposed in the script is a social model, where the focus shifts from fixing the individual to addressing the barriers in the context that limit success.

How does the speaker use their personal experience in Hong Kong to illustrate the concept of the social model?

The speaker uses their personal experience in Hong Kong to illustrate the social model by explaining how they required more support due to barriers such as language and unfamiliarity with the environment, rather than because of any personal deficiency.

What is the significance of the speaker's inability to rent a car or understand signs in Hong Kong?

The significance is to highlight that the speaker's need for support was not due to personal limitations but rather due to the environmental barriers present in Hong Kong, emphasizing the social model's focus on context rather than individual deficits.

What is the connection between the social model of support and universal design for learning?

The social model of support is foundational to universal design for learning, as it encourages the anticipation of barriers and the reduction of those barriers in the learning environment, making it more accessible and effective for all students.

Why is it important to anticipate barriers in the learning environment according to the script?

It is important to anticipate barriers because waiting for students to fail before addressing their needs is not proactive. By anticipating and addressing barriers, educators can create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment from the start.

How does the script suggest educators should respond to students who are struggling?

The script suggests that educators should respond by moving away from a medical model that focuses on fixing the student, and instead adopt a social model that identifies and reduces barriers in the learning environment to support the student's success.

What is the challenge presented to educators at the end of the script?

The challenge presented is to look around the student to identify and fix the context to reduce barriers, rather than focusing on fixing the students themselves in their areas of deficit.

What resources are suggested for further exploration of the ideas presented in the script?

The 'Five Moore Minutes' podcast is suggested for further exploration of the ideas presented in the script, where they dig deeper into these big ideas.