In today's class we discussed the issue of segregation in our schools. Until then I did not see my school as segregated. It never occurred to me that it would be considered segregated even though there is no diversity in my town. The majority of the people in my town are white. There were only a few Asians, and even fewer blacks. But still I saw my school as integrated. It was not until i came to Binghamton that I experienced true diversity.
As we went over the education timeline, I was shocked to learn that the mentally retarded were once called idiotic and feeble minded. Calling someone idiotic and feeble minded will no doubt bring down their self esteem and make them feel segregated from the rest of society. We then discussed the issue of mainstreaming. I feel that mainstreaming has both positive and negative aspects. I think that mainstreaming will help improve the social skills of people with mental retardation. While helping the general education students an opportunity to learn acceptance and respect for others. On the negative side, i think that the classroom would move at a slower pace in order to accommodate the disabled children which might make the general education students lose focus and interest. A possible solution would be something like a partial integration. where the mentally retarded would join the regular classes for subjects such as art, music, gym, yet learn the major subjects like math, english and science in their own classrooms where they can move a comfortable pace.
This article talks about what teachers should expect in a mainstreamed classroom. http://www.jstor.org/view/00274321/sp060288/06x2560b/0
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Your suggestion is not much different from the typical model of inclusion. The problem, however, is that this hardly occurs. Students are usually placed in Resource Rooms for longer periods of time than they should be there.
I was unable to view the link
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