Think Inclusive

Today on the podcast, we talk with Dr. Eddie Fergus of Temple University. We discuss the disproportionate number of students of color being identified in special education and what we can do about it. We review how restorative practices might be used in inclusive schools and how the biggest barrier to inclusion might be who we think can teach students with disabilities. Be prepared to unpack the shopping carts of our minds. Eddie Fergus is the author of the book Solving Disproportionality and Achieving Equity: A Leader′s Guide to Using Data to Change Hearts and Minds. Follow Dr. Fergus on Twitter. This episode's transcript can be found here. Download our new resource, The Best Inclusive Education Links: 100 links to the best inclusion-related articles, videos, and media on the web. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Credits This podcast is a production of MCIE. Become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today on the podcast, we talk with Megan Gross and Nancy Brundrett of the Poway Unified School District in Southern California.  They tell us how their district has changed how they educate students with significant disabilities and their role in supporting Poway schools with inclusive education. Megan Gross is the author of the books The Inclusion Toolbox: Strategies and Techniques for All Teachers and ParaEducate. This episode's transcript can be found here. Download our new resource, The Best Inclusive Education Links: 100 links to the best inclusion-related articles, videos, and media on the web. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Credits This podcast is a production of MCIE. Become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today on the podcast, we talk with Dr. Jenny Kurth, professor of special education at the University of Kansas.  We discuss preparing for and implementing participation plans for students with complex support needs to be included in general education. And why we should all carry around pocket-sized versions of IDEA. Jenny Kurth is the author of the book The Inclusion Toolbox: Strategies and Techniques for All Teachers and the article Preparing for and Implementing Effective Inclusive Education With Participation Plans. This episode's transcript can be found here. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Credits This podcast is a production of MCIE. Become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today on the podcast, we have a very special SUPERSIZED conversation with Alfie Kohn, prolific speaker and author, on human behavior, education, and parenting.  We discuss whether bribes or positive reinforcement are really the same things and answer the question…should educators abandon behaviorist ideas altogether? Mr. Kohn is the author of several books, including: Punished by Rewards: Twenty-fifth Anniversary Edition: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes The Schools Our Children Deserve: Moving Beyond Traditional Classrooms and "Tougher Standards" We also reference Autism and Behaviorism: New Research Adds to an Already Compelling Case Against ABA. This episode's transcript can be found here. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Credits This podcast is a production of MCIE. Become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today on the podcast, a conversation with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) expert, Katie Novak.  We talk about some common misconceptions of UDL, how UDL works with students with more significant disabilities, and what it is was like to lead her school district to implement inclusive education. Katie is the author of several books, including: Equity by Design: Delivering on the Power and Promise of UDL Unlearning: Changing Your Beliefs and Your Classroom with UDL This episode's transcript can be found here. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Click here for audio transcripts. Credits This podcast is a production of MCIE. Become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today on the podcast, a rare solo episode about why I call myself an inclusionist. For some, the word "inclusionist" has a negative association. I make the case that there is more to the word than just believing that we should get rid of special education or that inclusion only counts if it is "100%." I tell the story of my inclusion journey and how it led me to what I am doing now, advocating for the full and authentic inclusion for students with disabilities. Thanks for your time and attention! TV This episode's transcript can be found here. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Resources Why Would a Special Education Teacher Advocate for Inclusive Education? (Noodle) Fully Included: Damian (Think Inclusive) Special education teacher explains why she wants to be called 'accessibility specialist' (GMA) Credits This podcast is a production of MCIE. Become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! bgR9BPxBoRlYLSz49EVe --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Since I started the podcast in 2012, I've always wanted to do a "best of" podcast! Today, we are highlighting five conversations that I had from the early years of the podcast. Paula Kluth talks about why some schools aren't as inclusive as they think they are. Dan Habib discusses how Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) looked for one high school. Julie Causton explains why her research project, called Schools of Promise, shows why inclusion works for all students. Nicole Eredics gives one important strategy for inclusive classrooms. And Scott F shares what it is like to have students with significant disabilities included in his classroom. Thanks for your time and attention! TV This episode's transcript can be found here. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Credits Intro Music - Clap Your Hands by Jahzzar / Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) This podcast is a production of MCIE. Become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today on the podcast we talk to Shelley Moore, inclusive education consultant and presenter extraordinaire! We talk about what her path looked like to become a special education teacher and why she cares about inclusive education so much. Also, we discuss the major differences between Canada's educational systems and the United States are regarding special education. And what is all this fuss about baked potatoes? And how do they relate to strategic planning for students in the classroom? Check out her book: One Without the Other: Stories of Unity Through Diversity and Inclusion to learn even more. This episode's transcript can be found here. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Credits This podcast is a production of MCIE. Become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today on the podcast, Jennifer Spencer-Iiams, Assistant Superintendent for the West Linn-Wilsonville School District, talks to us about the transformation in her district toward inclusive practices. Her book, Leading for All: How to Create Truly Inclusive and Excellent Schools, shares lessons learned from years building district schools where all students are served in their neighborhood school and classrooms with their general education peers. This episode's transcript can be found here. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Credits This podcast is a production of MCIE. Become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Discussions around the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) for students with disabilities are almost always tricky. For this episode, we attempt to make LRE a little more understandable. We interview Amy Langerman, special education advocate and attorney in California and Arizona. We discuss the difficulty of some parents seeking the Least Restrictive Environment for their child and how services are delivered in both states. Next, we have Amanda Selogie and Vickie Brett from the Inclusive Education Project (which is a fantastic podcast if you don’t already know about them). We also discuss LRE and strategies that you can take to help advocate for inclusive education wherever you are on your inclusion journey. This episode's transcript can be found here. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Credits This podcast is a production of MCIE. Become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today on the podcast, my interview with Carol Quirk (CEO of the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education). We discuss what it really takes for school systems to move to a model where 90% of all students with disabilities are included in general education classrooms. It is not only a pipe dream.   This episode's transcript can be found here. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Resources MCIE  The Segregation of Students with Disabilities by the National Disability Council Credits This podcast is a production of MCIE. Become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

For so many of us, whether you are an educator, parent, or both, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a strain on all of us. And in late March, when word got out that Betsy DeVos was going to possibly recommend waiving part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) because of the hardship that the coronavirus was putting on the educational system, we all got nervous.  Today on the podcast, my interview with Denise Marshall (the Executive Director of Council of Parent Advocates and Attorneys) and Jennifer Lesh (the President of the Council for Exceptional Children) where we discuss Betsy DeVos's recommendations to Congress. This episode's transcript can be found here. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Credits This podcast is a production of MCIE. Become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! References COPAA CEC (Free Membership Code: CECED60) NPR: Secretary DeVos Forgoes Waiving Disability Law Amid School Closures HuffPost: To Access Online Services, New Jersey Students With Disabilities Must Promise Not To Sue --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today on the podcast, we are going to talk about modifying curriculum. For my students back in Pasadena, CA, according to their IEP, the team agreed that this was the best way to access the curriculum. To take a part of the standards and then modify it down to where they were able to meaningfully participate in it. I talk with Juanita Pritchard, an intellectual disabilities specialist, about how we can do this for our students who require it. Also, I wanted to share a resource before we get started. Nicole Eredics book, Inclusion in Action, gives specific strategies on how to modify the curriculum for students who are in general education classrooms. I know a lot of educators who are put into a position where they receive no training on how to do this and are just expected to "make inclusion work." If you are one of those educators or know educators who could benefit from this resource direct them to Inclusion in Action. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Click here for audio transcripts. Credits This podcast is a production of MCIE. Become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today on the podcast, I interview Christina Samuels of Education Week.  We discuss Ed Week's Special Report called Special Education: Practice and Pitfalls. It takes a look at the shortage of special education teachers, how co-teaching strategies enhance the effectiveness of education for all students, and how to encourage parents and students to advocate for their needs. In 2017, the Hechinger Report published a story about how some educators feel unprepared to teach in classrooms where students with and without disabilities learn together. I wanted to know more about this story, so I invited Jackie Mader, the journalist who wrote the article to talk to me about why this issue was so important to her. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Click here for audio transcripts. Credits This podcast is a production of MCIE. Become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today on the podcast, my interview with Mike McHargue, speaker and author of Finding God in the Waves, host of the Ask Science Mike podcast and contributor to the Liturgists Podcast. We talk about his recent diagnosis of autism and his thoughts about how disability, sexual identity, and faith intersect. Also, Erin Green (Co-Director of Brave Commons) shares with us what she thinks the biggest barrier to inclusion is for LGBTQ students at Christian universities. Visit Think Inclusive for more information about inclusive education. Have questions or comments? Reach us at podcast@thinkinclusive.us Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Click here for audio transcripts. Credits This podcast is a production of MCIE. Become a patron of the Think Inclusive Podcast! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app