School, education, teaching, learning

What a very hot, hot hot week for the start of the 2017 school year! Best wishes to all of those students starting school or high school for the very first time, and those returning from the long summer holidays.

There is so much information available to support students, teachers and families, it can be difficult to know where to start. Here are just a few links to give you food for thought right now:


I Don’t Speak for Laura
George Estreich, New York Times, 27 January 2017
... In one way, Laura’s Father’s Day note is nothing special: Lots of people with Down syndrome read and write. In another, it is evidence of a radical transformation that began in my lifetime, and is still underway ...


Schools For All Guide

School Inclusion Parent Network

We, as parents, are the experts on our children and the constant in their lives. But navigating the schools years and ensuring that our children gain access to the general education classroom, receive the appropriate supports and stay on the path to an inclusive future, can be challenging and confusing. Access to quality information can make all the difference ...

• This guide refers to US law and school administrative procedures, but it also includes reading on the nature of inclusion in education, the role of families and other matters that have universal relevance.

Tips for Teachers - a collection of short practical tips for teachers to improve the inclusiveness of their general education classrooms

Dr Robert Jackson and Catia Malaquias, IncludEd (part of the blog Starting with Julius), January 2017
The 2017 school year is about to start and teachers in regular mainstream classrooms will be busy planning and preparing teaching materials, including differentiated curricula materials for students with disability allocated to their class. To assist, we have gathered together all our “Tips for Teachers” articles on this page, including some additional information.

Tips For Teachers Series:

• Creating An Inclusive Class Culture – Practical Tips For Teachers (N.o1)

• Supporting Peer Connection in the Inclusive Class – Practical Tips For Teachers (No.2)

• Less Is More: The Education Assistant – Practical Tips For Teachers (No.3)

• Getting the “Big Idea”: Including All Students in the Same Curriculum – Practical Tips for Teachers (No. 4 Part A)

• Making the “Big Idea” Achievable: Including All students in the Same Curriculum – Practical tips for teachers (No. 4 Part B)

• Presenting the “Big Idea” for All: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) – Practical tips for teachers (No. 4 Part C)

• Behaviour Support in the Inclusive Classroom: The Basics – Practical Tips for Teachers (No. 5 Part A)

Education conferences in Qld and NSW
Two education conferences scheduled for the early weeks of the school year will be of interest to schools, individual teachers and support staff - families can pass the information about them to their child's school:

Embracing Success, Down Syndrome NSW's annual education conference will be held in Sydney 23 - 24 March 2017

Endless Possibilities, Down Syndrome Queensland's annual education conference will be held in Brisbane 2 - 3 March 2017, and might be more accessible to families and teachers in far northern NSW 

More posts on education matters