Introduction
The need to deliver inclusive learning for students with disability has become a national priority which is now enshrined in legislation and government education policy. A National resource has been created by various people and divisions within the education sector as a guide for teachers on how interact and better educate Students with Disability. The resource also helps teachers personalise learnings for their students, incorporating the student, the school, the family and other interested parties. Part of this change is the Disability Standards for Education (the Standards) which took effect on the 18th of August 2005. The Standards encourage students with disabilities to engage in education on the same level as all the other students, but without feeling different. (Disability Standards for Education, 2005). The need for the Standard was paramount as students with disabilities where for too long being left behind in education, while some were treated different and made to feel inferior. In NSW the Quality Teaching Model emphasises inclusive education as a key teaching requirement where teachers ensure that lessons not only include but also value the contribution of students from across the spectrum (ARACY, 2013). Students with Special needs are no longer seen as a burden to be isolated amongst themselves, but a part of the class and an identification that everyone is equal and has a right to an education.
Content and Description
The unit content that will be used will be for year 10 English students with the focus topic being creative writing. The unit will address Stage 5 Outcomes with a specific focus on Objective C: think in ways that are imaginative, creative, interpretive and critical (Board of Studies, 2012). This unit will be taught over a 6 week period in the second term in a South West Sydney School with a mixed class of students with vary skills and abilities in addition to ESL students and students with disabilities. There is a tendency for the students of this class to be disinterested in language learning. My aim in planning this unit is to garner maximum class engagement and the sharing of skills amongst the students and for everyone to feel included in the learning. The Unit needs to not only connect with all the students in the present but also show how it will benefit them into the future and in their daily lives. Many would perceive creative writing as not having much relevance in daily life, hence the use of a number of teaching aids will help with breaking down that perception. The unit will also help students express themselves better in daily life by expanding their vocabulary and their use of words in a creative manner. The topic begins by everyone focussing on themselves and expressing their strengths and weaknesses and writing them down, which allows me to understand what is going on in their life and creates and point to engage with the student. From here I can move from the focus on one’s self to h...
