EDC2400 Critical Reflection Journal Template

Student name: Owen Foster

Student number: 0061078546
Education specialisation: Early Childhood Primary Secondary
Secondary Specialisation area (e.g. HPE, Maths & Physics): HPE & Maths
Your year of study (please highlight): 1 2 3 4
Part A

Reflection Activity 1 – written response to core critical reflection activity

Response to video
I was not aware that the celebrities listed within the video had a disability, and this
knowledge does not change the way I view their success, or the way I view themselves as
people within society. If anything, I respect their success's more, as they all likely had to
face adversity in their youth, and tougher challenges than their peers as a direct result of
their disability. An important concept derives from this video; the idea that inclusion and
integration play a part in a person's success, and that equity of access is a major
influencing factor to a disabled person's success in their career. The majority of these
celebrities are financially stable, with ample money to spend on creating an atmosphere
that is conducive to their ongoing success. Unfortunately, most Australian disabled
students do not fall within the financially stable category, and as such rely on the on-going
and continual improvement of Australian schools to provide an education opportunity
that is equitable in nature. This is my goal as an upcoming teacher and the current course
will aid in my success in this area.

Unfortunately, I do believe that other people's perceptions play a role in the success of
people who experience disability. The modern world is controlled by a select few, for
example if a person would like to work in a Queensland Government position, that person
is required to go through a selection process, which is often culminated with a panel
interview. The fate of one person's career is directly influenced by the panel, in this
situation, or by a manager who makes the employment decision. If that person has a
negative view on disabled people in the workplace, a disabled applicant is immediately
disadvantaged with their application. On the other hand, if the manager has a positive
view on disabled people in the workplace, perhaps this is an advantage. Either way,
another person's perception on disabled people has played a role in the success of people
with a disability. It is my duty as a future educator to best prepare all students, disabled
included, for life past school, including their careers, social and emotional wellbeing and
physical health.

Reflection Activity 2 – updated response to core critical reflection activity

(demonstrating elements of critical reflection as presented in the tutorial)
N.B. Changes to original are highlighted for convenience

The activity that I choose to focus on is the video titled 'Celebrities with Disabilities'. The
video will be analysed relating to a number of thought provoking questions, including:
'Were you aware that these celebrities experience disability? Does that change how you
feel about their successes? Why, or why not? Do you think other people’s perceptions play
a role in the success of people who experience disability?'. I was not aware that the
celebrities listed within the video had a disability, and this knowledge does not change the
way I view their success, or the way I view themselves as people within society. If
anything, I respect their success's more, as they all likely had to face adversity in their
youth, and tougher challenges than their peers as a direct result of their disability. An
important concept derives from this video; the idea that inclusion and integration play a
part in a person's success, and that equity of access is a major influencing factor to a
disabled person's success in their career. The majority of these celebrities are financially
stable, with ample money to spend on creating an atmosphere that is conducive to their
ongoing success. Unfortunately, most Australian disabled students do not fall within the
financially stable category, and as such rely on the on-going and continual improvement
of Australian schools to provide an education opportunity that is equitable in nature. This
is my goal as an upcoming teacher and the current course will aid in my success in this
area.

Unfortunately, I do believe that other people's perceptions play a role in the success of
people who experience disability. The modern world is controlled by a select few, for
example if a person would like to work in a Queensland Government position, that person
is required to go through a selection process, which is often culminated with a panel
interview. The fate of one person's career is directly influenced by the panel, in this
situation, or by a manager who makes the employment decision. If that person has a
negative view on disabled people in the workplace, a disabled applicant is immediately
disadvantaged with their application. On the other hand, if the manager has a positive
view on disabled people in the workplace, perhaps this is an advantage. Either way,
another person's perception on disabled people has played a role in the success of people
with a disability. It is my duty as a future educator to best prepare all students, disabled
included, for life past school, including their careers, social and emotional wellbeing and
physical health.
I feel I approached the ideas raised in the above-mentioned video positively and will seek
to provide a safe learning environment for all my future students. Additionally, I hope to
see the continual improvement of education adaptation from teachers and schools to
facilitate the ongoing needs of all special needs students, including those facing
disabilities in the classroom.

N.B. The 5Rs Model of Reflection has been fully utilised in the response above. The areas
of report and respond, relate and reason are addressed in the first paragraph. The final
two areas of reconstruct and reflex are addressed in the second and third paragraphs.

Part B

Reflection Activity 3 - Animal School (Module 1, prompt 2)

Reflection:

The three stimulus images directly relate to the ideas of inclusion, equality, equity and in
the second image; common sense. "Inclusion in its most general sense refers to the right
to access and active participation and achieving equity through engagement in all aspects
of daily life" (Hyde, et al, 2014). In many instances, inclusion should be the overarching
goal for all educators and especially those who are teaching students with learning
difficulties and special needs. The first image shows an assessment piece, climbing the
tree, which is equal for all participants in that everybody has to climb the tree. However,
this is clearly not fair for all participants as they don't have the same ability, it would be
extremely difficult, if not impossible, for an elephant to climb the tree compared to the
monkey, who would find it easy. This correlates directly to the current education system,
and specifically the assessment process, which should, but doesn't always, cater for the
needs of all students, not just those that have the ability to thrive under the assessment
process. "Inclusive assessment is about more than evaluating students. It is
the on-going activities that allow students and instructors to understand
student progress on meeting the course learning objectives. Students
should be asked to demonstrate their learning through formative and
summative assessments" (Center for the Enhancement of Learning and
Teaching, n.d.). The use of varied assessment pieces to provide all students
with an equal opportunity to showcase their gained knowledge through
teaching episodes is a crucial aspect to the idea of inclusion. "The inclusive
education movement is based on the premise that all students have a right to be educated
alongside their peers in regular/ mainstream classrooms. This premise is not just concerned
with placement of students with special educational needs, it involves effectively meeting
their learning needs" (University of Southern Queensland, 2018). The key idea is
effectively meeting the learning needs of all students, which the above-mentioned
stimulus images do not adequately do. Whilst the current state of Australian
education has progressed well in the area of inclusion, complacency within the
framework and Australian curriculum should not be observed in order to see full
growth. This is supported by the falling excerpt, which states: "so even when
inclusion is strongly supported by international, national or state policy - or even
legislation, as it appears to be in Australia - there is concern that the observable
practices or outcomes in schools can remain substantially unchanged or
experience significant delays or difficulties in their implementation" (Hyde, et al,
2014). Therefore, as a future educator, the need and importance for inclusion
should not be understated and the continual growth and adaptation of the
Australian curriculum, the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority, and
other relevant legislative parties, is integral to the success of all students.

References

Hyde, M., Carpenter, L., & Conway, R. (2014). Diversity, inclusion and engagement. (2nd
Ed.). Victoria, Australia: University Press.

University of Southern Queensland (2018). EDC2400 Educating learners with special

needs across contexts: Module 1: Legislation, policies, practices and resources to
support learners with additional needs in inclusive educational environments
. USQStudyDesk, https://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/course/view.php?id=16960

What are inclusive assessment practices? (n.d.). Center for the

Enhancement of Learning and Teaching. Retrieved 11 January 2021, from
https://provost.tufts.edu/celt/inclusive-assessment/

Reflection Activity 4 - Listening (Module 1, prompt 4

Reflection:

The above-mentioned quote shows the clear bias that teachers often have towards
talking and producing information, rather than listening, absorbing and using information
to inform their future practice. The YouTube video titled 'The Most Valuable Skill that
Nobody Teaches: How to Listen' highlights an important concept; "to listen to understand,
rather than to listen to merely respond". Whilst the idea is simple in nature, it has a
profound underlying effect towards educators. "Collaborative partnerships between home
and school will provide teachers and parents with a joint understanding of goals that are
needed to support the child in both environments" (University of Southern Queensland,
2018). The dual understanding, which only comes from both parties actively listening and
engaging in the process of education, provides the student with an education environment
and process that is engaging, productive and supportive of students of all needs. A
successful collaborative working relationship between teachers and parents provides
benefits for everyone involved, the teacher, the parent and most importantly, the student
(Heward, 2014).

In order to improve in the area of listening, the YouTube video mentioned above suggests
an exercise called last word response, which involves pairing up, having a conversation
and adopting the rule that the last word of your partners response also be the first word
of your response. Then, having a discussion with your partner or a third party as to why
this exercise works/is difficult to achieve. The active mindset of listening and
comprehending what you have heard is a simple idea yet can be a challenging habit to
break. It is important to note that this process is a two-way street, and that teachers need
to voice their collaborative expectations early in the relationship in order to prompt
parents to communicate effectively in the relationship. "Parents who have mainly
experienced a professional driven relationship may have a difficult time adapting to a
family-centred or family-driven relationship style when they are working with teachers to
resolve a school-based difficulty" (University of Southern Queensland, 2018).
References
YouTube video
Module 1
Heward, W. L. (2014). Exceptional children: An introduction to special education (10th
ed.). Essex: Pearson.

Reflection Activity 5 - Explosion (Module 2, prompt 3)

Reflection:

Text Readings
Hyde, M., Carpenter, L., & Conway, R. (2014). Diversity, inclusion and engagement. (2nd
Ed.). Victoria, Australia: University Press.

Chapter 6 – Students with Literacy Difficulties

Chapter 7 – Assisting Children with Learning Difficulties
in Mathematics
Chapter 8 – Behavioural Engagement in the Inclusive
Classroom
Chapter 9 – Meeting Complex Communication Needs in the
Classroom
Chapter 10 – Supporting Students with Intellectual
Disabilities
Chapter 11 – Understanding Vision Impairment
Chapter 12 – Understanding Hearing Impairment
Chapter 13 – Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum
Disorder
 Chapter 14 – Supporting Diverse Gifted Students
Chapter 15 – Understanding Physical Impairment in Young
Children
Chapter 16 – Supporting Mental Health and Well-being:
Promotion, Prevention and Intervention

The use of teacher aides, funding and specialist schools with dedicated, well trained staff
that are familiar with the needs of students with an array of learning difficulties, including
autism, with student safe environments for a productive and positive learning experience
is an integral strategy for the success of students suffering with autism in Australia's
education system and their families. The article titled 'The autism explosion in Australian
schools' revealed a few first-person perspectives from the families or children with
autism, and the current lack of support that Australia's education system provides these
families. The article referenced Mina, a mother of a child with autism, and her struggle
with the education support system currently in place: "Mina’s passionate cry for smaller
classes, better professional expertise in managing autism, more support staff and calming
recovery areas for these children captures in a nutshell what a team of Canberra experts
took hundreds of pages to recommend" (Legge, 2016). Additionally, the article refers to
the struggles that Australian schools currently face when providing support for ASD
(Autism Spectrum Disorder) students: "profound challenges in schools where staff do not
have the training, resources or time to manage the kind of personalised learning and
supervision these behaviours demand" (Legge, 2016). It is important to understand that
"every person with ASD is a unique individual with varying strengths, interests and needs"
(Hyde, et al, 2014). The use of highly trained teachers and teacher aides is vital to ensure
that these needs are met for all students, clearly highlighted in the above-mentioned
article, the current system of education is failing in this area. The issue is a large one, and
the solution as mentioned in this blog post would be an extremely expensive measure,
however denying those funds means denying all students an equal opportunity for
success in their education, and as a first world nation, I believe the expense is well worth
it. Additionally, "good teaching requires creativity, problem solving, a willingness to take
risks, readiness to fail, perseverance and the ability to be a reflective practitioner" (Hyde,
et al, 2014). The takeaway message for myself is an educator is that of continual learning,
adapting to the needs of all my students, creating an environment that is safe, welcoming
and conducive to learning and listening to student, parent, fellow teacher and community
feedback in relation to educating students with autism.

References

Hyde, M., Carpenter, L., & Conway, R. (2014). Diversity, inclusion and engagement. (2nd
Ed.). Victoria, Australia: University Press.

Legge, K. (2016). The autism explosion in Australian school. Accessed:

https://lor.usq.edu.au/usq/file/5489741b-7453-4285-abe0-
8ed44beb9f2f/1/EDC2400%20Autism%20explosion%20in%20Australian%20schools.pdf

Reflection Activity 6 - Specialist knowledge (Module 2, prompt 4)

Reflection:
I completely disagree with the statement that "teaching students with low incidence
disabilities requires knowledge that the general education teacher does not have". Whilst
I do believe that teaching students with low incidence disabilities requires a level of
understanding of the various disabilities and the teaching strategies to facilitate these
needs, I disagree with the statement that 'the general education teacher does not have
[these skills]. The current university education for pre-service teachers is arguably as good
as it has ever been, this course is a prime example of the in-depth level of teaching that is
provided for pre-service teachers in the area of teaching students with disabilities. I
believe however, this statement (prompt statement, original) was true at some stage of
teacher development in years gone by. This course is a prime example of how universities
are preparing teachers for dealing with the challenges that teaching students with low
incidence disabilities involves. The importance of this education should not be
understated, with "an awareness and recognition of the impact that conductive hearing
loss has on the cognitive, social and emotional learning of students’ means that working
with students with hearing loss must be a consideration for every teacher, in every
classroom, every day" (University of Southern Queensland, 2018).

Some teaching strategies to aid students with low incidence disabilities are discussed in
the textbook for this course, and are as follows: providing visual enhancement aids such
as hand-held or stand magnifiers, the use of closed circuit television, monoculars and
braille where appropriate, as well as providing a physical environment that is conducive to
aid student learning, including proving a desk that is nearer the front of the classroom to
aid visual and hearing impaired students and the effective use of lighting in the classroom
(Hyde, et al, 2014). Finally, the most important part of teaching students with low
incidence disabilities is seeking and adapting to feedback. The feedback provided by the
student, and the family of the student are the most important part of aiding these
students in a classroom. The family and the student themself often knows their own
triggers, and aids, in much more detail than a teacher would and should always be the
first point of contact when developing an effective learning strategy. The current learning
environment for pre-service teachers is as good as it has ever been, and continues to
grow with the on-going development of university courses and the professional
development that all teachers are required to complete during their years of service.

References

Textbook
Module 2
Part C
Critical Reflection
In 300 – 500 words, reflect on the most important insights (at least 2) you have gained
through engaging with the course content of Modules 1 and 2

Inclusive education - the advancements including the Australian Disability Standards for
Education which governs the enrolment, participation, curriculum development and
support services for students with disabilities in Australia.
The importance for teachers to adopt strategies in order to make them an inclusive
teacher, including having a commitment to professionalism, providing effective
instruction to students and reflecting and adapting on the quality of their practice.

The importance of a collaborative process for inclusive education

Parents, peer teachers, students and communities.

Learners with autism, high and low incidence disabilities.

Creating an environment which is condusive to learning and facilitates the needs of all
students.
Including motivation, physical layout of the classroom, having safe spaces to control
student emotion, organising group activities intellegently
Addressing cross-cultural needs of all students and being sensitive to all cultures.

How this will impact my future as an educator.

These insights may include (but are not limited to):

 An analysis of overall community and/or educational system

attitudes towards students with special educational needs, and
how these attitudes affect student outcomes

The overall community and educational system in Australia has

changed over the years, in relation towards students with special
educational needs, however the fight is not over and more progress
needs to be made. This is clear in the article titled 'The autism explosion
in Australian schools' which highlighted some first-person experiences of parents of
students with autism and how they were treated by some Australian schools.

 Possible strategies that individual teachers may be able to use to

 reduce the educational disadvantage often experienced by
students with special educational needs
 safe environment

 Your overall response to the critical reflection process. How did

you find the process, and why? How will you use this in your
future teaching?

References

Text Readings
Hyde, M., Carpenter, L., & Conway, R. (2014). Diversity, inclusion and engagement. (2nd
Ed.). Victoria, Australia: University Press.

Module 1

University of Southern Queensland (2018). EDC2400 Educating learners with special

needs across contexts: Module 1: Legislation, policies, practices and resources to
support learners with additional needs in inclusive educational environments
. USQStudyDesk, https://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/course/view.php?id=16960

Module 2

University of Southern Queensland (2018). EDC2400 Educating learners with special

needs across contexts: Module 2: Learners with additional needs: Implications for
learning and teaching

. USQStudyDesk, https://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/course/view.php?id=16960

Hyde, M., Carpenter, L., & Conway, R. (2014). Diversity, inclusion and engagement. (2nd
Ed.). Victoria, Australia: University Press.
What are inclusive assessment practices? (n.d.). Center for the Enhancement of Learning
and Teaching. Retrieved 11 January 2021, from https://provost.tufts.edu/celt/inclusive-
assessment/