PD Sessions from Supportive Instruction Unit

The Counselling and Supportive Instruction Unit is all set to implement the practice of inclusive classroom from the academic year 2013-14. In this endeavour, the unit organized a sharing a session by Ms. Sesha Shailaja. She has been working with children who have learning difficulties from the past twenty years and has immense exposure in inculcating inclusive set up in a PYP classroom.

 

The session started with a note as to what is meant by ‘inclusive education’ which is a process whereby the school systems, strategic plans, and policies adapt and change to include teaching strategies for a wider more diverse range of children.

 

Ms. Shailaja easily differentiated between the two practices of ‘integration’ v/s ‘inclusion’ and gave certain principles under which an ‘inclusive classroom’ can be a reality.

It was an enriching session for all which gave inputs in implementing an inclusive classroom effectively.

 

This session was followed by a lecture- demonstration by one of India’s leading dance therapist- Dr. Tripura Kashyap. Dr. Tripura is a dance / movement therapist working with children special educational needs.

The main purpose of the demonstration was to un wrap the creative and therapeutic aspects of dance in the field of education. The three important ways in which dance can be useful, as elucidated by Dr. Tripura, are- personality development; to enhance one’s creativity and innovation and teaching through dance.

She explained the way body movements can be used in the classroom which, not only enhances learning but revitalizes the creativity of each student and teacher. Dance, which has to be learned not for a performance but as a process, can be amalgamated in each subject a child is learning in class. 

Simple usage of props such as balloons, sticks, and stretching ropes can make a boring topic more interesting. Ms. Shashikala, a creative dance therapist, demonstrated the movements using the props mentioned above. The demonstrations included topics picked up from subjects included in a child’s curriculum such as numeracy and literacy skills. 

She imbibed Howard Gardner's concept of 'Multiple Intelligence' to express each child's unique ability too.

The session proved to be extremely beneficial for the homeroom teachers.