Equity and Inclusive Education: a Resource Compendium
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Equity and Inclusive Education: A Resource Compendium For Elementary and Secondary School Teachers in Ontario INTRODUCTION An equitable, inclusive education system is fundamental to achieving a high level of success for all students. The Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE) supports Ontario’s schools to foster equitable and inclusive environments in which students, parents, and members of the school community feel welcomed and respected and every student is supported to succeed in a culture of high expectations for learning. In 2009, the Ministry of Education released the document Realizing the Promise of Diversity: Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy. The Strategy provides a framework to help the education community identify and remove discriminatory biases and systemic barriers to student achievement. The present document – a compendium of equity and inclusive education resources – is designed as a reference for educators who wish to expand their knowledge and understanding with a view to creating an equitable and inclusive education system and celebrating diversity and respect for everyone in our schools and society. The compendium will be a growing and changing document, intended to provide a broad representation of current resources. It is not intended to be comprehensive or to serve as the sole source of reference information for those who want to explore the topics further or to locate classroom resources. The compendium lists resources ‐‐ including organizations and agencies, print and electronic resources, and workshops and seminars ‐‐ alphabetically. For each resource, it identifies basic information in a box that appears in the upper right corner of the entry for the resource, as follows: Panel – Identifies the panel (elementary, secondary, or both) for which the resource is designed or is most appropriate. Topic – Identifies the focus or topic of the resource, using indicators such as equity and inclusive education – general; human rights; race; religion; gender; sexual orientation; socio‐economic status, among others. (Note that the indicators are related to but do not strictly reflect the prohibited grounds of discrimination identified under federal and provincial human rights legislation in Canada.) Resource type – Identifies the nature of the resource ‐‐ for example, online/downloadable resource; book; CD/DVD; workshop; or presentation. In many cases, resources designed to support the work of classroom teachers in the planning, delivery, and assessment of programs have been further identified using the term teacher resource. Each entry includes a brief description of the resource, along with contact information (where relevant and available). In many cases, links to organization and/or resource 2 websites have been provided. Professional support/development components of resources not designed exclusively as teacher resources are identified, where applicable, in the description of the resource. CODE supports school boards in embedding the principles of equity and inclusive education in all aspects of their operations, from policy to programs, employment practices, curriculum resources, and instructional and assessment practices. It is hoped that this first edition of the compendium will be a valuable resource in continuing to support an equitable and inclusive education system to support student achievement and well‐being in Ontario. The Council of Directors of Education (CODE) is not responsible for, and does not assume any liability whatsoever for, the content of any of the resources identified in this document, whether print or electronic, nor for any of the information, interpretations, comments, or opinions expressed in any of them. Any inquiries regarding the resources listed here should be directed to the particular authors or organizations that produce them. 3 Panel Elem/Sec Topic Ability Resource Online Type resource Ability Online Support Network c/o Richview Postal Outlet 250 Wincott Drive PO Box 18515 Etobicoke, ON M9R 4C8 Tel: 416‐650‐6207 Toll Free: 1‐866‐650‐6207 Fax: 1‐866‐829‐6780 Email: [email protected] Website: www.abilityonline.org Ability Online is a free and monitored online support community that links kids with disabilities or illness to other kids and adults who care. In a password‐protected environment, it offers monitored topical discussion threads, email and chat facilities, and games and activities where kids can come together and just be kids. Then, when they are ready, health information, peer support, and opportunities for skill development are just a mouse click away. In addition to online tutors for Grades 4 to 12, Ability Online also offers private e‐ communities to off‐line support groups that can benefit from the extended access of an online facility. This is particularly helpful for organizations whose outpatients are restricted by geographical barriers. ________________________________________________________________ Panel Sec Topic Aboriginal/First Nations Resource Downloadable Type resource Aboriginal Literatures in Canada: A Teacher’s Resource Guide, by Renate Eigenbrod, Georgina Kakegamic, and Josias Fiddler (Currciulum Services Canada, 2003), 43 pp. Available at www.curriculum.org/tcf/teachers/projects/aboriginal.shtml Designed to encourage and support the teaching of Aboriginal literature in Canadian secondary schools, this resource provides a context for teaching literature from six Aboriginal cultures: Mi'kmaq, Six Nations, Anishnabe (Ojibwe), Cree, Métis, and 4 Okanagan through commentaries supported by extensive bibliographies. Suggestions for incorporating the literature into curriculum are also included. ________________________________________________________________ Panel Elem/Sec Topic Aboriginal/First Nations Resource Type Booklet / downloadable resource Aboriginal Presence in Our Schools: A Guide for Staff (Lakehead Public Schools, March 2007), 40 pp. Available at http://www.lakeheadschools.ca/aboriginaleducation/main The objective of this handbook is to build Aboriginal cultural awareness. It provides background information on Aboriginal heritage and traditions, cultural teachings, celebrations, treaties, terminology, and best practices as well as community linkages to Aboriginal community agencies. As well as being downloadable, this resource is available as a booklet, which can be ordered online. ________________________________________________________________ Panel Elem/Sec Topic Race Resource Online resource, Type teacher resource Africentric Research and Education Portal Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.garypieters.com/ Created by an educator/school administrator, this online resource is suitable for educators, researchers, writers, students, and people researching Black history from a Canadian perspective. 5 Panel Elem/Sec Topic Human rights Resource Downloadable Type resource Amnesty International Human Rights Kit – A Classroom Resource Website: www.amnesty.ca A rich resource for introducing human rights concepts into the classroom, the kit includes information about human rights, the text of some of the key human rights instruments, and a wide range of workshop and activity ideas that can be adapted to different classroom settings and age groups. Also included are Declarations, Questions and Answers for teachers, and lesson plans for group activities – some of which address diversity and racism. Panel Elem/Sec Topic Equity and inclusive education – general Resource Type Book (teacher resource) Anti‐Bias Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Children, by Louise Desman Sparks and the ABC Taskforce (NAEYC, 1989). Available at http://oldweb.naeyc.org/pubs/ Panel Elem/Sec Topic Race Resource Type Book (teacher resource) AntiRacism Education: Getting Started – A Practical Guide for Educators, by Elizabeth Coelho, William Costiniuk, and Charis Newton (Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, 1995) Available through the OSSTF library: LC/3734/.C64/A57 ________________________________________________________________ 6 Panel Elem Topic Race Resource Special issue of Type journal “Anti‐Racism Practices and Inclusive Schooling” Orbit Magazine, Vol. 33, No. 3, 2003. Edited by George Sefa Dei and Njoki Wane. This special issue of Orbit Magazine provides an action‐oriented approach to issues of racism in schools. It includes the "naming of race" and instructional strategies for recognizing and respecting difference. Order from Orbit Magazine: http://anti‐racism.ca/content/orbit‐magazine‐ oise%E2%80%99s‐magazine‐schools 416‐923‐6641, ext. 2077 ________________________________________________________________ Panel Elem/Sec Topic Equity and inclusive education – general, Race Resource Books, online resources, Type videos, workshops Antiracist Multicultural Education Network of Ontario (AMENO) P.O. Box 626 Toronto, ON M3C 2T6 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ameno.ca AMENO is a network of diverse educators, community members, and parents in Ontario who are active in antiracist education. AMENO works to eliminate broad‐based biases, and to replace barriers with acceptance and inclusion for every individual. A comprehensive listing of books, workshops, teacher’s resources, and activities for use in classrooms from the primary to senior levels is available on the AMENO resource page: www.ameno.ca/Main%20Pages/resources.htm ________________________________________________________________ 7 Panel Elem/Sec Topic Equity and inclusive education – general Resource Books, journal, online Type resources,