Much of today's school practices originate in the Victorian era classroom, and many of the mentalities are deeply ingrained in many schools of the Western world. Mentalities include memorization and recitation, rigid curriculum, standardization, and limited access to accommodations for learning or other differences. These mentalities can make innovation very hard to foster and implement, while switching to new models is particularly cumbersome.
On March 2023, ACS Athens hosted the International Conference on Inclusion organized by the Educational Collaborative for International Schools. One of the keynotes at the conference was Daniel Sobel, the founder and lead consultant for Inclusion Expert - a training and support company working in education. With a background in educational psychology, psychotherapy and as an assistant headteacher, he has experience across the whole spectrum of inclusion. His presentation at the Theater of ACS Athens touched many sensitive chords as he talked to peer educators as much about the topic of his expertise as also about his own experience through the education system.
With Daniel Sobel today, we discuss:
- The inherent problems of the summative assessment mentality in education, which evaluates student learning, knowledge, proficiency, or success at the conclusion of an instructional period
- The sense of failure teachers and students experience by the lack of training on inclusion
- Creating a culture that values diversity
- The evolving idea of inclusion
- The difference between being trustworthy but conservative vs. being wacky and innovative
- The best way to reach inclusive practices in the classroom that encourages engagement and participation
- And much more...
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