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Prospects (2011) 41:323339
DOI 10.1007/s11125-011-9207-5
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Deborah Deutsch Smith Naomi Chowdhuri Tyler
Published online: 30 August 2011 UNESCO IBE 2011
Abstract As a result of educational reforms, students with disabilities are educated in inclusive settings to a greater degree than ever before. Regrettably, many teachers report that they feel unprepared to work effectively with these students. Because teacher effectiveness is strongly linked to student outcomes, these perceptions of inadequacy are clearly problematic. Improved teacher preparation is a necessity. Yet, teacher educators face their own challenges when trying to keep up with current literature and a rapidly expanding knowledge base. Web-based technology offers solutions to some of these challenges, yet not all Web-based resources are valid or reliable. The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, provides free online resources for those working with struggling learners and students with disabilities. The resources are developed in collaboration with leading educational researchers, are highly rated, and are heavily used in multiple countries to improve the quality of teacher education.
Keywords Inclusive education Teacher education Interactive instructional technology
Distance learning IRIS Center for Training Enhancements
The authors wish to thank the staff of the IRIS Center for Training Enhancements for their support and assistance throughout the writing of this article. The IRIS Center is a project funded by the Ofce of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education (H325F060003), which is awarded to Vanderbilt University and Claremont Graduate University. The contents of this article do not necessarily reect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Education.
D. D. Smith (&)
Claremont Graduate University, IRIS-West, 1237 N. Dartmouth, Claremont, CA 91711, USA e-mail: [email protected]
N. C. Tyler
Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Box 275, Nashville, TN 37203, USA e-mail: [email protected]
Effective inclusive education: Equipping education professionals with necessary skills and knowledge
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324 D. D. Smith, N. C. Tyler
That students with disabilities should be included in general education classes is not a new concept, and in fact for over a century some students with disabilities have received most of their education in general education classes. The Scottish Education Act passed in the late 1800s required students with severe visual impairmentsthat is, blind and low-vision studentsto be educated in general education settings...