Appreciating and Mainstreaming Inclusive Education: A Classroom Experience in the Philippines

Abstract

The task of providing relevant education necessitates evolving and constant tuning in with the changing times and thoughts. As a faculty member for 23 years, I am witness to how my school, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, readily embraces current and post-modern thoughts in philosophy of education. Pragmatic education, multiple intelligences, learner-centered education, creativity and innovation, and now inclusion, all found their way in the institution’s vision and mission statements. These thoughts got expressed in evolving courses as well as changing student profiles, to name a few. And the school is expanding!As a teacher, I need to be constantly updated and mindful of the philosophies behind the changes to anchor my strategies of teaching. My academic interest in philosophy of education enables me to rationalize and embrace the series of changes as I explored innovative, creative, multi-intelligence, multi- and interdisciplinary approaches in the classroom. I will share my best practices in teaching and learning, as well my philosophy of education, in handling the growing heterogeneity of my students. I will describe my primary methodology, as well as support strategies and activities that enable me to flexibly respond to the learners’ circumstance. Given the inclusive thrust, my goal is not only to accommodate the special needs and varied learning styles, but, more importantly, to harness the learners’ diversity as an add-on to their total learning experience. Through this paper, I join colleagues who assert that inclusive education is challenging, but necessary and doable.



Author Information
Juan Rafael Macaranas, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, The Philippines

Paper Information
Conference: ACERP2018
Stream: Philosophy - Philosophy and Education

This paper is part of the ACERP2018 Conference Proceedings (View)
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Posted by James Alexander Gordon