Launch of Charter for Inclusive Teaching and Learning today

This morning AHEAD will launch the Charter on Inclusive Teaching and Learning. You can download a copy here (see link at end of page)

Here’s our statement released last night:

Charter on Inclusive Teaching and Learning seeks to create a more equal world for students with disabilities

The Charter of Inclusive Teaching and Learning is being launched by Dr. Mary Liz Trant of the HEA on 3^rd November 2009 in the Clarence Hotel. Produced by AHEAD (the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability) the Charter is endorsed by the Irish Universities Association, the National Access Office, the Irish Universities Quality Board, the Teachers Union of Ireland and the Disability Advisors Working Network and  Access Officers .

The Charter lays out the minimum components required for inclusive education, in all aspects of teaching and learning in higher education institutions. It strives to describe and encourage the good practices that should be consistently delivered across all third level education to all students, as opposed to the current situation where individuals are setting excellent examples of such practice, in patches across the country.

These practices are proven to work, not only for students with disabilities, but for all students.  Applications from students with disabilities and specific learning difficulties to higher education institutions are surging, with an increase up of 25% each year.  There are now over 4,000 students with disabilities studying in higher education and these students can learn and want to learn but they learn differently, for example by using e-books and other technology to read and write.

Ann Heelan, Director of AHEAD said “The biggest barrier to making changes stick is stereotypical assumptions by some staff who fail to see the potential behind the disability or appreciate the need to alter the way they teach.   The challenge for institutions is to change how they operate so they have the capacity to meet the different learning requirements of a diverse group of students. In the current economic climate this approach improves the quality of our teaching but has little or no additional costs.”

 

Launch of Charter on Inclusive Teaching and Learning

Next Tuesday, November 3rd,  AHEAD is launching a Charter on Inclusive Teaching in Learning. It’s endorsed by Irish Universities Association,  the National Access Office, the Irish Universities Quality Board, the Teachers Union of Ireland and the Disability Advisors Working Network and  Access Officers.

It’s a great achievement and one I’m rather excited about. We launched Good Practice Guidelines in 2008 and last April we held a Symposium on Inclusive Teaching and Learning based on the guidelines, at which we were trying to begin the process which has resulted in this Charter.  No one is going to read Good Practice Guidelines (it’s a very substantial 144 page book) from start to finish and that was never the idea. It was created as a reference point, a drop in document.  The Charter is the next step.

The aim of the Charter is to be a simple, outline of the key points of good practice in relation to inclusive teaching and learning. It is aimed at including disabled students in higher education, but honestly, the vast majority of the points make for better teaching for all students. Hopefully it will mean that pockets of excellence in teaching will be come the standard, the norm, rather than the rarity. Best of all, changing teaching practices doesn’t have to cost.

I’ll post the link to the charter and press release on Tuesday.

 

Group for Students with AD/HD

Dear Students with AD/HD,

A new student support group has been organised for AD/HD college students. Assistance was provided from other sources; however, the group was created largely by AD/HD students for AD/HD students.
The group will meet for the first time on the 26th October 2009, up stairs in Doyle’s Pub on College Street, Dublin 2, at 7pm. Future meetings will be held on the last Monday of every month at the same time and location.

Developing awareness and understanding of AD/HD and it’s implications as a student and beyond, is key to managing AD/HD effectively. This is achieved by learning about the condition, and also socialising with other student who face the same challenges.

Group meetings will be informal events. Participation, and/ or involvement, in the organising of meeting and running of the group, is up to the members. Topics, issues, format, set up, etc… is flexible; we would like everyone to get involved in different aspects of the group. Input from everyone is welcome, but not required.

We will also have a bit of fun along the way!
We look forward to seeing you there,

Kate and Stiofan
Contact: adhdstudents@hotmail.com

View this document on Scribd

 

Graduate Careers Fair, in the RDS, tomorrow, 21st October

Myself and John Paul from WAM will be at the Graduate Careers Fair in the RDS all day tomorrow. It starts at 11 and runs till 5 and you can check out their site here

More importantly, at 3:30 I’ll be giving a short seminar which will cover all the extra aspects of jobseeking that are useful for graduates and students with disabilities to know: disclosure, grants and funding, legislation and the availability of other projects and supports. It’s the ideal time to get an overview of things that you should consider if you are a graduate with a disability, or for that matter, someone who is supporting/ advising a graduate with a disability. All the matierial is taken from Get Ready for Work, so it really is an overview of the extra stuff – I won’t be going near CVs, interview skills, what job you should do, or anything like that, because that’s all covered by others whose speciality it is. For more information about the timetable of seminars you can check here.

Obviously, we’ll be at the stand all day to answer any questions and would be very happy to see you, but I would encourage you to drop along to the seminar, it’s just a half an hour and could answer many of your questions in a more useful way.

As I’ve said before, events like this are what you make of them, and I’ve outlined some suggestions here, and so have GradIreland, here.

If you’re there tomorrow, do drop by, and do enjoy the day. Opportunities can be exciting and challenging, and that can be something to relish and enjoy!