inclusionED goes live!
We are delighted to announce the release of inclusionED, a major new online professional learning community for educators. The platform was launched by the Hon. Dan Tehan MP, Minister for Education, via an online event on Monday 18 May. The launch attracted over 1,500 registrations and included a demonstration showcase and a live Q&A with the research team.
In the average Australian classroom, at least three children have a learning difficulty or neurodevelopmental disability. The support and scaffolding these children receive during school can set the trajectory for the rest of their lives, but many teachers don't feel equipped to effectively support the learning of all students in their classrooms.
Prof Suzanne Carrington, School Years Program Director at Autism CRC and Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Education at the Queensland University of Technology, said inclusionED will play an important role in the national approach to addressing these challenges.
"inclusionED will be a hugely valuable resource for teachers across the nation, supporting them to make education inclusive for all learners, including those with learning difficulties or neurodevelopmental disabilities. I encourage Australia's educators to get online and explore the site," Prof Carrington said.
Co-designed with educators, for educators, inclusionED provides evidence-based and research-informed teaching practices, videos, printable templates and other resources, designed to support diverse learners in inclusive classrooms. The online platform assists educators and parents to support students, whether they are at school or at home.
Underpinned by the principles of Universal Design for Learning, inclusionED supports flexible approaches that can be customised for individualised learning.
The platform also facilitates a national community of practice, enabling social sharing and educator reviews on the experience of implementing specific teaching practices.
Join the community of practice
inclusionED teaching practices align with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership's (AITSL's) High-Quality Professional Learning Cycle. When you complete an inclusionED practice, you can download a certificate of completion in recognition of your professional learning.
The inclusionED practices and resources are underpinned by the outputs of over 25 research and development projects carried out through Autism CRC's School Years Program over the past six years involving many researchers and organisations including - AEIOU Foundation, Aspergers Services Australia, Association of Independent Schools Queensland, Autism Queensland, Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect), Brisbane Catholic Education, Catholic Education Commission of Victoria, Catholic Schools New South Wales, Curtin University, Department of Education Queensland, Department of Education Tasmania, Department of Education Victoria, Department of Education Western Australia, Griffith University, Positive Partnerships, Queensland University of Technology, University of Queensland, and many hundreds of schools across Australia, their students, teachers and other school personnel, and parent communities.
The launch also featured presentations from Professor Robert van Barneveld, Autism CRC Chair, Professor Suzanne Carrington, Autism CRC Program 2 School Years Director and Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Education at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), the inclusionED research team at QUT: Associate Professor Michael Whelan, Dr Keely Harper-Hill and Dr Jeremy Kerr, and Trudy Bartlett, Senior Inclusion Coordinator at Marsden State High School.
Autism CRC would like to thank the many researchers and organisations, and the 300+ schools across Australia who have contributed to (and continue to contribute to) our School Years Program. Without your contributions, inclusionED would not have been possible.
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