Best Practices Towards Inclusive Education Through an Equity Lens

Dr. Jessica Bacon

Summer Conference Afternoon Session

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

ZOOM

Registration is not required for this event. 

Please use this link to join the session on June 25th @ 1:00 PM:

https://montclair.zoom.us/j/6452473132?pwd=bHRVVVpzdVdnaWZXOHZWbGsvdUN1dz09

Password: 342987

In this workshop, we will collectively discuss how we as educators define the concept of “inclusion” within our school communities. Then, I will cover several theoretical frameworks that help to deepen our collective understanding that stem out of research on equity and intersectionality within inclusive education. Specifically, we will discuss social model perspectives, how to consider anti-racism and anti-ableism in inclusive planning, and how to presume competence for all learners. Then, we will look at practical and pedagogical techniques that can be implemented in schools and classrooms that will promote inclusivity for all students with diverse learner needs. I will also introduce a tool entitled the least restrictive decision-making ladder that will help educators make decisions for individual children that promote inclusion.

Dr. Jessica Bacon is an Associate Professor in the department of Teaching and Learning at Montclair State at Montclair State University. Dr. Bacon is the program coordinate for the 5-year combined Bachelors/ Masters in Teaching programs in inclusive education that lead to dual certification in general and special education. Dr. Bacon is a co-founder and co-coordinator with Dr. Susan Baglieri of the Increasing Access to College project, which offers inclusive higher education opportunities to college-aged students with intellectual and developmental disability labels. Dr. Bacon’s research is informed by the field of disability studies and she investigates various topics related to inclusive education through a critical and intersectional lens including; educational policy and standards-based reform, self-advocacy and advocacy, post-secondary inclusive education, and talking about disability within the k-12 curricula. Dr. Bacon has recently published in journals such as Teaching Disability Studies, Topics in Early Childhood Education, Journal of Disability Studies in Education, Critical Education, Young Exceptional Children, Curriculum.