WHOLE SCHOOLING

Video Project

The following video clips illustrate exemplary practices associated with the Whole Schooling principles.

NOTE: You will need QuickTime loaded on your computer to view these clips. Click above to download this program for free to your computer. Versions are available for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems.

Inclusive schools. Here clips will provide viritual tours of inclusive schools.

O'Hearn Elementary School, Boston. O'Hearn has a national reputation as a fully inclusive, multi-racial, high achieving school. This clip is made of photos taken in December of 2002 by Orah Raia of New Jersey.

Students in classrooms. In these clips, we focus on individual students with special needs, showing how they function as part of their classroom communities. These clips also well illustrate multi-level instruction and community building in the school and classroom.

Isaac in 4th grade. Several clips show Isaac, a student has a severe and multiple disability, participating at his level in learning activities related to economics and science -- effect of gravity on balls rolling down an incline. In addition Isaac's friend describes a camping trip they will take soon.

Kent in a Multi-age Active Learning Class. Kent is a student with a cognitive disability -- moderate mental retardation. In these clips you see him participating in a math activity involving space shapes and reading workshop with peers who are modeling for him.

Randall on the playground. Randall is in the second grade and has cerebral palsy. In this clip peers in his grade 2-3 multi-age class push him playfully around the playground, all having fun. Later Randall plays with other students in the sandbox.

Donald and the Presidential Election. In this clip a 4th grade class discusses the Presidential Election of George W. Bush and Al Gore. Donald, a student with a severe disability is an integral part of the class.

Micah in high school. In these clips we see Micah, a student with a cognitive disability, in his senior year in high school. Micah has been fully included in general education since the 3rd grade. Here you'll hear him talk about transition planning for him to attend a local college, watch him run a 200 meter race on the track team, and hear teachers talk about having him in their classes.

Authentic, multi-level instruction. These clips illustrate instruction that provides opportunities for students at multiple levels of ability, those with severe cognitive disabilities to children considered highly gifted and talented, work together challenged at their own level of ability to do just right work, to achieve their personal best.

Reading Workshop. These clips show a 4th grade class engaged in different dimensions of reading workshop, an approach that provides multi-level instruction in reading with wide ranges of students working together. Components include: instructional read-aloud, setting individual reading goals, mini-lessons, student to student testing, reading journals.

Writing Personal Best in a Grade 1-2 Multi-age Class. In this segment in Sue Huellmantel's grade 1-2 multi-age class, we see children writing information and stories at their own level, part of the classroom community.

Writing workshop around the theme of frozen worlds. Students create webs to organize their work across subjects related to the theme of frozen worlds. This allows students of very differing abilities to work together on this interesting and complex subject.

Social studies: Moving map! In this clip of Mishael Hittie's grade 3-5 multi-age, inclusive classroom, we see students engaged in a project where they are finding the locations of states by moving to different parts of the room.

Authentic Multi-level Homework Projects Mishael Hittie, a 4th grade teacher, describes a fun, engaging homework project that allowed students to work on a complex project at their own levels of ability.

Community building in the classroom.

Getting to know one another. Students are throwing paper at one another! But there's a plan. The teacher is having them put information about themselves and then they will do a hunt to find the person to whom the paper belongs. A great strategy for community building.

Morning meetings and songs of community. In this grade 1-2 multi-age, inclusive class, students participate in a morning meeting, greeting one another, sharing what's up and their feelings, and singing collective songs with movement.

Teacher modeling respectful talk: How to pay attention. In this clip. the grades 3-5 multi-age teacher stops her lessons on shapes to ask for students attention modeling respectful talk.

Problem solving classroom meeting.The teacher calls students together to talk about a problem -- cleaning up.

Support for teachers and students. Here you will see special education teachers, paraprofessionals, speech therapists and others collaborating with and providing support to teachers and students in general education classrooms.

Support for Teachers and Students. Two support specialists who support general education teachers in their classroom in an inclusive school discuss their collaborative work.

Collaboration in Writer's Workshop: Perspective of a Speech Therapist. In this clip, a speech therapist explains the value of Writing Workshop for children with language delays and cognitive disabilities. She discusses her role in collaborating with the general education teacher in the classroom.

Collaborative Writer's Workshop: Writing with Support. This clip illlustrates children writing at differing levels of ability, collaborating with one another, and a speech therapist and general education teacher working together to support children in learning to write and communicate effecitvely.

Collaborative Teaching in Centers. A general and special education teacher collaborate in teaching small groups of children in an elementary education class.

School and classroom design - using technology. Below are clips from the National Center for Technology Innovation that illustrate the use of assistive technology in the classroom with four students with disabilities. These clips are part of their video and supporting materials called I Can Soar.

Angie is a five year old student with mild cerebral palsy. This clip shows how a communication device assisted her in participating in the classroom and learning.

Aaron is a 13 year old boy with multiple disabilities. "A power wheelchair helps Aaron move around independently at school, computer software with large text and speech capabilities assists him in reading, and an alternative keyboard with large keys and a keyguard allows him to write and interact with the computer independently".

Stacey is an active 6th grader with a significant hearing loss. "When Stacey began using the FM amplification system shown in the video, she, her teachers, and her parents benefited from the capacity described above. A district audiologist and deaf/hard-of-hearing itinerant teacher came to Stacey’s school and conducted training with everyone who worked with Stacey".

Sean, a junior in high school, lost his sight at the age of 10. He uses a variety of types of assistive technology to help him manage his active engagement in the classroom and social life with other students.