Edited By Scot Danforth
Part Three: Narratives of Inclusive Education Struggle and Success
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Narratives of Inclusive Education Struggle and Success
Their story, yours, mine—it’s what we all carry with us on this trip we take, and we owe it to each other to respect our stories and learn from them. (William Carlos Williams, as quoted by Coles, 1990, p. 30)
It is not uncommon for books about effective pedagogy to tout a series of instructional methods and then illustrate those teaching activities in the form of descriptive cases or narratives. Typically, these accounts are presented in an authoritative style, as large stone statues built into impressive shrines of professional knowledge. The message is, We have told you quite masterfully what to do, how to teach, and these narrated examples clearly demonstrate the best practices. So imitate the expertise exemplified in these narratives.
Undoubtedly, there is something valuable in reading the stories told by persons who have achieved a fair degree of effectiveness. I do not want to downplay how important it is for teachers to have access to experiential stories told by highly successful colleagues. Often these stories provide both inspiration and illustration, nudging the reader forward to try better practices while offering some element of guidance on that improving path. Often these stories help us to envision what is possible. If those people can do it, why can’t we?
But the typical professional book that provides stories or case studies of effective practice is...
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