Using Story as Sites of Dialogue, Disillusionment, and Development of Dispositions to Support Inclusive Education

Michelann Parr, Terry Campbell

Schulich School of Education, Nipissing University, North Bay, Canada.

DOI: 10.4236/ce.2012.33054                

Abstract

This article reports on an ongoing action research project regarding stories and dialogue that can be used as experiences of difference and diversity, and their impact on the classroom environment/community and the teacher. Over a period of ten years, the researchers have engaged a total of 2400 teacher candidates, through their language and literacy course, in a discussion of what it means to be different and how these values and attitudes impact what happens in the classroom. Using children’s literature as a starting point, teacher candidates are encouraged to make connections between read alouds, reader response, critical literacy, and how this ultimately transforms their knowledge, values, and zones of comfort in both the teacher education classroom and the regular classroom.

Keywords

Inclusive Education; Teacher Education; Story; Literature; Language and Literacy

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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