Inclusive Education Experts.pdf

Gordon L. Porter, Jacqueline Specht, and Diane Richler are the hosts of "Let's Chat... about Inclusive Education".

Key issues discussed include:
1. Diverse Perspectives: The project features Canadian and international perspectives on inclusive education from various experts, including teachers, principals, parents, researchers, advocates, and politicians.
2. Human Rights: Diane Richler and Gordon Porter emphasize that inclusive education is a human rights issue, essential for preparing individuals for life in the community.
3. Research Supports Inclusion: Jacqueline Specht highlights that research supports inclusive education, but it's not always implemented in schools, making projects like this necessary to understand the state of inclusive education.
4. Inclusion is a Process: Diane Richler and Gordon Porter discuss the progress made in inclusive education over the last 3 decades, emphasizing that it requires constant evaluation and improvement.
5. Collaboration is Key: Sharing knowledge and resources between educators, parents, and others is crucial for successful inclusive education.

Potential discussion questions before and after viewing the chat session include:
- What does inclusion look like in schools today and what should it look like?
- Why does inclusion matter?
- How can the mindset that "inclusion is not an end, it's a process" be applied to work?
- Has the gap between research and practice affected your work, and how have you addressed it?

The hosts have published various research papers on inclusive education, including:
- Specht et al. (2016) on preservice teachers' self-efficacy for teaching in inclusive classrooms.
- Young et al. (2018) on investigating practicum experiences of preservice teachers.
- Specht and Metsala (2018) on predictors of teacher efficacy for inclusive practice.
- Delorey et al. (2020) on experiences that shape pre-service teachers' inclusive practice beliefs.
- Porter et al. (2021) on teachers as leaders achieving inclusive and quality education for all.