What We Have Learned

Inclusive Education Conference 2008: "Taking Care"

The Centre for Inclusive Education hosted another important conference for educators on April 25 2008. Participants came to the Faculty of Education at the University of Western Ontario from throughout the south western Ontario region, to hear speakers and panels of teachers, and contribute to the discussion concerning classroom-based strategies in meeting the needs of children with mental health issues. In the afternoon, this format was repeated on the topic of advancing media literacy in promoting personal safety.

"What's mental health got to do with it?"

In the morning session, Alan Leschied from the Faculty of Education at the University of Western Ontario sent a clear message that mental health is a critical component of the overall well-being of children or adolescents, specifically with their readiness to learn. He presented some startling findings from the Ontario Child Health Study, and from the National Longitudinal Study on Children and Youth in Canada. The most common form of child and adolescent mental health concern is depression. There are four components of depression:

1. Affective, or emotional; displaying sadness
2. Behavioral, such as low energy, inattentiveness
3. Cognitive; preoccupation with negative thoughts
4. Physiological; psychosomatic illness, preoccupation with well-being

A number of treatment options were discussed, such as psycho-social, and physical treatments. Dr. Leschied stressed the four key actions that teachers and school personnel can take to help provide a positive mental health environment:

1. Realize that mental health is a critical component for a child/adolescent being "ready to learn"
2. Ensure that all students are treated with respect
3. Know the signs of mental illness and the available community resources
4. Contact the student's parents and seek consultation from the school boards mental health professionals if you have concerns

Following the presentation, a panel of teachers discussed their integration of mental health programming within the school setting. A few highlights from this discussion:

• Children need to feel a sense of belonging and a connection to the school community; sometimes the playground or the cafeteria can actually act as barriers to making social connections or friendships. One program that overcomes this is called "Friendship Fridays", where natural opportunities exist for kids to socialize together at lunch hour. Teacher Deb Waud mentioned that all students are invited and encouraged to participate, especially those that she feels need that extra friend support. She stressed that the activities are ones that are easy to set up, such as playing board games.
• "Rainbows" program (www.rainbows.ca). This is a program to help children dealing with loss or major upheaval in their family situation. It is an in-school program designed to help kids deal with the loss, and to help them realize that they do not have to cope with their loss alone.

Selected Web Resources:

• www.about-teen-depression.com
• www.vch.ca/living/depression/mho_illness.htm
• www.rainbows.ca

The impact of Media Violence on Child and Adolescent Development: A critical role for parent and educator intervention

In the afternoon, Katie Cole, Head of the English Department at Medway Secondary School in the Thames Valley District School Board, used examples and resources extensively from the popular media to illustrate impact the media can have on child and adolescent development. The impact can be quite detrimental, and this demonstrates the need for young people to look to their parents and teachers to help them develop media literacy skills. Ms. Cole's key message: young people spend an average of 6.5 hours a day interacting with some form of media including television, video games, the internet and music. Teachers and parents need to stay aware of what is out there, and to help kids develop the survival skills of critical media literacy. A handout was distributed to those at the conference which contained valuable information and resources such as:

• Facts for educators to increase awareness about current media
• Examples of the presence of violent themes and images in the mainstream and elsewhere
• Stages of media literacy, and strategies for students to help them become critically aware, including:
  • Becoming aware of the importance of managing one's media "diet"
  • Learning the specific skills of critical viewing - questioning and analysis techniques
  • Exploring deeper issues, eg. Who produces the material, and profits from it? What is the message? How does it influence the social, political, and economic community?
• Resources for educators, parents, and students that will help with media literacy skills. Key one: www.media-awareness.ca for parents and educators. National Media Education Week is November 3 - 7, 2008.

Some highlights from the panel discussion concerning media awareness and literacy activities teachers can do:

• Have students bring in and examine pictures in popular ads and view them critically by answering key questions about the material: Who created the message? What is the goal? How do they attract your attention? What values or points of view are represented?
• Students can create a movie "trailer" to "sell" a novel to their classmates using a video camera. This can bring an awareness of how trailers are put together to create the demand for a product.
• Dance club - enjoy music with no lyrics
• Kids can't be inoculated against media violence, so they need to be made aware of how to approach and evaluate different forms, and the messages being presented

The theme of the day, Taking Care, was highlighted through the topics of children's mental health and media literacy. These two are linked together by the powerful effect that the media has on children’s views of the world, and how they perceive their role in that world. If the image of success is portrayed through an ultra-fit, ultra aggressive, highly sexualized being, do they feel disconnected and lacking somehow in those qualities that are perceived to be desirable? Or can the school and home work together to help kids feel that they belong, and that they can develop skills to handle the mixed messages from the media? Teachers and parents can make a difference!

Jacqueline Specht, Director of the Centre for Inclusive Education, expressed her gratitude to the speakers for their presentations, and to the members of the panels of teachers who shared their stories and tips. Planning is already underway for the '09 conference. Contact us on our site at www.edu.uwo.ca/inclusive_education if you have a suggestion, or to get onto our emailing list to be among the first to know the details of the conference, and for other exciting developments in inclusive education!

Accessibility Statement

© 2008 The Centre for Inclusive Education, UWO