Below are my sources for my PROBE paper on if special needs students should be included in mainstream classrooms. I hope you all find them as interesting as I did!

http://www.4children.org/issues/2003/january_february/special_needs_mainstream_classroom/

http://www.publicschoolreview.com/articles/73

http://www.impactautismuf.org/meetings.htm

http://www.weac.org/Issues_Advocacy/Resource_Pages_On_Issues_one/Special_Education/special_education_inclusion.aspx

http://www.newsforparents.org/experts_inclusion_pros_cons.htm

Education for Extinction - "But opposition to schools did not always spring from a comprehensive rejection of white ways. It might just as well represent opposition to some selective aspect of the school program: punishing children for speaking their native tongue, pressuring them to convert to Christianity, forcing them to perform manual labor. Especially obnoxious to some was the school's manner of disciplining Indian children, and even more, the practice of dressing them and drilling them like soldiers."

I think that the best situation for students with disabilities to be included in the regular classroom. Students with disabilities are always told that they are different and that they don't fit in. Students with special needs can have a variety of disabilities but they should be worked into the mainstream classroom. I think teachers should be eager to accommodate and help special needs students. There are many things that teachers can do to help special needs students to help them feel included. They should have the opportunity to learn and experience an interactive classroom just like students who don't have disabilities. New technology has enabled special needs students to be able to do more things than ever before and if we continue on this path we can continue to better special needs student's experience in school.

I was disappointed and saddened reading this article because I believe that education is the foundation of this country. Reading that we are "lagging" in education means we are "lagging" as a country as well. Education is fundamental to development and I think there should be more of an effort to improve public education. I think that other countries have realized this. The article states that students did better in Finland regardless of the schools they attend. I think that we have amazing schools in the United States but every school is not amazing. Most schools are lacking funding and programs that could transform schools into an exceptional learning facilities. I also think that the teachers in Finland are respected and appreciated more. Some find teaching as a back up job, but in Finland, it is a highly competitive profession. I think America could use a few tips from these countries in order to improve our education system.