By: Lara El Khatib
October 12, 2023
Would you go to a doctor who still uses 19th or even some 20th century methods? Would you go to a dentist who responds to any tooth problem by simply removing that tooth? How would you feel about a doctor who gives diabetes medication to the following patients: one who has diabetes, one who is healthy, and one who has high blood pressure?
Let’s dig a little deeper. Is it typical or appropriate to expect all children to wear the same size clothes or shoes, to expect all children to eat the same amounts of food at the same time, to expect adults to wear the same type, color, or size of clothes, no matter the occasion, to expect adults to wear the same type of shoes (e.g. flats, pumps, runners…) no matter what activity they are engaged in, and finally to expect friends who go to a certain restaurant to order the same type or quantity of food?
Our human variability is amazing and it is celebrated in almost every aspect of our lives. There are many different types, colors, and sizes of clothes and shoes. There are many restaurants out there, and even within the same restaurant, let’s say an Italian restaurant, we find so many variations of pasta and sauces, and other types of food for those who may not like pasta. And if one does not wish to eat, most restaurants have beverage options. This is all done because there is a deep understanding of human variability in almost every aspect of life.
Research shows us very clearly that this human variability does extend to what happens in the classroom. We know from neuroscience that our brains are as unique as our fingerprints. We also know, from the works of Todd Rose and Katie Novak, among others, that the average student is a myth, and that if we design a lesson for the average student, we are literally designing it for no one. And therefore, how we celebrate this immense human variability can and should extend to how we do things in the classroom.
But this does not always happen. Unfortunately, there are still classrooms all over the world that do not appreciate human variability, and some go so far as to reject it. Many educators teach and assess learning with the expectation that all children learn the same lesson or acquire the same piece of information, in the same way, and at the same time. When we expect all our students to show us what they’ve learned in the same way (e.g. with a test), we are rejecting human variability. And by the way, this is treatment that even our cars do not get. Very few people would go to a mechanic who “fixes” all cars in the same way, regardless of what is wrong with them.
It is worth mentioning that we not only have inter-person variability (differences between people), we also have intra-person variability. For example, how a child learns math is often different than how they learn English or Arabic. So even if we have just one student in our classroom, we still have a diverse classroom, and we cannot and should not teach everything, to everyone, or the same student, in the exact same way.
Every time we provide an accommodation for a student in the classroom, or a person outside the classroom, others end up benefiting as well.
It is also worth mentioning that, as research has shown us, over and over again, every time we provide an accommodation for a student in the classroom, or a person outside the classroom, others end up benefiting as well. So, this is really a win-win situation. For instance, when we provide closed captioning, which was created for those who are deaf, others benefit as well. We see closed captioning at the gym and the airport. Closed captioning also helps those who may not understand a language very well and may need that extra bit of support, which consists of reading what a presenter is saying. The potato peeler, which was originally designed for those with arthritis, is used by many who cook, including master chefs. In that same TedTalk referenced above, it is mentioned that text messaging was originally designed for those who are deaf. And of course, now many of us use all of these choices, and some of us rely on them very heavily. This clearly shows us that when we design for variability, everyone benefits.
So how do we extend this celebration of human variability to the classroom? In the second article in this inclusion series, Dr. Amal Farhat will address one way to do so, which is through the use of proper and inclusive language.
In the third and final article in this series, Dr. Lara El Khatib will discuss the use of the principles of Universal Design for Learning, in order to not only address this variability, but accept, welcome and celebrate it.
References and additional resources:
https://www.unicef.org/education/inclusive-education
https://www.un.org/en/transforming-education-summit/why-inclusive-education-important-all-students
https://www.understood.org/en/articles/4-benefits-of-inclusive-classrooms
https://www.texthelp.com/en-au/resources/inclusive-education/importance-of-inclusion/