Douglas Fisher, author and professor in the Department of Teacher Education at San Diego State University, will discuss inclusive schools and why they matter to all children in the classroom at 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 9, in room 2-162 of Dewey Hall on the University of Rochester's River Campus. His lecture is free and open to the public.
Through case studies, examples, and analysis of support systems, Fisher will discuss creating inclusive school environments in which all students are educated within the same school, classroom setting, and community. The one-hour presentation, titled "Inclusion: Dwell in Possibilities" and followed by a question-and-answer period, is targeted to teachers, administrators, teacher education students, and parents. Light refreshments will be served.
The event is sponsored by the Midwest Regional Task Force on Quality Inclusive Schooling in cooperation with the Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development at the University of Rochester. The task force is one of seven across New York State that are part of the New York Higher Education Support Center for Systems Change.
Fisher has been recognized with an International Reading Association Celebrate Literacy Award and a Christa McAuliffe award for excellence in teacher education. He also is director of professional development for the City Heights Educational Collaborative, a partnership to improve the quality of life in a San Diego neighborhood.
He has published numerous articles and books on reading and literacy, differentiated instruction, and curriculum design. A former secondary school teacher, Fisher teaches courses in San Diego State's teacher-credentialing program and graduate-level courses on English language development and literacy.