“Citizenship in School: Re-conceptualizing Down Syndrome,” 

Kliewer

In this article Kliewer argues that disabled students are segregated from their non disabled peers and, as a consequence, miss out on many educational opportunities. The movement to merge the education of children with and without disabilities is based on the belief that communication is built on one's ability to listen deeply to others. Success in life requires an ability to develop relationships and form a “community” and, because we don't have complete control over our interactions, we must “work with others.” John Dewey believed that schools must serve as a site where children develop commitment to each other as well as a sense of self-direction. Some schools have a goal of placing children with down syndrome in the same classrooms as their peers and accepting all students as citizens. It tells the story of Shane Robbins who puts “citizenship” into practice. For example, she listens deeply to each student and maintains a focus on the individual needs of each student in her classroom. She did not, however, interpret a child's nonconformity to developmental theory as a manifestation of defect. Previously, schools took a narrow position when defining and judging student intellect but, today, there is a push towards broadening that approach. Schools must recognize themselves as places where the three R's are posed as “problems, challenges, problems and opportunities.” School personal must also expand their vision of what constitutes valued patterns of learning. Citizenship and respect, according to Borgan and Taylor, also require recognizing an individual's ability to think and a realization of each student's individuality. Classrooms that have accepted all children as citizens who are thoughtful, creative and interested learners with personal identities have removed the image of community burden attached to down syndrome. All students receiving equal opportunity and school citizenship rejects the idea of a gap between normality and down syndrome. While this article specifically focuses of accepting students with down syndrome as citizens in the classroom, other oppressed groups face similar challenges in the classroom as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFQpqigIcOY

http://www.ndss.org/Resources/Education/Implementing-Inclusion/