Widening The Circle

Widening the Circle is a passionate, even radical argument for creating school and classroom environments where all kids, including children labeled as “disabled” and “special needs,” are welcome on equal terms. In opposition to traditional models of special education, where teachers decide when a child is deemed “ready to compete” in “mainstream” classes, Mara Sapon-Shevin articulates a vision of full inclusion as a practical and moral goal. Inclusion, she argues, begins not with the assumption that students have to earn their way into the classroom with their behavior or skills, it begins with the right of every child to be in the mainstream of education, perhaps with modifications, adaptations, and support. Full inclusion requires teachers to think about all aspects of their classrooms—pedagogy, curriculum, and classroom climate. Crucially, Sapon-Shevin takes on arguments against full inclusion in a section of straight-talking answers to common questions. She agrees with critics that the rhetoric of inclusion has been used to justify eliminating services and “dumping” students with significant educational needs unceremoniously back into the mainstream with little or no support. If full inclusion is properly implemented, however, she argues, it not only clearly benefits those traditionally excluded but enhances the educations and lives of those considered mainstream in myriad ways. Through powerful storytelling and argument, Sapon-Shevin lays out the moral and educational case for not separating kids on the basis of difference.

Appointed by the Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in 2017, the UUA Commission on Institutional Change served through June 2020. Widening the Circle of Concern: Report of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change represents the culmination of the Commission’s work analyzing structural and systemic racism and white supremacy culture within Unitarian Universalism and makes recommendations to advance long-term cultural and institutional change that redeems the essential promise and ideals of Unitarian Universalism. The members and staff of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change were Chair Rev. Leslie Takahashi, Mary Byron, Cir L’Bert Jr., Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore, Dr. Elías Ortega, Caitlin Breedlove, DeReau K. Farrar, and Project Manager Rev. Marcus Fogliano.

In this absorbing memoir, well-known eco-philosopher, Buddhist scholar, and deep ecology activist/teacher Macy recounts her adventures of mind and spirit in the key social movements of the era. From involvement with the CIA and the Cold War, through experiences in Africa, India and Tibet, her autobiography reads like a novel.

Widening the Family Circle: New Research on Family Communication bridges the significant gap in family communication literature by providing a thorough examination of lesser-studied family relationships, such as those involving grandparents, in-laws, cousins, stepfamilies, and adoptive parents. In this engaging text, editors Kory Floyd and Mark T. Morman bring together a diverse collection of empirical studies, theoretic essays, and critical reviews of literature on communication to constitute a stronger, more complete understanding of communication within the family.

In this book, a distinguished group of early childhood special educators and researchers explores the barriers to and influences on inclusive education settings for young children. Chapters cover such timely topics as individualized instruction, social relationships of children with disabilities, collaborative relationships among adults, family perceptions of inclusion, classroom ecology and child participation, community participation, social policy, and cultural and linguistic diversity. Expert contributors, addressing each of these topics, draw useful implications for practitioners-providing helpful suggestions for modifying activities, materials, environmental supports, and teaching strategies. Based on a groundbreaking 5-year research study conducted by the Early Childhood Research Institute on Inclusion, Widening the Circle is a must read for all professionals working in inclusive settings.

Recognizing the need for a pedagogy that better serves American Indian students, Beverly J. Klug and Patricia T. Whitfield construct a pedagogical model that blends native and non-native worldviews and methods. Among the building blocks of this new, culturally relevant education are language-based approaches to literacy development, the use of oral histories to supplement traditional texts, and a re-evaluation of the knowledge base these students need for success in tribal enterprises.

The Widening Circle of Us is personal, political and theological. Peter Francis charts his own ‘widening’ from a privileged beginning with an unquestioning naïve faith, to a liberal understanding of faith and society. He now believes that Christianity is best viewed as a completely non-supernatural ethic for life. The memoir weaves his personal story alongside his passion for the humanity of Jesus and writes about the battles for inclusion that have shaped his life and ministry. It is an honest reflection on his life as a priest in England, Scotland and Wales, including nearly 25 years as Warden of Gladstone’s Library, where his ‘widening’ continues with responding to the Gladstone legacy of historic slavery in the wake of Black Lives Matter.

This book is a definitive work on family group conferencing (FGC). It documents the growth of the FGC model and its applications with multiple cultures and populations. It also provides several chapters on evaluating different aspects of FGC: assessing fidelity to the model, outcome evaluation, and cost analysis. It illustrates the strengths of coupling family accountability with empowerment in action. It redefines the roles of practitioners in mutual work with families in ways that strengthen their abilities to make decisions, to use community resources, to decrease isolation and to build community and community partnerships. This book offers positive strategies for family-centered systems change and research and for new policy directions that promote family and community responsibility for the safety and welfare of children.