This study on inclusion and narrative writing stems from a classroom experience with English L2 students at postgraduate level. The presence in the class of two students with special needs meant that a revision of the previously established syllabus had to be carried out in order to cater for the following exigencies: the need to create activities which the disabled students could carry out on a par with their colleagues and without any undue stress or pressure; the need to create a welcoming, inclusive environment in which all students could collaborate and feel part of a whole; the need to find suitable learning practices and associated assessment tools. The idea of setting up a creative writing project emerged both as a response to these needs and as a desire to regain the ancestral value of narration as a tool for the building and transmission of knowledge. In the following pages a detailed account of this ‘vision’ of inclusion and narration through creative writing will be provided, together with samples taken from the students’ production and a final reflection on the results obtained.
Il lavoro di ricerca e di sperimentazione didattica che verrà narrato nelle pagine seguenti prende spunto da due studenti disabili la cui presenza in aula ha generato il desiderio di individuare una formula atta a creare un ambiente educativo ‘accogliente’ per tutti, nel senso di accessibile e adattabile a tutti i partecipanti. Da qui l’approfondimento del tema dell’inclusione e il recupero della valenza ancestrale del racconto come strumento di costruzione e di trasmissione della conoscenza. Sono emerse così prospettive nuove per un progetto didattico già avviato in collaborazione con alcuni colleghi: un modulo di scrittura creativa in inglese ai cui obiettivi iniziali si è aggiunto quello di creare una comunità inclusiva della quale tutti hanno giovato. Da qui scaturisce la domanda intorno alla quale si è organizzata la ricerca e il conseguente esperimento didattico: il ricorso al testo narrativo e creativo in un contesto educativo può favorire l’interazione e, quindi, generare curiosità verso l’altro, empatia, inclusività?
"'And this is the end of the story'. Raccontare per includere"
Bruna Di Sabato
2021-01-01
Abstract
This study on inclusion and narrative writing stems from a classroom experience with English L2 students at postgraduate level. The presence in the class of two students with special needs meant that a revision of the previously established syllabus had to be carried out in order to cater for the following exigencies: the need to create activities which the disabled students could carry out on a par with their colleagues and without any undue stress or pressure; the need to create a welcoming, inclusive environment in which all students could collaborate and feel part of a whole; the need to find suitable learning practices and associated assessment tools. The idea of setting up a creative writing project emerged both as a response to these needs and as a desire to regain the ancestral value of narration as a tool for the building and transmission of knowledge. In the following pages a detailed account of this ‘vision’ of inclusion and narration through creative writing will be provided, together with samples taken from the students’ production and a final reflection on the results obtained.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
