Language, Literature and Education: Research Updates Vol. 11

This book chapter stems from a reflection of British and Italian teaching practices within the mainstream and inclusive classroom debate. It issues from first-hand experience of teaching in both British and Italian schools and focuses on a view of the mainstream inclusive schools setting in the UK as the nearest comparison to our Italian setting. Whilst the British educational system offers the additional opportunity of special schools meant exclusively for impaired students, this is not contemplated in the Italian educational system. The other claim in this chapter comes from a reflection of mainstream inclusive schools in the UK, as these are the nearest comparison to Italian schools, although some differences still remain noticeable. Considering the plethora of extant studies in this field, it was possible to narrow the research scope to exploring notions of normalcy and creativity across the educational borders; The chapter engages with ideas of normalcy vs. estrangement in connection with educational modalities in Italy and in the UK primarily; this often informs how creativity in the classroom often results into adaptive modalities which turns oddity into the inclusive norm. It is a global, ethical concern for teachers worldwide that all children be allowed in an inclusive school environment and through digital resources, to reach out to a much wider educational community.