An Interview with Wirdani Yusoff – Leadership of Inclusive Practice
Wirdani is one of our international students, currently working in Istanbul Turkey as a lecturer at a university. She specialises in Moderate Learning Difficulty, Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Hearing Impairment and Visual Impairment. Wirdani studied the Leadership of Inclusive Practice course, the first mandatory module in the Masters in Leading Inclusive Education which we deliver in partnership with Middlesex University. Read on to see what Wirdani had to say about her experiences studying with us at Real Training and what the course has done for her career.
What made you choose the Real Training courses over other options?
I received a recommendation via Middlesex University, London.
What was your experience of learning with Real Training?
I have always been interested in pursuing my study in the area of inclusive education especially in the UK, but since I am working in Turkey it is rather difficult to do so. Real Training has bridged that gap by offering an outstanding online learning platform partnered with Middlesex University so that I could take up courses/modules in the area of my interests and learn from anywhere in the world. The portal displays excellent tools and features showing progress, engaging delegates through forums, and a virtual notebook which is useful to support note-taking and share options with the course leader. Tutors/Course Leaders are easy to get hold of and I often receive swift responses from them when help and support are needed.
How has the course helped make an impact at school?
The course has totally changed my view in dealing with students who are often marginalized by society. I have also successfully changed the perspective of my colleagues through a change project I undertook as a part of a requirement for the Practice Analysis Assignment. As a result of the project I led, students’ performance has increased significantly by 40%.
How has the course helped develop you as an educational professional and what do you hope to achieve with the new knowledge/skills in the future?
Fostering an inclusive environment in an educational institution starts with the upper management particularly leaders. This course has helped me become an effective, better leader. Its learning activities, reading materials, and assignments have opened my mind wider to understand more critically, develop my skills, and have practical experience leading and managing a project even better than I had done before. It goes without saying that in the process there are also difficulties I have encountered but in the end, it has been a worthwhile ride. Continuing along these avenues of leading inclusive education, I would definitely continue to use what I have learnt for a future reference to success.