Curriculum Design for Inclusive Practice is Central to Effective Learning and Teaching - Essay Example

?Curriculum Design for Inclusive Practice What is Curriculum? The word curriculum originated from currere which is a Latin word and its meaning isto run. A curriculum is actually “a program of instruction” (Tyler 2009) that is prepared for the students’ learning process keeping them updated with the syllabus being followed in the modern world and promoting the “learners’ intellectual, personal, social and physical development” (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority 2009). A perfect curriculum plays a key role in healthy learning of students which leads them toward the achievement of higher grades through their academic career. It is important for the school’s authorities to pay particular consideration while choosing a curriculum that is beneficial to all types of students, whether they are high ability students or are low ability ones. High vision staff should be able to acclimatize and improve the curriculum so as to keep pace with the ever-changing and up to date world. However, Taylor (2009) very rightly says that “curricular resources are tools of our trade” and are just like paint brushes which, no matter how old or imperfect, if used by a trained artist, still can produce a beautiful picture. An ideal curriculum designs accommodates all students no matter what their skill level is and is easy enough to help promote learning from basics to higher standards in a strong fashion (Richmond 1971). 2. What is Inclusive Practice? Inclusive practice is the term used for such teaching practice that involves the learners’ contribution just as well as the teacher is involved in the teaching process. The learners are allowed to participate in the decision-making process and are encouraged to participate and collaborate just as well. The learners are left free to make their choices and decisions that would affect their lives and their learning outcomes (Ross 2006). 3. How Inclusive Practice Helps in Effective Learning If we talk about children and young people’s health and social care, then let’s take examples of children residential schools and care homes. When a child is listened to and his problems are discussed, he feels relieved and the learning process fastens. He feels that he is being given importance and that his decisions matter. This not only soothes him but wakes in him a wish to excel in his academic life. This is called inclusive practice. The students’ participation in the teaching process is also a form of outcome as is considered as important as the teaching and the learning process itself. The whole process is beneficial enough for the educator as well because knowledge is being shared by working with students and thus improved learning is made possible. The learners or those who are using the services bring out their own ideas and innovation and thus the teacher tends to be at a more informed teaching position. According to Ross (2006), “Inclusive Practice is good practice, and is also about human rights and anti discriminatory approach to mental health. Inclusive practice underpins anti discriminatory practice and is the practical way in which we put our equality  policies/agenda into action.” 4. Curriculum Design for Inclusive Practice An ideal curriculum design for inclusive practice in schools with the aim of improving children’s health and social care should, according to linear tradition theory, help the students make predictions and decisions and efficiently solve the problems by bringing out examples from real life. For example, the curriculum should be flexible enough to accommodate paper and pencil discussion along with the use of the latest technology based tools. It should eliminate the gap (as proposed by the gap theory) between the teacher and the students. Moreover, an ideal curriculum should encourage the students to work in groups in an informal environment where teacher does not act as a boss or a dictator; rather, the students act their own instructors. They discuss the topic among themselves; ask each other questions; and, try to come up with the best possible solutions (Armitage et al. 2007). This way, they learn to better communicate with peers and get to know each other better along with obtaining a clearer concept about the topic in hand. This also improves their mental health. Curriculum design for inclusive practice should so much keep the student engaged with the topic that they want to remain in the class even after the session is over so that they can discuss out the unclear concepts with the teacher and engage in problem solving (Neary 2002). However, even when the students are working in groups, a teacher should be there to supervise them without letting the students feel that they are being bossed and dictated; rather, the teacher should act as a facilitator who should encourage and help out the students with the points with which they are having problems in understanding. An ideal curriculum in a children’s residential school or care home tends to promote a collaborative environment where children, especially those who are disabled, learn by talking and talk by learning. They feel empowered when they are given the opportunity to have the classroom all by themselves where they can sit in whichever manner they want and engage in healthy discussions full of excitement. Moreover, there is no distinction between high-ability and low-ability children. Even if tracking is implemented within classes, still this is the role of an ideal curriculum platform to help each and every student participate in the group discussions without lowering their self-esteem and without making the high-ability students feel flattered. Thus, all students tend to have a similar collaborative environment for learning. In addition to this, an inclusive practice curriculum design not only focuses on lesson plans and syllabus, it also arranges extracurricular activities for the children and “includes approaches to teaching, learning and assessment, the quality of relationships within school, and the values embodied in the way the school operates” (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority 2009). The authorities who are responsible for design school curriculums should keep in mind that the curriculum should portray what standard the school system aims to achieve and if it aims at all the students belonging to different ability levels. An ideal curriculum should be able to portray the objectives of children and young people as healthy individuals and disciplined citizens. It should spot out the results and outcomes regarding knowledge, skill and expertise. It should help each and every child make a progress in his academic and personal career, not only inside the care home but also in the outside world (Adamson 2009). A good curriculum maintains an easy but intellectual assessment criterion to assess the capability level of children as to what they have learnt. It should be able to accommodate the latest technology based teaching and expertise so that the disabled children are also able to get individual learning offered by the ICT tools. It should provide opportunities to the students to better cooperate with the teachers and with peers. 5. Conclusion Designing a perfect curriculum that guarantees inclusive practice, especially in children residential schools and care houses, is a huge responsibility on the shoulders of the concerned school authorities. It as “a continuous, cyclic process” (Ministry of Education 2009) which involves an extensive decision-making process so as to meet the learners’ needs efficiently. The curriculum should be able to adjust both the curricular and non-curricular activities so that the students tend to learn different aspects of life and try to apply this learning in different areas of their personal lives. This way, not only they will be able to meet the academic demands of their curriculum, but also they will be able to excel in their everyday lives. Thus, inclusive practice is vital to engage students in the teaching process to eventually enhance their learning process. References Adamson, S 2009, ‘Linear tradition’, Curriculum Platform, viewed 15 January, 2011, Armitage, A, Bryant, R, Dunnill, R, Flanagan, K, Hayes, D, & Hudson, A 2007, Teaching and Training in Post-Compulsory Education, 3rd edition, McGraw-Hill, USA. Ministry of Education 2009, ‘The school curriculum: design and review’, The New Zealand Curriculum, viewed 14 January, 2011, Neary, M 2002, Curriculum Studies in Post-Compulsory and Adult Education: A Study Guide for Teachers and Student Teachers, 3rd edition, Nelson Thornes, United Kingdom. Qualifications and Curriculum Authority 2009, ‘Principles of curriculum design’, National Curriculum, viewed 14 January, 2009, Richmond, K 1971, The School Curriculum, illustrated edition, Fletcher & Son Ltd, Great Britain. Ross, I 2006, Inclusive Practice, viewed 15 January, 2011, Tyler, Z 2009, ‘Is there a perfect curriculum?’ Crosswalks.com, viewed 14 January, 2011, Read More