Curriculum Development for Inclusive Education - Essay Example

?Curriculum Development for Inclusive Education ESOl level 3 will prepare who may include adolescents, young professionals to effectively communicate in English in different situations both orally and in writing. Scheme of Work Main Course Title: ESOL Level 3 Start date: End Date: Hrs Per Week: 2 Tutor(s): Name Lessons Topics Objectives Learning/Teaching Activities Teaching/ Learning Aids References Other Remarks 1-2 Reading Students should be able to read and extract information from letters, newspaper articles, and text books Silent reading Reading aloud Retelling stories Answering questions Asking questions Course Text (electronic) book, word cards, story books, computer Course text book 3-4 Listening Learners should be able to understand conversations, story extracts, and text passages Retelling stories Dictation Powerpoint presentations, Audio files, 5 Writing Students should be able to write articles using correct tenses Group discussions, Writing test, word processor, spell checker Course text book 6 Vocabulary Learners should be able to improve their vocabulary and master several words commonly used in business Quiz Dictionary, core text 7 Listening Learners should be able to give personal information Retelling stories Dictation Powerpoint presentations, Audio files, 8-9 Writing Students should be able to write transactional letters, and descriptive and discursive narrative essays Writing letters, memos, and essays on various topics Sample letters, sample essays, Computer and projector Course text book 10 Oral work Learners should be able to make oral presentations using visual and other aids Constructing sentences, Discussing about the use of polite language, Making presentations using computers Computer and projector The Context in Which the Course is Designed Nevada Partnership for Inclusive Education [nvpie] (2013) defines inclusion as an educational philosophy and approach that offers all students with greater opportunities and community membership for social and academic achievement. The approach is all about making the student feel welcome, addressing, and valuing their unique needs and learning styles. Inclusive education brings the students into one classroom and community and this is regardless of the weaknesses or strengths in any area. The approach seeks to the students’ potential. It is an effort that ensures diverse learners (of different languages, different ways of learning, cultures, different interests, different family lives and homes and with disabilities) are exposed to several teaching strategies that come to them as individual learners (nvpie 2013). The level of this scheme of work is at ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) Entry 3. Blackledge (2005, p236) indicates that an individual at ESOL Entry 3 is capable of following straight forward spoken instructions and explanations and make a conversation on a familiar topic (Blackledge 2005, p236). The scheme targets adolescent and adult learners including those with mild disabilities. Mallows (2006, p10) indicates that the ESOL classroom is composed of a diversity of backgrounds and the needs of the learners. There are four potential categories of ESOL learners and they include migrant workers, asylum-seekers and refugees, partners and spouses of students, and settled communities (Mallows 2006, p10). The targeted learners for the developed course include migrant workers and partners and spouses of students. The targeted population in most cases includes individuals who are not well endowed economically. In this respect, the course is well designed to meet their needs in that they need not to purchase expensive equipment to take part in the lessons. Also, the course is designed to be suitable to persons with mild visual and hearing impairments going by the aids to be used during teaching. Multi-media will be applied in teaching to encourage learning through seeing, hearing, and touching. At Entry 3 level, the adults can respond and listen to spoken language including straightforward narratives and information, and follow direct instructions and explanations both on the telephone and face to face. They speak to communicate feelings, opinions, and information on familiar topics using proper formality, both on the telephone and face to face. They should also be able to take part in discussion with one or more individuals in a familiar situation, responding and making relevant points to what other people say in order to reach a shared understanding concerning familiar topics (Department for Education and Skills 2006, p258). The curriculum is very wide and a look into component skill, knowledge, and understanding, the adults are supposed to learn to express the sounds of English to make its meaning clear. In such a case, they should be able to distinguish between phonemes to avert ambiguity. The adults are supposed to utilize formal register and language where necessary. They should be aware of the necessity to adapt register based on the formality of the condition and utilize proper forms of address when introducing self and others, leave-taking, and greeting. It is important to note that there are areas of difficulty, which can be experienced by certain learners (Department for Education and Skills 2006, p258). Some learners can find it more difficult than others to differentiate between and/or generate certain sounds, including those with auditory processing difficulty, hearing impaired learners, and dyslexia. Understanding and utilizing more than a single register is an approach more accessible to some of the learners than others are. Particular learners, comprising of learners with learning difficulties or autistic spectrum disorders might find this generally hard. It is important note that not all learners can be familiar with colloquial or informal styles. This is most likely going to be true for prelingually deaf learners who learnt English via written medium (Department for Education and Skills 2006, p258). The Theoretical Basis of ESOL Entry 3 Level Learning occurs in different contexts, either formal or informal according to Evans, Hodkinson, and Unwin (2002). Whereas formal learning occurs mainly in learning institutions where the main goal is to learn, informal learning occurs at the workplace or at home where learning is not necessarily the main business. This however does not mean that informal learning cannot occur in learning institutions. Neither does it mean that formal learning cannot occur in informal settings. In fact, studies show that learning activities contain a blend of informality and formality in varying degrees (Pritchard 2005). This being the case, the scheme of work that blends formality and informality to varying degrees goes a long way in encouraging learning, as some people shun the extremes of the two situations. Learning is affected by several factors including the emotional and cognitive status of the individual, environmental influences as well as personal experiences in regards to learning (Pritchard 2005). Various theories have been developed to explain how learning occurs, the main ones being constructivism, cognitive, and behaviourism. While constructivism considers learning as involving a process of building new concepts or ideas, behaviourism focuses on the aspects of learning that are observable and objective. On the other hand, the cognitive theories explain how learning occurs with the brain’s involvement looking beyond mere behaviour. Conditioning is a major way through which behavioural learning occurs (Pritchard 2005). The experiences of the person being conditioned are modified through the actions of other persons in a process that ends in learning of behaviour. There are five approaches to teaching the writing of second language and each has its theoretical perspective and implication for practice. For instance, in the behavioural and functional approaches, the learners can learn to write because they want to be assimilated. The approach is based on the notion that the priority for the learner is survival and therefore, their needs for writing are based on the context-specific writing tasks. In other words, emphasis is on what the student can do with the new language (Auerbach 2007, p1). In the cognitive approach, the common practices include publishing student writing, writing extended narratives via a cyclical process, and free writing in journals. The students write concerning experiences, thoughts, issues of significance to them, reactions to texts, and the teachers respond to what students have written by sharing ideas, reactions, and experiences and modelling correct usage. The cyclical method of composing extended narratives entails producing ideas through brainstorming and free writing, conferencing with teachers and peers, revising content and organization, and publishing writing for the rest of the audience. The publications offer the writers real purposes and audiences for their writing and a platform for constructing curriculum around the learner writing. They also serve as models for the student writers. This is very important for the learners since it is a vehicle for self-discovery and language acquisition (Auerbach 2007, p1). Other approaches used for teaching second language writing include the socio-cultural practices approach in which the learner writes for affirmation. According to this approach, individuals are informally socialized into literacy practices (which are culture-specific) of the communities they live in. In the genre approach, the learner writes for access to powerful dialogs. The approach suggests that both socio-cultural and cognitive approaches to writing instruction empower learners and guarantee their continued exclusion. The last approach is the critical approach and in this form of approach, the learner writes for social change. In this approach, the main focus is on social concerns and action for change (Auerbach 2007, p1). It is worth noting that the teacher education course offers opportunities for meaningful exchange of ideas, giving the individual the ability to assess the received wisdom and consider their responses. The ESOL curriculum is designed to offer an extra opportunity for exchange, by permitting literacy and ESOL teachers to learn from one another (Hughes, Paton and Schwab 2013). In other words, the scheme is designed in a way that it assists the students to learn from each other based on the various theoretical approaches. Apart from the learners, the teachers also learn from one another. The approaches are appropriate for the chosen scheme at Entry 3 level. The role of Resources, Information and ICT within the Short Course Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is invaluable when teaching persons with special needs. According to UNESCO, ICT can be used to compensate, for didactic purposes, and for communication in the educational setup (Rice N.d). ICT in the educational setup comes in various forms including mainstream technology, assistive technology and accessible formats as noted by Rice. The inclusion of ICT in curriculum is aimed at changing the curriculum from a static to a flexible form. In the short course, ICT will play a major role in boosting learning. For one, the use of computers and other technological devices will make learning more interesting. The use of reading and writing guides in class will make it easier for learners to grasp concepts that are being taught in class. The use of dictionaries during the English course will enable learners learn new vocabulary and find the meanings of words without having to rely on other people for help. Furthermore, the word processor helps students take notes faster and make corrections to their works by applying such applications as spell checkers. For visually impaired persons, the talking spellchecker will be an important tool when it comes to correcting spelling errors. During group discussions and presentations, learners will use slide shows and audio- recorders to overcome challenges posed by physical disabilities. Some learners also gain confidence in whatever they do as they use ICTs for learning. The teacher will make the learning environment inclusive by relying to a major extent on ICT. Inclusive education demands that teaching is done using a lot of diagrams. The teacher may rely on computers and computer devices to explain concepts using multimedia thereby making communication easier. Yet again, the teacher as well as the students can rely on projectors to make texts appear larger and easier to read thereby avoiding eyestrains. The use of electronic books also makes it easier for both learners and the teacher to access course material without the need to carry heavy books around. Yet again, with such aids, slower learners are able to work at their own pace even as those who are visually impaired enjoy equitable access to accessible content (Rice N.d). How you addressed issues of equality, diversity and inclusiveness in the scheme of work The scheme of work that has been developed is dedicated to teaching learners with diverse abilities and some disabilities. In this respect, it should adequately meet the need for equality and inclusiveness as it serves the diverse population of learners. The curriculum is generally designed with an introduction which gives an overview of what is expected at the end of the study period. Considering that people learn best in different ways, the scheme of work includes learning materials and presentations which include several diagrams, sound recordings, and practical work. Furthermore, since some learners grasp concepts best when studying individually and others when working as part of a group, the scheme includes individual meetings, individual works and group discussions. Through group works, the weaknesses or disabilities of an individual may be countered as they receive the support of group members. Considering that some learners may be visually impaired, the learning aids will be written in large font and mostly in electronic form as recommended by Ainscow (1999). In this case, videos, CDs as well as sound recordings will be used during learning to ensure that the learners’ attention remains focused on the lesson. Yet again considering that learners come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds with some lacking the capacity to purchase vital materials, it will be important to provide handouts to all learners. This will go a long way in dealing with the issue of inequality as noted by James and Pollard (2004). In order to draw attention to vital items, the main items on the reading lists will be highlighted and technical terms explained using glossaries. In order to reduce eyestrain and glare that may affect some learners, as much as possible black text on white paper will be avoided. Furthermore, during presentations, learners will be given the opportunity to make submissions in writing, orally or though sound recordings. Evaluation is very important in education. Evaluation will mainly be objective in nature considering that the expectations of each lesson are clearly marked. Given that there are learners who communicate less effectively in writing (Abbott, 2006), oral assessments will be done in addition to written assessments. With learners learning at different speeds for various reasons, the scheme of work includes take home assignments which allow time extensions that cater to the needs of slower learners. Also, the scheme of work is designed such that assessments are done against learning objectives which are reflective of subject priorities. Feedback will be given both orally and in writing to enhance their effectiveness in the long run. How you used your knowledge of language and literacy systems and /or the core curriculum framework to develop the SOW The sentences that are formed in English, as in other languages, are connected with various language systems that can draw different interpretations. In order to teach a language such as English, one needs to clearly understand its structural and communicative view. The structural elements of a language include its phonology, grammar, vocabulary and lexis. The communicative view of language includes the functional and situational elements of the language in addition to its structural view. The linguistic elements of a language on the other hand include its morphology, phonology and syntax. The two views of language are equally important and together form the language systems. When developing the scheme of work, four language skills were considered; writing, speaking, reading, and listening. In order to learn the English language as outlined in the course objectives, learners have to grasp how words are pronounced, written, and how sentences are formed by obeying syntax. Evaluation in light of learning contexts, learning theories and inclusive practice Inclusive teaching relates to recognising, embracing and fulfilling the learning needs of all learners. Inclusive teaching in proactive and anticipatory in approach and seeks to offer equal opportunities to a diverse population of learners. Students’ needs are taken into account and reasonable provisions made to accommodate them in inclusive education. When adjustments are made to accommodate the needs of disabled students, there are often high chances that all students benefit. The scheme of work that has been developed is inclusive in nature and makes provisions for different learning strategies and mild disabilities like poor vision. The scheme of work thus developed is, to a great extent, inclusive and based on theory. In developing the scheme of work, different learning theories were applied. The application of different ICTs during teaching is based on the fact that people learn best differently. There are individuals who learn best by hearing much like there are those who learn best by visualising whatever they are being taught about. The scheme of work takes into account the three main learning theories including constructivism, cognitive, and behaviourism as it encourages learning using different media, individual work as well as group work. As previously stated, learning is affected by several factors including environmental setup. The scheme of work takes into account the environmental setup of the class as it includes various resources that make learning more interesting and more effective. References Abbott, L. (2006) Northern Ireland head teachers' perceptions of inclusion, International Journal of Inclusive Education, 10(2), 627-643. Ainscow, M. (1999) Understanding the Development of Inclusive Schools, (Oxford, Routledge). Auerbach, E. (2007) The power of writing, the writing of power: Approaches to adult ESOL writing instruction [online]. Available at: [Accessed 14 January 2013]. Blackledge, A. (2005) Discourse and power in a multilingual world, London, UK: John Benjamins Publishing. Department for Education and Skills. (2006) ESOL access for all, Nottingham: Department for Education and Skills Publication. Evans, K., Hodkinson, P. & Unwin, L. (2002) Working to Learn: Transforming Learning in the Workplace, (Oxford, Routledge). Hughes, N., Paton, A., & Schwab, I. (2013) Theory, practice and professionalism in teacher education [online], NRDC. Available from: [Accessed 14 January 2013]. James, M. & Pollard, A. (2004) Personalised learning - TLRP commentary, (London, TLRP) Mallows, D. (2006) What research has to tell us about ESOL, London, UK: National Research and Development Centre. Nevada Partnership for Inclusive Education. (2013) The promise of inclusive education [online], nvpie. Available from: < http://nvpie.org/inclusive.html > [Accessed 14 January 2013]. Pritchard, A. (2005). Ways of Learning: Learning Theories and Learning Styles in the Classroom. Abingdon, David Fulton Publishers. Read More