Curriculum for Diverse and Inclusive Settings I
Curriculum for Diverse and Inclusive Settings I
Aug 2, 2020
As I sit down to reflect on the standards at our school and in the classrooms, I can understand why curriculum plays such an important role in any educational setting. Whether the curriculum standards are explicit or implicit, they define our expectations of what accomplishments learners should achieve by the end of the academic calendar.
When looking back and comparing my high schooling years curriculum with the curriculum standards of the school I teach at now there is a big difference. And what makes it so different you may ask? This school where I teach at now aims to include diverse learners and this is achieved mainly through; Adapted curriculum and a teacher mindset change.
The Adapted curriculum included introducing the idea of backward design into this school. This was a concept we adopted due to the fact that the previous syllabus we used did not suit the needs of our students. At first, the teachers found it challenging to grasp the concept of backward design as part of the adapted curriculum, as many were of the opinion that students needed to complete the bookwork (hard work first then the reward) before they are allowed to complete task assessment activities. Somehow the activities were seen as the reward. There was to be a mindset change to prepare teachers for diverse education.
As mentioned, the Adapted curriculum is based on the backward design model, where we use Assessment tasks to determine adequate levels of evidence that confirm student learning is taking place. Backward design is a very important element of learning for our school. This method helps our teachers create their learning content to focus on learning – and not so much on just teaching. Students seem to be more engaged during sessions and seem to understand that the Assessment tasks they complete in the beginning of the lessons are used to aid their understanding of the content being presented to them during the term.
Our current syllabus includes multiple assessment task and activities, mindmaps, tutorials, videos, and in class teaching to name but a few.
Curriculum standards should be developed with diverse learners in mind, to ensure a broader spectrum of students is reached to achieve academic success.
References:
1. Person. “Developing an Inclusive Education System.” Developing an Inclusive Education System, Ministry of Education, Guyana, 22 Apr. 2013, education.gov.gy/web/index.php/item/474-developing-an-inclusive-education-system.
4. Enet, E. (2004). Learning from difference: An action research guide for capturing the experience of developing inclusive education. Manchester, UK: University of Manchester. Retrieved from https://www.eenet.org.uk/resources/docs/Learning%20from%20Difference%20Guidelines.pdf.
Marchitello, M. and Trinidad, J. (2019). Preparing teachers for diverse schools: Lessons from minority-serving institutions. Bellwether Education Partners. Retrieved from
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