Saint Joseph Institute of Technology

Butuan City, Philippines

Accredited: Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities
Accreditation (PACUCOA)
Certified ISO 9002: 2000

GRADUATE SCHOOL

Ma 107Philosophy, Principles, and Techniques of Curriculum Development

Research Exercise I

Every Child is Special

(TAARE ZAMEER PAR)

Direction: Write a Research Paper on the role of curriculum in the development of the
child as center of educative process based on the life story of a unique special child
emphasizing the following:

1. Define curriculum development based on the life story of the child;

2. Philosophies and Sociological Principles invoke in the development of the child;
3. Psychological principles invoke in the interrelated development domains
considering the nature of the child and his family;
4. The role of parents, family members, the school, the teachers, school
administrator and staff, the people in his social environment; and
5. The implications of the behavior of each element in the development of the child
and the social standards, values system, and the legal mandates in protecting
the rights of the child/learner.

Anchor this write up with concluding statements, as advocate of curriculum and

curriculum development, your recommendations stressing the philosophies, principles
and techniques of curriculum development.

Good luck!

ELENA L. PAULMA, Ed. D.

Graduate Professor
Curriculum: Its Significant Role in the Development and Recognition Of a Child’s
Individuality and Potential

A curriculum must be a flexible platform where everyone can fit in. It must string
the educational endeavor that everyone has a place in the educative process. More
simply, that education must provide an avenue to recognize individuality and
uniqueness. Hence is the inclusive education. And this was better epitomized in the
movie “Every Child is Special.”

In retrospect, every teacher plays an important role in the development of his/her

students. This one holds true in the movie which is about the boy, Ishaan Awasthi, who
was suffering from dyslexia and the teacher who changed his life. Ishaan had difficulty
in recognizing letters and numbers and could hardly read and write. The condition his
parents and his teachers had no idea of. Because no one understood him, he felt
different from the rest. Parents and teachers thought he’s dumb and lazy. These gave
him a feeling of isolation.

The kind of relationship we build to the young ones greatly affects how they
perceive themselves and what they will become. The lack of patience, love and
kindness and most especially knowledge of one’s physical, intellectual and emotional
condition can make one feels unworthy and unwanted.

In the movie, Ishaan met Mr. Ram Shankar Nikumbh, a substitute art teacher.
With his persistence to help the young boy, he found out the boy’s condition and so
offered extra time to teach him in areas he had not mastered yet. For me, the character
of Mr. Ram Shankar Nikumbh shows us some qualities of a great teacher. A teacher
who does not only teach, but inspires as well. A teacher who is not afraid to use unique
and unconventional ways in teaching his pupils. Furthermore, a teacher who exhibits a
broad knowledge of Psychology in teaching and using positive approaches in dealing
and addressing students’ concerns. The teacher’s persistence to truly understand the
boy changes everything. From a lazy, dumb boy as others thought he was, turned a
very smart and gifted boy in the end. An artist to remember.
 Oftentimes we are blinded by the strict rules and high standards in meeting
academic requirements, that, we fail to see the person’s worth. We believe that an
underperforming child, someone who can hardly read and write and demonstrate
certain skills and knowledge in the given situation is not worth of our time. In my
personal point of view, teachers should help a child in every way they can. They should
look into the child’s potentials as a learner and of what motivates a child and what does
not. Other than a having a broad knowledge on subject-matter, curriculum and
standards, teachers must have strong desire to make a difference in the lives of young
people.

Hence, as members of the curriculum implementers, one of the most

controversial issues facing educators today is the topic of educating students with
disabilities, specifically through the concept of inclusion. Inclusion is defined as having
every student be a part of the classroom all working together no matter if the child has a
learning disability or not. The mentally retarded population has both a low IQ and the
inability to perform everyday functions. Activities such as eating, dressing, walking, and
in some cases, talking can be hopeless for a child with mental retardation.

Schooling for the disabled requires a special environment—one that only a few
teachers have the gift to care for. The civil rights movement and the inclusion
controversies run side by side, however the segregation factors are contrasting. Color of
skin does not affect a human’s ability to learn, therefore segregation was overturned.
Mental retardation, however, will affect their education and peers in the classroom.

Special education students have severe behavior or emotional issues that can
disturb the classroom learning environment for themselves and the non-disabled peers.
Disabled students often act out from not feeling accepted, frustration from the difficult
material, and their cognitive obstacles. According to the article Time to leave inclusion
out, seventy percent of teachers blamed the inclusion of children with special needs for
increasingly bad behavior in the classroom.

I believe as an educator, the key to any successful school district is the

administration. Teachers essentially provide structure, organization, and the
background of a child’s future. To educate students with learning disabilities, it is
essential that the staff has the training and resources needed for the appropriate
people, place, and time.

More so, in relevance to Curriculum, the same must be made in consonance to

the needs and capabilities of our learners. The educational system must provide a
curriculum that is guided by the Philosophy that “Every Child Is Special.” This
recognition of this fact will promote a curriculum geared towards Inclusive Education.

Inclusive education means different and diverse students learning side by side in
the same classroom. They enjoy field trips and after-school activities together. They
participate in student government together. And they attend the same sports meets and
plays. It values diversity and the unique contributions each student brings to the
classroom. In a truly inclusive setting, every child feels safe and has a sense of
belonging. Students and their parents participate in setting learning goals and take part
in decisions that affect them. And school staff have the training, support, flexibility, and
resources to nurture, encourage, and respond to the needs of all students.

Why is inclusive education important?

Inclusive systems provide a better quality education for all children and are
instrumental in changing discriminatory attitudes. Schools provide the context for a
child’s first relationship with the world outside their families, enabling the development of
social relationships and interactions. Respect and understanding grow when students of
diverse abilities and backgrounds play, socialize, and learn together. Education that
excludes and segregates perpetuates discrimination against traditionally marginalized
groups. When education is more inclusive, so are concepts of civic participation,
employment, and community life.

Therefore, when all children, regardless of their differences, are educated

together, everyone benefits—this is the cornerstone of inclusive education.