tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61545965209174414532024-03-12T16:47:56.869-07:00Think Shiksha"Because Education Matters Most" ....discussing relevant educational issues, big or small.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154596520917441453.post-83311960994285470412018-07-31T09:38:00.007-07:002018-07-31T09:38:26.307-07:00What's amiss with Teaching-Learning process in Schools ?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Picture source : https://www.deviantart.com/frasbob/art/Mako-Studying-532930868</span></div>
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Teaching-Learning is the most important cog in the wheel of Education process. The more robust the teaching-learning framework, the better the impact on the learners. Based on my understanding, the key objective of teaching-learning is to ensure accelerated learning in the learners and develop self-learner and life-long learners. Inspite of so many innovations and developments in the area of education, there's still something amiss with our teaching-learning which is clearly impacting the quality of learners that pass out from the schools.</div>
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Deciphering the teaching-learning process and we can figure out how integrated the two components are and how teaching acts as a feeder to enhance and improve learning. Improvised teaching methods, technology and integrated curriculum could only do as much as a learner's capability to grasp. As educators and teachers, our key focus is on delivering as much as possible to the learners with the hope that "more the merrier" approach will work in this case too. Additionally, with learners having an easy access to information, its not easy to handle the information overload and with the educators focusing solely focusing on providing more, it doesn't do any good to the learners. The learners struggle and juggle with grasping so much information and as a result even the bright ones fall prey to retaining little.</div>
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A little introspection by educators/ teachers and they could fill this gap between "Delivering More and Retaining Little". As educators/ teachers, all we need to ask ourselves is whether we are preparing our new generation of learners to handle so much of information that's continuously being bombarded at them from everywhere. We definitely, are, exposing them to a lot of subject specific content and even inter-disciplinary matter but pause here and ponder -</div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"></span><b></b><br /></div>
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<i><span style="color: #990000;"><b> "Are we teaching them the art of learning and/ or studying ?"</b></span></i></div>
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What's the point in providing information or content when the learners do not have the skills to convert that into a useful knowledge base for their life ! Haven't we seen so many young learners struggling to manage so much of information ? Haven't we seen this drawback impacting their studies, their results, their careers and ultimately their lives. Just downloading content and/or information on them is not going to lead them anywhere in life, neither it's going to develop them into self-dependent and life-long learners.</div>
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<b>Isn't it time to ask ourselves the following pertinent questions</b> : </div>
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<li><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Aren't we supposed to prepare learners for life ? </i></span><span style="color: #990000;"><i><br /></i></span></li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #990000;"><i>Aren't we responsible for addressing the gap between teaching and actual learning ?</i></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #990000;"><i>Aren't we responsible for developing better learners - those who love learning and become true knowledge seeker ? </i></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Can't we include few sessions to teach our learners the art of studying and learning ? </span></i></div>
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<b><i></i><span style="color: #005300;"></span><span style="color: #990000;"></span><br /></b></div>
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<b>As educators/ teachers, if we really want actual learning to occur, we can achieve so by contributing our through an honest and sincere attempt at equipping our young learners with the much needed skill of learning and studying. </b></div>
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<b><i>Let's do this real yeoman service for our young generation of "learners" ! </i></b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154596520917441453.post-54125828517686384372017-07-04T05:59:00.000-07:002017-07-04T06:08:18.660-07:00Mindfulness and Teachers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4gzkxaWUxrc/WVuP8XL7s6I/AAAAAAAAAko/ogPMKv553dYOUOyivZa6ELWIrC-f6OhAwCLcBGAs/s1600/mindfulnessnteachers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4gzkxaWUxrc/WVuP8XL7s6I/AAAAAAAAAko/ogPMKv553dYOUOyivZa6ELWIrC-f6OhAwCLcBGAs/s1600/mindfulnessnteachers.jpg" /></a>Here's some food for thought for
the readers - <b><i><span style="color: blue;">What is the biggest challenge for teachers today?</span></i></b> Had the same question been asked about a
decade and a half ago, the answers would have been simple and easy i.e more resources,
tools for teaching, information on best practices in teaching and better
informed learners. Come 21st century and all the above mentioned challenges
have vanished. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has not only
addressed the old <span style="text-align: left;">issues that used to plague education and in particular
teaching but also opened new vistas for innovation and creativity. All this has
redefined the teaching-learning process and most importantly, the role of the
teacher. Today, the biggest challenge for teachers is not any of the ones
mentioned above but "FOCUS" i.e. an ability to put the entire
attention on the task at hand. In this environment of information overload and
availability of plenty, multi-tasking has become the mantra for teachers but
this mantra has only resulted in becoming more susceptible to distraction and in
developing shorter “attention span.”</span></div>
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With a plethora of tasks to
accomplish ranging from preparing lesson, delivering lessons (teaching),
managing classrooms and learners, performing administrative duties and
collaborating with peers, teachers are expected to excel in all. With
expectations set so high for them, teachers resort to operate with an
unconscious “divided-attention” approach to manage this multi-tasking. The end
result of this approach is</div>
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<li>much
action but little accomplishment</li>
<li>more
quantity (in terms of multiple unfinished tasks) and less quality</li>
<li>less
control over self and the process of teaching-learning</li>
</ul>
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Given that a teacher impacts,
influences and prepares an entire generation of learners, the above outcomes do
not help positively grow the nation and society and therefore a need to equip teachers
with tool(s) that help them combat the challenges posed to effective teaching
and develops in them a focused approach towards teaching.
"Mindfulness" is that simple tool which prepares the teachers to
remain balanced and focused. Simply defined, mindfulness is all about
"being fully present in the moment." Let’s explore Mindfulness a bit
more in context of teachers and teaching</div>
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<b>Why is Mindfulness important?</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Getting specific about the
need for mindfulness, the following are some of the key reasons that highlights
the importance of Mindfulness</li>
<li>Develop focus and centeredness
in teachers which is so important in ensuring that there is no digression from
the main process of teaching-learning.</li>
<li>Enable teachers to get into
the “flow” or “momentum” which is crucial for an effective and impactful
teaching</li>
<li>Helps create balance by
developing skills like patience, calmness and acceptance </li>
<li>Makes teachers more creative
and innovative by building up immersive approach</li>
<li>Results in quality teaching as
the teachers spend desirable time on a topic/ lesson </li>
</ul>
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<b>How can teachers practice Mindfulness?</b></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">The key to success is “Start Small” and then through
practice get better at it (Mindfulness). Some simple ways are</span></div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;">Practice
connecting with your breathing. Be aware of your breathing, practice deep
breathing and try to feel it happening inside your body. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Practice
being non-judgemental with students whether dealing with learning based or
behavior based issue. Accepting the situation as it is and not forming opinions
about anything or anyone will be helpful</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Align
your teaching with your purpose and goal in life. This will make you more
passionate about your teaching and put you in flow and momentum while
delivering lessons or interacting with learners</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Focus
on delivering a life-long learning to the learners by building activities and
approaches that encourage critical thinking and related skills in the learners</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Be
more emotionally aware to understand self. This will help identify your tipping
point and trigger point</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Prioritise
things to put energy in the most important things first</li>
</ul>
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The subject/ topic of Mindfulness is very vast and broad. I have just mentioned few very basic ideas for educators to get started with Mindfulness in their teaching.</div>
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Closing this post with an interesting article for teachers</div>
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<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/dec/06/two-simple-mindful-meditation-exercises-for-teachers%C2%A0" target="_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/dec/06/two-simple-mindful-meditation-exercises-for-teachers </a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154596520917441453.post-84902866497854705452017-07-04T03:42:00.001-07:002017-07-04T03:42:53.910-07:00Mindfulness in Education<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nXVZwGny4AU/WVtWz0oNzHI/AAAAAAAAAkM/iPzGccQehNssJvQzxoyt1N4foUY4BEywwCEwYBhgL/s1600/mindfulness2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="156" data-original-width="323" height="154" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nXVZwGny4AU/WVtWz0oNzHI/AAAAAAAAAkM/iPzGccQehNssJvQzxoyt1N4foUY4BEywwCEwYBhgL/s320/mindfulness2.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><i><span style="color: blue;">What comprises an Education ecosystem?</span></i></b> Simply put, it is 2 key
things – lot of stakeholders and the delivery process. The list of stakeholders
is long and keeps getting longer every session but if I have to identify few
stakeholders that directly impact the education process then it would be the</div>
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Principal, the Teachers and the Learners. The policy makers are a notable
exception to my</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">selection of key stakeholders but I have deliberately left them
out to set the right context for the topic.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b><i>What is defining our
education system in this age?</i></b></span> It is
stress, anxiety, behavioral issues, aggression, depression, disrespect, high
expectations, pressure to perform, barrage of information, redefining of roles
for teacher and learners, decreased attention span, problem of plenty, … The
list is long and can go on and on. </div>
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Much of what I mentioned in the above paragraph is an outcome
of our inability to pay attention to what lies in front of us. As educators and
learners, we are constantly seeking more and more without realizing the
limitations of human mind and body. The limitations in terms of our
preparedness to deal with multi-tasking and with “more” in our lives. Talking
education – in our bid to provide more and more (for reasons to do with quality
or with fad), we are somehow losing on delivering the basic and the fundamental,
both of which exist in the moment; in the present. The quantity seems to have
overtaken quality in our approach and attitude. The result of all this is a
haphazard and a half-hearted execution of the most crucial building block of
our society i.e Education. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AjZ-pNKDw-4/WVtXXAZ50iI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/trst9MoooIAjmTnSYktgM7NRyLUMzE1SgCLcBGAs/s1600/mindfulness3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="191" data-original-width="264" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AjZ-pNKDw-4/WVtXXAZ50iI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/trst9MoooIAjmTnSYktgM7NRyLUMzE1SgCLcBGAs/s1600/mindfulness3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">courtesy: <a href="http://www.7mindsets.com/">7mindsets.com </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This is where <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Mindfulness </span></b>comes to the rescue by teaching us
to focus, pay attention, build self-control and live in the present moment. Mindfulness
is a simple and easy technique (of course we need to practice it a bit <span style="font-family: "wingdings"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> !) to get our attention
and focus back to where it should be i.e. present moment, where we spend all
our time. Education is all about humans and their attitude, actions, behavior
and expectations so most of the issues mentioned earlier could be resolved by perceiving
them and treating them at a human level. By enabling the concerned stakeholders
to focus on the present (through mindfulness), we can make them more aware
about the existing moment. Once we start operating in the present moment, most
of the issues get resolved. Mindfulness could help resolve many of the
fundamental challenges as mentioned below: </div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;"><ul>
<li>Issues pertaining to quality of lessons or effectiveness
of teaching-learning process</li>
<li>Developing an efficient and productive teaching
workforce</li>
<li>Building an organised workplace</li>
<li>Managing teachers, their expectations and their
aspirations</li>
<li>Maintaining cooperative and collaborative work environment</li>
<li>Sustaining passion for teaching and deriving the
best from the teachers</li>
<li>Creating proactive and quality mindset among the
staff</li>
<li>Providing trusting leadership</li>
<li>Building classrooms conducive for learning</li>
<li>Managing all types learners, their behavior and
their expectations</li>
<li>Delivering quality in institutional leadership
and in teaching-learning practices</li>
<li>Maintaining the much needed professional –
personal balance in all stakeholders</li>
<li>Delivering life-long learning to the learners and
creating self-learning individuals </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<span style="text-align: justify;">The
above checklist could is easily achievable by building a culture on Mindfulness
which will build in the following skills within each stakeholder</span><br />
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<ul>
<li>Non-judgmental about events
and people</li>
<li>Focused, Concentration, Fully
present and paying undivided attention to the task at hand</li>
<li>Patience and Calmness to deal
with any exigencies</li>
<li>Acceptance of thoughts and
emotions within self and others</li>
<li>Ability to choose (prioritize), execute and close</li>
<li>Self-control</li>
<li>Giving the best to every moment and ensuring
quality</li>
<li>Creative and innovative</li>
</ul>
<div>
A good resource on integrating mindfulness in education is available at the following link <a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/mindfulness-resources%C2%A0">https://www.edutopia.org/article/mindfulness-resources </a></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><i><b>I will be writing separate posts on how mindfulness impacts individual stakeholders like teachers and learners !</b></i></span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154596520917441453.post-6770297405899704642017-06-14T04:54:00.001-07:002017-06-14T04:54:56.484-07:00Teaching and the Importance of Questioning <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RX02Izo20pA/WUEjK9kQouI/AAAAAAAAAdc/JGwbPnVPxrU7F7NY-Bxd4OB1trI9-aEmwCLcBGAs/s1600/q3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="184" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RX02Izo20pA/WUEjK9kQouI/AAAAAAAAAdc/JGwbPnVPxrU7F7NY-Bxd4OB1trI9-aEmwCLcBGAs/s1600/q3.jpg" /></a>QUESTIONING is as perennial as Teaching but not too much importance is accorded to Questioning when it comes to determining factors for effective learning. Today, Instruction precedes Questioning as a priority factor of success. Based on the feedback i received from participating teachers during my workshop on "Effective Questioning Skills" where we discussed approaches like Question Matrix, 5W & H and few others it came to fore that the real premise for ineffectiveness of Questioning was not as much to do with the tools and techniques but the reason for using Questioning. The role of a good teacher is not to prepare learner for securing good marks in exams but to prepare him for life by instilling in him/ her the art of asking questions and asking the right ones. Somewhere we, as teachers, are unable to inculcate the skill of Questioning in the learner as we our self have fuzzy thoughts about the skill, our own conviction and trust in "Questioning" is lacking.</div>
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Given that the art of Questioning is as old as Teaching and all of us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-26FF76irACI/WUEj5gfNd1I/AAAAAAAAAdg/1xfZ4MXV-48jZqyquQ-6awUe40wQ2VZSgCLcBGAs/s1600/questioning_image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="205" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-26FF76irACI/WUEj5gfNd1I/AAAAAAAAAdg/1xfZ4MXV-48jZqyquQ-6awUe40wQ2VZSgCLcBGAs/s1600/questioning_image.png" /></a></div>
are well versed with Socratic approach to Questioning, his interrogative ways of extracting knowledge still we are unable to implement Questioning effectively in our teaching. As teachers, we need to realise that Questioning has a much larger role to play in our teaching and education than just be a parameter for gauging pupil's success in exam. The need of the hour is to understand the principles of questioning and then integrate it in the teaching process.The fundamentals of Questioning are very well presented in the book titled <b>"The Art of Questioning" </b>by<b> Joshua Girling Fitch</b>. This all time classic book delves deep into the problem of why questioning is ineffective and then suggests ways to address those highlighted gaps. I am sharing here some of the key tenets of Questioning (derived from the mentioned book) that would help approach the subject in the right way. </div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;">Questioning to be treated more as a process than an outcome, the focus being on ensuring that Questioning builds up the requisite knowledge in the learner.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Questioning is as much about understanding how much a person knows as about how less he/ she knows. This will make the learner inquisitive and take ownership for his/ her learning</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Questioning serves 2 key purpose :</li>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Questioning of Instruction while actually delivering a lesson</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Questioning of Examination while testing the knowledge of the learner post delivery of lecture</li>
</ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Question posed to the learner should ensure an effort on part of the learner while answering. This effort could be in the form of memory, imagination, judgement, perception, and like. While answering the learner should feel challenged enough and should mentally exert himself/ herself and put thinking in action.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Framing questions which are vague, wide and indefinite to be avoided </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">The language of the Question be as simple as possible and in as few words as possible. Further the question be adapted to the age and capacity of the learners.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Questions should say only that much which would elicit the learner to say as much as possible.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Facts should not be put in the question. Rather an attempt should be made to educe every fact from the learners</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Questioning should not encourage guesswork as this will adversely affect the "thinking" process in learners and breed shallowness and deception in learners.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Questioning is more of an implicit trait rather than an explicit one. It's sole purpose is to trigger a mental activity in the learner to make him/ her aware about the level of ignorance and the effort required. </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The book describes many other principles also but even if the the above mentioned principles are remembered and put in practice by teachers, it will definitely ensure a well integrated approach towards Teaching and Questioning. A well balanced approach to Questioning would help the learner become not only a knowledge seeker but a self-reliant life-long learner as well.</div>
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All said and done, the implementation is as good as the implementor. Teacher being the key carrier and communicator of Questioning process, the passion to get the best out of every pupil will go a long way in ensuring success of Questioning as yet another effective Teaching approach.</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154596520917441453.post-67197694809438540092012-04-23T21:46:00.004-07:002012-04-23T21:47:44.156-07:00EDUCATION - Heading towards Learning or Information Overload ?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;">EDUCATION seems to be losing its sheen. The word no longer connotes Learning but only Information. Though there has been a paradigm shift in Education in terms of trends, technologies, teaching methods, teaching models, learning approcahes but the outcome still remains the same - bombardment of information to the learners. Simplification of a single topic or theme seems to be getting lost in complexity of information and data. We have not moved away from our reliance on text books, etc. We may talk big about technology in education but we seem to be far away from applying it in our teaching-learning. There is a dire need to look at the situation from new perspective(s), some of which are - 1. evloved mindset of educators in understanding the dynamics of education in the current times, 2. educators' comfort level with the latest in education, 3. delievering tools to comprehend, analyse, intrepret, etc. to learners instead of just information. The whole idea of bombarding child with as much infomation and data about a subject/ topic may not be useful as learners need time to digest and understand. The outome is a child losing interest in the subject and then in studies altogether. A change needed in determining what would constitute our education and a though need to be put on 1. what gets taught, 2. how much gets taught, 3. how it gets taught, 4. why it needs to be taught. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><em><span style="color: #660000;">Lets teach and raise our children in a way that they become self-capable learner of life and not only academics !!</span> </em></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154596520917441453.post-52246975876379292962012-01-10T07:12:00.000-08:002012-01-10T07:34:00.597-08:00Homeschooling as an Alternative Education option in India - What is the Future ?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6gx2y2sRADc/TwxaG6sa5fI/AAAAAAAAAFo/M5f7HE13RAE/s1600/homeschool2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" kba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6gx2y2sRADc/TwxaG6sa5fI/AAAAAAAAAFo/M5f7HE13RAE/s1600/homeschool2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V9pU9yZfee8/TwxaRXIcKrI/AAAAAAAAAFw/kPu9g7lw-0I/s1600/homeschool1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V9pU9yZfee8/TwxaRXIcKrI/AAAAAAAAAFw/kPu9g7lw-0I/s1600/homeschool1.jpg" /></a>Homeschooling as an "alternative education" option is not familiar to a large percentage of educators/ parents in India and the reasons for the same are plenty. The context in which the Indian Education System exists/ prevails doesn't encouarge "homeschooling". Though unconsciously parents do "homeschool" their children during the early years but when it comes to adopting it as an "alternative education" method, parents/ educators have their reservations. I have come across various individual and community driven groups/ forums on Homeschooling but still a lot needs to be done to make it more popular. Some of the obvious reasons for "Homeschooling" not being so popular in India are as follows:</div>
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<li>The Education system is very "degree/ certification" driven with lot of focus on earning them than actually "learning". A person's worth is gauged by the number of degrees he/ she possess and not by the knowledge/ learning acquired.</li>
<li>The non-flexibility in the education system is a big hindrance even if parents decide to homeschool their kids. The parents can never be sure whether their child/ children would find a seat in a school if they opt to put the child/ children back in the traditional school system at a later stage. The parents still struggle a lot for gaining a seat in the regular school.</li>
<li>Content Driven Education - We still adhere to </li>
<li>Status Quotient of Parents - Our system is still run by way of "going for the brand" where the intelligence of a child or status of parents is gauged by the school the child/ children studies in. So, it is the effort of every parent to put the child/ children in the most popular brand (by hook or crook)</li>
<li>The options for "alternative schooling" in India are very limited and for "homeschooling" there's hardly anything that exists except for NIOS (Open School). But generally NIOS is considered/ perceived as an option for dropouts and academically low performing students. </li>
<li>Obession with the entity "School" - The Indian society hasn't really opened up to the "homeschooling" concept and schooling is considered synonymous with literacy and learning. If a child has not been to a regular school he/ she has not learnt anything. The obsession with school is such that as parents we start sending our kids to "pre-primary" schools the moment they turn 2.</li>
<li>The guidance and support system for homeschoolers does not exist and it is/ would be a real struggle for parents to find resources to school their children. Not many parents are aware of the advantages and efforts needed for homeschooling. The parents do need to know the basics of child psychology and about how learning occurs.</li>
<li>Many a times, the cost of homeschooling turns out to be more that the traditional schooling.</li>
<li>With the trend of "both parents working" having caught up in India, the "time" poses the biggest challenge for parents if they plan to "homeschool". Sending the child/ children to a regular school is much more convenient for the parents.</li>
<li>Another harsh reality is that there is a lot of "business" that thrives on a parent not adopting "Homeschooling", so there is no real encouragement for parents for the same. </li>
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The list can go on but this post aims to provide some food for thought on the future of Homeschooling in India.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154596520917441453.post-25603527387628453632011-12-16T03:44:00.000-08:002011-12-26T02:59:52.701-08:00Can Computers replace Classrooms ? BUT what constitutes a CLASSROOM ?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W4en2u_h8vs/TusulcRcXBI/AAAAAAAAAFE/CfhLlZGFe8A/s1600/classroom2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" oda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W4en2u_h8vs/TusulcRcXBI/AAAAAAAAAFE/CfhLlZGFe8A/s1600/classroom2.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d0WSk8RHpjs/TustKYYN-tI/AAAAAAAAAE8/_pCR11vHj5s/s1600/classroom1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" oda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d0WSk8RHpjs/TustKYYN-tI/AAAAAAAAAE8/_pCR11vHj5s/s1600/classroom1.jpg" /></a>This post is triggered by an online article and discussion on "Can Computers replace Classrooms ?" Its a simple discussion topic but with deep underlying links to the process of education. The above surely is some food for thought as it triggers us(at least me !) to think "What all constitutes a Classroom ? Aren't we being short-sighted in thinking about the discussion topic itself because Computers and Classrooms are 2 distinct entities. By Classroom do we just refer to the age old model of transacting education (if i may call it so !) or do we treat classroom as an amalgamation of instruction, learner, transaction, interaction, experience and so much more. A better understanding of constitution of a Classroom can only help us decide/ deliberate on whether computers can replace them or not. The purpose of a classroom is much more than a "rendezvous" of teacher and sudents and is like a place where "learning experiences" are created and "learning" imparted. Classroom is all about the "process of education". As per me the discussion/ question "Can Computers replace Classrooms ?" is irrelevant and is valid as long as we are short-sighted in our perception of "Classroom". Computers (or for that matter any Technology) are great facilitators of Education and Learning. So, lets not confuse the matters by engaging in the replacement debate.</div>
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<em>The above are purely my thoughts based on my experience in helping schools and educators adopt ICT/ Technology in Education/ Teaching-Learning.</em></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154596520917441453.post-1483285218616289322011-10-08T12:24:00.000-07:002011-10-08T12:24:55.857-07:0035$ Tablet Device by India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9KO-BaBPV1w/TpCiA8RM6PI/AAAAAAAAAEU/vjPJ0jiOfAw/s1600/aakash+tablet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9KO-BaBPV1w/TpCiA8RM6PI/AAAAAAAAAEU/vjPJ0jiOfAw/s1600/aakash+tablet.jpg" /></a></div>
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"Aakash" - touted as the world's cheapest Tablet Device was launched by the Minister on 5 October 2011. The big question is whether it will survive the litmus test. (<em>Earlier, an experiment to create the cheapest computin device had backfired as during the launch, the computing device turned out to be a storage device.)</em></div>
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This tablet device has been created by Datawind, a UK company and the tablets are likely to be provided to students in various Universities soon. The tablet sets to achieve the task of bridging the digital divide between thos who can afford computer and those who can't. The tablet promises a lot and therefore needs to deliver as there is much at stake this time. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2XxjpA8NhUM/TpCiWwbemsI/AAAAAAAAAEY/IvUw4kVfEL0/s1600/aakash_tablet_site.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" kca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2XxjpA8NhUM/TpCiWwbemsI/AAAAAAAAAEY/IvUw4kVfEL0/s320/aakash_tablet_site.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Though the tablet claims to be the world's cheapest but there surely are many similar ranged devices available (mentioned in the link below). The tablet is aimed at the student segment, both higher education and school education. Whether the tablet aims to achieve digital literacy or educational support is still a question. </div>
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Few useful links for the device</div>
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<li><a href="http://www.aakashtablet.com/features.html">http://www.aakashtablet.com/features.html</a></li>
<li><a href="http://aakashtablet.org/">http://aakashtablet.org/</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.thinkdigit.com/Mobiles-PDAs/Your-guide-to-the-new-35-Aakash_7700.html">http://www.thinkdigit.com/Mobiles-PDAs/Your-guide-to-the-new-35-Aakash_7700.html</a></li>
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The performance and functioning of the device would determine how successful it is in achieving its objective(s)...keeping my fingers crossed till then !!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154596520917441453.post-45547721647164616482011-10-04T10:55:00.000-07:002011-10-04T22:09:41.488-07:00World Teachers' Day - 5 Oct<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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World Teachers’ Day, held annually on October 5th since 1994 - when it was created by UNESCO - celebrates teachers worldwide. Its aim is to mobilise support for teachers and to ensure that the needs of future generations will continue to be met by teachers.</div>
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The <strong>theme</strong> for this year is <strong><span style="color: #990000;">"<em>Teachers for gender equality"</em></span></strong></div>
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Wish all a very Happy Teachers' Day !!!</div>
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More info on the same is available on the following links</div>
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<a href="http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/education-building-blocks/teacher-education/world-teachers-day/">http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/education-building-blocks/teacher-education/world-teachers-day/</a></div>
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<li><a href="http://www.5oct.org/2011/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=300001&lang=en-GB">http://www.5oct.org/2011/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=300001&lang=en-GB</a></li>
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In India the Teachers' Day is celebrated on 5 Sept in memory of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. It is all about celebrating "being a teacher".</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154596520917441453.post-11328572877753781392011-10-03T23:16:00.000-07:002011-10-04T10:55:25.096-07:00TECHNOLOGY - How much is too much ?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong><span style="color: #990000;">Technology</span></strong> has by far been the most critical leveraging agent in education - be it access, equity, quality or anything else mentioned. But as they say, "too much of anything is bad" and that is exactly what is happening with technology in our schools, colleges and other educational institutions. We are piling on technology like anything without bothering as to whether we are optimally utilising it. Technology pressence in schools has become a "fad" and is gradually losing the "sheen". Hardly any thought is put to "Technology Adoption" or "Technology Integration" and the entire effort and resource in put into buying/ procuring technology. This is leading to a situation of "Technology Over-deployment but Under-Utilisation". </div>
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The best way to use technology to the right extent and in an appropriate way is to map its use to learning objectives. Being aware of the available technology tools and then mapping them to our learning objectives go a long way in determining the proper technology usage.</div>
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Do remember "Every technology may not serve every subject, topic, teacher or learning objective" . The user's discretion in being selective definitely helps</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154596520917441453.post-33404782810634841432011-10-03T22:38:00.000-07:002011-10-03T22:38:13.629-07:00Mutliple Roles of a Teacher<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A teacher plays mutliple roles and is much more than a "sage on the stage". This multi-role is necessitated by the need to create impactfule learning by connecting with the learners and engaging them in the tasks of learning. Its no longer the "monologue" that does the trick. Everything now has underwent a change, be it the the educational objectives, curriculum, leaner's requirements and so on. These roles are guided by the learner's requirements and needs. Some of the major roles a teacher could assume could be <br />
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<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0wqeCIqeITM/ToqbIs5hWhI/AAAAAAAAAEA/9uCTwrGHzg0/s1600/roles.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #990000;"><strong><img border="0" height="310" kca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0wqeCIqeITM/ToqbIs5hWhI/AAAAAAAAAEA/9uCTwrGHzg0/s320/roles.png" width="320" /></strong></span></a><span style="color: #990000;"><strong>Counsellor</strong></span> - to help children recognise and deal with their issues so as to focus on the learning task</li>
<li><span style="color: #990000;"><strong>Presenter</strong></span> - to cater to the large mass in the class and deliver the information/ knowledge in the most impactful way</li>
<li><strong><span style="color: #990000;">Communicator</span></strong> - to reach out to the audience and engage them in the task of learning</li>
<li><span style="color: #990000;"><strong>Facilitator</strong></span> - to help learners guide their own learning.</li>
<li><strong><span style="color: #990000;">Trainer </span></strong>- to deliver the desired learning using various techniques, games, tools, etc.</li>
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Of course, the above list is incomplete and as teachers assume the above roles, they would feel the need to explore many more roles. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154596520917441453.post-70233520783728337252011-10-03T07:15:00.000-07:002011-10-03T07:16:43.150-07:0021st Century Education - Changing Paradigms<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The 21st Century is witnessing a paradigm shift in Education, not only in terms of <em>what gets delivered</em> but also<em> how it gets delivered. </em>All aspects of Education are seeing a change aimed towards more effective and impactful learning. The "Teacher" is more of a "Learning Facilitator" now and the "Learners" are more of "Digital Citizens" now. This paradigm shift has necessitated the need for a change in our approach and delivery of education. I have listed few aspects that are/ have seen a paradigm shift. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154596520917441453.post-47855717704016787992011-09-30T11:13:00.000-07:002011-09-30T11:21:28.851-07:00Teaching is no FunTeaching for sure is no fun, neither earlier nor now. Gone are the days when a teacher was just expected to teach and maybe to take attendance and check paper/ test sheets. A teacher is more like a "robot" now, an automated being which has been clocked to perform same set of duties day after day, year after year. The "passion" can exist only when the "fun" element is present in what you do. Any teacher from any system in India can vouch for this that a teacher is spending more time in "non-teaching" stuff than teaching. All those who joined teaching for passion cannot boast that they enjoy what they are doing because they are doing everything else plus teaching. When we talk about improving our education system, could we also give a thought to this aspect as well so that the passion remains intact and teaching not being like a regular chore for teachers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154596520917441453.post-52619057576032449212011-09-30T10:38:00.000-07:002011-09-30T10:48:11.838-07:00Understanding the real "Shiksha"It is high time that we all understand what real "Shiksha" is and do our bit to help the cause. "Shiksha" which means "Education" in Hindi is not the responsibility of educators alone but of the entire society. The sooner each staeholder start contributing their bit to the cause, the better it would be for our future generations and for our country as well. We need to rise above the micro issues/ thought process and look at the macro picture - that of a country full of youth that is not only literate but educated in the real sense. This real education is nothing but a belief in each one of the educated youth that they are capable of not only making a difference in their lives but in the lives of all those around them/ associated with them. Lets work together to make it happen !!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6154596520917441453.post-40810367895547677582011-09-30T10:16:00.000-07:002011-09-30T10:23:07.731-07:00Welcome to Think ShikshaWelcome to my blog "Think Shiksha" which is an attempt to share about the issuses that confronts the education system (especially in India) and also provides some food for thought for all readers. Most of the posts(sharing) would be from my personal experience and from the sharing/ discussion done by/ with numerous educators. I thank all the educators whom i have interacted with for all the learning that i have gathered from them and wish i could keep learning this way always. This blog comes after much self-deliberation and is an honest attempt to highlight issues (big or small) in education that need our attention.<br /><br />Hope all readers enjoy reading it as much as i enjoy writing the posts.<br /><br />Thanks - NarinderUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0