Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Gussadi Dance
Tribal dance of gonds (gondlu in local dialect) of Adilabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. More at the following link:
www.webindia123.com/andhra/art/art2.htm
Monday, August 4, 2008
Education - child
UNICEF has just released the 'Top 10 Cartoons for Children's Rights', as selected by polling broadcasters and communicators, to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Cartoons for Children's Rights is a UNICEF broadcast initiative that aims to inform people around the world about children's rights. So far, the effort has forged partnerships with many well-known animation studios that have developed more than 80 half-minute public service announcements (PSAs).
Each PSA illustrates a right described in the global rights treaty, such as 'Freedom from Child Labour' or 'Protection from Neglect'. All the spots are non-verbal, in order to get the rights message across to everyone, regardless of language.
(Copyrights to their respective owners)
FREE MATH GAMES KIT
FREE MATH GAMES KIT
In author's (Teresa) own words, says,
Congratulations! You obviously care about your students or your child.
You care enough to be looking for a way to make math fun, interesting and easy for the children in your life.
And that's exactly why I have created the Let's Make Math More Fun Newsletter.
The Let's Make Math More Fun Newsletter offers many simple and practical ideas and suggestions for you to use in your classroom or in your home.
To reward you for your dedication to your students or your child, I have a gift for you.
The Making Math More Fun Free Math Games Kit contains a selection of math games to put the fun and joy back into math.
To download your free math games kit follow the instructions below.
Once you have downloaded the book, you are ready to simply print and play the games.
(Please read all of these instructions in full BEFORE you follow them.)
STEP 1
With your RIGHT mouse button, click on the link below.
Making Math More Fun Free Math Games Kit 1.74 MB
STEP 2
You'll then see a little menu appear and one of the options will say...
"Save Target As"
This is the one that you want to highlight with your mouse.
STEP 3
You will then be taken to another screen. Basically, this is to ask you where you'd like to save the book on your computer. You'll be able to choose which folder you'd like it in. It's not really important where you put it. Just remember which folder you choose or create so that you can go and open it when you want to.
STEP 4
Once you click on the SAVE button in that screen, you'll be downloading. A display will show you the progress of your download.
Don't worry, it may take a while depending on your connection.
STEP 5
To read your book, you simply open the file from the location that you saved the file in.
To read the book, you will require some software. Most computers have it installed automatically these days. It's called Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Don't worry if your computer doesn't have it. It is free.
If your computer doesn't have it, you can download it for free by clicking on the following website.
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
In author's (Teresa) own words, says,
Congratulations! You obviously care about your students or your child.
You care enough to be looking for a way to make math fun, interesting and easy for the children in your life.
And that's exactly why I have created the Let's Make Math More Fun Newsletter.
The Let's Make Math More Fun Newsletter offers many simple and practical ideas and suggestions for you to use in your classroom or in your home.
To reward you for your dedication to your students or your child, I have a gift for you.
The Making Math More Fun Free Math Games Kit contains a selection of math games to put the fun and joy back into math.
To download your free math games kit follow the instructions below.
Once you have downloaded the book, you are ready to simply print and play the games.
(Please read all of these instructions in full BEFORE you follow them.)
STEP 1
With your RIGHT mouse button, click on the link below.
Making Math More Fun Free Math Games Kit 1.74 MB
STEP 2
You'll then see a little menu appear and one of the options will say...
"Save Target As"
This is the one that you want to highlight with your mouse.
STEP 3
You will then be taken to another screen. Basically, this is to ask you where you'd like to save the book on your computer. You'll be able to choose which folder you'd like it in. It's not really important where you put it. Just remember which folder you choose or create so that you can go and open it when you want to.
STEP 4
Once you click on the SAVE button in that screen, you'll be downloading. A display will show you the progress of your download.
Don't worry, it may take a while depending on your connection.
STEP 5
To read your book, you simply open the file from the location that you saved the file in.
To read the book, you will require some software. Most computers have it installed automatically these days. It's called Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Don't worry if your computer doesn't have it. It is free.
If your computer doesn't have it, you can download it for free by clicking on the following website.
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
Math Cats -- fun math for kids
Math Cats -- fun math for kids
This site on elementary school maths is built around cats and contains really useful activities for a classroom teacher. Most of the content are interesting, few are really great:
Math crafts
Bodymaths
Fractions
Tessellations
Place value party
Polygon playground
Designed by teacher and parent Wendy Petti, the Math Cats web site features fun ways for students to use mathematics with online, interactive activities. Math Cats was created to promote open-ended and playful explorations of important math concepts. The site is packed with absorbing mathematically based activities. The high proportion of interactive content facilitates independent discovery and learning, yet all the activities would stimulate high quality mathematical discussion, whether with an adult or amongst children themselves. The wealth of ideas contained here presents maths in a creative, lively environment that is certain to appeal to children.
Site Map Organized by Topic:
Place value, addition and subtraction
Multiplication and division
Conversions, measurement, estimation, probability, statistics, fractions, decimals, coordinate geometry real-life math and offline math crafts and activities
Online math art and geometry
Potpourri: math trivia, terminology, animations, spatial reasoning, logic, randomization, fun
Math games and puzzles
Writing
Idea banks for "older cats"
Topics include multiplication, estimation, money, shapes, and mathematical vocabulary.
The contents include:
Math Cats Explore! This link takes you to an index with graphical links
Math Cats love MicroWorlds! This link takes you to an index with project descriptions.
Math Crafts: These include step-by-step directions for making your own math crafts
Math Cats' art gallery: Math art slideshows are provided here
Math Cats' Attic: An archive of past questions and answers from the magic chalkboard!
This site on elementary school maths is built around cats and contains really useful activities for a classroom teacher. Most of the content are interesting, few are really great:
Math crafts
Bodymaths
Fractions
Tessellations
Place value party
Polygon playground
Designed by teacher and parent Wendy Petti, the Math Cats web site features fun ways for students to use mathematics with online, interactive activities. Math Cats was created to promote open-ended and playful explorations of important math concepts. The site is packed with absorbing mathematically based activities. The high proportion of interactive content facilitates independent discovery and learning, yet all the activities would stimulate high quality mathematical discussion, whether with an adult or amongst children themselves. The wealth of ideas contained here presents maths in a creative, lively environment that is certain to appeal to children.
Site Map Organized by Topic:
Place value, addition and subtraction
Multiplication and division
Conversions, measurement, estimation, probability, statistics, fractions, decimals, coordinate geometry real-life math and offline math crafts and activities
Online math art and geometry
Potpourri: math trivia, terminology, animations, spatial reasoning, logic, randomization, fun
Math games and puzzles
Writing
Idea banks for "older cats"
Topics include multiplication, estimation, money, shapes, and mathematical vocabulary.
The contents include:
Math Cats Explore! This link takes you to an index with graphical links
Math Cats love MicroWorlds! This link takes you to an index with project descriptions.
Math Crafts: These include step-by-step directions for making your own math crafts
Math Cats' art gallery: Math art slideshows are provided here
Math Cats' Attic: An archive of past questions and answers from the magic chalkboard!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
http://www.alseek.com/en (Academic Search Engine)
www.alseek.com/en/Alseek Search Engine
Alseek is a search engine, provides information and access to academic files, dissertations and theses.
You can search for information from the following types of resources such as:
Web Files Blog Toolbar Desktop Academy Videos Pedia PDF DOC PPT RTF Alseek Files Blog Mannual
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Maths and Art (josleys.com)
Youtube link to showcase one of his works:
josleys.com
Mathematical Imagery
Amazing website on Mathematical imagery!
I. Gallery has:
1. Sculptures
2. The shape of Planet Earth: Could the Earth has been flat after all? How about cigar shaped? Or do you prefer pear shaped?
Knots and dynamics: Collaboration with Prof. Etienne Ghys of the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, containing material presented at the International Congress of Mathematicians (Madrid, August 2006)
3. Knots and dynamics animations: Collection of animations where one can see what a matrix looks like in four dimensions, how to make spaghetti using a 'horocycle', and more
The Droste effect: Collection of images and animations, made with a "Droste effect" image transformation.
II. References: Information about books published in the area of Math and Art
III. Links: Useful links to create images
IV. Articles
Acknowldgements to respective website owner (josleys.com) and video creator. Copyrights as stated in the website (Jos Leys)
josleys.com
Mathematical Imagery
Amazing website on Mathematical imagery!
I. Gallery has:
1. Sculptures
2. The shape of Planet Earth: Could the Earth has been flat after all? How about cigar shaped? Or do you prefer pear shaped?
Knots and dynamics: Collaboration with Prof. Etienne Ghys of the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, containing material presented at the International Congress of Mathematicians (Madrid, August 2006)
3. Knots and dynamics animations: Collection of animations where one can see what a matrix looks like in four dimensions, how to make spaghetti using a 'horocycle', and more
The Droste effect: Collection of images and animations, made with a "Droste effect" image transformation.
II. References: Information about books published in the area of Math and Art
III. Links: Useful links to create images
IV. Articles
Acknowldgements to respective website owner (josleys.com) and video creator. Copyrights as stated in the website (Jos Leys)
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Virtual library (sldirectory.com/teachf/teach.html)
sldirectory.com/teachf/teach.htmlVirtual Middle School Library
Very useful for teachers and students. Website has links to following contents:
Education and Lesson Plan Sites
Free stuff for classroom use
TV in the classroom
Art Education
Economics
Educational Technology
Language Arts
Mathematics
Multicultural Subjects
Music
Physical Education and Health Science
Social Studies
Jobs and opportunities (www.DevNetJobsIndia.org)
Development Nework Jobs
A valuable site for locating jobs, consultancies in development, NGOs, Government, Non-profits & Environment sector.
Friday, June 13, 2008
www.mrbartonmaths.com (Maths website)
www.mrbartonmaths.com/Mr. Barton Maths
Description:
A treasure trove of free maths gems for pupils, teachers and parents!
The aim of this website is to get everybody enjoying their maths a bit more. Whether you are a teacher looking for a fancy resource to spice up your lesson, a pupil looking for a different way to understand a topic, or a parent wanting to get involved in your child's learning of maths, then hopefully this website will have something for you!
Features:
Teachers: A collection of free resources and general help to hopefully make the teaching of maths that bit easier! It has teaching resources, software tutorials, review of maths products and links to the best maths websites in the world
Pupils: In the two notes and examples sections you will find notes and examples written in a simple way. The podcast section provides links to some amazing video and audio podcasts available for free on the net. It also offer some tips about revision and exams, links to some brilliant websites and also a little section that tries to answer the question “What use is this in the real world?"
Parents: In this section the following features are available - Notes and examples - key stage 3 and 4, free resources, podcast, recommended learning materials, excellent websites.
Just for fun: This section contains features like fun maths, maths games, classic maths jokes, funny exam answers.
Books: Mathematics
Title: Maths wonders to inspire teachers and students
Author: Alfred S Posamentier
Here is an interesting book that shows the beauty of mathematics and how you can inspire your children if used appropriately. The book covers several simple activities suitable for school children. The topics touch number sense, problem solving, logical reasoning, amusements and paradoxes among other things. Some sudden and unexpected results are bound to amuse the reader and develop love for mathematics.
The possible uses are:
Mathematics projects
Mathematics festival
Introduction to a lesson
Holiday homework
Quick learners in the class
Author: Alfred S Posamentier
Here is an interesting book that shows the beauty of mathematics and how you can inspire your children if used appropriately. The book covers several simple activities suitable for school children. The topics touch number sense, problem solving, logical reasoning, amusements and paradoxes among other things. Some sudden and unexpected results are bound to amuse the reader and develop love for mathematics.
The possible uses are:
Mathematics projects
Mathematics festival
Introduction to a lesson
Holiday homework
Quick learners in the class
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Online School Textbooks - CBSE Board (NCERT)
ut7.in/sandbox/ncert_textbooks/ NCERT books
Just amazing!
Simple yet very comprehensive to access and download NCERT books.
Online School Textbooks - CBSE Board
ncert.nic.in/textbooks/testing/Index.htm
NCERT Online Textbooks
To view and download
Please follow the steps, 1, 2, 3 & 4 (as mentioned on the picture, right side) to view and download the chapters.
About the books
National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has initiated the step towards making school textbooks available on the Internet for students and teachers. We hope through this endeavour a variety of pedagogical possibilities would open up for students and teachers throughout the country. We also hope that this effort will lead to a situation where teachers begin to adopt a more modular approach, rather than a sequential approach to teaching and learning, through access to a variety of teaching and reference material.
These Textbooks are based on National Curriculum Framework 2005. You can locate this framework at: ncert.nic.in/sites/publication/schoolcurriculum/ncfr%202005/ncfr_final/prelims.pdf
www.slideshare.net - Slides for teaching
- Individuals & organizations upload presentations to share their ideas, connect with others, and generate leads for their businesses (in case of teachers, it is teaching!).
- Anyone can find presentations on topics that interest them. They can tag, download, or embed presentations into their own blogs & websites.
- SlideShare is the best way to get your slides out there on the web, so your ideas can be found and shared by a wide audience. Do you want to get the word out about your product or service? Do you want your slides to reach people who could not make it to your talk? Are you a teacher looking to share your lesson plans? It only takes a moment - start uploading now, and let your slides do the talking!
Features of SlideShare:
- Download the original PowerPoint / Pdf file (with a SEARCH option on the TOP RIGHT CORNER)
- Embed slideshows into your own blog or website.Share slideshows publicly or privately. There are several ways to share privately.
- Synch audio to your slides.
- Market your event on slideshare.
- Join groups to connect with SlideShare members who share your interest
Site is maintained by – the company
The SlideShare team is based in Mountain View, (California, USA) & New Delhi (India). It says, “We are passionate about creating compelling web experiences and think that small teams with fire in their eyes can do big things”.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Websites for Science Learning and Teaching
www.tifr.res.in/~outreach/websites/index.html
Interesting Websites on Science (General science, physics, Chemistry, biology and biographies of various scientists)
This particular website is maintained by Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay. This particular site has links to following subject specific websites that are of immense use for students and teachers.
General Science Websites
Scientific American Website
PBS Websites have some excellent programs suitable for high school students and may provide very good teaching aids for science teachers.
National Geographic Website
This site is also a very helpful resource for locating information on current scientific work; it also contains information on earlier scientists.
Discovery Website
Nobel Website
The Nobel Prize Internet Archive Lists the winners of the Nobel prizes in all fields with some brief information on each. Also has them subcategorized by women. The site is linked to the Amazon.com site, so books on any of the prize-winners will come up.
Biology Websites
Chemistry Websites
Math Websites
Physics Websites
General Physics
Physics and Sports
Physics of Space Travel
Astronomy Sites
Astronomy resources
Astrochemistry
Astrobiology
Nanotechnology
Teacher's Resources
An excellent site that provides abstracts of movies and information about their usefulness, their ratings, and where to find them. This is an excellent site for someone who wants a more personal view of many scientists and/or their discoveries. It has website links to a variety of sources for teaching aids in biology and chemistry.
Scientists Biographies
Interesting Websites on Science (General science, physics, Chemistry, biology and biographies of various scientists)
This particular website is maintained by Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay. This particular site has links to following subject specific websites that are of immense use for students and teachers.
General Science Websites
Scientific American Website
PBS Websites have some excellent programs suitable for high school students and may provide very good teaching aids for science teachers.
National Geographic Website
This site is also a very helpful resource for locating information on current scientific work; it also contains information on earlier scientists.
Discovery Website
Nobel Website
The Nobel Prize Internet Archive Lists the winners of the Nobel prizes in all fields with some brief information on each. Also has them subcategorized by women. The site is linked to the Amazon.com site, so books on any of the prize-winners will come up.
Biology Websites
Chemistry Websites
Math Websites
Physics Websites
General Physics
Physics and Sports
Physics of Space Travel
Astronomy Sites
Astronomy resources
Astrochemistry
Astrobiology
Nanotechnology
Teacher's Resources
An excellent site that provides abstracts of movies and information about their usefulness, their ratings, and where to find them. This is an excellent site for someone who wants a more personal view of many scientists and/or their discoveries. It has website links to a variety of sources for teaching aids in biology and chemistry.
Scientists Biographies
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
www.ams.org/mathweb - maths website for teachers
www.ams.org/mathweb/ American Mathematical Society
Interesting sections are mathematical moments, mathematics imagery and nice printable posters. Please don't visit this site to download tons of activities but to get info and insight on the nature of mathematics and mathematics teaching - something very critical and is completely missing from our curriculum.
Description:
Founded in 1888 to further mathematical research and scholarship, the American Mathematical Society fulfills its mission through programs and services that promote mathematical research and its uses strengthen mathematical education, and foster awareness and appreciation of mathematics and its connections to other disciplines and to everyday life.
Selected features:
Maths awareness: The AMS Public Awareness Office works with the media, scientific societies, institutes, universities, and museums to promote awareness of mathematics and to publicize meetings, events, prizes, and AMS activities.
The Mathematical Moments program promotes appreciation and understanding of the role mathematics plays in science, nature, technology, and human culture. You can download this series of pdf files to use as teaching resources and to promote awareness of mathematics to students, colleagues, and attendees at meetings and special events.
Math Imagery : Images of Chaim Goodman-Strauss (University of Arkansas), many from The Symmetries of Things by John H. Conway, Heidi Burgiel, and Goodman-Straus (AK Peters, 2008), have been added to the Mathematical Imagery page.
AMS Printable Posters: The American Mathematical Society provides downloadable pdf files of posters promoting awareness of mathematics and of programs and services to post in common areas, in classrooms and offices. The pdfs print on 8.5 x 11" and A4-size paper. Some are available upon request in printed poster size approximately 18 x 22".
Mathematics on the web: It has the following options -such guides, oneline and offline, classified and organized materials, database of people, reference, servers and maths related information.
www.cleavebooks.co.uk/trol/atnotes.htm - website for a maths teacher / learner
www.cleavebooks.co.uk/trol/atnotes.htm
Teachers Resources Online
It is a very useful site for classroom teachers. It does not deal with any philosophical issues on mathematics education etc. but provides simple, easy-to-use and replicate downloadable resources for a typical mathematics teacher.
Teachers Resources Online
It is a very useful site for classroom teachers. It does not deal with any philosophical issues on mathematics education etc. but provides simple, easy-to-use and replicate downloadable resources for a typical mathematics teacher.
Description of the website: The purpose of these resources is to provide material which teachers of mathematics can use in their classrooms. All of the material can be viewed and assessed as to its suitability on the screen and, when something suitable has been found, can be printed out to serve as a master from which the necessary classroom copies can be made. The material is very wide-ranging in content and it will require the teacher to decide where, when and how any of it is to be used.
Features of the website: For convenience, the sheets have been grouped under headings which should convey some idea of what the sheets in the group are concerned with. Those headings are amplified here as a further help. Many, but not all, of the units contain notes and suggestions for the teacher. The headings of the topics are linked so that the material available for that topic can be called directly from these notes.
Basic Sheets
These are the staple requirements of any mathematics classroom. What is useful about this collection is the wide variety that can be made available at very short notice, and in small quantities. There is almost no storage problem.
These are the staple requirements of any mathematics classroom. What is useful about this collection is the wide variety that can be made available at very short notice, and in small quantities. There is almost no storage problem.
Lined Grids
Dotted Grids
Coordinate Grids
Artefacts for Maths
Big Number Line
Thermometer Scale
Pi Strip
Height Measure
Number Squares
Answer Grids
Dotted Grids
Coordinate Grids
Artefacts for Maths
Big Number Line
Thermometer Scale
Pi Strip
Height Measure
Number Squares
Answer Grids
Information Sheets
They are sheets which might be considered as suitable for students to have a copy of either, for one-off reference or, to keep in their own note-books.
They are sheets which might be considered as suitable for students to have a copy of either, for one-off reference or, to keep in their own note-books.
Fact Sheets
Formula
Tables
Tables 2
Multiplication Methods
Word List
Mathematicians
Lottery Results
Formula
Tables
Tables 2
Multiplication Methods
Word List
Mathematicians
Lottery Results
Exercises and Practice
In short, lots of work of the kind usually found in mathematics classrooms throughout the world, ranging from basic arithmetic to complex calculations
Arithmetic Practice
Trigonometry
Division
Calculator Exercises
Circles
Mensuration
Flow Diagrams
Coordinates
Missing Numbers
Graduated Problems
Miscellaneous
Trigonometry
Division
Calculator Exercises
Circles
Mensuration
Flow Diagrams
Coordinates
Missing Numbers
Graduated Problems
Miscellaneous
Other Activities
These are topics and ideas which usually find no real place in any mainstream course of mathematics - though some do get a peripheral mention. All of them can, at the appropriate point, perform a very useful service.
Counting Problems
Multiplication Bingo
Dominoes
The Dartboard
Flippin' Sums
Ordering by Numbers
Geometric Patterns
Tessellations
Dictionary Exercises
Dictionary Exercises 2
MisMaths
Vocabulary Exercises
Tangrams
Pentominoes
Shapes Bingo
Some Other Lessons
Su Doku
Multiplication Bingo
Dominoes
The Dartboard
Flippin' Sums
Ordering by Numbers
Geometric Patterns
Tessellations
Dictionary Exercises
Dictionary Exercises 2
MisMaths
Vocabulary Exercises
Tangrams
Pentominoes
Shapes Bingo
Some Other Lessons
Su Doku
http://www.coxhoe.durham.sch.uk/Curriculum/Numeracy.htm - website for maths
www.coxhoe.durham.sch.uk/Curriculum/Numeracy.htm
Numeracy
Here is a useful website (set up by Coxhoe Primary School, Cornforth Lane, Coxhoe, Durham) with many activities for primary school maths. The site basically provides links some really useful sites and has separate sections for teachers and children. You can also play on-line games / activities and learn maths! It is an excellent resource and the team must have put in enormous effort to create this.
Following are the features present in the website:
Number Order
Number Names
Place value and partitioning
Order numbers
Comparing numbers
Estimation
Odd and Even
Rounding
Counting / Sequences
Addition and Subtraction
Addition
Subtraction
Money
Mixed Addition and Subtraction
Multiplication and Division
Multiplication
Division
Mixed Bag
Fractions, Decimals and Percentages
Fractions
Decimals
Percentages
Mixed Bag
Shape and Space
2-d Shape
3-d Shape
Symmetry
Coordinates and Direction
Angles
Transformations
Measures
Length
Weight
Time
Capacity
Area and Perimeter
Temperature
Data Handling
Graphs
Sorting Diagrams
Averages
Probability
www.cyffredin.co.uk - maths website of the week
http://www.cyffredin.co.uk/William’s home page
This website provides a collection of activities to help enrich mathematical learning using simple materials.
Shapes and Patterns made from Paper Circles- Geometrical Activities with Magic Paper: This is the starting point for a range of practical activities that use a simple resource, paper. Use paper to explore mathematical concepts, develop creativity, and encourage deduction, problem solving and a delight in mathematical shapes.
- Window Patterns with Geometrical Shapes: These pages show you how to make exciting mathematical patterns by overlapping colored paper shapes. When they are displayed on the window new geometrical shapes emerge. It is an excellent activity in creating, and exploring standard mathematical shapes. It is ideal for small groups or the whole class.
- Where There Are No Instruments: In classrooms around the world the blackboard remains the major form of visual communication. . In many of these classrooms teachers have few if any geometrical instruments. Here are some ideas on drawing simple mathematical shapes and constructions using only what are available everywhere in the book.
Geometrical Activities with a piece of String: Using string figures in mathematics
- A Simple Number Generating Device: Making a number roller from a strip of card
- Multicultural Mathematics: Activities with closed loops such as rangavalli
- Beadwork Mathematics: Can be used as a resource in teaching geometry, and number and relationships.
- Match Mathematics: Puzzles, games and investigations with matches and matchboxes
- Simple Calculator Activities: These could be the basis for activities in any classroom where there is only one calculator.
- Tangrami: A folding paper puzzle
- Pebble Puzzles: Collection of thinking and reasoning puzzles
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Website of the week - www.arvindguptatoys.com
Website: www.arvindguptatoys.com
Punchline: "A Million Books for a Billion People"
The website is simplest to browse. It has three options,
1. Books
English
Hindi
Marathi
Combination (of languages)
2. Toys
3. Films
One window to browse through all these sections. It has a help line, that reads,
Click once to open list. Click again to hide!
Request to all those who visit to this website and download books:
You can order most of these books. It is cheaper than printing on a laser printer. It would also nurture culture of buying books, thereby valuing the purchased.
Punchline: "A Million Books for a Billion People"
The website is simplest to browse. It has three options,
1. Books
English
Hindi
Marathi
Combination (of languages)
2. Toys
3. Films
One window to browse through all these sections. It has a help line, that reads,
Click once to open list. Click again to hide!
Request to all those who visit to this website and download books:
You can order most of these books. It is cheaper than printing on a laser printer. It would also nurture culture of buying books, thereby valuing the purchased.
Teacher Training College - an observation
1 Background
The District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) of the current study was established in 1975 as a Teacher Training Institute. In 1988, as per National Education Policy it was upgraded as DIET. The pre service training program was run as a one year program until 1999, when it was modified as per National Council for Teacher Education’s recommendation to a two year teacher training course.
The key objectives of the exercise was to gain an understanding of the following
- The organization structure, it’s intended role and functions and the role and functions actually being performed
- Infrastructure available, usability and the actual usage of the same, thereby,
- Capacity building needs of the institute that would enable it to be more effective in supporting the teachers and the schools in the district
The study was conducted by having face to face interviews with the lecturers (10 lecturers, 1 retired lecturer), class room observations, informal interaction with the students and observation of the various physical infrastructure and facilities.
This document is part of a report of the study (never published, would never see the light probably) and is intended for understanding about DIET. Ramgopal K and Pradeep Kumar deserve the appreciation for their efforts in writing the original report. I have synthesized the report to suit it for a layman’s reading.
2 Observations
DIET is as a strong resource center responsible for capacity building in academic and pedagogical aspects for the district. But over the years the DIET has not played the prime role in any capacity building initiatives but has just been relegated to playing a more reactive role, being used only on an ad hoc basis by the Sarva Shikshya Abhiyan (SSA) and the district education administration.
The following are some of the important observations made during our stay at the DIET and through interactions with the people there, observation of the facilities available and its use.
2.1 Pre Service Teacher Education (PSTE)
Overview of the course
The pre service training is the predominant function carried out by the DIET. The PSTE department runs a 2 year pre service teacher training program. The intake to the program is through a state wide common entrance exam (DIET-CET) and the qualification to appear in the exam is a pass in the 10 + 2 with any electives. The program is run both Telugu medium and one neighboring state medium. The course has a mix of basic subjects, teaching methodologies and field practice. Given below is brief information on the same, for details please refer to the detailed Trainee calendar (each teacher trainee would have one!).
Basic subjects (First year) – Consists of 5 papers which include Education in emerging India, Educational Psychology, Elementary education planning, management and teacher functions, capacity building (Computer education, work experience, art education, health and physical education)
Methods of teaching (second year) – Method of teaching for Telugu, English, mathematics, science, social studies
Practicum - School Experience Program (SEP) is organized for 4 weeks in first year when the trainees are exposed to different kinds of schools (pre primary, primary, Non Formal Education system, alternative schools etc). During second year the students are supposed to undergo 80 days of field experience (40 days in primary school, 15 days to pre-primary, 14 days to Upper primary school and the rest in school activities related to child development). In addition the students need to submit 12 different records.
Key observations
- Significant numbers of the students seem to have entered the course not as a first choice but as a result of not being able to make it to other professional courses (engineering, medicine etc), so the course is treated by a lot of the students merely as a means of securing government employment. There is a lack of pride or identification with the teacher profession.
- The course is affected by poor planning due to whom class schedules are decided in a lot of cases at very short notice (1 day, or even just a few minutes before the class!). This is again solely based on the availability of the faculty on that particular day, this leads to poor planning or preparation in conducting the classroom. This is ascribed to the shortage of resources and the need to take up other ad hoc tasks that are assigned by external entities (District administration, state education department).
- While the course design provides for sufficient field exposure on paper to the students, in practice students use less than half of the prescribed days for the teaching practice. The staff support and guidance during this period is also inadequate – again supposedly due to the staff being called upon to service various ad hoc requests
- The accent of the course (for various reasons) is on completion of the text book syllabus and preparation for the examination. There is very limited (or no) opportunity for the students to engage in discussions, reflections on educational issues to build their own views. The institute’s effort while taking the students through the examinations does not seem to be influencing the students in their attitudes to education or teaching, or creating any zeal for the profession
- Use of other facilities like the library and computers is very low as the access to these facilities is controlled by the staff and is limited.
- While the program produces batches of students who successfully clear the examinations and secure government employment, it can probably still go a long way in instilling in the students a zeal for teaching, building their confidence and making them sensitive and critical thinking teachers who can weather all the cynicism that they are likely to encounter once they are in the field and still be good teachers.
2.2 Other Functions
The pre service training is the main program that the DIET organizes; besides this the services of the DIET staff are used for various other tasks by the government education department. These activities are not planned or decided by the DIET but primarily decided at the state level or in some cases at the district education department level. Some of this activity is detailed below
Trainings and workshops – The education department and the SSA program office plan various trainings that need to be delivered to the teachers as a part of the various programs that it implements from time to time. For this first training is given to a set of resource persons that usually includes lecturers from the DIET at the state level, these resource persons, in turn conduct trainings to the teachers at the district level. Some of the trainings that the lecturers were involved in the last six months are
- Ongoing trainings related to the implementation, say, Acceleration Learning Program (ALP).
- TLM preparation workshop – Training for teachers on preparing TLMs
- Mathematics methodology – Training on usage of self learning kits
- Open school training - Training for instructors at open schools
- HIV Aids awareness training
- Program for encouraging story writing by children for children. This also compliments the Acceleration Learning Program (ALP) for reading/writing skill improvement
- Multi grade training – The DIET lecturers were involved in multi grade kit preparation and training of teachers from various other districts
Key observations
- The DIET does not plan, design or conduct its own training programs but only lends its resource persons for trainings conducted by the SSA or education department. The prime reasons cited for this are firstly the more dominant role that the SSA has taken and secondly the remoteness of the DIET location because of which conducting in house training programs evinces very poor response.
- The lecturers do not have a visibility of the trainings that they are expected to attend/conduct until a few days (in some cases just a day before) the activity
School observation - Since about an year the DIET lecturers have also been assigned the task of conducting school observation to support the SSA’s implementation of Acceleration Learning Program (ALP). Each lecturer has been allocated 5 mandals (having about 80-90 primary schools, 1 – 7 classes) and the lecturer is expected to conduct school observations in that geographical region. Each lecturer is expected to visit 10 schools, 2 Mandal Resource Centres (Resource Centre), 2 Cluster Centers (Resource Centres for a cluster of 15-20 schools) in a month according to the SSA directive.
Key observations
- In the last 6 months the maximum number of schools visited by a single lecturer is less than 5; on an average they have visited 2 schools.
- Most lecturers prefer to visit schools that are closer to their place of stay as the only mode of travel provided for is the public transport system and it is very time consuming and strenuous. As a result schools away from the DIET, are largely ignored.
- Since the lecturers are experienced academicians and have teaching experience they are able to provide much better inputs than Mandal Resource Persons (Resource persons for a cluster of 15-20 primary schools, classes 1 – 7), they conduct demonstration classes, provide advice on handling difficult topics etc. They also have the advantage of not having to spend too much time on data collection activity.
- There is no time for following up on the same school to evaluate if the feedback has been implemented.
- The lecturers compile information on the observation and hand it over to the principal who in turn sends it to the district education department; however the feedback information is not effectively analyzed or followed up on.
Other miscellaneous activity
Besides the above activity the DIET lecturers are called upon to act as resource persons for various other activities that the government initiates in those areas, not all of them necessarily related to academic support. Some of the activities that the lecturers were involved in the last six months are
- Guidance and counseling for District Selection Commission at the DEO’s office
- Counseling for handling district staff transfers – The principal is involved in supporting the district education department to handle the transfers counseling.
- Text book writing – Two lecturers are involved in the preparation of a mathematics text book based on the National Curriculum framework
- Television and Radio based lesson development – Two lecturers are involved in creating the radio based lessons for the pre service course.
2.3 Infrastructure
The campus is located on a 15 acre area about 30 kilometers from the district head quarter; the campus has adequate number of buildings to house the various departments and the classrooms. The campus also has a model school that was built 2 years ago; however the school just has 5 students currently.
Library
Library has about 10000 books and journals. It was updated three years ago with some NCERT books. Most of the books are more than 30 years old; the books are not catalogued or shelved into categories for easy retrieval. A lot of the books in the library are damaged by pests. Most of these books are in English. There are limited books in Telugu and virtually none in Tamil. Librarian post is vacant since the inception of the DIET. Apart from books and journals, the library also subscribes to three vernacular newspapers.
A staff lecturer is given the additional responsibility of handling the library, it is kept open during the office hours only (10 AM to 4 PM), but the students are mostly in the classrooms during this time. The library is closed whenever the lecturer is on leave or away on office duty,
The library is not used very actively either by the lecturers or the students
Computer Room
The campus also has a computer room. The computer room has 11 systems and has internet access. They are all loaded with digital content.
However the room is kept under lock, the key for which is in the possession of the principal.
The students do not use it on a daily basis but only when there are demonstration classes.
Other teaching learning facilities
The institute is also provided with other teaching and learning facilities like a work experience lab, LCD projector, OHP projector, audio video teaching aids and material.
Recreation facilities
The campus has very good facilities for sporting activity which includes a cricket ground, volleyball courts, and shuttle badminton courts. There is an indoor game room also but it is not well maintained or used regularly. It could be run as an auditorium, currently used as language teaching classroom!
Key observations
- The institution has been provided with good infrastructure and facilities. However they are not being maintained, upgraded or even used appropriately due to various reasons. Hence they are largely in a state of disuse and in some cases like the library deteriorating
- Facilities like the library and the computer lab are controlled by individuals of the staff hence access to these facilities is dependant on the availability and free time of these staff members who are in charge. This discourages the students from using these facilities more actively.
2.4 Human Resources
The DIET team consists of some very highly qualified and experienced lecturers. Individually most of them are respected for their expertise and have contributed valuably to various educational efforts. But there is an evident lack of cohesion as a team and as an organization. Below are some key points that emerged from discussions with the individual lecturers
- There is a shortage of resources due to the number of vacancies that have not yet been filled. This puts a lot of pressure on the other staff and increases their work load. Recruitment has not taken place due to unavailability of qualified staff (post graduates with M Ed)
- The DIET has become largely a resource pool for the SSA and the education department to pick from for implementation of their programs and not an organization that defines and runs its own initiatives.
- Lack of planning and a defined agenda and the inability of the DIET leadership to assert its position results in the staff being pressurized to service ad hoc requests at short notice. This is done at the cost of the Pre service training which is badly affected by the lecturers frequently traveling away on duty.
- Most of the staff feels a lack of clarity in their role and expectations. Tasks are handed out to them and they are expected to carry it out unquestioningly.
- There is a perceived absence of space and opportunity for open discussions among the staff members. A lot of the lecturers feel there is a lack of consideration for their opinions and points of view.
3 Summary
The following is the summary of the observations in the form of a SWOT analysis
Strengths
- Good infrastructure
- Qualified and competent staff
- Has the reputation of having being an eminent institution
- Experience and expertise build over a long time
Weaknesses
- Shortage of staff
- Lack of organizational clarity
- Forced to play a reactive role
- Lack of visibility and low motivation of staff
- Remoteness of the location – difficult to access
Opportunities
- Potential to influence teachers entering the government schools every year
- Playing a more influential role in capacity building of teachers
Threats
- Sending under prepared teachers into the government school system
- Can slip into a being a derelict entity
- Further marginalization of its roles – which is a waste of its resources
The District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) of the current study was established in 1975 as a Teacher Training Institute. In 1988, as per National Education Policy it was upgraded as DIET. The pre service training program was run as a one year program until 1999, when it was modified as per National Council for Teacher Education’s recommendation to a two year teacher training course.
The key objectives of the exercise was to gain an understanding of the following
- The organization structure, it’s intended role and functions and the role and functions actually being performed
- Infrastructure available, usability and the actual usage of the same, thereby,
- Capacity building needs of the institute that would enable it to be more effective in supporting the teachers and the schools in the district
The study was conducted by having face to face interviews with the lecturers (10 lecturers, 1 retired lecturer), class room observations, informal interaction with the students and observation of the various physical infrastructure and facilities.
This document is part of a report of the study (never published, would never see the light probably) and is intended for understanding about DIET. Ramgopal K and Pradeep Kumar deserve the appreciation for their efforts in writing the original report. I have synthesized the report to suit it for a layman’s reading.
2 Observations
DIET is as a strong resource center responsible for capacity building in academic and pedagogical aspects for the district. But over the years the DIET has not played the prime role in any capacity building initiatives but has just been relegated to playing a more reactive role, being used only on an ad hoc basis by the Sarva Shikshya Abhiyan (SSA) and the district education administration.
The following are some of the important observations made during our stay at the DIET and through interactions with the people there, observation of the facilities available and its use.
2.1 Pre Service Teacher Education (PSTE)
Overview of the course
The pre service training is the predominant function carried out by the DIET. The PSTE department runs a 2 year pre service teacher training program. The intake to the program is through a state wide common entrance exam (DIET-CET) and the qualification to appear in the exam is a pass in the 10 + 2 with any electives. The program is run both Telugu medium and one neighboring state medium. The course has a mix of basic subjects, teaching methodologies and field practice. Given below is brief information on the same, for details please refer to the detailed Trainee calendar (each teacher trainee would have one!).
Basic subjects (First year) – Consists of 5 papers which include Education in emerging India, Educational Psychology, Elementary education planning, management and teacher functions, capacity building (Computer education, work experience, art education, health and physical education)
Methods of teaching (second year) – Method of teaching for Telugu, English, mathematics, science, social studies
Practicum - School Experience Program (SEP) is organized for 4 weeks in first year when the trainees are exposed to different kinds of schools (pre primary, primary, Non Formal Education system, alternative schools etc). During second year the students are supposed to undergo 80 days of field experience (40 days in primary school, 15 days to pre-primary, 14 days to Upper primary school and the rest in school activities related to child development). In addition the students need to submit 12 different records.
Key observations
- Significant numbers of the students seem to have entered the course not as a first choice but as a result of not being able to make it to other professional courses (engineering, medicine etc), so the course is treated by a lot of the students merely as a means of securing government employment. There is a lack of pride or identification with the teacher profession.
- The course is affected by poor planning due to whom class schedules are decided in a lot of cases at very short notice (1 day, or even just a few minutes before the class!). This is again solely based on the availability of the faculty on that particular day, this leads to poor planning or preparation in conducting the classroom. This is ascribed to the shortage of resources and the need to take up other ad hoc tasks that are assigned by external entities (District administration, state education department).
- While the course design provides for sufficient field exposure on paper to the students, in practice students use less than half of the prescribed days for the teaching practice. The staff support and guidance during this period is also inadequate – again supposedly due to the staff being called upon to service various ad hoc requests
- The accent of the course (for various reasons) is on completion of the text book syllabus and preparation for the examination. There is very limited (or no) opportunity for the students to engage in discussions, reflections on educational issues to build their own views. The institute’s effort while taking the students through the examinations does not seem to be influencing the students in their attitudes to education or teaching, or creating any zeal for the profession
- Use of other facilities like the library and computers is very low as the access to these facilities is controlled by the staff and is limited.
- While the program produces batches of students who successfully clear the examinations and secure government employment, it can probably still go a long way in instilling in the students a zeal for teaching, building their confidence and making them sensitive and critical thinking teachers who can weather all the cynicism that they are likely to encounter once they are in the field and still be good teachers.
2.2 Other Functions
The pre service training is the main program that the DIET organizes; besides this the services of the DIET staff are used for various other tasks by the government education department. These activities are not planned or decided by the DIET but primarily decided at the state level or in some cases at the district education department level. Some of this activity is detailed below
Trainings and workshops – The education department and the SSA program office plan various trainings that need to be delivered to the teachers as a part of the various programs that it implements from time to time. For this first training is given to a set of resource persons that usually includes lecturers from the DIET at the state level, these resource persons, in turn conduct trainings to the teachers at the district level. Some of the trainings that the lecturers were involved in the last six months are
- Ongoing trainings related to the implementation, say, Acceleration Learning Program (ALP).
- TLM preparation workshop – Training for teachers on preparing TLMs
- Mathematics methodology – Training on usage of self learning kits
- Open school training - Training for instructors at open schools
- HIV Aids awareness training
- Program for encouraging story writing by children for children. This also compliments the Acceleration Learning Program (ALP) for reading/writing skill improvement
- Multi grade training – The DIET lecturers were involved in multi grade kit preparation and training of teachers from various other districts
Key observations
- The DIET does not plan, design or conduct its own training programs but only lends its resource persons for trainings conducted by the SSA or education department. The prime reasons cited for this are firstly the more dominant role that the SSA has taken and secondly the remoteness of the DIET location because of which conducting in house training programs evinces very poor response.
- The lecturers do not have a visibility of the trainings that they are expected to attend/conduct until a few days (in some cases just a day before) the activity
School observation - Since about an year the DIET lecturers have also been assigned the task of conducting school observation to support the SSA’s implementation of Acceleration Learning Program (ALP). Each lecturer has been allocated 5 mandals (having about 80-90 primary schools, 1 – 7 classes) and the lecturer is expected to conduct school observations in that geographical region. Each lecturer is expected to visit 10 schools, 2 Mandal Resource Centres (Resource Centre), 2 Cluster Centers (Resource Centres for a cluster of 15-20 schools) in a month according to the SSA directive.
Key observations
- In the last 6 months the maximum number of schools visited by a single lecturer is less than 5; on an average they have visited 2 schools.
- Most lecturers prefer to visit schools that are closer to their place of stay as the only mode of travel provided for is the public transport system and it is very time consuming and strenuous. As a result schools away from the DIET, are largely ignored.
- Since the lecturers are experienced academicians and have teaching experience they are able to provide much better inputs than Mandal Resource Persons (Resource persons for a cluster of 15-20 primary schools, classes 1 – 7), they conduct demonstration classes, provide advice on handling difficult topics etc. They also have the advantage of not having to spend too much time on data collection activity.
- There is no time for following up on the same school to evaluate if the feedback has been implemented.
- The lecturers compile information on the observation and hand it over to the principal who in turn sends it to the district education department; however the feedback information is not effectively analyzed or followed up on.
Other miscellaneous activity
Besides the above activity the DIET lecturers are called upon to act as resource persons for various other activities that the government initiates in those areas, not all of them necessarily related to academic support. Some of the activities that the lecturers were involved in the last six months are
- Guidance and counseling for District Selection Commission at the DEO’s office
- Counseling for handling district staff transfers – The principal is involved in supporting the district education department to handle the transfers counseling.
- Text book writing – Two lecturers are involved in the preparation of a mathematics text book based on the National Curriculum framework
- Television and Radio based lesson development – Two lecturers are involved in creating the radio based lessons for the pre service course.
2.3 Infrastructure
The campus is located on a 15 acre area about 30 kilometers from the district head quarter; the campus has adequate number of buildings to house the various departments and the classrooms. The campus also has a model school that was built 2 years ago; however the school just has 5 students currently.
Library
Library has about 10000 books and journals. It was updated three years ago with some NCERT books. Most of the books are more than 30 years old; the books are not catalogued or shelved into categories for easy retrieval. A lot of the books in the library are damaged by pests. Most of these books are in English. There are limited books in Telugu and virtually none in Tamil. Librarian post is vacant since the inception of the DIET. Apart from books and journals, the library also subscribes to three vernacular newspapers.
A staff lecturer is given the additional responsibility of handling the library, it is kept open during the office hours only (10 AM to 4 PM), but the students are mostly in the classrooms during this time. The library is closed whenever the lecturer is on leave or away on office duty,
The library is not used very actively either by the lecturers or the students
Computer Room
The campus also has a computer room. The computer room has 11 systems and has internet access. They are all loaded with digital content.
However the room is kept under lock, the key for which is in the possession of the principal.
The students do not use it on a daily basis but only when there are demonstration classes.
Other teaching learning facilities
The institute is also provided with other teaching and learning facilities like a work experience lab, LCD projector, OHP projector, audio video teaching aids and material.
Recreation facilities
The campus has very good facilities for sporting activity which includes a cricket ground, volleyball courts, and shuttle badminton courts. There is an indoor game room also but it is not well maintained or used regularly. It could be run as an auditorium, currently used as language teaching classroom!
Key observations
- The institution has been provided with good infrastructure and facilities. However they are not being maintained, upgraded or even used appropriately due to various reasons. Hence they are largely in a state of disuse and in some cases like the library deteriorating
- Facilities like the library and the computer lab are controlled by individuals of the staff hence access to these facilities is dependant on the availability and free time of these staff members who are in charge. This discourages the students from using these facilities more actively.
2.4 Human Resources
The DIET team consists of some very highly qualified and experienced lecturers. Individually most of them are respected for their expertise and have contributed valuably to various educational efforts. But there is an evident lack of cohesion as a team and as an organization. Below are some key points that emerged from discussions with the individual lecturers
- There is a shortage of resources due to the number of vacancies that have not yet been filled. This puts a lot of pressure on the other staff and increases their work load. Recruitment has not taken place due to unavailability of qualified staff (post graduates with M Ed)
- The DIET has become largely a resource pool for the SSA and the education department to pick from for implementation of their programs and not an organization that defines and runs its own initiatives.
- Lack of planning and a defined agenda and the inability of the DIET leadership to assert its position results in the staff being pressurized to service ad hoc requests at short notice. This is done at the cost of the Pre service training which is badly affected by the lecturers frequently traveling away on duty.
- Most of the staff feels a lack of clarity in their role and expectations. Tasks are handed out to them and they are expected to carry it out unquestioningly.
- There is a perceived absence of space and opportunity for open discussions among the staff members. A lot of the lecturers feel there is a lack of consideration for their opinions and points of view.
3 Summary
The following is the summary of the observations in the form of a SWOT analysis
Strengths
- Good infrastructure
- Qualified and competent staff
- Has the reputation of having being an eminent institution
- Experience and expertise build over a long time
Weaknesses
- Shortage of staff
- Lack of organizational clarity
- Forced to play a reactive role
- Lack of visibility and low motivation of staff
- Remoteness of the location – difficult to access
Opportunities
- Potential to influence teachers entering the government schools every year
- Playing a more influential role in capacity building of teachers
Threats
- Sending under prepared teachers into the government school system
- Can slip into a being a derelict entity
- Further marginalization of its roles – which is a waste of its resources
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
www.curriki.org (access to knowledge and learning tools is a basic right for every child)
www.curriki.org
We believe that access to knowledge and learning tools is a basic right for every child. Our goal is to make curricula and learning resources available to everyone.
Curriki is where all of us - our community of educators, parents and students -- can work together to develop interesting, creative and effective educational materials that the global educational community can use for free.
Goal of the website is to:
§ Develop curriculum through community contributors
§ Deliver the curriculum globally
§ Determine the impact by project and by individual
The initial focus is on K-12 curricula in the areas of mathematics, science, technology, reading and language arts, and languages.
On the top right corner it has search with Advanced Search and Browse Subjects options.
You can also be a member / volunteer and to the information, as on 1-April-’08 it has 37178 members.
Member has following options to create the following:
Profile <-> Favorites <-> Contributions <-> Collections <-> Blog <-> Groups
It has huge resources organized under:
§ Featured Resources
§ By Subject
Member can also browse resources by subject (The number in parentheses shows how many matching results are on the site right now, 01-Apr-08):
§ Arts (2390)
§ Career & Technical Education (2322)
§ Educational Technology (2505)
§ Foreign Languages (2282)
§ Health (2514)
§ Information & Media Literacy (1969)
§ Language Arts (3413)
§ Mathematics (3265)
§ Science (4195)
§ Social Studies (3629)
§ Uncategorized (1469)
Acknowledgements to www.curriki.org for the contents in this blog
We believe that access to knowledge and learning tools is a basic right for every child. Our goal is to make curricula and learning resources available to everyone.
Curriki is where all of us - our community of educators, parents and students -- can work together to develop interesting, creative and effective educational materials that the global educational community can use for free.
Goal of the website is to:
§ Develop curriculum through community contributors
§ Deliver the curriculum globally
§ Determine the impact by project and by individual
The initial focus is on K-12 curricula in the areas of mathematics, science, technology, reading and language arts, and languages.
On the top right corner it has search with Advanced Search and Browse Subjects options.
You can also be a member / volunteer and to the information, as on 1-April-’08 it has 37178 members.
Member has following options to create the following:
Profile <-> Favorites <-> Contributions <-> Collections <-> Blog <-> Groups
It has huge resources organized under:
§ Featured Resources
§ By Subject
Member can also browse resources by subject (The number in parentheses shows how many matching results are on the site right now, 01-Apr-08):
§ Arts (2390)
§ Career & Technical Education (2322)
§ Educational Technology (2505)
§ Foreign Languages (2282)
§ Health (2514)
§ Information & Media Literacy (1969)
§ Language Arts (3413)
§ Mathematics (3265)
§ Science (4195)
§ Social Studies (3629)
§ Uncategorized (1469)
Acknowledgements to www.curriki.org for the contents in this blog
Schools and schools, few observations
The present observations are part my four years of visits to schools for variety of reasons: understanding, training, teaching, exhibition etc. Biking to these schools was equally exciting, make a road from nowhere. I would have interacted with at least 1000+ schools and about 2000+ teachers. It is wonderful to interact with the rural kids; most affectionate ones, so far in my life. I just loved being with them, teaching, and most of the times learning from them, dancing, singing, imitating, humor. I have also learnt about jackals, snakes, scorpions, centipedes. I understood about vegetation, seasons, fruits, forests. I have also heard stories about ghosts, bhootam, dayyam, importance of muhurtams and raahukaalam etc. Observations are very much related to observables. No quality parameters have been used. One may or may not disagree to my observations. No recommendations, I hear this word very sarkari in nature.
§ The attendance, retention and achievement rates (90%:90%:90%, look at their registers) in the visited schools are impressive (score cards say that). But transition from class 7 to 8 to a new school is an issue of concern. Many girls opt out at this juncture, due to travel costs. Being girls, is the biggest barrier to get higher education. What a misfortune? I could not do anything except, convincing parents, typical to a sarkari babu.
§ Records and registers including cash registers, and pass books are meticulously maintained.
§ There is ‘order’ in distribution of free textbooks, release of TLM grants and school grants. However, schools would get required ‘number of textbooks’, number is ensured. It could be that a school may get 100 textbooks of same class and same subject. But it would have been: 5 subject textbooks for 20 children. But ‘total number’ is maintained. Confused about my presentation, please contact me.
§ TLM grants are received at the end of academic year. One would submit Utilization Certificate (UC), for preparing / not preparing thermocol models, charts, flash cards etc. If prepared, never meant for children use. If used, how do you show that TLM grants are utilized? Poor teachers, in a fix. Poor children, scapegoats of the system.
§ Most of the schools present good picture (it was drought for the last 9 years!), quality of classroom environment, be it cleanliness, seating arrangement for pupils, ventilation in classrooms etc. Schools up to upper primary (1-5 or 1-7) have no play grounds! Most of the schools have boundary with a compound wall. Most of the schools lack sports equipment. Some schools do have drinking water facilities and toilet facilities are non existence to the kids.
§ Midday meal is running successfully in all the schools. The hygienic conditions of serving meals are ok. Where is Village Education Committee? Midday meals.
§ There are fewer schools with shortage of teachers, hey! There are volunteer teachers are appointed with a meager pay of 1500 per month without any support. Salaries are less than that of labour employed under EGS. 40:1 ratio is maintained. One could argue how this ratio is relevant.
§ All the regular teachers have undergone 21 days in-service training program. Please do not ask about the training content, methodology, facilities, facilitators etc. Can you imagine, three day computer training program without computers. It is all ‘real’. What to do, 21 days is mandatory! Poor trainers!
§ There is no academic support from the educational functionaries, it is only inspection. DIET faculty is hardly visits to schools, do not blame, there are only 15 of them and there are 5000+ schools.
§ Progress of civil works is fast. It is because most of the builders are form the same villages, mostly contractors or apna sarpanch. Functionaries do visit and ‘very’ serious about releasing funds. Head Teacher of that particular school is a bakra between contractor and functionaries, release of funds.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Why and what kind of questions in the classroom - an analysis
The teacher-student interaction is supposed to be one of the most important factors contributing to the learning among the children. A main part of interaction in the classroom happens through the exchange of questions and answers. The present effort is to observe classroom processes to find out the extent to which teachers use questioning as a tool to ensure reflective learning.
In this regard, I have observed one session in the
A question is any sentence which has an interrogative form or function. In the classroom settings, the teacher questions are defined as instructional cues or stimuli that convey to students the content elements to be learned and directions for what they have to do and how they do it. The teacher raises questions for various purposes. A variety of purposes emerge from analysis of the literature, including:
·To develop interest and motivate students to actively involve in lesson
· To evaluate students' preparation
· To develop critical thinking skills and inquiring attitudes
· To review and summarize previous lessons
· To nurture insights by exposing new relationships
· To assess achievement of instructional goals and objectives
· To stimulate students to pursue knowledge on their own
In the classroom, there are a series of questions that elicit students’ responses and sometimes teacher reactions. Within these responses, students follow a series of steps in order to respond the questions. These steps include:
· Attending to the question
·Deciphering the meaning of the question
· Generating a covert response (i.e., formulating a response in one's mind)
· Generating an explicit response; and often
· Revising the response (based on the teacher probing or other feedback)
The Pattern and sequence of questions
Teacher: What are the animals seen in your villages? Pupil: Dog, cow, bull, buffalo etc. Teacher: What kind of food dog takes? Pupil: It eats bones, rice,daaletc. |
Most of the time questions were related to recalling their previous knowledge of the content. There were also questions that seem to be pre-planned to bring out required information suitable for that class. Most of the questions were aimed at recalling the facts or information, gathering information about the topic and checking prior knowledge.
Teacher: What is the difference between birds and animals; give some examples for the same? Pupil: Animals have four legs, tail, etc Birds have two legs, feathers, beak, etc Teacher: Dog is also animal. Pupil: Dog is carnivorous animal |
The teacher questioned the pupils about what he had taught in the last class and what they remember about the topic. Questions were asked to broader pupils’ understanding. The teacher tried to make a link between the previous knowledge and the planned content for the current session. The teacher was expecting the pupils to establish the planned link for the desired learning.
Teacher: How does dog catches thieves? Pupil: Thieves don’t feed dogs. Teacher: How? Pupil: It has whiskers on the nose Pupil: By smell Teacher: By sniffing |
In the midst of the classroom process, one of the pupils mentioned that dog can also catch thieves. The teacher had given enough scope for comprehension by asking related questions so that pupils could interpret the available information. In the process of questioning, the teacher facilitated the learning by fine tuning the vocabulary.
The classifications of questions are based on the Bloom-Turney model. Interpretation of the pie chart shows that the teacher had asked many questions to fulfil a wide range of functions that included:
- Knowledge and recall (66 per cent)
- Comprehension (30 per cent)
- Analytical (4 per cent)
- Application (0 per cent)
- Synthesis (0 per cent)
- Evaluation (0 per cent)
Following is the pattern of the questions raised by the teacher. Nearly two thirds of the questions (66 per cent) tested pupils’ knowledge and recall i.e. questions of fact. It shows that questions were aimed at accumulating knowledge than creating new knowledge. Nearly one third of the questions (30 per cent) were related to comprehending i.e. related to transform and to interpret the information that was learnt. There was only one open ended question (4 per cent) that tried to prompt deeper thinking response from pupils. These included speculative questions, which invited pupils to offer ideas and opinions for example, “Do you think chewing cud is also good for humans?”
Sequences of questions are supposed to move from recall to evaluation in an upward sequential manner. However in the observed classroom process, it was limited to analysis. There were no questions pertaining to application, synthesis and evaluation. It was difficult for the observer to find out whether children had learnt anything. The teacher provided planned knowledge through sequential questions. There was no scope for reflective learning through these questions.
Whenever pupils did not respond correctly to the questions, either the teacher was silent or diverted their attention towards the current topic or asked questions that could be easily answered. It could be that the teacher encouraged the pupils to give only right answers. Irrespective of any answer, the teacher continued with the planned lesson.
Teacher: Do you know what the difference between carnivorous and herbivorous is? Pupil: Don’t know sir. Teacher: Mumbles! Pupil: Yes sir. Teacher: Have you seen eagle? Pupil: Yes sir, we have seen eagle. Teacher: There are two kinds of teeth in carnivorous animals. Do you know what those are? Pupil: Yes sir, canine teeth. Teacher: What’s the use of canine teeth? Pupil: To chew |
In few cases, the teacher did not answer the questions. It could be that the teacher did not know how to answer or to avoid distractions and to stick to the prepared lesson plan. It also shows the teacher’s belief in providing information as learning in a given period of time. From the context of pupils, unexpected answers show that:
* Pupil had misunderstood the question
* Pupil had misinterpreted the question
* Pupil was occupied with something else in the mind
* Pupil was not prepared to expect the question at that point of time
Teacher: Do you think chewing cud is also good for humans? What do you feel humans being ruminant animal? Pupil: No sir. Teacher: Why? Pupil: Mother says so. Teacher: |
Sometimes the teacher used questioning to control the pace of the lesson. The teacher used questions to increase or decrease the pace of the lesson depending up on the responses from the pupils. There were some questions which required brief answers and worked as fillers to the topic. If pupil did not respond quickly or correctly, the teacher sometimes answered himself to continue the flow of the lesson.
Teacher: Cow is a domestic animal Teacher: What is cow? Pupil: Cow is a domestic animal Teacher: There are domesticate and wild animals Teacher: What is wild animal? Pupil: Wild animals live in wild or forests Teacher: Have you observed canine teeth? Pupil: Dog has canine teeth. Teacher: What kind of teeth / danthaalu (formal word: danthaalu otherwise it is pallu) dogs have? Pupil: |
As part of the evaluation, the teacher asked the pupils to write few sentences about the animal that they had seen. It was observed that the evaluation was aimed at reproducing the learnt content or testing the memory.
It was surprising that all the children had written about cow in few sentences. It was interesting that answers provided by the pupils were part of the previous lesson they had mugged up. In the evaluation, the teacher did not provide enough scope to the pupils to think and analyse their ideas. Neither the teacher nor pupils were beneficial of the evaluation process. Neither the teacher could not assess how much pupils had learnt nor pupil received feedback on the ideas they had produced.
There was hardly any scope in these questions for reflective learning. There were no questions pertaining to application, synthesis and evaluation of the planned content. The classroom session was interactive in one way i.e. only the teacher asked the questions. No questions were asked by the pupils. The pupils either answered the raised questions or listened to the planned lesson attentively.
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