Sanjhee Gianchandani
On International Children’s Book Day, join us on a journey tracing the history of children’s literature and also find some must-read children’s books along the way.
Category: Focus
Making classroom discussions relevant
Sakshi Uniyal
When children don’t understand what they are learning, they end up by hearting, thus losing the ability to connect and apply what they have learnt to real life. If we want to help children make this very important and necessary connection, we have to change the way we teach, otherwise children will go through their whole lives not seeing how their using plastic pens to write passionate essays about the harmful effects of plastic is actually part of the problem they are writing about.
A case for a simple structure and form
G. Gautama
The emergence of new technologies has seen schools taking to them without batting an eyelid. However the core systems have not changed simultaneously. The schools, classrooms and pedagogies have remained untouched and there is an urgent need for a redefinition. The author outlines some relevant and important changes that can be adopted to invigorate the entire school system.
Nai Talim: searching the past to find alternatives in the present
Krunal Desai and Varadarajan Narayanan
Nai Talim is one of the several and perhaps popular educational experiments that is in practice, albeit on a small scale, even today. Building an archive of such practices from history is worth all the time and effort it will take because it can serve as a guide to the teacher of today.
How can teachers’ abilities be enhanced?
Hemen Dutta
A teacher’s job is not easy at all. But that doesn’t mean that she can hide behind this fact and use it as an excuse for a less than satisfactory teaching. Teachers need to be supported and policies need to be changed to help the teacher do her best.
Experience and exploration in learning to teach
Sonika Parashar
Competition and the desire to be ahead of others was what drove students once upon a time. Marks and successes in assignments decided relationships that were formed. Today, students seem more selfless. There is genuine desire to help one another and competition rarely raises its head. Growth as a group is as important as individual growth. What led to this change?
More on NEP 2020: What really changes?
Pratistha Agarwal and Venkata Krishna Bayineni
The National Education Policy 2020 has been welcomed by all stakeholders and promises to change the way learning happens. In Karnataka, a survey was done to find out the level of awareness about NEP 2020 among teachers, students, parents and researchers. The survey gives us a peek into how much work has to be done to make citizens realize the transformation that NEP 2020 can bring. Here are the findings of the survey.
Having those difficult conversations
Parveen Shaikh
We don’t talk about death with children, often because it is awkward and to protect them from the unpleasant things in life. However, by not talking about it either at home or in school, we are making it difficult for them to process death. So are you ready to remove the taboo surrounding death and help children accept life’s reality?
Rethinking sports in schools
Dhruva Desai
How can sports be taught in schools with greater sensitivity? While it is known that sports, especially organized sport, can bring about conflict between the playing teams, this is generally swept under the carpet and the jingoism and hatred that comes about can have a serious impact. Therefore, it is essential that physical aspects of any game be taught with discussions about group behavior and team membership. Post- game debriefs and reflections must be an important part of any sport.
Teacher education and NCTE regulations
Zayan
Improving teacher education is one of the promises made in NEP 2020. One of the first steps towards realizing this objective is the launch of a four-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP). This four-year programme, however, is not a novel idea. Here’s taking a look at ITEP and two other four-year teacher education programmes through the National Council of Teacher Education’s regulations.