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| EDUCATION TRIBUNE |
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Learning, the Canadian way
Teachers discover how to get boys to write Campus Notes
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Learning, the Canadian way In any comparison between two perspectives, the differences often stand out sharply. Having served as a college lecture in India for a long period of time before moving to Canada, I saw how educators deliver content to the students in both countries.
In Canada, I had the privilege to attend classroom lectures, listening to various resource persons and other events relating to the education system. What intrigues me most is that the major difference is not due to technological advancement, but it is the attitude of the teachers and supporting staff who make the learning environment a sheer pleasure in Canada. The great advantage in Canada is that one can read any stream at any age. Students need not to have any significant link to their previous studies should they decide to change their streams later. Policemen turning into lawyers, mechanical engineers into accountants, truck drivers into real estate professionals, etc., is not a big deal here. In Canada, teachers make it a point to know or call each student by their name. They arrange various activities to involve each and every student like distributing cards to the students to put their name on it and place it in front of them, so that teachers may address them by their name. It works wonders. However, in the Indian education system, teachers deliver their content and hardly spend time to know their students. The whole exercise, therefore, becomes a one-sided affair. Canadians make students feel important and draw them into the learning process. The students, when called by name, become more alert. It is not that only few chosen ones get attention, but each student. Words like ‘excellent’, ‘great’, ‘wonderful’, ‘awesome’, and ‘fabulous’ come from the teacher after a student contributes his thoughts. Students are allowed to think aloud. If a not-so-good idea comes from a student, the teacher chips in and speaks a few encouraging words. The student feels elated. Teachers also have one-to-one talk with their students in a confidential environment. Do these teaching methods need any extra funds? No. Do these small things matter in enhancing the learning environment? Yes, they make a huge impact. The teachers start their classes with a brief introduction about themselves and list out their programme for the students. They give handouts in the form of notes. In classroom, various activities take place. The teachers bring whatever is needed to convey their thoughts. TVs, overhead projectors, VCRs, etc., are used to augment the learning culture. Lectures are never a tardy affair, though a class is of three hours with small breaks. Even during a lecture, one may step out and come back without disturbing the class. Students keep their drinks, eatables with them in the classroom and a few munch while listening to their teacher. Here I differ, as I think no eatables should be permitted in the classroom. Though some teachers don’t encourage this, overall it is acceptable. Teachers prefer to be called by their names, and they are always available to their students and even go to any length to listen to their problems. A remarkable thing here is that the students are not put down by their teachers. The teacher makes the student feel important. “Gurkirpal, you are a very good person and we don’t want to lose you” were the comments of one of my teachers, when I told him that I wanted to leave the course due to some personal reason. I was not special, but this is how they make you feel special. The student is the most important clog in the wheel of learning process here. Right from the beginning, students are provided with ample opportunities to express themselves in the classroom. They are transformed into exceptionally good personalities with great communication skills. School education is free here and the student is expected to do compulsory 40 hours of social work at the high school level. If he puts in more hours, he gets due credit for his service. These teaching methods do not require any extra funds. If adopted in the Indian education system, these can make our institutes a more meaningful place to produce an excellent class of graduates. The writer taught at SD College, Barnala, before moving to Canada.
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Teachers discover how to get boys to write BLOGGING may have solved one of the most pressing problems that has perplexed the education world for years: how to get boys to write properly. The biggest impact has been on boys who are happily churning out 5,000-word stories for their blogs in the classroom. The school, Heathfield primary, is now being used as a role model to encourage others around the country to adopt its methods. The turnabout has seen the percentage of pupils getting a higher than average score (“level five”) in national curriculum writing tests for 11-year-olds soar from just seven per cent to 63 per cent.
It all started during the heavy snowfalls last year. “I got really frustrated at the bad press teachers were getting (for school closures),” said David Mitchell, the school’s deputy head. “I threw out an idea about hosting online lessons.” The school texted all the pupils’ parents saying there would be online lessons while they were kept at home. On the school website, a blogging platform had been set up and soon most pupils were busily blogging in response to requests to go out into their back garden and report on the depth of the snow. “Blogging was cool and fulfilling,” said Mr Mitchell. “After this there was no looking back.” Blogging was then officially introduced to the curriculum with even five-year-olds being encouraged to write what they thought about their lessons. The school set up links internationally with other schools allowing their youngsters to exchange blogs with places as far apart as Canada and Australia. It also introduced a “blog of the week” prize for the most exceptional piece of writing. Youngsters were encouraged to write their own short stories, with many producing 5,000-word essays at whim. “It is now a part of everyday life and the way our pupils like to communicate,” said Mr Mitchell. “They will produce their work in class and then quite happily and eagerly go home and do a blog. It’s now cool to be writing, especially for the boys. It’s the boys who were coming up with the 5,000-word articles first.” Writing is the skill that pupils have least mastery of in tests for 11-year-olds, with only 71 per cent reaching the required standard, compared with 86 per cent in reading. The gap between girls’ and boys’ performance can be seen as early as seven — with the last tests for that age group showing one in four boys failed to reach the required standard compared with just 13 per cent of girls. Teachers find it remarkable that their pupils are now so enthusiastic over writing, something that was once considered a chore. Paul Hynes, head of technology at the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, said: “It’s amazing what they’ve achieved in such a short space of time.” He added that other schools which had followed in Heathfield’s footsteps had noted the same phenomenon - that it improved boys’ writing skills. Ministers have ploughed millions of pounds into trying to solve the problem of boys’ writing and reading standards, creating a “boys into books” scheme which introduced more fact-based books for boys to read in the classroom and a “reading champions” programme in which Premier League footballers spoke about their favourite books. Neither, though, seem to have had as big an effect as the opportunity to blog at Heathfield primary school. — The Independentv
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Campus Notes THERE is need to assess the direction of development before we explore the energy options, and how relevant they are in the overall growth system of the country. This was stated by science and social communicator Soumya Dutta (formerly with the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India) while speaking at an extension lecture on “Nuclear Energy: Boon or Bane” organised in the Department of Economics of Maharshi Dayanand University
(MDU) recently. Dutta also pointed out towards the impact of nuclear energy vis-à-vis genetic change and diseases on account of radioactivity fallout, etc. He also detailed the climatic impact of nuclear disaster. He said the need of the hour was to assess the right direction and develop without politicisation of the issue. In his presidential remarks, Prof. Surender Kumar, head of the Department of Economics, talked about sustainable development. Allahabad University Prof. Banwari Lal Sharma also spoke on the occasion. Prof. Rajendra Chaudhary coordinated the lecture
programme. Meanwhile, a lecture programme on “Asset Liability Management” was organised at IMSAR recently. Speaking at the
programme, former AGM of Syndicate Bank and financial expert S. C. Jain enlightened the students about risk management and various aspects of asset liability management. Professor H.J. Ghosh Roy, Director,
IMSAR, presided over the programme.
Focus on time-management skills
To achieve corporate success, students must hone their technical skills, especially software programme writing skills, and develop better time-management skills. This advice was given by expert speakers at a workshop organised at the Department of Computer Science and Applications of the university recently. Addressing the participants, Dr Sanket
Vij, Chairperson, Department of Management, Bhagat Phool Singh (BPS) Women University, Khanpur
Kalan, said time-management and customer relationship management were the key components for achieving the target in any field. Dr N. P. Singh, Professor (IT), Management Development Institute (MDI),
Gurgaon, spoke on the topics “Business Intelligence: Changing Scenario” and “Telecom Business”. Both the speakers exhorted the students to be focused on career goals and develop professional attitude. Professor N. S. Gill, Head of the Department of Computer Science and Applications, highlighted the importance of the workshop which would help in personality and career development of students.
Seminar on English literature
Literature is a creative expression of human emotions. This was stated by eminent scholar and former Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University Prof. Bhim Singh Dahiya while delivering a special lecture at a seminar on English literature held at the Department of English of MDU recently. Professor Dahiya explained the various historical movements of English literature and threw light on the various periods of the field. He gave useful tips to students regarding preparation for the
UGC-NET examination in English and the common hurdles faced by students in developing a deep and sincere interest in the subject at higher levels. —
Contributed by Bijendra Ahlawat
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