“It is the long history of human kind (and animal
kind) those who learn to collaborate and improvise most effectively have
prevailed”
Charles
Darwin
Introduction
1. A major part of a child’s formative and transformative years
are spent with his teachers. Teachers
not only mould the ability of a child to learn but have a major impact on his behavioural
and inquiry based abilities. It is
rightly said, “What a teacher writes on the blackboard of life, can never be
erased.”Teaching is a calling, a commitment, much more than any
profession. A teacher’s job, today, is
to take a bunch of live wires and see that they are well grounded. Therefore, any person who dares to teach must
never cease to learn.
Problem Statement
2. The paper will attempt to analyse ways and means of the
following:-
(a) How can we make teaching and learning practice more
contemporary, meaningful and interesting by collaborative method so as to
relate to the enthusiasm and energy level of young minds?
(b) Examine options available to develop a collaborative
curriculum which will develop the capability of teachers in the nation?
Objective
3. The objectives of paper:-
(a) To examine the present collaborative practices in Indian education system and critically analyze its pitfalls.
(b) Creating meaningful metamorphosis in education by collaborative teaching
learning practices.
(c) Suggest a systematic framework for collaborative in-school and in-service
teaching learning integrated training
programme to best meet the present
and future needs, by developing the needed competencies in education.
(d) Develop a National Level Strategy to enhance the capabilities of teachers for
collaborative teaching learning based on the need to understand and respond
appropriately to educational needs in
difficult conditions.
Present Collaborative Teaching
Learning Methodology
4. Present System. The present day teaching learning system in
India has come a long way and a large number of policy initiatives like Right
to Education Act have provided impetus to elementary education and planted
seeds of education in rural and less privileged sub urban areas. However, certain pressing challenges at hand
that hamper the proliferation of quality education need to be addressed.
5. Pitfalls of Present Teaching Learning
Methodology. The present system
is more lecture based with minimum importance been paid to open ended
discussion, building of hypothetical situations and interventions. As a result, we have teachers who go through
their curriculum in a boring and routine manner and students pursuing rote
learning as compared to deep understanding of the subject.
Meaningful
Metamorphosis by Collaborative Teaching Learning Practices.
6. Definition of Collaborative Teaching
Learning Practices.
Collaborative Teaching Learning Practice is a style of direct
interaction between at least two co-equal parties voluntarily engaged in shared
decision making as they work towards a common goal.
7. Need for Collaborative Teaching Learning
Practices. Often teachers are
left to their devices, struggling to solve their instructional and/ or
classroom management dilemmas. For
teachers, collegiality is the intellectual effort, they put forth to better
themselves as a group to benefit their students.
8. Defining Characteristics.
(a) Voluntary. It is voluntary by personal choice and not
administratively mandated. It is an in-formal
partnership with colleagues.
(b) Parity. Teacher’s collaborating must believe that
all individual’s contribution is valued equally.
(c) Goal. Although teachers may divide their labour
when engaged in collaborative activities they must share responsibility
accountability and resources leading to a clearly defined and common Goal.
9. Implication of Collaborative Teaching Learning
Practices :Teachers.
(a) Share Ideas, Feelings and Views. Solicits the teachers’ ideas and feelings involves them in the teaching learning
process by inviting them to share their experiences, discuss their ideas, and
engage in problem-solving.
(b) Set Goals and Agenda. Teacher’s goals and the training agenda which they pursue to
achieve.
(c) Evaluate and Feedbacks. Teachers evaluate each session and incorporate their
feedback into subsequent sessions.
10. Implication of Collaborative Teaching Learning practices
: Students. Collaborative
teaching learning practices would have the following implication on students :-
(a) Breaking Free.
We need to break free from ‘Stereotype’ and follow a more flexible system of
teaching learning.
(b) Interaction to Match the Enthusiasm and Energy Level. Encourage
sharp interventions and look forward to enhancement of inquisitiveness and
responsiveness.
(c) Contemporary in Skill and Experience. Teaching learning must be contemporary.
It should be a live experience, enhancing skills, which they need for
their profession.
(d) Interesting.
Teaching learning must be such that it is able to draw not only their attention
but also of the student and make the topic interesting.
(e) Collaborative Teaching Practices.
(i) Study of case studies and formulation of best practices so as to initiate the
teachers to achieve professional enhancement.
(ii) Brainstorming to achieve realistic, practical and hands on
solution to equip teachers with necessary crisis management skills.
(iii) Sharing and gaining by equipping teachers in skill to plan and
synchronise teaching methodologies and child behavior.
(f) Social Competence. Promoting social
competence by praise and attention, managing misbehavior by using redirection,
moving beyond discipline and self discipline to social and emotional
regulations.
(g) Collaborative Parents Involvement. A
teacher must always endeavour to involve the parents in the growth and learning
of a child.
(h) Teacher Training Groups as Support Systems. Peer learning among teacher can best be achieved by the following:-
(i) Nominating Programme Leaders.
(ii) Mentors. To overall supervise, teacher
training, in a larger group, nominate mentors.
(iii) Formulate class room technique by daily routine observation,
mentor assigning and class management.
(iv) Exposure to class function, school functions, interactive
sessions, seminars and exhibitions.
(v) Improve emotional intelligence and tolerance level of
teachers to handle slow learners.
Collaborative
Training Programme
11. Collaborative Tasks. A collaborative training programme needs to
develop the following four collaborative tasks:-
(a)
Team Meetings.
(b)
Planning.
(c)
Teamwork.
(d)
Personal and Team Satisfactions.
12. Explicit Skills Facilitating
Collaborative Tasks. The
explicit skills that facilitate development of the above four collaborative
tasks are as given below:-
Collaborative
Tasks
|
Required Skills or
Traits
|
Team
Meetings.
|
Process Skills
· Team
Meeting Protocols.
Agendas, minutes and time management.
·
Decision
Making Skills.
Consensus, fairness, trust, avoiding-groupthink, adversial approaches,
coercion and continued collegiality, assigning team roles, setting team
goals, setting team rules.
·
Individual
Skills. Commitment to
the team, accountability, feedback, communication skills, conflict management
skills and self evaluation skills.
|
Planning.
|
Curriculum Skills
·
Knowledge.
·
Communication.
·
Creative.
·
Negotiation.
·
Team Management.
|
Level
of Teamwork.
|
Management
Skills
·
Support team.
·
Decision making.
·
Backup.
·
Protecting.
|
Personal
and Team Satisfaction.
|
Performance Skills
·
Recognising and acknowledging the success
of others.
·
Celebration of individual and whole team
achievements.
|
13. In-School and In-Service Teaching
Learning Integrated Training Programme. A suggested systematic framework for
collaborative in-school and in-service teaching learning
integrated training programme contain the following six programmes:-
(a)
Programme
One.
Importance of teacher attention, encouragement and praise.
(b)
Programme
Two.
Motivating children through incentives.
(c)
Programme
Three.
Preventing behaviour problems – the proactive teacher.
(d)
Programme
Four.
Decreasing student’s inappropriate behaviour.
(e)
Programme
Five.
Building positive relationships with students.
(f)
Programme
Six. How
to teach social skills, problem solving and anger management in the classroom.
14. Content and Objectives Of the In-School
and In-Service Teaching Learning Integrated Training Programme. The
contents and objectives of the In-School and In-service Teaching Learning
Integrated Training Programme are as follows:-
Content | Objectives |
Program One : The Importance of Teacher Attention, Encouragement, and Praise. | · Using praise and encouragement more effectively. · Building children’s self-esteem and self-confidence by teaching children how to praise themselves. · Understanding the importance of general praise to the whole group as well as individual praise. · Knowing the importance of praising social and academic behaviours. · Recognizing common traps. · Using physical warmth as a reinforce. · Providing nonverbal cues of appreciation. · Doubling the impact of praise by involving other school personnel and parents. · Helping children learn how to praise other and enjoy others’ achievements. |
Program Two : Motivating Children Through Incentives. | · Understanding why incentives are valuable teaching strategies for children with behaviour problems. · Understanding ways to use an incentive program for social problems such as noncompliance, inattentiveness, uncooperativeness and hyperactivity as well as for academic problems. · Setting up individual incentive programs for particular children. · Using group or classroom incentives. · Designing programs that have variety and build on the positive relationship between the teacher, child and parent. · Using incentives in a way that fosters the child’s internal motivation and focuses on the process of learning rather than the end product. · Providing unexpected rewards. · Appreciating the importance of involving parents in incentive programs. |
Program Three : Preventing Behavior Problems – The Proactive Teacher. | · Preparing children for transitions. · Establishing clear, predictable classroom rules. · Using guidelines for giving effective commands or instructions. · Identifying unclear, vague, and negative commands. · Understanding the value of warnings and helpful remainders, especially for distractible and impulsive children. · Engaging children’s attention. · Using nonverbal signals not cues for communication. · Recognizing the need for ongoing monitoring and positive attention. |
Program Four : Decreasing Students’ Inappropriate Behavior. | · Knowing how to redirect and engage children. · Knowing how and when to ignore inappropriate response from children. · Using verbal and nonverbal cues to reengage off-task children. · Understanding the importance of reminders and warnings. · Using guidelines for setting up Time Out in the classroom. · Avoiding common mistakes in using Time Out. · Handling common misbehaviours such as impulsivity, disengagement, noncompliance, tantrums, and disruptive behaviours. · Using the colour cards system. · Recognizing when to use logical consequences or removal of privileges as discipline. |
Program Five : Building Positive Relationships With Students. | · Building positive relationships with difficult students. · Showing students you trust and believe in them. · Fostering students’ sense of responsibility for the classroom and their involvement in other students’ learning as well as their own. · Giving students choices when possible. · Teaching students how to ask for what they want in appropriate ways. · Fostering listening and speaking skills between students. · Teaching students how to problem solve through role-plays and examples. · Promoting positive self-talk. · Implementing strategies to counter students’ negative attributions. · Promoting positive relationships with students’ parents. |
Program Six : How to Teach Social Skills, Problem Solving and Anger Management in the Classroom. | · Helping increase children’s awareness of different feelings and perspectives in social situations. · Building children’s emotional vocabulary. · Understanding how to help children identify a problem and to generate possible solutions. · Helping children learn to think ahead to different consequences and to different solutions and how to evaluate the most effective solutions. · Helping children recognize their anger and learn ways to manage it successfully. · Using puppets to present hypothetical problem situations such as being teased, bullied or isolated by other children. · Providing small-group activities to practice friendship, group entry, play and problem-solving skills. · Helping children learn how to use friendly talk such as giving compliments, providing suggestions, offering apologies, asking for help and sharing ideas and feelings. · Helping children learn classroom behaviour such as listening, quiet hand up, cooperating and following teacher’s directions. |
INTEGRATED TRAINING
PROGRAMME
|
State
Level Strategy to Develop Capability of Teachers by Collaborative curriculum
15. The
state level strategy to develop capability of teachers is as follows :-
(a) Set
Up Stage (State Level).
(i) School self assessment and goal
setting.
(ii) Teachers’ team formation.
(ii) Teachers’ team formation.
(iii) Structured support for teacher team
facilitators.
(b) Kick
Starting Stage (School Level).
(i) Examine Students work.
(ii) Examine Teacher work.
(iii) Define Instructional Strategy and set
goals.
(iv) Implement Instructional Strategy.
(v) Monitor students progress.
(vi) Revise and repeat Inquiry Cycle.
(c) Networking
Stage (District Level).
(i) Action to build teacher and school
capacity at state level.
(ii) Reflect on Teacher Team’s results and
examine for changes (with teachers assuming leadership role).
(iii) Analyse school capacity and plan for
state wise upgrade.
(d) Sharing
Stage (State Level). In
order to ensure maximum proliferation of quality education in the State make
optimum use of the existing information technology expertise and infrastructure
to have a multiplier effect.
National
Level Strategy to Develop Capability of Teachers
16. General. Indian’s Educational System is a stumbling
block towards its objective of being a developed country and achieving
inclusive growth. The Indian Education System is poor in quality, weak infrastructure and
inadequate pedagogic attention leading to wide income inequalities and affecting
the quality of human capital. A national
level collaborative capability building strategy for teachers needs to be
formulated and a plan defined to achieve country wide higher capability level
of teachers.
17. Scope of Strategy. The collaborative national capability building strategy for teachers
training must include the following:-
(a) Length of Spectrum. Must cover the complete spectrum of
teachers at K-12 courses.
(b) Complete Country: Remote Corners. Reach the length and breadth of the complete
country adequately with a mix of peer collaborative interactions, class room
learning and distance teaching by general use of intimate informal interaction
and information technology.
(c) Access and resources for continuous learning. Extrapolate teachers to integrate
technology into their staff development especially in rural areas. Provide every teacher access to broadband
to learn, update and finally issues instructions to the students.
(d) Propotional Release of Funds to Bridge Educational Gap. Explore creating ways to fund educational
opportunities so as to narrow the gap between rich and poor schools by budget
restructuring, leasing and multi-year technology innovation funds.
(e) Low Cost Aids.
Consider the use of Radio and Television to communicate new teaching
methods and updating of content to teachers in remote areas. Use of printed materials for initial training
finally graduating to digital contents.
(f) Digital Content.
Move finally towards more of digital content by integrating data
system, low level technology innovation, real time update, assessment and
feedbacks.
(g) Monitoring. Regular monitoring, supervision and follow up
are critical. Mid course correction may
be the order of the day to ensure the successful implementation of the
strategy.
Challenges for Collaborative Teaching Learning
Curriculum
18. National / State Level. The main challenges at National / State level
are as follows :-
(a) Mindset of policy makers / stakeholders.
(b) Funding.
(c) Difficulty to work with diverse sets of organization.
(d) Lack of clear shared vision, direction and focus.
(e) Shortage of teacher training institutes.
(f) Resources to redesign curriculum.
19. School Level.
The main challenges at school level are :-
(a) Lack of
sense of ownership.
(b) Attitudinal
reorientation.
(c) Leaderlessness - When
everyone is encouraged to lead the end result is that no one does.
(d) Sameness - Too many
collaborate teams adopt rigid standards and impose upon themselves, foreclosing
deviation.
(e) Group Think.
(f) Increased and competition among groups.
(g) Time constraint.
(h) Limited resources.
(j) Staff turnover in key positions.
20. Desirable End State for Collaborative Teaching Learning
Curriculum : Teachers.
(a) ‘Empower’ teachers so that they feel confident about their teaching skills and their ability to respond
to new situations that may arise.
(b) It also reminds them that they have powerful supports in the other teachers in the school and
encourages them to make continued use of these links between and even beyond
training sessions.
(c) Collaborate in problem-solving, to express their appreciation
for each other, and cheer each other's successes in tackling difficult
problems. They also learned to share
their feelings of guilt, anger, and depression, as well as experiences that
involve their own mistakes or misbehavior from their students.
(d) Creates a climate of trust, making the group a safe place for
teachers to bring their problems.
(e) Encourages debate and
alternative viewpoints, treating all viewpoints with respect.
21. Desirable
End State for Collaborative Teaching Learning Curriculum : Students.
(a) Accelerate Quality of Education.
(b) Students in classrooms where teachers participated in the
program are less aggressive, less noncompliant, more pro-social and more
engaged in classroom activities.
(c) More positive discipline strategies in student behaviour.
(d) Enhance the social and academic development of all children to
prevent behaviour problems.
(e) Attention to other’s point of view.
(f) Presuming positive pre-suppositions through trust.
(g) Balance between advocacy and inquiry.
(h) Enhance nature of probing and putting forward ideas.
(j) Better used time.
Conclusion
22. Teaching and learning are living, breathing and doing subject
where there are no ready resource available in the forms of text or reference
books that fits easily in this mould. But as always, teachers have to rise
stoutly to the occasion and come up with remarkable ideas to turn our young
minds into contributing citizens.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”
Helen Keller
Rupa Chauhan
