Sunday, June 21, 2009

4.Class room Transaction & Practicum

[Kerala University English Teacher Educator’s Forum - KUETEF]

Please note the consensus in Class room transaction and Practicum arrived at during the meeting held on 13 June 2009

•A Lesson Plan is only an outline programme of action of a teacher to teach a particular topic in a subject. If we surf the internet we can come across 2 Column , 3 Column, 4 Column, 5 Column and ones without any ‘Column’ at all, as in Lesson Plans for Models of Teaching. So, let us not be fussy about ‘Columns’!

•We will continue to follow the practice of making trainees write Lesson plans with three columns:
* Column 1: Process
* Column 2: Response
* Column 3: Theory / Principles

•If the trainee writes anticipated response in Column 2, prior to the class in blue ink, after the class, the trainee should reflect on the class and write an analysis of Process, Product and Strategy in another colour ink (say black)

• Alternatively, if this is not done, after the class, in the Lesson Plan at the end, the trainee should write a short paragraph reflecting on the class just engaged.

• Ensure that in the Diary, each trainee enters his/her reflections on the classes engaged during Practice Teaching.

•In the facing sheet of the Lesson plan, make a reference to the ‘Main Issue’ of the lesson being taught under the head ‘Curriculum Objectives’

•Also make sure that each Lesson Plan makes a reference to
1. The Main issue
2. The language task
3. Entry point ( ie; the ‘Advanced Organizer’ made use of )
4. Activity: individual, pair and group
5. Product: Notice, Letter etc

•While teaching topics related to an ‘issue’, attempt to identify a ‘Local text’ and move on to the various sub issues.

•Reciting of poems and reading aloud the prose passage, by the teacher will definitely help the pupil. So it should be attempted.

•Time- tested Behaviourist strategies can be attempted if they are useful for the pupils.

•While giving tasks, begin with Individual work, them move on to Pair work and finally to Group work. This will ensure better participation of pupils and help in proper scaffolding . ZPD will also receive due attention.

•The nature of evaluation for an ‘issue-based’ curriculum was one area for which the members present had nothing specific to state. So it was decided to follow the pattern in the recent SSLC Question paper* , though the CB for Standard X is not actually designed to sensitize learners to issues and employ strategies of Critical Pedagogy.
[*Prepare a short speech in not more than 80 words to be made in your school
assembly on rain water harvesting – Q.31. March 2009 Code # 219]

•Teacher educators and trainees should familiarize themselves with the currently available Source Book for Standard VII published in 2008 (Standard VIII Source Book is not yet available)

•While trainees prepare Discussion Lesson Plans , ensure that at least one lesson is IT-based.

•The teacher educator should definitely engage a lesson based on Models of Teaching as part of Demonstration Lessons.

•Encourage trainees to prepare at least one Innovative Record. It could be the report of a Multimedia material they have designed/created. Eg: Animated Video.

•Try to enrich class room transaction by making use of Magazines/ Newspaper clips, video clips etc for highlighting the ‘issue’ and for illustrating or explaining topics.

•As part of the Practicum on documentation, identify several sources for teaching a particular poem or passage. Cite the sources for audio/video/ visual/ critical/ biographical materials or even similar poems/ passages. Ensure that they are properly documented as in the Bibliography section of PhD dissertations.

•For Practicum based on Film / Book review, it would be better to choose films/ books related to the ‘issues’ identified in the Source Book However, choosing films /books dealing with ‘issues’ is not compulsory.

•For Film/Book review, the trainees may state the positive and negative aspects they were able to identify after reading/ watching it. They may also highlight the style of writing, character delineation etc.


If you need any further clarification, please feel free to contact me
cpteach@rediffmail.com

Monday, June 15, 2009

3.Report of meeting : 13 June 2009

[Kerala University English Teacher Educator’s Forum - KUETEF]

Venue: Govt. College of Teacher Education, Trivandrum .

As per the intimation letter dated 4.6.09 mailed to over 40 members and reminders by telephone, from Ms. Anila Chacko, the Treasurer, KUETEF, sixteen members assembled in the Seminar Hall of GCTE, Trivandrum on 13th June 2009 at 10.30 AM


The President of KUETEF, Dr. M.S.Geetha, welcomed the members present. She also expressed her concern at the poor turn out of the members for an important meeting which intends to discuss transactional strategies for the newly introduced Standard 8 Course Book.

Dr. M.S.Geetha also informed that there is an urgent need to nominate / elect a new Secretary for KUETEF as the person who was serving as Secretary Ms. Bindhu.T.S, has taken up appointment in a school in the Gulf. This was treated as the first agenda of the meeting and the discussions based on the new Course Book and Practicum, the second agenda.

Ms. Anila Chacko , proposed the name of Mr. C.Praveen, Lecturer in English of Government College of Teacher Education, Trivandrum as the new Secretary. But when Mr. C.Praveen expressed his apprehension of his lack of familiarity with the Kerala University syllabus as he was recently transferred from a Govt. CTE, affiliated to Calicut University some members considered it too insignificant and insisted that Mr. C. Praveen be appointed as the Secretary. As none of the members present expressed a different opinion, Mr. C.Praveen was declared elected as the new Secretary.

At this juncture, Ms Anila Chacko , the Treasurer proposed that the accounts of KUETEF be audited. Accordingly Mr. Prashanth. of Fathima Memorial College, Umayanalloor, Kollam was nominated as Auditor of the accounts of KUETEF through common consent of the members present.

Next, Dr. M.S. Geetha congratulated the newly appointed Secretary and Auditor, and expressed her hope that both of them would help in the smooth functioning of KUETEF. Then she introduced Mr. C.Praveen to the members. She spoke at length about the professional background of Mr. C. Praveen- his experience as a former faculty of the Regional Institute of English, Bangalore, and participation in curriculum related work in the SCERT which could be well utilized by the members. Then Mr. C.Praveen was asked to take over the proceedings of the day.


Mr. C.Praveen, began by thanking the members for electing him as the Secretary, despite his reputation as a critic of the New Curriculum. He also expressed his desire to perform his duties as Secretary of KUETEF to the satisfaction of the members albeit, his recent appointment as Professor on deputation in the Regional Institute of English, Bangalore.


Next, the newly elected Secretary, C.Praveen objectively reviewed the current ELT curriculum being implemented at the Secondary level in Kerala. References were made to Critical Pedagogy, Issue-based curriculum and the pattern for Lesson Plan writing suggested during Cluster Meetings. He also made references to the clash in views regarding class room strategies with regard to the teaching of English experienced by the teacher educators and trainees during Practice Teaching.

Next, the Secretary distributed Xerox copies of the first unit of the newly introduced Course Book for the members who had not yet seen the new Course Book. After the members present had a look at the new Course Book, Mr. C. Praveen, based on his discussion with the faculty of SCERT, explained the proposed transactional strategy. Next, Xerox copies of relevant pages from the Source Book suggesting steps for transaction for Standard 8 were distributed.


The members did express their anxiety with regard to the kind of problems the trainees are likely to face when they go for the second spell of the Practice Teaching. Ms Meenakshi, a member present, clarified doubts raised by the members with regard to the Practicum on ‘Module Writing’ and ‘Film Review’.

Though a formal workshop was proposed earlier for writing a Lesson Plan, paucity of time forced the participants to identify the stages to be reflected in a Lesson Plan that intends to transact the prescribed unit in 30 periods. Discussions were also held regarding the ways of incorporating issues and Critical Pedagogy during class room transaction.

By 1.15 PM, the members decided to call it a day. Ms. Anila Chacko, thanked the members present for their active participation in the discussions. She also specially thanked Mr. C.Praveen and Ms. Meenakshi for briefing the participants on Curriculum transaction. Before adjourning, the members expressed the desire to keep in touch for clarification regarding teaching of the new Course Book and so it was decided to launch a web site for KUETEF in the immediate future. And as a preliminary step the Secretary proposed the launching of a blog for the benefit of the members. The meeting adjourned at 1.30.PM. -C.Praveen

2.Secretary to Members

[Kerala University English Teacher Educator’s Forum - KUETEF]

Hello everyone,

I was rather surprised at your decision to nominate me as you new Secretary during the meeting of KUETEF held on 13 June 2009.

I hope I will be able to perform the duties assigned to me and live up to your expectations.

Thank you for your faith in me.

May I invite you to join the discussion on eslforum

http://www.eslforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4932

With warm regards

C.Praveen

1.Launch of Blog for KUETEF

The members of the Kerala University English Teacher Educator’s Forum (KUETEF) who

attended the meeting held at Govt. College of Teacher Education, Trivandrum on 13

June 2009 expressed the desire to launch a Community blog to enable members to

interact. As a preliminary step, this blog is being launched today.