Mentor April 2018 Volume 11 Issue 11

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CONTENTSApril 2018 | Volume 11 | Issue 11 | ₹ 40MENTOR THOUGHTS 175 Inside The Mind Of A LeaderSultan Speaks Ms. Bratati Bhattacharyya, Shri ShikshayatanEducation for Life Foundation, Kolkata34 SCHOOL LEADERSHIPSmart Diary Use 23Tool for Time Management Emotionally intelligent school leadersSCHOOL PEDAGOGY Road to a successful teaching career6 25Technology drives Pedagogy Rediscover the Teacher in You…EverydayTeaching the future Push for professional growth9Promoting Multilingual Pedagogy SCHOOL INNOVATIONBuilding language competency in teachers 28 Teachers as Curriculum DevelopersSCHOOL GOVERNANCE Translating instructional plans into action12Shifting Paradigms 31 Personal Learning NetworkTowards collaborative learning A must for 21st century teachers14Cultivating Capability of Teachers Building a cadre of trained teachers A Venture ofPublisher & Owner: Syed Sultan Ahmed Editor-in-Chief: Kalpa Kartik All Rights Reserved 2016Content Developer: Upasana Jaipuria Designed by: Uday S EduMedia Publications Pvt. Ltd.Production: Praveen U M, Sathish C, Guna V Printed by: ManojPrinted at: Elegant Printing Works, #74, South End Road, Basavangudi, Bengaluru - 560 004.NOTICE:Authors/contributors are responsible for the authenticity of information they provide in the article. The publishers do not accept liability for error or omissions contained inthis publication. By submitting letters/emails or other publication materials to Mentor Magazine the author/contributor agree that it is the property of Mentor Magazine.All communication to Mentor Magazine must be made in writing. No other sort of communication will be accepted. All decisions regarding publishing of an article is theprerogative of the publisher and editorial team of Mentor Magazine. Mentor Magazine is owned and published by EduMedia Publications Pvt. Ltd. for and on behalf of Mr.Syed Sultan Ahmed. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts and forums in Bengaluru City.

Source of data: ncte-india.org/, hindustan times, LiveMint

SULTAN SPEAKS April 2018 Education for Life [email protected] MHRD recently came up with a very across India makes that disconnect from theinteresting announcement that the NCERT realities of life. The industry has mostlysyllabus for schools across India would be rejected the value of academic grades andreduced by half. From the outside it may seem focuses on the life learning which is morelike a hurried announcement, but the fact of relevant to the work place scenario.the matter is that the writing was on the walland it was sooner than later that schools and The idea behind reducing the curriculum is tothe system changed its outlook towards make education more relevant and aneducation. According to me there are 2 key enjoyable experience for the students. Thereasons why the MHRD decided to take this challenge though is how the schools and thestep. educators will respond to such a radical change in thought. There is a lingering fear thatThe first reason stems from the fact that for schools will figure out a way to hoodwink theyears now summers have been a dreaded time system and go back to square one and continuefor parents and educators alike across India as to do what they have always done as it is so easyit is that time of the year when the suicide to revert to known than the unknown. Theamong students peak. India today has the bigger worry is the massive lobby of thedubious distinction of being the suicide capital publishing and the private coaching industryof the world with one school going student that will leave no stone unturned to ensure thatcommitting suicide every hour. Children are the fear psychosis remains as it is only then thattaught that making a mistake in studies is their business will thrive.almost a criminal offence and the penalties thatare levied at home and at school for not doing As good as the step to reduce curriculum seems,well in studies are severe. The mortal fear of the real change will come when the entrancefailing in exams takes a draconian facet when exams for professional courses and universityit's the board exams of class 10 or 12 at stake. will be revamped to evaluate the readiness ofThe sad part is that children succumb to this children to face life rather than their ability topressure and fall prey to the stress monsters retain academic information. Change is comingand in some cases the ultimate step of ending and it is coming fast. The ball is now in thetheir lives. educators' court to make the best of this wonderful decision of the MHRD and takeSecondly the gap between what children study their first step to making schools happy spaces!and what is required by the world outside istremendous. The present curriculum does little Syed Sultan Ahmed,to prepare children for life, in fact the mannerin which children are educated in most schools Managing Director, LXL Ideas 5

PEDAGOGY www.lxl.in Technology drives Pedagogy Sweety RastogiSweety Rastogi is a senior teacher with an extensive experience of over 18 years in the education domain. Currently she is working at Learning Paths School, Mohali and is the Head of the Department of Mathematics and Faculty Advisor for multiple co-curricular activities such asDeclamation, Math and Science projects etc. Ms. Rastogi is a Post Graduate in Mathematics and holds aBachelors' degree in Education. She was a team leader(Math) with ICSE board and a moderator withCBSE for CCE evaluation. She received Best Teacher District in 2014 by the Science OlympiadFoundation, New Delhi and Best Facilitator for her teaching practices in 2015 by R&D department ofEducomp Solutions. Presently, she is a teaching practitioner, curriculum planner who has beenadvocating for liberating the education process to accommodate change.Teaching the Future Ÿ For Social Networking and CollaborationA common mantra for today’s educational Ÿ Enhancing the Pedagogical Processessystem is ‘Pedagogy is the driver, technology is Ÿ Planning Lessons and Projectsthe accelerator.’ Ÿ Building a Digital DatabaseWhen we went to school, our classroom Tools for Social Networking and Collaboration:experience was limited to the textbook and the Ÿ Wikispaces: Teachers can create their ownblackboard to copy down the words written bythe teachers. Quality of learning is no longer wikispaces to share teaching learninglimited to a pen and notebook. The classroom materials, daily lessons and relatedenvironment has now dynamically altered with assignments with students onlinetechnology mediating most of the interactions Ÿ Schoology: is a site which allows teachers tohappening between a teacher and the students. manage their lessons, share information,The students of today are digital natives engage students and fellow educatorsfinding it easier to create and consume content Ÿ Pinterest: is a useful place for teachers toon screen rather than in print. So, it is the need look for ideas on assignments, projects andof the hour for schools and teachers to redesign lesson plansthe learning experiences of their students by Ÿ Edmodo: is a Facebook like social siteadding the technological element to it. connecting classrooms Ÿ Skype: In addition to video calling, skypeTechnological Tools: At a Glance can be used to connect classrooms beyondTeachers’ should know that the power of geographical boundariestechnology goes beyond Google search and Ÿ Quora: can be used for various purposesFacebook. The tools used by teachers to including engaging in discussions beyondenhance and enrich teaching-learning can be classroomsbroadly classified as: Tools for Enhancing the Pedagogical Processes Ÿ Khan Academy: is a repository of 6

April 2018 interactive videos on maths and science that can be used to supplement the classroom discourseŸ Animoto: helps teachers create simple video based presentations for the class. It can be used by the students tooŸ Knewton: a site that personalises the teaching experience based on an individual’s pace of learningŸ FunBrain: a site with a collection of quality educational games on maths, logical reasoning and comprehension“Teachers can teachers can create and share documents, presentations, or spreadsheets with create their own students and colleagues as well as give wikispaces to feedback on student-created projects share teaching Ÿ YouTube: Teachers can use its exclusive learning education-based channel for enriching the materials, daily teaching content lessons and Ÿ TED-Ed: TED has became more about related motivation by sharing inspiring ideas. The assignments with site also contains numerous videos that are students online organised by subject and can help subject teachers’ to teach everything from how small an atom is for a chemistry lesson to comprehending Shakespeare for an English play. Ÿ Glogster: a site fostering creativity and can be used to create learning materials and comes handy in project studiesTools for Planning Lessons and Projects Tools for Building a Digital DatabaseŸ Prezi: a great site to build amazing Ÿ Evernote: Teachers can create an evernote presentations and other teaching-learning account and store ideas, photos, materials. Can be used for collaboration documents, audio and video recordings and also access it anywhere. It is a great tool forŸ Teachers Pay Teachers: This site allows consolidating all the lesson plans as one teachers to search and also sell their lesson database. plans and teaching-learning materials Ÿ Twitter: Teachers can connect with otherŸ Planboard: a tool designed for teachers educators, take part in chats, share their enabling them to plan and manage their ideas, or even use it in the classroom to daily lessons reach out to students.Ÿ Google Docs: Through Google Docs, Ÿ Google Education: Google offers a number 7

PEDAGOGY www.lxl.in of useful educational resources for teachers, submitted electronically via Dropbox, GAFE. including email and collaborative apps, Classes are made available to those who miss videos, lesson plan search, professional the class via You Tube or Google Hangouts development, and even educational grants. both in real time and archive. Parents use a school portal to know grades or latest updates“Animoto helps in school. teachers create Now, each class is a Google classroom. The simple video videos of class, schedules, assignments, links to based useful websites, embedded class calendar etc. presentations for can be shared with all students. Most of the the class students have to complete their classwork/ homework knowing it will be shared orChanging Classroom Dynamics published (blogs, wikis, Google Education)Today’s students have a tablet, laptop or a with classmates and teachers, moreover it willChrome book. Smart screens in the front of the keep updating their digital portfolios. Schoolsclass linked to a computer – have endless have digital bulletin boards that display afeatures. Students are using CLICKERS (Class scrolling collection of student’s work, have aroom response system) for storing schoolwork scanning app to import art work or excellentin the cloud rather than a personal folder. They handwritings, can upload student’s projects,are actively participating via backchannel skype interactions with other schools -to namedevice like Today’s Meet, Socrative, Padlet, a few.Twitter. The stream of students’ commentsand ideas appear on the smart screen and Education is changing and the classroom itselfteacher if desire can address them and even her has changed. So, teachers need to amplify theirconcerns. Homework and projects are being powers with technology to adapt with the changing time. As George Couros has rightly said, “Technology will not replace great teachers but technology in the hands of great teachers can be transformational”. 8 [email protected]

April 2018Promoting Multilingual PedagogyP. HimajayothsnaHimajayothsna started her career as an English teacher and later was promoted to become the Head of the English Department. Presently she heads the English department of Delhi School of Excellence, Banjara Hills in Hyderabad. Ms. Himajayothsna is an M.Phil (English) fromAnnamalai University, B.Ed. (English) from Osmania University and has successfully completed ISE Level4 from Trinity College of London. She is currently pursuing Masters of Education in English. With anextensive experience of almost eighteen years in the education eld as a language teacher, she is highlyaware of importance of building multi-lingual competencies in teachers to help maximize the studentlearning outcomes. Apart from learning and teaching she is a classical Bharatnatyam dancer with aCCRT scholarship and well equipped with computer and shorthand skills.Multilingual Classrooms In many schools today there may be as many as“If you talk to [someone] in a language [he or six languages and even more culturesshe] understands, that goes to [the person's] represented in one classroom. Here, teachershead. If you talk to [somebody] in [his or her] play an important and sensitive role by helpinglanguage, that goes to [the] heart”-Nelson children abridge the vernacular barrier byMandela adopting different learning strategies suited to a child's unique requirement. Simultaneously,Multilingualism, the use of more than one it is essential for teachers to teach his/herlanguage, either by an individual speaker or by students on cultural sensitivity and celebratea community is becoming a social phenomenon the classroom diversity.governed by the needs of globalisation andcultural openness. As the world is changing day Teaching a Multilingual Classroomby day, the young generation has to face a world Language is the medium through whichin which communication and information students express themselves andrevolution has led to changes in all spheres i.e. fundamentally connect with peer and thescientific, technological, political, economic, teachers. Here, in-addition to working towardssocial and cultural. Owing to the ease of access bringing the class at par with the medium ofto information facilitated by internet, instruction, teachers' should help class learnindividuals' exposure to multiple languages is about new languages and benefit from thebecoming increasingly frequent, thereby process.promoting a need to acquire additionallanguages. Thus schools and teachers being a Teachers' need to:major source of knowledge are expected to Be multilingual themselves and serve as ameet the multi-lingual demands of the new model for their learnersgeneration. Ÿ Learn the basics of the new language incorporated in the class. This would help 9

PEDAGOGY www.lxl.in the teachers’ to translate concepts for the study could be suitably made that requires children when they don't understand knowledge of multiple languagesŸ Take help from language teachers in the school. Language teachers usually have a Whatever might be the subject specialization, higher awareness on multilingualism than every teacher should seek out opportunities to others celebrate, promote and exploit the linguisticŸ Employ innovative strategies to help knowledge and skills of all their students to learners to read and write by creating a enable them to understand that even the most word wall and doing a simple meet and greet difficult part of the language could be pleasant activity every morning. Preparing and easy by involving them in the process of dictionaries initially with simple words learning and guiding them as one. Teachers' are used in the day to day teaching and using required to play multiple roles in such settings multicultural reading material to teach by being multilingual, a good communicator, a empathy, respect and understanding of mediator, a psychologist and a good cooperator. other cultures and languages also works out great. A regular routine of these simple “Develop teaching steps will help build a strong bond amongst students and with the instructor learningŸ Develop teaching learning materials that materials that support the contrasting classroom language support theŸ Establish trust by getting to know all the contrasting students in the class and get an insight into classroom their different socio-cultural backgroundsŸ Be conscious of biases in their classrooms Overcoming Challenges posed by based on language and take effective pre- Multilingualism emptive measures to avoid it. Every child To prepare teachers to meet the challenges should feel that he/she belongs in the posed by multilingualism, several steps can be classroom. A great way to make the class culturally sensitive is to indulge in group activities, team assignments and paired projects by selecting children from diverse backgrounds in one team. The topics of the 10

April 2018taken: Benefits of MultilingualismŸ Teacher education and development UNESCO promotes mother tongue instruction in the context of bilingual education programmes should employ a multilingual (BE)/multilingual education (MLE) from the pedagogical approach. Normally, the In- earliest years of schooling because it lays a service teacher curriculum is based on solid foundation for learning, improves access subject enrichment and confined to the to education and facilitates learning both of medium of instruction. This has to change academic subjects as well as the second to include other important elements language. The children can concentrate on theŸ Inclusion of a third language in Teacher subject matter instead of struggling to Training Curriculum can provide a first- understand the language of instruction. It hand experience on raising awareness about raises the quality of education by emphasising multilingualism. understanding and creativity rather thanŸ Teachers' can be a passive observer in third repetitive memorisation. language classrooms to understand the teaching style used by the trainer Despite the known benefits of multilingualŸ Relook multilingualism as not just education, the principle of education in the enrichment to the teachers' language mother tongue is not always respected. More competency but also as a positive asset to often than not, children are taught in a the students. Learning is fluid, dynamic language that they do not master. Altogether, and complex so learning style used for third to be an excellent teacher to teach a language can also be incorporated to learn multilingual class, one must not only teach, the second language but inspire and empower. The goal should be toŸ Most of the teachers focus on bringing a excite the students about learning, speaking, multilingual classroom to a single common reading, writing and comprehending the language. While that is important, they concepts taught. This tool will surely take us a also need to think of ways to collaborate step nearer to perfection. across languages to enhance students' learning“ Relook multilingualism as not just enrichment to the teachers' language competency but also as an asset to the students 11 [email protected]

SCHOOL GOVERNANCE www.lxl.in Shifting Paradigms Shubhalakshmi AminShubhalakshmi Amin is an engineering graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with an MBA from European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD), Singapore/France. Ms. Amin began her career as a Program Manager at Microsoft Corp in Seattle followed by a stint asGeneral Manager, Jyoti Ltd., a manufacturing industry in Vadodara. In 2016, she quit her corporatecareer to take charge as Executive Director of Navrachana Education Society (NES), Vadodara, whichmanages various educational institutions and initiatives including 4 schools, 2 learning programs for theless-privileged, a sports academy, and the Navrachana University. Her philosophy is to work towardsdeveloping happy, healthy and wholesome human beings; total development of every child – moral,intellectual, social, emotional, physical and spiritual.Building Collaborative Relationships flawed premise mostly because it suggests aCollaboration between teachers to foster a one-way flow of information. There is a much-network of professional learning communities needed paradigm shift happening in educationhas been a topic of discussion for years. While today, albeit slowly, toward the premisethere are groups and communities of teachers changing to – the purpose of The School is towho do collaborate, and share best practices for produce learning. More than anything else, thismutual professional growth (now more than begins with a shift in mindset; the mindset ofever before thanks to the internet), they are all the stakeholders – school leaderships,sparse and far apart. Why has this obvious teachers, parents and students. Once the coresolution to catalysing innovation in the goal and purpose of 'The School' shifts toteaching-learning process not gained traction? producing learning, the entire metrics forAnd why aren't more teachers reaching out to success and hence the way teachers view thetheir peers to share their successes inside and teaching-learning process will change. Andout of the classroom? Why aren't more with this change comes the underlying culturalteachers tapping into the 'wisdom of the shift of learning being a team activity.crowd,' the collective intelligence of theircolleagues so as to say, to find solutions to the Fostering a culture of learningvarious issues and roadblocks they might be Learning can happen teacher to student,facing? I am going to talk about the less- student to teacher, student to student, andobvious and deeply rooted issues first and save teacher to teacher. For this idea to hit home andthe easy-fixes for later in the article. catalyse the mindset change, we can also redefine a teacher to now being a learningShifting Paradigms facilitator. One might say that changing a jobMajority of the K-12 education community title is a superficial shift, but I would argue thatworks under the premise that the purpose of it would make a significant difference in the'The School' is to provide instruction. This is a subconscious perception and awareness of the 12

April 2018 students as well as teachers), schools need to first engage teachers with a relevant attitude toward education and learning Today, the schools need to rediscover a new approach to teacher recruitment that confines to the changing educational dynamics. A step towards this direction would be when educators from different areas and specializations come together to re-work the criteria and process for teacher recruitment.role. Building a collaborative learning The Road Aheadenvironment requires us to acknowledge and Coming to the easy fix, one of the more obviousact on certain issues like reasons for the lack of a collaborative cultureŸ When educators accept that every child has among teachers inside and outside of their schools is time constraint. Many teachers an inherent pedagogy and that it is the today simply do not have the time to reflect on educators' job to provide the right the pedagogical systems that they are a part of environment and stimuli to empower the and on their methods. The good news is that child to tap into this innate ability. This is this is also easily mitigated by conscious action when the shift to a genuinely collaborative by school leaderships. culture in and among schools will happenŸ This same premise must also translate to Scheduling quality time for teachers to reflect teacher education, whether it is pre- or in- on and share their practices, issues, hurdles service education – the focus must shift with their peers during working hours is key to from training to learning. Assisting emphasising the importance of the teachers to reconnect with how they learn collaborative aspect of teaching- learning. The new material themselves (in the current school leaders can only empower their teachers world environment) can unleash a to share and collaborate if they give them the refreshing wave of innovation in their time to share and collaborate. Yes, many classrooms schools have stay-backs and circle-time forŸ Teacher recruitment is closely tied to this teachers, but do we have any unstructured shift from teaching to learning. Majority of time scheduled during working hours? educators will agree that ultimately, the quality of a school comes down to the This is the time of year when most of the quality of its teachers. Yes, infrastructure schools are finalizing time tables for the next and modernisation play a role, but only to a academic year. Now, the schools’ should certain extent. Hence, putting together a schedule in a sufficient slot of unstructured team with the right kind of attitude and time on a weekly or fortnightly basis for competencies is the key sharing and collaboration to happenŸ Now learning is not exactly one of the organically. It might take a few weeks of criteria looked at while recruiting teachers unproductive time for everyone involved to get today but teaching. In order to truly foster in the swing of comfortable sharing; but in the a high-performance culture which reflects a grand scheme of things, I believe that it will be collaborative responsibility for learning (of time well spent. 13 [email protected]

SCHOOL GOVERNANCE www.lxl.in Cultivating Capability of Teachers Uma VenkatramanUma Venkatraman is a senior teacher with an experience of over 15 years of mentoring students. Currently she is working at Cambridge Public School Bangalore and is the Head of the Department of Social Studies and Faculty Advisor for multiple co-curricular activities such asModel UN Sessions, Funancial Quest program by National Stock Exchange etc. Ms. Uma is a PostGraduate in History and and holds a Diploma in Human Rights from Indian Institute of Human Rights.She has been a recipient of Times Award for Innovative Teaching, awarded by Times Foundation (TAFIT)2015, and was a Regional rank-holder for Centre for Teacher Accreditation (CENTA) TeachingProfessionals Olympiad (TPO) 2016. Ms. Uma has also received the All-India 4th prize in Quiz programfor teachers conducted by Conquest in 2015, and All-India 2nd prize in the same competition in 2016.Teachers', Children and the Society teacher are much more. A child looks up to theWhen we talk about the overall development teacher for all answers. It is the teacher'sand growth of society and individual responsibility to ignite the curiosity andcommunities, one of the prime influencers are inquisitiveness in children, to impart humanthe teachers. The teacher, along with the values, good manners and empathy towardsparents of a child, moulds his/her thoughts, fellow human beings and all the othersbehaviour, and culture. Such moulding of inhabiting the planet.character takes place during the crucialgrowing years of a child, while the child is in The issues to be addressed here are:school. The child comes out of the protective Ÿ Are today's teachers capable of achievingshell, the home, and gets exposed to the outsideworld. The child spends most of the waking the above objectives?hours in the school and it is here that the role of Ÿ How do they improve their capabilities?a teacher becomes very important. Ÿ How can schools aid in the development of their teachers and evaluate them?This article examines the crucial role of Capability of teachersteachers in a child's life, the importance of The capability of teachers can be analysedfocussing on the teachers' capabilities and from different angles:cultivating them adequately so that theycontribute to the growth of a knowledgeable, Ÿ Knowledge of subject: This is a primecompassionate, and resourceful generation. requirement and there can be no two opinions about its importance. EveryExpectations from teachers teacher should be an authority in his / herWhat is expected of a teacher? Is it only own subject, at least to the extent of theimparting knowledge of letters and numbers? curriculum content. For example, a personThese are basics, but the expectations from a teaching mathematics should have 14

April 2018 comprehensive knowledge of all Enhancing Teachers' Capability: mathematical principles, methods, and The teachers need to review their capabilities formulae and not have any doubts or vague in each area and constantly strive for ideas. improvement.Ÿ Teaching skills: This is something not easily Ÿ Update of knowledge: This is an era of rapid achieved. There are many persons with profound knowledge of a subject, but not development and students have access to a capable of explaining the same to a listener, variety of sources to gather information. A may be due to lack of communication skills teacher who is not thorough in his / her or clarity of expressions. Putting thought subject is likely to face difficult or into words is not the forte of many. embarrassing situations. It is essential forŸ Understanding the students: A teacher may every teacher to devote some time every have very good knowledge and be a good week for update of knowledge through communicator also; but, if he / she is not reading of books, educational magazines able to identify the requirements of the and other research papers. students and focus the thoughts and words Ÿ Enhancement of teaching skills: towards such needs, the desired results will Explaining the subject to students does not not be achieved. For example, a student mean mere repetition of the words in the may have doubts on basic concepts of wind text or mouthing the same content in a system and pressure belts. It would be different set of words. The key word is futile explaining the impact of pressure comprehension; the students must be able belts on human life, vegetation, and to comprehend what is being taught. This animals. can be done by citing examples, relatedŸ Retaining the attention of the class: The events, an anecdote, or some such most onerous situation any teacher faces is occurrence. garnering the students' attention and Ÿ Greater understanding of student putting across ideas in such a way that it requirements: A teacher must identify the stays with them for eternity. To achieve weaknesses of the students, the areas which this, the classroom experience should be they find it difficult to comprehend and refined and loaded with innovative ideas what topic induces their attention. that lead to effective imparting of Asking the students to convey their knowledge to the students. understanding of a subject will help the teacher to achieve this. 15

SCHOOL GOVERNANCE www.lxl.inŸ Retaining attention: This can be achieved education, changing how, when and where by taking the help of tools and technology students learn, and empowering them in to identify and nurture creative abilities of the journey of learning. It can be used to young minds, incorporating audio-visuals, empower not just the students but the and supplementing the text book material educators too by efficiently personalising with info-graphic contents. learning with access to data, content and the cloud. The teachers with technology are“The most onerous better equipped to prepare students for the 21st century workforce. The educators can situation any simulate blended learning environments teacher faces is that make learning relevant to students' garnering the lives along with giving educators access to students' real-time feedback through digital attention and formative and summative assessments of putting across data. With technology and access to ideas that stays resources beyond classroom walls, students for eternity are inspired to become problem-solvers, critical thinkers, collaborators, and creators. Role of schools The schools need to evaluate the competency of teachers not only during the initial recruit, but also on a periodic basis, thus ensuring that they maintain and improve their capabilities. The schools must assist the teachers in developing knowledge by providing resources for knowledge development, paving the way for interactions among peers and organizing workshops to be conducted by eminent educationists. Teachers need to be passionate about education – their own as well as their students. In the modern age where lifestyle improvements and technological advancements take place at a pace never experienced before, a teacher who does not update his / her knowledge gets left behind. The future of a nation depends on the quality and competence of its teachers.Ÿ Teachers' with Technology: Technology is a [email protected] significant tool that can aid in transforming 16

COVER STORY April 2018INSIDE THE MIND OFA LEADERThis volume's Cover Story has undergone areformation and has been transformed into an insightinto the world of a leader.The world's simplest idea. The Golden Circle, coinedby Mr. Simon Sinek. A man who deciphered theminds of leaders, leaders like the Wright brothers,Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King. He saidexceptional leaders had a way of life, a way of doingthings and realizing this gave birth to the GoldenCircle.It consists of 3 concentric circles. It begins with thewhy? How? And finally what? The purpose of this isto understand what a leader is made of in their coreand what drives them in this dynamic world.In this issue, Ms. Bratati Bhattacharyya,Secretary General, Shri Shikshayatan Foundation,Kolkata shares her beliefs on making a difference andwhat made her venture into the field of education. WHY? education and in acquiring knowledge. As a teacher, I became focused towards devotingWhat made you embark on this remarkable time and energy in making my classroomsjourney and what keeps you going every day? interesting, different and unique. I evolved as aMy embarking upon this journey was the result teacher as I met and interacted with differentof an inflection point in my career plan. I types of students on myriad occasions, bothstarted as an investment banker in Mumbai inside and outside the realm of the classroom.with a very reputed finance company. Soon I Apart from classroom teaching, I was alsogot married in Kolkata but continued working. actively involved in a lot of administrativeAfter working for six long years in investment work which the top management entrusted mebanking with three different companies, I with.decided to change my profession as I was beingtransferred in a senior managerial post to Delhi The zeal to serve others and the zest to foster aand did not wish to be away from my children sense of community building is what fuels meand family. I took up teaching as a profession, and keeps me going.after a short hiatus,understanding that I couldcomfortably strike a balance between family Tell us about you, about your story.and work by efficaciously managing time. I was born into a family where value basedI realised that the best investment in life is education was of primacy. My father taught me 17

COVER STORY www.lxl.in and I soon opted for an administrative position in 2004 wherein I took up reins as the Vice- Principal of a renowned CBSE school. I then moved onto the position of Principal of a very reputed ISC school. As a school administrator, I learned to cope with pressure, meet deadlines and was instrumental in digitalising report cards and designing of worksheets.the importance of being self-confident, Subsequently, I joined one of the biggest chaininculcating a healthy lifestyle and serving of schools in Kolkata as the Chief Educationothers. My mother, a homemaker, taught me Officer where I received tremendous exposurethe essence of human relations and nurturing to handle different facets of education fromit. I got married to a doctor who inspired me to planning, HR policy making and curriculumdevelop a profound insight to every aspect of designing. It was here that I got themy work and assiduously pursue everything opportunity to start three new schools inwith an insatiable thirst for learning. My different parts of West Bengal. This group hadmother-in-law was instrumental in motivating a total of eight schools in West Bengal and Iand encouraging me to take up different roles would visit the schools regularly for anand challenges and forge a path of my own. educational audit. After spending five long years in the aforementioned capacity, I joinedAs a child, I was extremely interested in music, my present institution. Currently, I am thearts, sports, and travelling. During vacations, I Secretary General of the Shikshayatanwould organise dramas and enactments from Foundation which is the parent body of fourhistory and literature books for the Institutes and Secretary of the Shrineighborhood audience. Throughout my Shikshayatan School, a unit of thestudent life, I was immensely influenced by Sri Foundation. I feel honored and extremelyRamakrishna Paramhansa and Swami elated that I am entrusted with a role where IVivekananda from whose teachings I realised am able to give opportunities to people whothat the answer to all problems lies within one's will our future leaders.self. Tell us your core belief.I have always believed that each day provides a My core belief is to believe in your own selfnew opportunity to learn, grow and develop. above anything else. One must not only beMy experiences have always been my teachers passionate and courageous in following one'sin this regard. As a teacher, I loved teaching dreams but also conscious enough to realisestudents and consciously tried out different one's own potential and capability. Self-beliefcreative methodologies to engage students. is the single most important factor whenTaking up administrative responsibilities made confronted with difficulties.me realize my potential as an administrator I also strongly believe in the aphorism - “Love what you do and do what you love”. Only then can there be an appetite for learning and the aspiration to reach greater heights. I constantly set benchmarks for myself and try to make things meaningful in order to grow and 18

April 2018develop but it's the love for what I do that make action plans and implement. Delegatingdrives me on. duties and responsibilities to students allow them to realize their potential and strengthsShare an instance that tested your strength and helping them move forward with confidence. Ihow did you overcome it? have always aimed to create an atmosphereI appreciate taking up new challenges. I came conducive for learning where students caninto administration at a young age and was work with pride and add value to their life.head of academics where I received the supportof a large community of teachers who were How have you channeled your passion into yourexperienced and senior to me in terms of age. present role as a leader?However, on one occasion, I was transferred to My passion is to create an environment wherea far off place where I continued to work there is a willingness to work and learn.dutifully even though there were several Motivating people and students to be leaders isinstances where I had enough reasons to quit as something that I have always strived for. Imy health was at stake. It was at this stage that believe in providing space where employees getthings had become extremely difficult both on a sense of fulfillment in doing their work. Ithe professional and personal front but I still have always supported them in pursuing theirpersisted and executed all the duties entrusted dreams which, in the long run, bringsto me with great difficulty and did not let happiness for me too.anyone down. My strength within and a strongsense of morality was what helped me to At an institutional level, both students andovercome this difficult phase in life. employees have been recognised for their good work. I introduced scholarships for students' HOW? contribution to academics, co-curricular and sports, and awards for both the teaching andHow have you translated your aspirations into non-teaching members for their extraordinary,reality? innovative and other related contributions toThe simple formula that I follow is 'making life the institution.purposeful'. I look to give as manyopportunities as possible to students to help I am also passionate about communitythem grow and develop. I have always advised building where we can support one another. Westudents to work on a priority basis, be focused, always have a community service linked with all our activities. This has now become a 19

COVER STORY www.lxl.inpractice in every school under the staff members as a mark of recognition forShikshayatan foundation. their dedication has made an improvement in the working culture. All working staff has beenMy purpose in life is to help people to bring out provided with a proper workstation. Separatetheir best. Ignite a child's mind and empower wellness center has been created. Sharedlives. leadership is prevalent among the heads, teachers and other staff members. AcademicHow have you impacted your school's growth staff is divided into different teams withsince your joining? shared responsibilities.I joined the Shikshayatan group in 2014. Sincethen the growth has been tremendous. We had In a nutshell, I have created a strategic schoolstepped into the CBSE curriculum from the branding by bringing in different improvementprevious West Bengal board curriculum. measures and changes to enhance not only theTeachers were very new to the educational teaching and learning systems but also themodel of the CBSE and had to undergo general functioning of the institution. Everyvigorous training to understand the space is a learning space and the school believesrequirements. that there are many opportunities for students and therefore looks for constant growth,New subjects like sociology, web-technology, development through creative innovation.art, music and physical education wereintroduced at the higher secondary level to “My passion is tooffer more choices to students. Results havesince improved by leaps and bounds but we create aaspire to be the best. The USP of the school is a conducivevalue based learning and we use different environmentmethods to teach the same. We follow and where there is apractice the STEAM methodology – science, willingness totechnology, engineering, aesthetics and work and learnmathematics. Take us through the process of – ideation, planThe school has also received an award for of action and execution of one of the bestcleanliness and maintenance from 'The practices/idea that you implementedTelegraph', a leading media house. At present,we are a green campus with a very efficient One such design plan we ideated on was how wewaste management system in place. We also could tap the creative potential of studentsgenerate solar energy and are proud to be an that, in many instances, goes unnoticed. So, onenergy efficient institution of learning. We the completion of the sixtieth year, we decidedhave transformed into being a digital school. to launch an annual calendar which wouldApart from smart classes we also have teaching carry the drawings of our own students. Weand learning through tablets. The gave students the opportunity of expressingdiversification ranges from having a languagelab to operating as a cashless school. All ouroperations were digitalised after I took up theadministrative functions. s.The introduction of rewarding and awarding 20

April 2018their creative ideas through a drawing dispersing. Students have also been trained tocompetition on a theme and the best drawings practice meditation. The whole school,were selected for the school annual calendar. including staff members, performs meditationThe students were also required to have a together. This instills a feeling of unity andwrite-up on the same. This has now become a belonging amongst all.practice. The name of the calendar is derived What did you do to bring to life your aspirationsfrom two common words - 'canvas'and 'scape'- for your school?with the theme changing every year. Over the I have ensured that every student adds valuelast four years, students have been actively when they go back home and there is holisticcontributing towards the calendar. This development. We create ample opportunitiescalendar is launched on the foundation day of to empower students and staff members. As athe school. For us, this is not just a calendar but mentor, I feel satisfied when I see that thea legacy of and by the students. We have also personalities of students are enhanced anddecorated the whole school with paintings of team members collaborate to solve problemsstudents and also have an art gallery for them. and enthusiastically get on to the field to takeIt expands the realm of thinking since it is a the school to greater heights.project-based learning that requiresindependent exploration. This project What is the future you want for your school?embeds, promotes and enables students to What future do you see for your school? Whatachieve the objective to become creative and will you do to bridge the gap if any?competent learners. We want that both our students and employees WHAT? grow to be well rounded individuals who believe in a strong value system. Our focus is toWhat have you done in your school that make students future-ready so that they arerepresents the belief system that you would like adaptable to changing situations and canto instill in your school students ? overcome difficult challenges. The educationWe believe in maintaining a neat and clean that we are imparting will not only helpschool environment and treasuring school students develop as better human beings butproperty. The students have been taught to also be instrumental in shaping theirclean up their classrooms every day before characters and make them ready for survival. For this, our focus is on encouraging learning by doing through separate research lab for the students. 21

COVER STORY www.lxl.in Chai time chit-chatWhat made you embark on this journey of development process is the need of the hour. Teachers are resources which needschool leadership? constant nurturing and up gradation. We empower our teachers through consistentA strong will power, taking up new training and developmental opportunities.challenges and a passion for creativitywere the winds in my sail when Iembarked on this journey.Tell us about some life experiences that How can schools develop as a learningshaped you into the leader that you are. organization for their teachers?My experiences as an investment banker A learning organisation can be developedand an educationist have jointly shaped by sharing the organisation's mission andme into a strong leader. laying down goals which are achievable and measurable. A learning culture isIf you could pen down your mantra for created by recognising teachers whomanaging a school, what would it be? adapt to change and who bring in newBe real and be grounded. ideas through research.Tell us a time when you learned something How can teachers be involved in buildingimportant outside of school. collaborative learning communitiesDuring an international academic visit to within and outside the school?Sweden, I learned something which I Collaborative learning communities arereally liked. Teachers dealt with difficult created through team building. Therestudents by being a “critical friend” of must be a vertical and horizontaltheirs, aiding the student's personal integration in school. Outside school,development through positive collaboration happens through differentreinforcements and constructive forums and through social media, emailscriticism. and exchange programs. Shared responsibility inside and outside theAs a leader, what kinds of changes do you school improves teaching and learning.aspire to make in the future of education?To make students lifelong creative What does successful teacher developmentlearners. program entails? A successful development program wouldIn present educational context, why ensure creating an urge in faculties to beshould school institutions engage their efficacious in class by mastery ofteachers in in-service professional challenging content, knowledgedevelopment? enrichment, critical thinking, complexIn the service industry, professional problem solving, effectivedevelopment is a necessity like in any communication, collaboration, groomingother profession to understand the and self-direction to encounter thepresent requirement. This acts as an dynamics of society.agent to upgrade the teaching quality inclassrooms thus immensely benefiting thestudents and society at large. Continual 22 [email protected]

April 2018Emotionally intelligent schoolleadersVirender KapoorVirender Kapoor is a thinker, educationist and an inspirational guru. An alumnus of IIT Bombay, Mr. Kapoor was the Director of a prestigious Business school under the Symbiosis umbrella. He is an internationally acclaimed speaker. With more than fteen books to his credit, he has emerged as aleading think tank in human behavior. Widely covered by media, his name appears with the likes ofThomas Friedman, Napolean Hill and Dale Carnegie. Some of his works include “A wonderful Boss”,“Innovation the Einstein way” and “Leadership the Gandhi way” and have been released back to back inthe last two years. Mr. Kapoor has also authored books for school children on Value education “Life withvalues” from class 1 to 8 which have been received very well by the school fraternity.‘Leadership and learning are academic content and not much deviation mayindispensable to each other’ be permitted. Perhaps the most important- John F. Kennedy ingredient of evolving roles during career progression of teachers is that of leadership.In every profession people want to progress; beit the armed forces, corporate or bureaucracy. Most important job of teaching professionTeachers are no different. As a school teacher, Dealing with people while keeping your witsone aspires to be a Vice Principal and then the about is the most important job of a teacher.Principal of the school. While teaching has to She has to deal with children, with fellowbe the core competence in this profession there teachers, staff, the principal and dealing withare 'other' important things which are parents of the children effectively. This is aunfortunately neither discussed nor taught. direct function of effective leadership. Teachers must start focusing and learning thisProfessional roles keeps evolving from day one and schools must make efforts toAn engineer remains an engineer only for few groom them in this direction. Unfortunatelyyears of his career- thereafter he has to manage there is no formal training as regardsprojects, deadlines, budget, time lines and leadership and administration forpeople. Engineering helps him to guide his academicians; most of them findingteam technically but he needs to deal with themselves ill-equipped with these skills whenmanagerial and social challenges which goes they are put in charge of schools.beyond his core expertise. This happens inevery profession. A teacher becomes a class Role of Emotional Intelligence in leadershipteacher, then a year teacher followed by head Emotional intelligence has two aspects ofof a department and Vice principal and finally human competence. First one is to understandthe Principal of the school. In the school one's own emotions and then deal with themcurriculum there is a well defined, structured suitably and the second aspect is to understand 23

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP www.lxl.in Traits: Some of these are inborn and most can be learnt gradually during one's career. For instance empathy for others, courage of conviction, resilience, commitment to a cause, passion, managing mood, controlling anger, influencing others, taking charge of a situation, diplomacy are traits which are most important for a leader.other's emotions and respond appropriately. Some important aspects of action leadership Ÿ Execution is the key: Essence of leadershipIf anger (an emotion) is a problem then it needsto be worked upon so that one maintains lies in action and getting things donehis/her cool in the professional environment. Ÿ Change the status quo: BringingAn emotionally timid person needs to learnhow to become strong and assertive. Similarly worthwhile change is an important aspectwhile dealing with an unreasonable parent one of effective leadership. A class teacher canneeds to handle it appropriately with tact and be innovative to introduce certain things indiplomacy. her own sphere of influence as long as it does not violate overall policyStudies now prove that worldly skills like Ÿ Common sense: Simplify things and that isempathy, bouncing back after failure, handling the key to effective managementcriticism, commitment to the organisation and Ÿ Don't gossip: Loose talk is the start point oftrust are far more important than business politics in an organisation. Whether adomain knowledge. These worldly skills are teacher or the principal, politics should notemotional intelligence.Morale, team work, be entertained. This will kill themotivation, getting things done, giving organisation, make life miserable andsolutions to problems are very important adversely impact output.aspects even in an academic environment Ÿ Learn to experiment: Most of us are scaredwhich makes an organisation tick. Every of failure. Be prepared to make mistakes.leader in his sphere of influence has to create a Rejoice the rights and dump the wrongs.warm culture. A teacher sets an environment in This is the only way to evolve as a leader.her own class, a department head implements Handling failure and criticism is a part ofit across the department and principal impacts emotional intelligencethe entire organisation. Ÿ Demonstrate integrity: Be honest and project this value to other people tooTwo aspects of leadership competenceSkills: These are abilities that can be learnt like Commencing the leadership journeycomputer literacy or writing a news letter, Start right now. Read books and articles aboutknowledge of accounts and a bit of great leaders, motivation and leadership.communication skills Observe and learn from colleagues. Start feeling and behaving like a leader. In a nutshell, every teacher must aspire to reach the highest level of the teaching profession. Be a good teacher, master the craft of teaching but remember, that to be effective at higher positions you need to be a good leader with a golden heart. 24 [email protected]

April 2018Rediscover the Teacher inYou…EverydayAmrita BurmanAmrita Burman is the Deputy Director of Sunbeam Group of Educational Institutions and has been associated with Sunbeam for well over 20 years now. Ms. Burman has travelled widely both in India and abroad and is in complete sync with the education dynamics across the World. She hasfacilitated several conferences and seminars of repute in India and abroad and has presented a paperon 'India & Career skills' in Turkey. Ms. Burman has also edited a complete English series for PearsonLongman - the world's largest publisher. In addition to being a passionate educator, she is an avid reader,a music lover, a keen badminton player and an excellent orator. Ms. Burman has been acknowledgedand awarded by several organisations and is also a part of the AFS Think Tank.Professional Development-A Challenge dramatically from the juniors to seniors butProfessional growth is one of the major also that it has shortened over the years as theproblems faced by educational institutions mind of a child of today is getting conditionedtoday as children of the present generation to quick changes, therefore to catch and holdhave multiple and different needs which on to the attention of the child in a class is onesometimes to teachers, belonging to a different of the biggest challenges. In such a scenario if ageneration, seems alien and difficult to fathom teacher does not grow herself professionally inand cope with. This push for professional different delivery patterns, does not learn andgrowth lacks in the environment and the drive use technology and does not develop a sense ofto learn is missing. I have touched on the need understanding of when 'they are with you orto train, how to have a sustained plan of when they are not' giving you an indication totraining and also the impediments to training. I shift gears, the teacher may just go on withouthave shared certain experiments that I have any learning happening for the children in adone in my school with a hope that it will help. class.Importance of Continuous Professional Another reason to develop professionally is alsoDevelopment selfish I feel. Whenever I have used a new styleIn a school environment where we all as or tweaked the style a little the response hasteachers work with children whose growth rate, been overwhelming from the students thusfor almost all the years that they are with us is giving a new high to my teaching whichphenomenal, it is imperative that we keep pace prompts me to learn harder. If a teacher haswith the changes and their needs. One of the ever left a mark on a child it has been a teacherbiggest challenges faced by the teachers in the who is a learner himself as even a childclasses today is to keep the attention of the understands that this teacher has taken painsstudents with them. My personal experience is to learn to make his/her understanding easier.not only that the attention span varies A teacher has many roles to play in a class from 25

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP www.lxl.incontent provider, to a humorist, a dramatist to make their teachers learn more?' Here are somebeing an emotional cushion and many more. To of the practices started by my school in regardsjustify these diverse roles, constant learning is to meeting the professional demands ofneeded. teachers: Ÿ Creation of a 'need analysis form' which isAreas for Professional DevelopmentIt is important to understand the different to be filled up by every teacher so that weareas which require professional development understand their need and areas requiringlike: supportŸ Curriculum building and unfolding it, Ÿ Creating an environment of learning:Ÿ Using different patterns of teaching, Usually the drive to learn is low and theŸ Understanding the levels of children, compelling need to complete syllabus in aŸ Classroom management, time constrained environment is so high,Ÿ Assessment and assessment analysis, that professional growth is relegated to theŸ Time management and completing lessons back seat. Here is where the job of the school leader comes in to plan and push for on time which are meaningful etc. training. Therefore to have a sustained planOnce the areas of help have been identified it is for growth is extremely important and animportant to get professional help for growth. urge to constantly create an environment of learning is neededWhat is really needed in a school is to Ÿ Regular visits by industry experts fromconstantly keep finding out from the staff or different fields for teacher trainingconcur through classroom observations, workshops to help teachers build multipleanalysis of assessments to identify the areas skill setsneeding professional development the most. Ÿ Sending groups of teachers to differentThe problem lies in certain areas being schools and workshops outside so thatdeveloped year after year and many areas teachers can step out of their comfort zonegetting neglected as schools lack a proper and mingle with teachers of differentprogram for professional training. schools and of different levels. This results in constant flow of ideas and the learningSharing of Practices that happens is different because many aSchools, today, lack a sustained plan for time the teachers get immune to their ownprofessional growth and a department that systems and stop realising that there can bealways constantly keeps planning on 'how to better ideas and more dynamic systems. This exposure gets them to delve deep into systemic problems Ÿ A separate fund kept aside for teacher travel Ÿ Observation of classes is another very good way to train teachers. There is a system of peer observation by the teachers wherein in their free time the teachers go and quietly sit in the classes of other teachers and observe. This is a very powerful way as it not only leads to growth but creates mutual respect. This opens the environment to learn from your staff, increases peer to peer 26

April 2018 dialogues and promotes a positive attitude growth of the teacher or a HR policy that towards learning pushes teachers to invest a little in theirŸ A very good and well planned Induction own learning and show evidence of the plan is an extremely important part of same professional growth plan. It is essential for all the first time teachers to make them Creating an Electrifying Learning comfortable in their role as they step into Environment the classrooms to begin their journey. A Once the school environment is a stagnant substantive induction helps teachers' take environment where prima facie all seems good the subtle message of investing in their and but an electrifying learning environment professional growth and development seems missing, it is important to sit in one of these class rooms and observe why the“A sustained plan excitement to learn is lacking and how that 'something' can be brought into the classroom for growth is to make teaching learning, exciting. When a extremely learning environment is created, half the important and an battle is won as the teachers go looking for urge to ways and means to grow themselves constantly create professionally. an environment of learning is Another thing that really helps in professional needed development is a dynamic curriculum which has student's learning outcomes clearlyImpediments to Professional Growth defined. Once the learning outcomes areŸ One of the biggest impediments to defined then observation of classes, assessment of students lets us know how much these professional growth has been the attitude outcomes have been met. There has to be a of the teachers themselves, the lack of learning environment created in schools where drive to push them out of the comfort zone children get excited about coming and go back to learn. This push is also missing as the with a feeling of satisfaction of a day well teachers lack pride in what they are doing spent.Ÿ Most of the teachers are not teachers by choice but by chance so where is the self- motivation to learn?Ÿ Besides the lack of intrinsic motivation, there is a lack of leadership, to create in schools a learning environment that pushes teachers to learnŸ Lack of funds allocated for the professional 27 [email protected]

INNOVATION www.lxl.in Teachers as Curriculum Developers Neelu ChadhaNeelu Chadha is presently working as a Principal in Army Public School no 2, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. She is a postgraduate in Botany (M.Sc.) with a master's degree in education and diploma in management. With more than eighteen years of experience in teaching andadministration in ICSE and CBSE schools, her main aim is to focus on developing students into thoughtfulcitizens of the country. She strongly believes that teachers are change agents of the society and theyshould be empowered to translate our educational policies into reality. Her goal is to facilitate anddevelop a teaching learning fraternity that is positive and willing to explore the unknown.Introduction to Curriculum curriculum is meant for education in aThe word curriculum is derived from the latin particular society and for children of a specificword 'Currere' which means 'run' and it signifies age group. In a multicultural society like ours,a 'run away' or a course which one runs to reach the social forces represent a bewilderinga goal. Curriculum can be called the pivot variety as well as complexity. The curriculumaround which various classroom activities and reflects contemporary social forces and helpsentire school programs are developed. Every shape the society. However it has to be notedcivilized society tries to socialise its younger that no curriculum will be perfect. It should begeneration through its program of educational a living document that is in constant flux. Itprescriptions. Long ago, Aristotle remarked must be adaptable to changes in educational“As things are…. Mankind is by no means community and in society in general.agreed about the things to be taught… Againabout the means, there is no agreement”. This Developing a Curriculumdisagreement about what should be included in When developing a curriculum, there arethe curriculum, how it should be organised, certain aspects which we need to take intosequenced and taught has always been with us. consideration. These include the society, theEven today, these disagreements remain and learner, the content, the learning theory, thethey have influenced our conception of school organisation and the criteria ofcurriculum and how we should develop it. construction. While all these aspects are important for curriculum development, theA curriculum is always preplanned; it is not a criteria of construction constitutes the heartset of activities developed on the spot or of curriculum. Historically, there have beeninstantly. Any curriculum has bases viz. social three approaches which should be deployed inforces, knowledge of human development as developing the curriculum. Some light needs toprovided by the accepted theories, the nature be thrown on them before we talk further.of learning, knowledge and cognition. Thus a Ÿ The Process Approach which focuses on the 28

April 2018 methods that are essential to help the responsible for introducing the curriculum in learners discover the structure of a subject class work. This is something similar to the for themselves. This approach assumes that direction of a movie where the director gets a knowledge in any subject area can be script written from the writer, but has to logically conceived and organised involve his actors with their ideas and opinionsŸ The Structure Approach assumes that every in it for its best translation on the screen. discipline has a basic structure which is Likewise, if any other body has developed the reflected by the organisation of its content curriculum, the teachers have to make an effort and the interrelationship among its various to know and understand it. So the teacher's components. The structure being all opinions and thoughts should be incorporated important, the curricula in a particular into the curriculum for development for its subject can be formulated in advance for better translation. various gradesŸ The Humanistic Approach is essentially Stenhouse (1975) pointed out that it was the geared to application of learnt structure, task of the curriculum developer to represent content, concepts and principles in any knowledge in a form that “by virtue of their subject area meaningfulness curricula are not simply instructional means to improve teaching but“ Curriculum are expressions of ideas to improve teachers”. For Stenhouse curricula were resources to help development teachers reconstruct their view of knowledge means the and in its light their pedagogical relations with continuing students in their classrooms. The phrases reconstruction of 'curriculum planning' and 'curriculum the forms in implementation' suggest that the teachers' role which teachers is one of conforming their practice to a set of represent external requirements. On the other hand, knowledge in 'curriculum development suggests the their classrooms continuing reconstruction of the forms in which teachers represent knowledge in theirTeachers and Curriculum Development classrooms. Following steps can be undertakenThe most important person in the curriculumimplementation process is the teacher. Withtheir knowledge, experiences andcompetencies, teachers are central to anycurriculum development process. Betterteachers support better learning and are 29

INNOVATION www.lxl.into make teachers an active party in curriculum Ÿ Teachers are aware about the teachingdevelopment: methods and strategies and thereforeŸ Professional development of teachers is an should be directly involved to successfully translate instructional plans into action important factor contributing to the success of curriculum development and Ÿ Teachers should ideally be involved at every implementation (Handler, 2010) stage of development i.e. from theŸ However just teaching our prospective formation of aims to the evaluation and teachers about curriculum and its maintenance of the curriculum. It is also to development in teacher education is not be noted that because of the gap between sufficient. A practical approach of intended and the translated curriculum, the involving them in curriculum development teacher's role assumes critical importance. at all stages should be taken up in letter and A teacher should not only provide flexible spirit arrangements but also meaningfulŸ Regular training and workshops, which are alternatives in learning. These demand geared towards understanding of the professional decisions from teachers in curriculum development process to be terms of the objectives, bases and criteria organised for in service teachers in schools of given curriculumŸ Many studies support empowerment of teachers through participation in The school curricula have already witnessed curriculum development. For example, many changes in the near past and present Fullan (1991) found that the level of scenario. The emphasis has been shifting from teacher involvement as a center of authoritarian education to liberal education, curriculum development leads to effective from education for national understanding to achievement of educational reforms international and from autonomous disciplinesŸ Teachers can contribute by collaborating study to inter-disciplinary education. In future and effectively working with curriculum issues such as information explosion, development teams and specialists to communication technology, stress on bottom arrange and compose material, textbooks up model of education and distance education and content. will have implication for curriculum planning.Ÿ Teacher involvement in the process of So for the canvas to be painted with variety of curriculum development is important to emerging shades, teachers need to be align content of curriculum with students empowered through curriculum development. needs in the classroom. Also teachers can understand the psychology of the learner. 30 [email protected]

April 2018Personal Learning NetworkJaskaran SinghJaskaran Singh holds an M.A. English Literature (Punjab University, Chandigarh), B.Ed (B U, Bhopal) and a Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching English from English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. He has also done various online courses from British Council and SouthamptonUniversity (UK) to ensure Continuous Professional Development. Mr. Singh has taught English(Elementary to upper-intermediate level) to the students of many nationalities including Magnolia,Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Benin, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos etc. Presently he isserving in Birla Public School, Pilani as English Communication Skills Trainer. Many of his articles havebeen published in reputed magazines and dailies including Times of India Publication (The SpeakingTree), Central Chronicle (Bhopal), Hitavada (Central India's largest-selling English daily newspaper),Mentor and the Educationist (Professional Journal of Army Educational Corps).Personal Learning Network media connections.A Personal Learning Network (PLN) in the Digital Age: Opportunity for expanding one'scontext of a teacher can be defined as a formal learning networkor informal (mostly informal) network that Earlier our learning contexts were confined toconsists of the members involved in same the members of school staff or our superiors inprofession, subject or have same skill or the school hierarchy whom we could consultexpertise. It is a support system where a and seek suggestions and support, but themember interacts with and seeks (or gives) internet and digital devices and tools havesuggestion, advice or tips in a personal learning increased the feasibility of expanding one'senvironment. In other words, in a PLN, a PLN exponentially. I substantially widenedteacher establishes a connection with another rather enriched my personal learning networkteacher or an expert with an intention that it after coming in contact with the educators andwill lead to his/her professional growth. It is a participant teachers while doing some onlinesort of mutual support system of educators courses relevant to my subject throughwho have common interests, ideas and Futurelearn. It is a platform for doingresources. In the wider sense, even my participatory online-courses from a wide rangeassociation with the 'Mentor' is also a part of of subjects and topics designed andmy PLN. administered by authentic sources like British Council, University of Leeds, SouthamptonA teacher developing their own personalised University (to mention a few). It helped me notnetwork of fellow educators and resources only ensure my continuous professionalaimed at making them better teachers is development but also added more membersbecoming popular and it empowers them to and resources to my PLN.take the 21st century educational challengeshead-on. These PLNs exist both in their real- Encouraged by the benefits I garnered fromlife relationships and online through our social this welcome addition to my PLN, I explored 31

INNOVATION www.lxl.inother avenues like becoming the member of biggest limitation of these resources is thatGlobal Education Conference Network, Centre they entail our physical presence andfor Global Education at Asia Society and many procurement of physical materials. There aremore such global networks of educators which many more limitations. These can offergave further impetus to my CPD (Continuous excellent information but not necessarily whatProfessional Development) and enhanced my we specifically need. Moreover, we do not havesense of belongingness and sense of security much control on these and we do not havewhich comes from a joint large family with much autonomy. Comparatively, a PLN hasshared interests and common goals. Building many advantages like:relationships across the world broadens our Ÿ A PLN allows complete autonomy to thespectrum and inculcate a cosmopolitanoutlook which enables us - the teachers - to help teachers and scope for personalizing theirstudents become globally competent to learning or sharing. They just have to usesucceed in the 21st century. Simply put, a PLN their ingenuity and contact the right persongives global perspectives to our teaching and (or persons) or resource that can chip inlearning strategies, pedagogical issues and with some concrete suggestion or idea oreducational tools and technologies which direct the teacher to another right person orundoubtedly is the need of the hour. resource Ÿ Moreover, PLN can be adapted to cater toAdvantages of a Personal Learning Network the teacher’s specific requirements. In aInternet and digital tools provide host of PLN, he/she is not only a receiver but aopportunities to develop a teacher's skills well sharer or giver also. The teacher is abeyond the conventional methods. participant with symbiotic relationshipTraditionally, teachers get connected to with other members and there are generallylearning resources through diploma/degree no hierarchies. He/she can choose when andcourses, educational journals, conferences, why to participate and whether to be activeseminars and other teachers in the institution participant or just passively keep a track ofteaching same subject in similar context. what people are saying or thinking about aThese time-honoured resources have not lost particular issuetheir utility and are still great ways to broaden Ÿ On the top of it, it's the teacher’s choiceone's knowledge and educational skills. But the what tools to use to connect to the members of his/her PLN. It is up to the teacher to decide what to share and in what form. So, PLN offers teachers’ new ways and diverse tools to collaborate with other educators, network, discuss pedagogical issues or challenges with fellow educators online (and in flesh) and grow Ÿ The teachers who establish their own personal learning networks enjoy the flexibility to get information on their own terms. They do not remain confined to only the professional development opportunities that their schools make available to them. They get the reins of their continuous learning in their own hands and also have the satisfaction of sharing their own 32

April 2018 experiences and successful pedagogical etc. are becoming increasingly popular. experiments with a large community. Developing Personal Learning Network that“The teachers who caters to one's specific needs and suits one's learning styles and strategies is out and out a establish their 'personal' matter. There are thousands of own personal educator communities to choose from but one learning should go for the authentic and reputed networks enjoy resources. Our choices in this regard need to be the exibility to informed and intelligent choices. Constant get information adaptation of one's PLN as per evolving on their own educational needs or contexts is necessary. terms I personally feel that every teacher mustDeveloping Personal Learning Network develop and maintain his/her PLNSome of the online tools being commonly used meticulously and make use of socialby the teachers are attending participatory interactive environment facilitated by thewebinars (by Cambridge English, British internet and digital technology in which he/sheCouncil and Oxford etc.), subscribing to blogs can experience and share the ideas andor even starting one's own blog, chats on techniques to help each other and theirTwitter and Facebook. Joining a community students grow and learn. We must make use ofof educators pays rich dividends. EdWeb.net, these resources as collaboration platforms inThe Teaching Channel, Edmodo, The the form of our PLNs for our continuousEducator's PLN, Classroom 2.0, LinkedIn, professional growth. There is no secondGlobal Education Conference and Futurelearn opinion that an efficient Personal Learning Network is a must for a modern, 21st century teacher to keep abreast of the latest, fast- paced developments and changing trends in the school education. It helps the teachers’ to work in collaboration to meet efficiently the varied challenges of today. 33 [email protected]

MENTOR THOUGHTS April 2018 Smart Diary Use Kalpa Kartik, Editor-in-chief, Mentor Magazine, Director, LXL Ideas [email protected] Diary is perhaps one of the oldest and Ÿ Introductory pages: exciting visuals withmost under-utilized resource in our educational school branding to reflect school ideologyinstitutions today. A survey on use of diaries bystudents done by LXL Ideas involving 887 Ÿ School policies: visually appealingstudents from grade 6 and 7th in Bangalore information applicable to parent and childrevealed the following data: Ÿ Support details: contact informationHow frequently do 37.4% 20.1% related to various support facilities of thestudents read the 27.7% schoolAlmanac? Ÿ Subject-specific references: Pages that 14.8% could be used to record learnings and remedial measures to be undertaken postThe largest percentages of students were found the stipulated hours of learningto be using the diary sporadically. And even ifwe had conducted this survey on a National Ÿ Rewards/Recognition system: For parentsscale, the results wouldn't have been very to read about what their child is good atdifferent. Now, it is high time to relook andrediscover the use of the school diary. With Ÿ School-home communicationclever and frugal techniques we can convert the Ÿ College Planning: considering thehumble diary as a valuable asset to students'and the school. importance of higher educationSome factors to be considered before making a Ÿ Career planning: List skills that theSchool Diary is:Ÿ Purpose of having a diary teachers' have identified to learn for futureŸ Design and size of the diaryŸ Importance of having a diary for a child With a little planning and preparation, studentŸ Teachers to be trained how to use the diary school diary can become a useful resource in tracking lessons, concepts that need moreAfter taking into account these variables, one attention and reminders of daily tasks andcan introduce important pages in the diary assignments for better time management.like: Thus, diaries if used efficiently can help schools' teach students' about time management and honouring personal and school commitments. Reference: https://www.schoolplanner.co.uk/knowledgebase/customised- student-planTo subscribe or to contribute articles please contact 34