#REFLECTIONS

Higher Secondary School Teacher Transformation Programme

16 - 25 November 2018

DAY -1(16th Nov 2018)

10 days Higher Secondary Teacher Transformation Programme started with a happy note where all the participants got a chance to introduce themselves and to know the fellow participants through a walk and talk game well organised by the Co-ordinators. It was followed by a discussion initiated with a the help of a hand out which helped to identify the differences in language learning and acquisition. The presence of Sri.P K Jayaraj, the well known personality in the field of Teacher Transformation Programmes made it a wonderful day where the participants got the chance to talk freely and engage in a meaningful conversation through out the day discussing various topics including the various theories related to second language learning, Verbal and Non Verbal Text, My Best English Class etc.. The Group wise discussion, consolidation and presentation of MBEC was also a great experience where the participants got the chance to know the diverse practices used by the participant teachers in their classroom for creating an acquisition rich environment in their classrooms. The well written handouts used, the democratic and participatory approach promise great days ahead and the presence of Mr.Jayaraj sir made the first day a great success.

DAY -2 (17th Nov 2018)

The second day was devoted for 'Speaking and Reading: Issues and Approaches'. The Forenoon section was handled by Dr.Anej, who introduced various activities that could well be used in the classrooms for the development of speaking skills. It was refreshing to get acquainted with some interesting activities to enhance one's ability to use the language. Skits based on few given topics were enacted by various groups. Nobody failed to give some interesting element in their performance. It was also noteworthy to see the active participation of the group members. Various theories related to the topic were also discussed at the outset of the class. The afternoon section was devoted to discuss the various aspects related to the reading skill. Mr. Jalson Jacob, who handled the session also made it participatory and tried to bring home the concepts related to reading through a number of activities.

DAY -3 (18th Nov 2018)

The forenoon section of the day was devoted to Adolescent Psychology. Dr.Maria George, the Psychologist, interacted with the participant teachers to know the various problems that the teacher community faces in dealing with the adolescent children. The session titled 'Know Your Learner' then tried to explain the psychology behind the student behaviour and discussed various ways by which the teachers could help students in their journey from 'Temperament' to 'Personality'. Adolescence is identified as an age when the accelerator is pushed down to the floor while the breaks have yet to be installed. But many of the comments made by the psychologist is found to be lacking any scientific evidence. As a participant i felt as if she was promoting escapism of the teachers whenever they have to deal with complex adolescent issues in order to save their skin. The afternoon section of the day was as engaging as anything since we got one of the most experienced teachers - Prof.K M Sheriff - who could speak at length about the teaching of English.

DAY -4 (19th Nov 2018)

In the present age, where Information and Communication technology is widely used in our classrooms, it is imperative to equip ourselves with the latest technological aspects useful for Language teaching. Dr. Ravi Krishnan, Kerala Varma College, Thrissur helped the participants to get in touch with the latest trends in ICT and introduced a number of resources that could effectively be used in our classrooms. ICT Enabled Teaching and Learning : A Practical Introduction focused on multimedia tools, authoring tools, learning management systems. The following E learning authoring tools were introduced in the session.EXElearning – authoring toolMALTED – multi media authoring for language tutors and educational development (GNU LICENCE) J CLICK – authoring tool from SpainCreating a website using Google sites was an interesting task that we have undertaken under the proper guidance of the Resource Person. All participants could create a website of one's own within the time limit. It was a novel experience for many participants.

DAY -5 (20th Nov 2018)

Field Trip to Mattanchery was the event of the day. We visited the various tourist places at Fort Kochi and Mattanchery. The visit to Jewish Synagogue, Meeting Sarah, the oldest Jew living at Mattanchery and a walk around Jewish Street was as refreshing as anything else. We have also visited the following places.Dutch Palace : Built in 1555. A reminiscence of the Kerala style architecture. Now serves as museum that depicts portraits and exhibits of Rajas of Kochi.Jews Street : The Jew street is noted for its antique shops which sell curious pieces of crockery, wooden furniture etcPolice Museum : Presents collection of weapons, arms, and police uniforms through the history of Kerala’s police force.All the participants were given various tasks to be completed as part of the field trip. I was included in a group which was entrusted with the duty of preparing a brochure of Mattanchery and nearby attractions. The following is the third page of the brochure that we have prepared.

DAY -6 (21st Nov 2018)

Day VI, the day after the refreshing trip to Mattanchery, started with a session handled by Prof. Gopalakrishnan. He introduced a new concept called "Teaching - A Flipping Plan". He wanted the participants to try a new method called Epiteaching. According to him the present generation of teachers is the first members of a tragic generation, where the teachers are confronted with a smarter young generation, who are equipped with technology, which is still an uphill task for many in the teaching community. He had a formula for the teachers to try out. FUGCT - 15 LI - MPP where F stands for Functionality, U for Upgrading, G for Global Awareness, C for Career/Future and T for Takeaway. 15 for 15 minutes, L for Linking and I for Ideas. M is the Media, P for Participatory and P for Performance. He had an interesting sentence to memorize his formula (Funny University Grants Commission Transfers 15 Learned Intellectuals Mainly Physics Professors). The formula and the new concept are part of an effort to bring home various interesting essential things a teacher should keep in mind while engaging with the students of the present generation. The afternoon session of the day was handled by Mr. Anudarsh. He introduced the job prospects of English in IT field.

DAY -7 (22nd Nov 2018)

Teachers are not only facilitators and mentors but also performers as well. The seventh day saw various performances form the participants where the Resource Person has gone out of the box and made the entire campus the venue of the day's programme. Real performance, Interpretation of the Text, Activities to boost performance, were all part of the day's programme. It was not surprising to see the day continued till night with various spirited performances form teachers. Breaking the comfort zones is very important for a performer. He/She has no option to shy away from the audience. Here the teachers shed their comfort zones and tried to come out various interesting performances. Theoretical aspects related to performance was also discussed in the session. It was also a novel experience to all the participants.

DAY -8 (23rd Nov 2018)

Dr. Anoop Chandrasekhar had an engaging talk with the participants on the topic "Teacher as a Reflective Practitioner". He made the teachers go beyond the conventional reading of a text to critical reading. Often the conventional representations may be faulty or may be limiting the scope of a literary text. His reading of the poem "Night of the Scorpion" written by Nissim Ezekiel was an eye opener to the participants. Often the poem is interpreted as something that shows the innocence of the villages. But Dr. Anoop challenged that notion and explained various images used in the poem as something that shows the sadistic pleasure of the villages at the time of crisis. The session highlighted the importance of being critical in the transaction of a literary text and it was well explained by his reading of the poem "Night of the Scorpion"

DAY -9 (24th Nov 2018)

Interaction with a creative writer was the next session in store for the participants. We had none other than Prof. Thomas Mathew, the noted critic in Malayalam to talk about a number of topics including language teaching, creative writing etc..Fine Arts, Calligraphy and other related topics found a place in the module on the 9th day of Higher Secondary Teacher Transformation Programme. Mr.Anu B S from RRV College, Thrippunithura was the Resource Person. Hand on Training in Calligraphy was an attraction in that session. A Historical Account of the Fine Arts in India was also interesting.

DAY -10 (25th Nov 2018)

The Last Day of the Ten Day Higher Secondary Teacher Transformation Programme also started as usual with out too much of a hustle and bustle usually seen on the last day of any training programmes. The coordinators had announced well in advance that everything will be over by around 2 PM so that the participants could plan the return journey accordingly. Evaluation was topic of discussion on the last day. Dr. Narayanan Unni was the resource person. He was ready to clear the doubts of the participants on various topics related to continuous evaluation and the practical difficulties that we face today in the implementation of a transparent mechanism in this field. There was a closing ceremony in the afternoon session.

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