Empowering the disempowered
My institute, Regional Institute of English, South India, has been working for the cause of English language Education in South India since 1963. We provide short term and fairly long term training to teachers. Our mission is to empower teachers teaching English at primary (classes 1 to 5) and secondary level (classes 6 to 10) in the five Southern states of India. Hence my project is about empowering 40 teacher trainees deputed to my institute.
These teacher trainees have intermediate to Upper intermediate level of English language competency. Most of them consider English language text book as the most important tool for teaching English. Their classes are basically teacher centered. Our training programme in the institute basically gives them training in enhancing their language profiency and teaching skills.
But curriculum demands them to be activity based, learner centered and interactive. Some of them have basic computer skills. Some of them have started using ICT for providing meaningful input and for enhancing the language profiency and skills of the learners.
As part of my project I have set up a blog (http://eltatriesi.blogspot.com/) for my teacher trainees. I’m also thinking about setting up an E-file storage system. I have gone through the project template.
1)describe your class/group/context
2) define a problem or challenge
3) find a technological solution to that challenge
4) test that solution out
5) evaluate how effective it was
6) make changes and try it out again (if possible) or describe changes you need to make
2) define a problem or challenge
3) find a technological solution to that challenge
4) test that solution out
5) evaluate how effective it was
6) make changes and try it out again (if possible) or describe changes you need to make
My teacher trainees need encouragement, resources and empowerment. In our Institute blog I have posted a few articles. My teacher trainees have started reading and responding to these articles. They have started writing reflective blogs. Out of 45 teacher trainees, 40 have created their own blog and started writing reflective blogs. I think they need training in areas like pronunciation, grammar, listening and speaking, addressing learners' errors, alternative assessment etc.
My main goal is to make them use reflective learning tools. If they post more reflective blog posts they get the points. Secondly I would like my teacher trainees share resources through an online storage web site. I'll use this website for storing and sharing text, audio, video, photo, and other files. I have to set up a rubric for assessing their reflective blog posts. Another option is to enable them to assess each others, or do self assessment of their own blogs. As Robert commented in his feedback ‘getting my evaluation system set up is an important addition my project’.
Towards the end of the sixth week I am getting clearer ideas about my project. I think it is a small step. Though a small step, it has deeper and far reaching implications. My project is a small step for empowering the disempowered.
P.K.Jayaraj
No comments:
Post a Comment