Posts Tagged Teachers
Revolution and Evolution in Educational System
Posted by in Uncategorized on January 22, 2010
REVOLUTION AND EVOLUTION IN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
BY PROF.M.S.RAO, ACADEMIC GUIDE, ICFAI UNIVERSITY, INDIA
“ Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it”, Martin Wright Edelman.
WHAT IS EDUCATION AND SOCIETY:
Education provides the man with information, imagination, knowledge, ideas, values, ethics, reasoning and over all makes the man complete man. Education brings refinement, adds to intelligence, and makes independent and confident man. It is only the human beings who can get armed and equipped with education, which is missing in animals. Education does not mean only reading and writing but also thinking, learning, reasoning, practical experiences and so on. Education is a learning process from cradle to grave. It is education that has brought out many changes in this world and transformed the entire civilization since time immemorial. Ariel and Will Durant quoted, “Education is the transmission of civilization”.
The growth of society solely depends on the type of educational system adopted. Education makes tremendous impact on the society. The quality of the society depends on the quality of educational system implemented. Some one correctly said, “Better institutions are essential if we are to lead better lives”. Right education makes the people build character, values, ethics, and prepares the society and country as a whole to catch up with the rest of the world. Right education is the legacy or the gift, which we pass on to our next generations. George Peabody said, “Education: a debt due from present to future generations”.
EFFECTS OF EDUCATION ON SOCIETY:
Kerala is the first state in India, which attained cent per cent literacy. It encouraged other states to contribute their best so as to attain total literacy. Rather Kerala has become a model state and ideal state to be emulated by the rest of the country in providing importance to education.
No nation can develop without proper education. And India too developed as a society and as a nation for the last 60 years. India has now vast human resources and it has the thirst highest technical manpower in the world. Although the effects of education in the society are tremendous, yet there are grey areas, which needs to be addressed. India as a nation has developed politically, culturally, economically and socially but yet much needs to be focussed in a right direction.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”, said Nelson Mandela. It is very obvious that no weapon is superior to education. Apart from education, the influence of technology has brought out significant changes in the society. If technology is used in the right direction and if it is coupled with education, we can expect miracles in the society as a whole.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
“Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you don’t”, said Pete Seeger. All human beings make many mistakes resulting in bitter and, of course, experience. If an individual is educated, he knows the things because he reads the fine print. He tends to make a few mistakes in his life. Where as if an individual is not educated he tends to make more mistakes because he does not know the fine print. An uneducated individual believes in trial or error method. If he succeeds in his trial, he pursues or else he drops. The uneducated man mostly believes in observation and practical knowledge. The success rate is far higher in educated man rather in an uneducated man. Education brings down the complexities in one’s life thereby making life easier, simpler and comfortable. John Dewey rightly said, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself”.
PROBLEMS IN PRESENT EDUCATION:
India is the second largest populated country in the world and unfortunately it is nowhere near in number qualitatively. It may be again due to huge population and the type of administrative and political system we have. There is stress on cramming, memory and mugging up. One who mugs up and puts in examination paper is treated as a meritorious candidate. It does not encourage imagination, creativity and originality. There is no effective emphasis on practical aspects of life. It is mostly beset with theoretical aspects and concepts, which any one can read even without going to institutions.
School children are loaded with many books and they find it highly stressful. Education, in fact, should be filled with entertainment and fun so that student can discover the joy of learning, which is missing now. Children find it horrible to go to schools because of too much of study. Even at home children engage themselves so much on school homework. Such things do not promote the relations between parent and child at home. Inadequate infrastructure and inexperienced teaching staff are another bane. Unfortunately, in India, both the primary and secondary level education is still struggling to survive qualitatively. The views and opinions of the students are not being respected. Students are always imposed whatever is there in the textbooks resulting in lack of imagination and innovation. R W Emerson rightly said, “The secret in education lies in respecting the student”. Only when students are respected and valued, they will try to think creatively, innovatively and out of the box. Students should be provided with more freedom of thought.
It is very unfortunate that the teachers are not paid handsomely. Best brains are pursuing other careers for monetary benefits and for better prospectus. It is a pity that those who stick to teaching profession either due to their aptitude and taste and temperament towards teaching or because there is no other alternative (TINA factor) career.
Pandit Nehru’s policies and Kothari commission have brought some significant changes in the education but still there is no healthy and constructive impact. There is commercialization of education, and a few fly by night operators entered into this sacred field and spoiled the standards.
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES TO OVERCOME:
Teaching faculty must undergo regular training to update and upgrade their skills and abilities. Encouraging regular workshops or seminars or courses related to teaching methodologies can enhance and sharpen their skills. Such seminars will encourage the teaching faculty to exchange and gather more information.
“He who opens a school door, closes a prison”, Victor Hugo. Children from the age of 6 to 14 are to be admitted in schools to provide education, as this is the best age to tune them for creating interest in education. Child labor has been abolished but unfortunately it is not enforced effectively. Children should be encouraged by various innovative ways and means to get into educational institutions.
Content and curriculum in the educational system needs to be addressed. Streamlining the educational system on national basis from Kashmir to Kanyakumari will raise the educational standards. There are disparities in the educational system in various states and efforts must be made to fill those gaps.
Govt. levies 2 per cent educational cess and authorities must ensure that the funds go in a right direction to create strong educational infrastructure. Nobody is against the levy of 2 per cent cess but the right application and mobilization of the resources will bring right results rapidly.
Focussing more on vocational education is the need of the hour. Presently there is a vast gap between industry and academics. Infosys has come out with ‘Campus Connect’ initiative to bridge the gap between the industry and academics and it is a step in right direction. The corporate leaders have a vital role in funding the educational system. They make money for themselves, pay handsome salaries to their employees and paying dividends to their shareholders and all the people who are involved in the business are earning one way or the other. But what are they contributing for the education and society? It is a well admitted fact that the helping hands are far better than praying lips. Corporate, whether big or small, can wholeheartedly come forward to contribute their best for bringing Indian educational system on par with global standards.
It is essential to bring reforms in education from time to time as the tools and techniques involved in teaching are changing rapidly due to the influence of technology.
For professional qualifications like engineering, management, medicine, computers etc., the students should be engaged in the practical education and project works from the first year itself. Such activities will build more confidence in the minds of the students as they grasp the needs of the industry and thereby fine-tuning as per the industry expectations. Fee structure needs to be rationalized and the deserving students should be provided with scholarships.
Providing interest free educational loans will help the deserving and poor students. Also, it is desirable to encourage non-professional degree holders to get vocationalized. “Education is not filling a pail, but the lighting of a fire”, said William Butler Yeats. Education must ignite the minds of the students and it must move the students from comfort zone to effective zone. The students in the comfort zone will not achieve as much as that of in effective zone.
CONCLUSION:
There is a strong need to streamline the present educational system. The problems in the educational system need to be addressed immediately. Education should focus on ethical, social, vocational and academic aspects. Education builds man and man in turn builds nation. A strong nation can be built only when there is a strong character education. Abraham Lincoln aptly said, “Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing”. Hence the essence of any education is the strong character. The evolutionary approaches and revolutionary changes in the present educational system are the need of the hour. We must build a nation where youngsters have a vision to think beyond their geographical boundaries. There should be scope for the students to expand intellect, reinforce mind and make them to stand on their own feet.
MESSAGE:
Education and character are two sides of the same coin and one without the other is meaningless. Money may come and go but it is the character that counts from beginning to the end of life. Any individual when equipped with character education can excel in any part of the world. To put it in the words of Martin Luther King Jr. “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically . . . . . intelligence plus character . . .. That is the goal of true education”.
T H E E N D
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Educational/school Psychology in the Pursuit of Human Well-being
Posted by in Uncategorized on January 19, 2010
Educational/School Psychology in the Pursuit of Human Well-Being
Introduction
Now we are living in the technological modern world. With the help of science and technology we have developed in all fields. India is a developing country. We have lot of human resources after China. But the literacy rate is very low when compared to other developed and developing countries in the world. India is a rich country, but Indians are poor. With the help of science and technology and by utilizing all sources in the proper way it is possible to India to become a developed country in the world. In the modern world people living with high tension. The student in schools and colleges are also living with high tension because of heavy competitions. It is necessary to introduce psychology as a general subject in all the classes both at school and college levels. Yoga and meditation is also necessary for each and every one in the world.
Definition of Education
Ø Education is the learning of human souls to what is best, and making what is best out of them?
– John Ruskin
Ø Education is a weapon, whose effect depends on who holds it is his hands and at whom it is aimed.
– Joseph Stalin
The word education is derived from the Latin educare, meaning “to raise”, “to bring up”, “to train”, “to rear”. Education means the gradual process of acquiring knowledge. Education is a preparation for life. Education is also defined as the profession of teaching (especially at a school or college or university).
Importance of Education
India is a union comprised of twenty eight states and seven Territories. The Constitution provides directives regarding the development of education throughout the country. The areas in which the respective central and state governments have domain have been identified in the Constitution as the central list, state list and concurrent list. Until the late 1970s, school education had been on the state list, which meant that states had the final say in the management of their respective school systems. However, in 1976, education was transferred to the concurrent list through a constitutional amendment, the objective being to promote meaningful educational partnerships between the central and state governments. Today, the central government establishes broad education policies for school curricula development and management practices. These serve as guidelines for the states.
Generally, at the start of a very young age, children learn to develop and use their mental, moral and physical powers, which they acquire through various types of education. Education is commonly referred to as the process of learning and obtaining knowledge at school, in a form of formal education. However, the process of education does not only start when a child first attends school. Education begins at home. One does not only acquire knowledge from a teacher; one can learn and receive knowledge from a parent, family member and even an acquaintance. In almost all societies, attending school and receiving an education is extremely vital and necessary if one wants to achieve success.
Educational Psychology
Educational psychology is the study of how humans learn in educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social psychology of schools as organizations. Although the terms “educational psychology” and “school psychology” are often used interchangeably, researchers and theorists are likely to be identified as educational psychologists, whereas practitioners in schools or school-related settings are identified as school psychologists. Educational psychology is concerned with the processes of educational attainment among the general population and sub-populations such as gifted children and those subject to specific disabilities
Educational psychology can in part be understood through its relationship with other disciplines. It is informed primarily by psychology, bearing a relationship to that discipline analogous to the relationship between medicine and biology. Educational psychology in turn informs a wide range of specialities within educational studies, including instructional design, educational technology, curriculum development, organizational learning, special education and classroom management. Educational psychology both draws from and contributes to cognitive science and the learning sciences. In universities, departments of educational psychology are usually housed within faculties of education, possibly accounting for the lack of representation of educational psychology content in introductory psychology textbooks.
Uses of Educational Psychology
For finding Individual differences and Disabilities
Each person has an individual profile of characteristics, abilities and challenges that result from learning and development. These manifest as individual differences in intelligence, creativity, cognitive style, motivation, and the capacity to process information, communicate, and relate to others. The most prevalent disabilities found among school age children are attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disability, dyslexia, and speech disorder. Less common disabilities include mental retardation, hearing impairment, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and blindness.
Although theories of intelligence have been discussed by philosophers since Plato, intelligence testing is an invention of educational psychology, and is coincident with the development of that discipline. Continuing debates about the nature of intelligence revolve on whether intelligence can be characterized by a single, scalar factor (Spearman’s general intelligence), multiple factors (as in Sternberg’s triarchic theory of intelligence and Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences), or whether it can be measured at all. In practice, standardized instruments such as the Stanford-Binet IQ test and the WISC are widely used in economically developed countries to identify children in need of individualized educational treatment. Children classified as gifted are often provided with accelerated or enriched programs. Children with identified deficits may be provided with enhanced education in specific skills such as phonological awareness.
For Social, Moral and Cognitive Developemnt
To understand the characteristics of learners in childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age, educational psychology develops and applies theories of human development. Often cast as stages through which people pass as they mature, developmental theories describe changes in mental abilities (cognition), social roles, moral reasoning, and beliefs about the nature of knowledge.
For example, educational psychologists have researched the instructional applicability of Jean Piaget’s theory of development, according to which children mature through four stages of cognitive capability. Piaget hypothesized that children are not capable of abstract logical thought until they are older than about 11 years, and therefore younger children need to be taught using concrete objects and examples. Researchers have found that transitions, such as from concrete to abstract logical thought, do not occur at the same time in all domains. A child may be able to think abstractly about mathematics, but remain limited to concrete thought when reasoning about human relationships. Perhaps Piaget’s most enduring contribution is his insight that people actively construct their understanding through a self-regulatory process.
Piaget proposed a developmental theory of moral reasoning in which children progress from a naive understanding of morality based on behavior and outcomes to a more advanced understanding based on intentions. Piaget’s views of moral development were elaborated by Kohlberg into a stage theory of moral development. There is evidence that the moral reasoning described in stage theories is not sufficient to account for moral behavior. For example, other factors such as modeling (as described by the social cognitive theory of morality) are required to explain bullying.
Developmental theories are sometimes presented not as shifts between qualitatively different stages, but as gradual increments on separate dimensions. Development of epistemological beliefs (beliefs about knowledge) have been described in terms of gradual changes in people’s belief in: certainty and permanence of knowledge, fixedness of ability, and credibility of authorities such as teachers and experts. People develop more sophisticated beliefs about knowledge as they gain in education and maturity.
Psychology and Teacher
Teacher is a national builder. He has a power to change the world through education. According to our Indians teacher is a third god. Teacher plays a prominet role in the development of society. Educational Psychology is a main subject in teacher education at D.Ed., B.Ed., and M.Ed. levels. It is necessary for each and every teacher to know about psychology. Becausse it is necessary to know the behaviour of the students in the class. Teacher has different roles like father, advisor, councellor, administrator and well wisher. The future of any country is in the hands of teachers. So it is necessary to give importance for teacher education. So our government introduced psychology subject in teacher education curriculum.
After undergoing the course, the student teacher
1) Explains psychology and its relationship with Education.
2) Classifies different branches of psychology and explains their significance.
3) Explains the importance of heredity and environment and its influences in educational process.
4) Explains the different aspects of the development of the child.
5) Explains the growth and human beings and their behaviour.
6) Describes the individual aspects of the development of the child.
7) Explains the primary needs of the children.
8) Explains the secondary needs of the children.
9) Explains the theories of learning and the factors influencing learning.
10) Explains the concept of socialization.
11) Explains the different types of learning.
12) Understands the concept of motivation and the steps to be taken to motivate the children.
13) Explains attention and its uses.
14) Develops skill of observation, listening, responding and understanding.
15) Describes memory, remembering and forgetting and identifies conditions of good memory.
16) Describes the effects of different methods used for learning process.
17) Explains thinking process and its uses-perception, conception, apperception for different ages.
18) Explains the role of creativity and its development.
19) Explains the meaning of intelligence and understands the changing concept of intelligence.
20) Enhances personality development of pupils.
21) Describes the mental hygiene and mental health.
22) Understands exceptional children and their significance.
23) Practices guidance and counseling for school pupils.
Conclusion
Educational psychology is an application of the principles of psychology for effective learning and modification of behaviour on desirable dimensions. Knowledge of educational psychology makes a teacher effective in motivating the pupils in their learning. In short it is an inseparable part of strategy in education. Education gives knowledge, wealth and health. Education is a solution for all types of problems in the society. Through education only it is possible overall development of a person in the society. Through education it is easy to know about behavour of the students and persons in the society with the help of psychology. So it is necessary to study psychology all persons in the society in the modern world. Educational Psychology helps the overall development of the student.
References
1. Educational psychology a cognitive view by Asubel, D.P.
2..Element of educational psychology by Bhatia, H.R.
3. Psychology applied to teaching by Bichler, R.F.
4. Educational psychology by Cole, E.C. and Bruce, W.F.
5. http:/ www.google.com
*****
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Teaching and Learning with Technology
Posted by in Uncategorized on January 17, 2010
Product Description
Written by teachers for teachers, this text offers a clear and current look at the range of educational technologies and how teachers can effectively use technology to enhance learning. Written by Teachers for Teachers, this text provides readers with a clear understanding of educational media and how it can be used effectively to enhance learning. The text explores the current and emerging technologies and multimedia available to teacher… More >>
Teaching and Learning with Technology
