TEACHERS AS TRANSFORMERS - PowerPoint Presentation

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TEACHERS AS TRANSFORMERS“Educational Innovations Bank”

Gujarat Council of Educational Research and Training, Gandhinagar GujaratGujarat Educational Innovations CommissionRavi J. Matthai Centre for Educational Innovation, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

A grassroots educational innovations resource for :

professional development of teachers,

administrators and policy makersSlide2

How do some teachers in government elementary schools achieve their educational goals in spite of facing the same constraints that thousands of other teachers face?BUILD ON STRENGTHS WITHIN SYSTEMAugment their innovations with external inputs for development of other teachersSlide3

Basic Education: Public system About 75% of children who attend school & 80% of the schools (Grades 1 to 5) served by this systemIn large pockets:Difficult socio-economic environmentsFormidable social barriers—gender, disability, caste, etc. Context of Right to Education ActSlide4

New trendsFocus on learning outcomes (quality): 12th 5-year Plan and Government of Gujarat.Role of DIETs in helping teachers achieve quality is important.In-school innovations is the focus now.Technology is also focus now.Pockets of educational backwardness is focus now.Slide5

Improvement, but no Innovation(Teachers who benefit from institutional in-service training)Innovation

and Improvement (Problem-solving teachers, contextual relevance, peer learning possibilities)No Improvement, no Innovation

(Either stable or dysfunctional environment—label attached to many government schools

)

Innovation, but no Improvement

(Teachers do try received instruction, but problem-solving focus missing)Slide6

NEED NOW…Technology—ICT—to scale up the coverage of innovative teachers and decentralized peer-driven professional development networks

Make available validated work, in usable formats, to other teachers, teacher training networks and education administrators Develop a grassroots innovations resource for policy makers: for best practices or to inform policy directionsSlide7

Why EI Bank? What is the vision?We want decentralized learning by our teachers to supplement our institutional professional development effortsContribute to educational reform models in the countrySlide8

EI BANK Searchable database, bilingual, multimediaRecognition

Screened deposits (Innovations) Depositors (Teachers)

Users

Validation help; networks

Deposit

agents (DIETs)

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Some outputs expectedEmerging models of innovations from Gujarat:Building upon what teachers at the grassroots do: problem-solvers; inability to live with problemsEmpathetic innovations: samvedana se srijansheelta,(problems of children/ community as motivation for innovation)Step-up innovations (breakthrough) Slide10

Inverted model of innovations: children-inspired innovationsPooling of distributed ideas for innovation and experimentation (policy resource)Distributed mind management (innovation culture)Unexpected Blackboards: Learning from unexpected quarters Slide11

Building graded learning resourcesDistributed model of innovationsCombination of similar innovations to create “learning packages” for disseminationCompilation of activities/experiments, which can be undertaken by children on their ownDeveloping certain projects/contests for children on relevant subjects of interests of childrenCompilation of innovations beyond pedagogy, which can be helpful in their routine life Slide12

Outreach efforts of the projectSMC outreachPosters on innovations shared with all schools in Gujarat, 30,000 in all.Aimed at engaging and sharing the idea of educational innovations with SMC members.Database of about 5000 SMC members created through this outreach process.SMC members engagementUpdatesPhone calls to understand level and type of involvement in school

Online Discussion Forum for teachersDistrict-wise Discussion Forum created.Pertinent subject-based innovations and related discussion points put up on each forum.Feedback invited from teachers across districts.Database of about 6000 primary teachers is created through outreachSlide13

Feedback and researchMobile applicationDevelopment of a mobile-based application for receiving feedback on innovations.Short description of an innovation given and teachers asked to give feedback from multiple choices.Data points through this research to be used to identify critical areas for improving quality of education.Slide14

Currently we are in process ofIdentifying innovations that are to be up-scaled.Encouraging and increasing active participation of primary teachers and SMC members forum in SMS based discussion forum.Identifying quality video content for students of primary government schools in subjects of maths, science and language.Slide15

Innovations from the education innovation bankSlide16

My little library: improving reading fluency of studentsInnovation implemented by:Ms. Priti Gandhi, GandhinagarProblemStudents struggled to read fluently.No access to reading material at home.Slide17

Innovation implementedReading space in school where students could read freely.Portable library createdResources mobilized to buy various kinds of books.Books divided into sets of 25.Each set made up of different levels and genres.Set of 25 books stored in a small, portable aluminium box.Rotation system to give different aluminium boxes to students each month.Slide18

Portable librarySlide19

ResultSubstantial improvement in reading fluency and comprehensionMonitoring and evaluation SMC members tracked progress of reading fluency.Students asked to write and speak about their favourite books.SustainabilityOn-going resource mobilizationSMC involvement in tracking progressSlide20

Community involvement in education: youth mentors for students Innovation implemented by:Mr. Hiren Patel, BharuchProblemLack of teachers in schoolLow learning outcomes of studentsSlide21

Innovation implementedEducated youth in the village mobilized.Youth volunteers recruited to mentor students.Each youth mentor allocated two students.Progress tracked through home visits, discussions with parents and checking test scores. Slide22

Result:Mentorship enabled students to get personalized attention.Quicker academic progress and better learning outcomes.Value of community service inculcated in youth.Monitoring and Evaluation:Through home visits, discussions with parents and checking test scores.Sustainability:Formal association of youth volunteers createdSlide23

Supplementing the mid-day meal to tackle anaemiaInnovation implemented by Mr. Dilip Bhalgamiya, BhavnagarProblemStudents suffered from low haemoglobin levels. Concentration levels and attendance affected.Slide24

Innovation implementedStudents and teachers asked to get handful of pulses everyday.Pulses included in mid-day meal.Students encouraged to make pulses part of their home diet as well.Slide25

ResultPulses became part of everyday diet.Haemoglobin levels increased.Concentration and regularity increased.Monitoring and EvaluationHome visits and discussions with parents.Checking of haemoglobin levels.Sustainability NGO support for provision of pulses Involvement of Primary Health Centre for monitoring healthSlide26

PARTNERSHIP WITH DIETS OF GUJARATGEIC, GCERT, RJMCEI-IIMASlide27

ThanksPlease visit us on www.teachersastransformers.org