Beyond Classrooms

In my last entry I had talked of trying to devise strategies that help children grow and go beyond classrooms. 

Take a look at the normal classroom and you find that it is the teacher who is most active in the class and not the learner. Passivity is a bane for a child’s mind. Learning is directly proportional to the degree of involvement in the task to be learnt. The critical question here is: How involved is the entire classroom during a normal classroom session? Believe you me, Ladies and Gentlemen, not much.  Giving due consideration to the practical problems faced by the teacher especially the practically unmanageable Teacher Student Ratios, we must seriously consider evolving strategies to break free of the traditional antipathies of a normal classroom situation and make the learner more active as against the teacher.

I was fortunate enough to have worked with an Educationist giant the Late Lt. Col. P.S. Satsangi VSM who always held the view that each and every child can be improved, developed and groomed through school education if given the right inputs. His methods have produced toppers, absolute turnaround cases from the previous underachievers that they tended to be. The man was a thinker beyond his years and ahead of his times. 

We did an experiment on Self Learning and were rewarded with exceptional results.

By redesigning Macro- classroom processes and allowing flexibility for different ability groups, one can easily shift the responsibility of learning from the teacher to the learner. Self-Learning amongst students can be achieved through Self Goal Setting with planning for Teacher Inputs, Self Study and Self Testing within Small Groups and Discussion and Teaching of Peers.

Also, by freeing the teacher of the routine responsibility of spoon feeding students, one can easily enable the teacher to concentrate on MOTIVATIONAL INTERVENTIONS & INPUS, to make the learning process more enjoyable, contemporary and discovery oriented. Thus we can achieve spectacular results in not only boosting average academic performance greatly, but also break down traditional antipathies between the School and the Students, with each student internalizing values of Learning being a constructive, ceaseless, self directed quest in which they have to participate and cooperate with all elements concerned.

1.                  THE STRUCTURE: The Typical classroom has 

a.      Average Students who view academic work as dreary, drudgery and are largely unable to comprehend the reason to learn or gain knowledge. They have little ambition of striving for much and drift through school as through life and prefer to live on a day-to-day basis. They often look around for Leaders to follow, have little opinions or convictions for anything and are easily swayable.

b.      Bright Academic Underachievers who view academic knowledge in books as abstract nonsense which is impractical and non workable in the Real World. They enjoy action and dabble in pursuits that give them a sense of realizing their dynamism – Business, Music, Socializing or just plain Mischief Mongering. More often than not, they perceive teachers as objects of ridicule and amusement, failures of the real world who try and impose their alien and conservative thinking upon them. These kids generally hail from well to do business families.

c.      Academic Achievers who are the quiet simpletons, obedient and conformist with a strong career sense and an over riding goal of becoming professionals – Doctors, Engineers, Software Programmers, MBA’s etc. They generally hail from professional families where academic achievement is looked up to and valued. These kids are individualistic in their study outlook and do their own major academic work with an individual interaction with the teacher.

d.      All Rounder who are smart strategists and time managers indulging in a variety of activities but know how to manage time, energy, effort and resources to determined ends, be it academics, sports or dramatics. They function well in a given structure of activities. They can lead the class group well but are generally involved in motivated mischief making with the normal classroom but tactfully protecting their own performance individualistically.

Compare this mixed group of learners with one solitary teacher whose prime focus is on teaching and not learning. As a subject expert he shoulders the entire responsibility of:

a.                  Taking Classes

b.                  Making Lesson Plans/ Academic Planning

c.                  Checking Assignments

d.                  Managing Examinations

e.                  Completing the Syllabus.

The teacher is so hard pressed spoon feeding the entire syllabus that there is no time for:

a.                  Making the syllabus relevant, contemporary, enriched and discovery oriented

b.                  Plan and provide Psychological and Motivational Inputs

c.                  Provide and cater to Individual differences of students in ability, knowledge and level of motivation.

This in turn affects the entire process leaving the learners isolated and nonplussed and left to their own resources. This leads to a further segregation of the Classroom with

a.                  Academic achievers feeling isolated while the process becomes non glamorous but remote for the average class.

b.                  The bright underachievers and all rounders becoming leaders and influencing the class by providing glamour and action through distracting/ destructive activities and coming in direct confrontation with the school authorities who perceive them as having anti establishment tendencies.

c.                  The all rounder tactfully switching sides for academic effort at the time of the examination

d.                  Average left to own devices until last minute- too late to do anything at the time of the examination

What can be done to turn around this situation?

a.                  A think tank be created amongst the academic achievers

b.                  All responsibility of learning for the class be shifted from the teacher to this think tank

c.                  An experimental canvas be provided to them to create a united plan and action for themselves and the class

d.                  Responsibility and authority be vested in this group by accepting it as the representative body of the whole class

e.                  Dynamics of co-operative learning, discussion and teaching the rest of the class be followed

f.                   Gradual integration of bright under achievers into the think tank

g.                  Individual attention to each member of the class

 

HOW IS IT DONE

1.                  The entire class is subdivided into groups (Syndicates) of four to five under the Supervision of an Individual Member of the Think Tank (Super Syndicate)

2.                  The Think Tank in conjunction with the Teachers do the Academic Planning for themselves and the class.

3.                  As per the Plan, the Think Tanks studies throughout the day. The system of Flexi – time is followed in which each member is can plan time to study individually.

4.                  The entire class goes through the academic schedule planned by the think tank with the help of the teacher.

5.                  During the evening, the think tank brainstorms and discusses whatever they studied during the day while the teacher facilitates the discussions.

6.                  Thereafter the Think Tank members teach their respective Syndicate for about four hours.

7.                  The Think tank members, through rotation, amongst themselves, conduct daily testing.

8.                  The respective Super Syndicate does daily follow up for syndicate members.

 

Implications- Immediate Results Experienced

For the Academic Achiever

a.                  Brings on the center stage of the class, where they start getting respect for their achievements, gaining confidence

b.                  Realise the immense potential of learning through co-operation with class mates- methods of discussion and teaching peers serve as concept clarifiers

c.                  Start assuming responsibility outside themselves- learning the crucial art of managing people and situations

d.                  Understand the need and function of education structure and process by experimenting with different forms the role of curriculum periods, sessions time-tabling and examinations

For the Sub-Average/ Average Students

a.                  Positive leadership by example of think tank members creating unified force for triggering action/ effort/ motivation- filling leadership vacuum

b.                  Individual attention by friends who tailor instruction/ knowledge to their

·        Past knowledge

·        Level and speed of understanding

c.                  Can share with friends problems which they would hesitate to confide in their teachers

For the Bright Academic Under Achiever

a.                  Initially resist cultural change, but all of a sudden realize respect for academic achievers by the average class making them want to become members of the think tank- belong to the new order

b.                  Teachers being able to devote time and effort to establish a personal rapport to bring them into the mainstream

c.                  Uniqueness and openness of methodology appeals to their non-conformist tendencies- canvas to experiment within bounds

d.                  Gradually transform and become a part of the think tank

For the All Rounder

a.                  Realize the effectiveness of integrating their all round leading capability with academic management, that actually gives real life situations to spell a visible difference in fellow students

b.                  Perceive the importance of transparency in leading classmates; not selfishly do their own work and mislead others. Share their skill of varied application with fellow students once placed in a position to do so

For the Teachers

a.                  Freed of routine teaching responsibility the teacher can concentrate on becoming a manager and facilitator of learning

·        Conceive new inputs to enrich syllabus

·        Develop an insight into the psychological and motivational process of individual students

b.                  Above all the teacher becomes a joint learner along with students in which not only does he encounter novel and challenging situations of curious students, but understand how they feel and behave in the threshold age of adulthood

c.                  Experience that student control does not come through coercion but through example, integrity, commitment and affection

Other Implications

The pre experimental stage typifies many problems faced by our country on a macro level- groupism, regionalism, lackadaisical attitude, and non-objective political tendencies. The post-experimental situation changes dramatically with all these manifestations subsiding in favor of the more objective ones determinate through an effective learning process. Qualities like

a.                  Self control and discipline

b.                  Co-operation

c.                  Time management

d.                  Motivation and leadership of teams

e.                  Critical thinking and convincing capability

f.                   Objectivity

g.                  Innovative and experimental outlook and above all,

h.                  Leadership through integrity and example

It is was seen that cultures and attitudes of students can be transformed even as late as the class XI-XII stage. It just needs a positive attitude and a willingness to break the confines of a traditional setup, be a non-conformist and transcend the boundaries of a normal classroom. It has to start with a willing teacher. Let us not forget, if it were not for teachers, life would have no class…

Though what we did here did not go down too well with educationists, Teachers and Principals in India (They cited numerous excuses as to how and why it could not be replicated!!!) appreciation did come in from Wes Regian of the Texas A&M. Wes has been involved with  Cognitive Sciences and is currently the Principal Knowledge Engineer at the CTC, USA. He has been working extensively on developing programmes for CAI and ICAI. ( Computer Aided Instruction and Intelligent Computer Aided Instruction).

Lots more later........