Monday, November 21, 2016
Friday, November 4, 2016
Monday, October 10, 2016
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Monday, October 3, 2016
Sunday, October 2, 2016
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
'Internet, a Boon or a Curse'
Academic integrity
is the moral code of academia
By Rema MenonSpecial to Gulf
News
17:33 August 29, 2016
It
was an impressive read through the Report produced by the esteemed Rema Menon
with its well-rounded focus on a wide spectrum of issues pertaining to the
present day ‘Education’.
There
was a time just a few decades ago when any Board Exam Student would prepare for
the topic, “Television, a boon or a curse?” Today there is a slight yet at the
same time, a mammoth shift in the focus- “The Internet, a boon or a curse?”
As
observed in the above mentioned Report, we have come a long way through the
path of technology; the cyberspace, the
internet , Google, Wikipedia are tools which have made knowledge ever so easily
accessible. No going to Libraries, looking through the Catalogues of Books,
getting desperate and frustrated over the inability to find a required Journal
or an Article! Or boarding a train to travel all the way from Punjab to Osmania
University, Hyderabad to research for material for a Dissertation!
The
academic life for the students of today has become much more simplified, even
though the pressures of competitiveness and deadlines may far out weigh all
that ever existed before.
Yet,
how bright is the prospective of the easy availability of Study Matter for our
students? Are the innumerable sites that provide well- researched Notes on any
and every Topic aimed at robbing the students of their originality, independent
thinking and novel critical insights?
No certainly not! It is for us to
decide whether or not to swallow the bitter pill. Living in the midst of a
plethora of advantages of the technological aids available to enhance
knowledge, it is the basic foundation of Education that needs a
reconsideration. The criteria of judging potential and ability needs a
regurgitation so that the chances for cheating, plagiarism, fabrication or
misrepresentation etc. are minimised.
I
fully agree with Rema Menon that students tend to resort to grabbing what they
can get easily by way of the ‘cut and paste tool’, under the pressure of
meeting deadlines, getting top marks and pleasing Teachers and Parents. The
temptation of the easy availability of reading material, leads them to neglect
the reality of the blunder that in order to aim for good marks and the top
positions, they may be compromising honesty, originality and integrity.
New
Systems
Thus
new systems of evaluation such as ‘Internal Assessments’, which have already
been incorporated into some curriculums, need to be followed more stringently. New methods of ranking evaluations need be introduced which
aim at assessing the students’ individual capability.
Some suggestions:
·
Originality
Tests ( in addition to the Aptitude Tests)
·
A Regular
‘Assessment’ based on:
·
The
meeting of Work Pressure
·
Innovative
Thinking
·
Deadlines
The
students’ free access to the ready-made knowledge available must be given the
chance to be used in a manner so that students feel enthused to be able to put
the Net-based learning to original work in the school environment under Observation
and Supervision while working on their Projects and Thesis. Their
mind-sets need to be convinced that as there is total freedom to the boundaries
of knowledge, so also there is total freedom to the limits of originality. They
may read anything from anywhere, but then leave it at that, not think of
producing a rehash to be served on a new platter! The whole concept of ‘Freedom
and Responsibility’ has undergone a sea-change through the involvement of the Space!
A
Refurbishing!
The
whole system of Classroom Teaching needs undergo a refurbishing. With the
students’ requirement of making 70% or so contribution to a Class Lesson, what
is normally taught in the Classroom should be the ‘Homework’ which
should encompass reading and research carried out at home, wherein, the students
read and grasp the matter available on their own in their own time and space.
School and College hours should be devoted to work written and produced by the
students, so that the chances of Plagiarism are minimised. The students need to
feel encouraged to ‘make use of the material available’ to produce their own
writings, and works, and gradually be weaned out of Supervised work to entirely
self- motivated performance.
Thus
we may be looking at a triple course learning:
1.
The net- based and text-based learning at home
2.
Teacher
Guidance in School/College
3.
Final work submission under Supervision
In
short, the students do ample reading through different sources at home,
followed by a reinforcement of their knowledge through Class Interaction and
minimal of Teacher Guidance leading on to the creation of student work under
supervision. Gradually, the idea of plagiarism shall automatically be replaced
by the urge for being original. We must remember that we cannot guide our
future Leaders ‘by the rod’, we, the adults need to be very innovative and
original as well! Above all, we need to convince and earn the trust of the youngsters by
leading them on to trust their own potential.
Other
than exact Source References, the use of available guides should be minimised
by reversing the concept of ‘Home-work’ and ‘Classwork’, the
latter being the final criteria of assessment. Rather than the regular
time- table, there may be full day allotments or hourly distribution for the
Completion of Assignments in the respective subjects in school. The Classrooms
could be converted into Workshops, so that students learn the advantages of
Group and Team Work, Camaraderie, Time Management and Leadership, and they
apply the Net -based learning through individual and original execution.
Examination
System mandatory!
There
have been innumerable debates over the issue- ‘Whether or not to have the
Examination System’. To my mind, the Examination System is mandatory as there
has to be world- wide standardisation od knowledge and the criteria of
assessment. Thus students across the Globe need to be measured by the same
yardstick, so it is doubtful whether the Examination System can be done away
with. Nevertheless, it must need be supported through such essential modes of
Assessment such as ‘Internal Assessment’ wherein partiality and favouritism
need be dumped below the ground by the teaching faculty. It is we the Teachers
and the Parents, together, who have to uphold the Torch of Integrity; it cannot
be bought at any Mall!
Regular
Teacher Tutoring needs be replaced with Teacher Guidance and enhancement of
the ‘individual reading as home task’, having been accomplished by the students,
individually and independently at home. Much of the regular home-work being
done by the students means nothing, as it has sometimes been done half-
heartedly or through ‘Tutor Guidance’ or ‘Google Guidance’.
There
may be some students, who do not have access to as many resources as the
others, their needs may be fulfilled by the necessary provisions in school. We
should not forget that some of the Great Men and Women were self- tutored under
the street lamp-post! Thus an equal opportunity must be promised to all.
Teacher
Correction
The
present system of Teaching in Schools loads the teachers with Correction Work
beyond imagination, sometimes making the teachers work more than the students,
as they have not only to prepare Lessons Plans, but actually prepare for the
actual Lesson in addition to the Heavy Loads of Corrections of Homework, Tests,
Projects and the list is endless. All this means that the ‘Carry home’ baggage
for a Teacher is heavier than what it is for a student. There are Teachers who
actually tag along with them a trolley bag to save their backs and the
shoulders! There is serious need of some reconsideration.
Now
that the Tablets have been allowed in Schools, the free Wi-Fi availability,
must lead to the cultivation of self- discipline engineered and timed between
focused perusal of the ready- made research material and the rendering of the original work of the
student.
Teacher
Correction should be largely replaced by ‘Peer Correction’ which
must be strictly observed by all tutors and School Authorities within the
Institute. More important than a Class test, for which a student may mug up and
take the test, the knowledge thus being gained as soon forgotten, major part of
the teaching needs to be devoted to the understanding of concepts,
wherein the expert teacher guidance is necessary. This must be followed by
further ‘Home reading’ of the available material on the Net, finally, to be
transformed into a weekly submission, produced over a couple of hours in
School, so that there is little if no doubt at all of plagiarism.
Wi-Fi
Discipline
Unless,
the ‘Wi-Fi’ discipline is incorporated and adapted by our new generation convincedly and logically, students may
be misusing both their time and the freedom of the free access to Net by
chatting, or twittering and surfing Facebook pages when they are expected to be
studying.
I
feel that an abundance of anything takes away the craving- so there is a hope!
Our present generation, which is extremely intelligent, can be easily geared
towards a more productive performance, which shall come out naturally through
their genuine urge. The free access to the boundless ocean of the Internet
shall ultimately show them the way how to keep safely afloat through self-
discipline, how to use their resources to overcome and beat every oncoming
challenge and how to master the waves.
Some
of the System rehabilitation could lead to our young generation to find their
own passion, which shall lead them to find their own dreams and thus furnish
them full force to pursue those dreams.
Thus,
the problems of lack of concentration, lack of motivation, low self – esteem,
frustration, depression and a sense of general negativity shall automatically
be minimised and the social milieu undergo a natural evolution and
transformation.
Teamwork
In
full support of the points of attention raised in the Article under reference,
I would like to reinforce the close collaboration needed between the Teachers,
Parents and the Students. They need to work as a Team, the Roles
overlapping and changing at times- the teachers playing the parental role and
vice-versa; at times, the student being the teacher, likewise. It is a very
sensitive yet a volatile relationship which can either make or mar a strong and
resilient social system.
By
taking a few new steps onto the path of transformation, we may be getting
closer to producing more scientists, more writers… more Creators than Followers.
Mrs.
Pushpinder Kaur
A
GCSE Teacher
Sunday, September 4, 2016
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Saturday, July 30, 2016
TEACHERS: 'The Caretakers of today are the Makers of tomorrow’s Leaders'
TEACHERS: The Caretakers
of today are the Makers of
tomorrow’s Leaders
If the architects erect buildings
and alter the face of a city, teachers sketch out the map of the future
generation by shaping their perceptions, moulding their personalities and
chipping off the rough edges to present to the world well –cultivated
individuals. But is their contribution to the society duly rewarded? Perhaps
this question might have boggled many a minds and triggers off many queries.
Need for an amendment
If there is one thing that is as
consistent in the life of a teacher alongside the daily load of hard work, it
is the sighs over low salaries, and the never ending loads of correction work-
to say the least. There is always a time for necessary amendments; it may be
considered imperative to focus the honourable attention of every sane mind on the pressing issue with regard to the teachers’ salaries.
Cogs in a machine
Every now and then, the issue
concerning the teachers’ salaries is raised, but unfortunately not followed
with full force and vigour, perhaps because the teachers themselves, being
little short of becoming ‘cogs in a machine’ barely get time to create a
liveable balance between teaching assignments, homework assignments, examination
corrections, coursework, projects and the list may extend endlessly. Though all
feel the utter meagreness of their service reward- a service that requires
quality, dedication, commitment, honesty, hard work, sacrifice and above all,
time, they can only give a barely audible expression to their woes. It is not
that their cause falls short of recognition by themselves, or the public, or
the concerned authorities, but as I said, the cause has not been made more than
being ‘barely audible’ even though it is an issue that lies at the forefront of
every society.
Why among the lowest paid?
Time and again, a very simple and
basic question, raises itself in my mind, sometimes, very forcefully, namely,
that why is the teaching profession among the lowest paid professions all over
the world? With the exception of a very few countries such as Switzerland, to name
at least one, where the teachers are among the high salaried professionals,
teachers in the rest of the world are among the lowest paid.
The pillars of tomorrow’s world
Are the teachers not doing the
most important job of cultivating the young minds in their state of infancy,
grooming them through the most formidable stages of their young lives? Are the
teachers not responsible for the character formation and the personality
development of the young generation? Are the teachers not responsible for
strengthening the conscience and morality of the young minds who are the
leaders of tomorrow? Are the teachers not the saviours of the young minds which
need to be carefully and safely steered through a lot of mirk in our modern
lives? Are they not the builders of the “pillars of tomorrow”? If they are,
then why such a low reward for them?
The basics
The minimum salary of teachers in
the UAE is set close to Dh. 2000, and such is the case world over. With the
ongoing inflation, the economic crunch and all other kinds of economic strains,
how are the teachers expected to provide quality education and produce strong
leaders and citizens when their own quality of life is far from ensured and
insured? Within the Dh. 2000 or over bracket, they are not only expected to
feed their own mind and body, but also raise their families, as the vocation of being a
teacher does not call for a state of singleness! Are they expected to live all
their life below levels of decency, in sharing accommodation? How are they
expected to provide a good education to their own children? A class of people
who are devoted to providing education to the society’s children do have a
right to give a decent education to their own children. How can the teachers
have a fair chance of sending their children to expensive and the best places
of learning with their meagre salaries?
High Time
I would suggest that it is high
time that some respectability be granted to our teachers. It cannot be denied
that social prestige automatically follows the economic status. How can the
teaching profession gain respect and prestige when teaching is among the lowest
paid professions?
Myself being from the same field,
I know that providing quality education is a spiritual job. It takes the life
out of people to guide a class to write correctly, to think openly and to feel
diversely. The tediousness of making each student understand each and every
concept, be it Maths or Science, Economics or Statistics, the labour involved,
the energy drained and the stress undergone would be vouchsafed by any teacher-
whether he or she teaches the primary or the secondary school.
Yes, no matter what the salary,
but the satisfaction that a ‘good’, or ‘a hundred percent result’, or ‘a student
distinction’ brings to a teacher, may find no match. In fact, a teacher’s
satisfaction is no less than that of a doctor at the recovery of a patient.
Both the professions are considered to be equally noble but why so much of
disparity in the salaries? Without undermining the importance of any
profession, it cannot be denied that a teacher’s contribution to the society is
definitely very large.
A matter of distress
It appears to be a matter of great
distress that such highly qualified professionals should be placed so low economically;
even certain salesmen or semi-qualified people are seen to be fetching much
higher salaries. It is true that to be a part of a business firm worth millions
of turnover has the prerogative of being good paymasters- but what stops the
social system and the education system to recognise the contribution of the
teachers -but for whom the world would be doomed in darkness?
Teachers
distribute the light of knowledge; surely they deserve a better deal!
It is not surprising that in
order to compensate for their low income, many teachers resort to private
coaching, which certainly offers the economic
compensation but, at the same time, it begins another chain reaction that may
not be totally supportive of a good education system. With three to four hours
of private coaching and a heavy overload of teaching hours during the school
hours, and the responsibilities of a family, how can a single human being be
expected to do justice to one’s professional and personal demands? Very often, on account of private coaching, justice is not done to classroom teaching.
Yet at the same time, while Teachers work extremely hard in order to obtain the best KHDA grading for their respective schools, it is important that the ground reality about a decent sustenance level for the
teaching community be sorted out.
A stigma
More than often there is a stigma
attached to a teacher’s image. One hears people referring in near sarcastic
tones,
“Oh, she is merely a teacher!” Men, who opt for this profession,
because of their passion for teaching may have to undergo huge financial
distress, especially if they are the sole bread-winners; the economic returns
in the chosen profession being so meagre, most of them may have to resort to
private coaching.
It is a pity that people with ‘Doctorate’
degrees and ‘Masters’ degrees fall into the lowest paid category. At times, it
may be argued that with less than half a number of teaching days in a year and
so many holidays, how is it justified to raise the salaries of the teachers? Well,
here facts need a careful scrutiny. The amount of correction time put in by an
average teacher at home, plus extra coaching and extra assistance in projects
should provide a sufficient answer to any doubts whatsoever with regard to the
requirements of the job and the much deserving rewards that the vocation calls
for.
Looking on the brighter side
In fact, on behalf of being a
resident of the UAE, one of the most upcoming countries of the world, I
sincerely hope that this country shall honour the cause of expanding education
to the furthest forefronts, and set up a unique example by providing positive
solutions. To issues such as ‘Low Salaries’ for Teachers. Hopefully, it should
appear as an accessible possibility to imagine the teachers’ salaries to start
with a minimum range of Dh 8000, plus free education for their children, free
bus facility, a decent accommodation and other regular perks. (Not to forget
that the recent monthly bus fares per child soar up to Dhs 800!)
Providing the best quality
In order to improve the standard
of education and to standardize education, it is imperative that good, inspiring
and well qualified teachers should be attracted to this profession. Considering
the external influences that operate on our present generation, after the
parents and the home influence, it is the schools and teachers who can exert a
strongly positive impact on our youth, guiding them towards firmer and higher
goals.
A two-way communication
Any school counsellor would
support the view that the students do look for positive guidance, inspiration
and advice from the teachers, and once, their confidence is won over by their
guides and supervisors, it may become a positive two-way communication, wherein
both the students and teachers benefit from the interaction, the students from
the correct guidance and the teachers, from the positive results.
It is important for the students
to respect their teachers and the key point in furthering this cause is getting
our teachers the well-deserved social prestige, which fortunately or
unfortunately, directly or indirectly, is connected with how much ‘dough’ does one make at the end of the
day. Money does make the world go round! And ironically, there seems to be a subtle
link between the salary that one earns and the respect that one earns! A matter
of misfortune though, but there does seem to be a set ratio- proportion between
the salary and respect! The more the salary, the more the respect! Woof!
The society has to give the teachers a higher
social prestige, which follows a better economic status.
No doubt the economic crunch is
having its impact world over but just as the Dubai government is trying to
create a balance in its economic planning; it can show more generosity in
the field of education.
It is about time that no time is
wasted in putting the student community on the right track and in consolidating
the confidence of the teaching community by safeguarding their interests. All
of us, the residents of this wonderful country have full faith in the goodwill
and effective planning of the rulers and cherish the dream that Dubai is still
a place that can work wonders, create miracles and set an example for the world
by taking the first step in doing the long overdue justice to the builders of
tomorrow’s leaders- namely, the ‘Reverend Teachers’ by granting them
a respectable pay scale.
Mrs. Pushpinder Kaur
Monday, July 18, 2016
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Friday, May 27, 2016
A Sonnet
A
Lull…
Ma, when the din becomes
a lull
at the day’s end-
When I put my head on the pillow,
your prayer book
resting next to my head-
Wrapped…
In the scarf you wore for years-
as you sat down to pray for us all
gives me repose, succor and subterfuge-
very serene...
Is it the calm of the womb? I wonder-
and feel-
Yes, it is.
Pushpinder Kaur May 26, 2016
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Take the Plunge!
Take the Plunge!
Thanks to Facebook, it has been wonderful to get connected with old friends and colleagues- who one might think to be lost to oneself forever! There being no hope of ever getting connected with them- but no, there you are- one fine day, out of nowhere, you may get a 'friend request' which may open a plethora of innumerable precious memories, adding an unexpected fragrance into your lives.
Having received a similar friend request yesterday, I invited this old colleague and friend, who happens to be placed in Singapore presently, to come on Skype- but prompt came the reply, "I am not so Computer savvy, Pushpinder- can only send and receive emails- am totally dependent on others to set up stuff for me!"
I so understood what she meant- could well empathize and absorb the frustration, anger and disappointment as I was in much the same situation a little more than two years ago! But getting back to my teaching career after a long gap of 10 years...it was time to rediscover that 'there is nothing such as being a good teacher'- learning and teaching are ongoing and never- ending processes. It is all the more important to be a 'good learner' than to be a 'good teacher' and the former is all the more important for the latter.
Having the advantage of being a fast typist and typed a number of essays on criticism, the chapter of 'Improving one's Computer Skills' did not appear an impossible one. So thereon started my new crusade- determined to be a success at my new teaching relocation, and undergoing the several harrowing experiences of not being as proficient in the Computer skills as teachers of today are expected to be, I knew I had to embark on a challenging journey.
My students were my best guides, sharing a mutually good rapport they knew my limitation and were generous enough to cooperate, willing to assist me during Break time, after school or even before the Registration time to "help out Miss." There was no shame in learning and being absolutely honest with the students. As long as there is an honest urge, it is respected.
So alongside the moments of cold sweat, there were more positive learning moments when each skill was duly comprehended, accepted as a part of the complete teaching and learning experience and there was no looking back! Waking up at 3 am to prepare Lessons for each class 'on the Computer' was a rewarding experience indeed!
Hail my friend! We have been connected after a long gap of 15 years- yes, the world has changed. Let us take longer leaps and wider strides and catch up! You may be surprised, like myself, one day- to have your own youtube Channel and a Blog!
It is exciting! Today, my new platform, the 'Online Teaching' is my new vocation- which I have dedicated myself to wholeheartedly and trust me, it is a new satisfaction. My next target- soon to be achieved- the setting of my Website, which shall be a valuable channel to merge into the ever going stream of knowledge, is solely indebted to the intense feeling of insufficiency about the techno skills of the day.
It's never too late- harness yourselves and take the plunge!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)