[Abstracts of Lecture
delivered during Plenary Sessions of
Conferences/Seminars by Dr. Chandrasekharan Praveen]
Last updated 19 December
2015
1. Lecture entitled Empowering
Teacher Education : Chipping in with ICT at the Third Two-Day National Seminar on
Recent Advances and Future Trends in Teacher Education organized by Excel
College of Education on 1st
& 2nd April 2011.
Abstract
Teacher Education programmes vary in their structure, goals and
organizations around the world. But, an attempt to provide regular
opportunities and experiences in a planned and systematic way to promote growth
and development has been welcomed by
educators everywhere. One significant and
perceivable emphasis is the
insistence on acquistion of knowledge and
skills on how to use technology in the curriculum.
This presentation will highlight attempts made by leading
institutions in select countries to incorporate technological resources and
tools to transform teacher education programmes. It will throw light on ways of
employing ICT resources for making instructional strategies and learning
environments more effective. In addition to introducing participants to
innovative teaching methods and trainee-tasks using ICT, some ways of teacher educator empowerment through
ICT resources will also be
suggested. It is hoped that this
presentation which intends to make use of video-based resources would
provide sufficient input for participants to reflect on the recent advances and future trends in teacher
education.
2.Lecture entitled Mustering a modus
operandi from the modern methodological matrix at the UGC sponsored National Seminar on
Models of Teaching at MES College Marampally, Aluva on 20th January 2012.
Abstract
The beginnings...
For almost a century (1840-1940), foreign language teaching
around the globe employed the Grammar Translation Method. With the realization
of the need for proficiency in
communication and oral proficiency in language learners, the search for
suitable language teaching methods began and is still continuing.
Quest for the new...
With the growth of Linguistics as a discipline, there was an
emphasis on a scientific analysis of
language. Soon speech patterns began to be seen as fundamental elements of
language. The Direct Method (which attempted to teach English through English),
the Structural Approach (a grammar-based method) and the Communicative Approach
with a focus on communication were popular between 1950 and 1980. In milder
forms, they continue to find their presence even today in English Course Books.
The shifting sands...
The growth of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and the
plethora of new approaches to language teaching such as Total Physical
Response, Task-based language teaching, Whole language approach etc. have led
to the emergence of multiple paradigms
of language instruction in the 1990’s.
A new orthodoxy...
Today, local-specific language teaching methodologies have emerged. More than ever
before theorists, linguists, Educational Psychologists and an ever growing army of language teachers have begun to have
a major say in the selection and
implementation of need-based language teaching methods.
A mirror of the times...
Methodologies to language teaching, we know, are products of educational systems popular
at a particular point of time. And so,
just as ideas that have a habit of coming in and going out of fashion,
teaching methods too have continued to wax and wane in popularity.
Affirming teacher role...
Gone are the days when it
was taken for granted that anyone could teach English. The insistence on
possessing a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in English for teaching English
does in some way guarantee the teachers’ linguistic competence, but not
necessarily teaching ability.
Changing times, we know,
require a changing pedagogy. The learners of today are not the kind of
learners we had a couple of decades
ago. Hence, the quest for a language teaching
strategy that guarantees an improved linguistic proficiency of the
learner, continues for teachers of
English.
Suggesting a modus operandi...
Modern Language Education syllabuses are replete with methods
and practices. While some are complex and teacher-centred, some are trendy and humanistic. This presentation will attempt a brief review of modern language teaching
methods and showcase some practices
which would enable one to evolve a
personal modus operandi from the modern methodological matrix.
3.Lecture entitled Sheltered Instructional Strategy For UG
Classrooms - A
Proposal for Improving Proficiency in English at the
National Seminar on English Language & Literature organized by ELTIF in
association with Vidyamandir College, Payyanur
from 1st to 3rd
June 2012.
Abstract
Literature-based language
teaching and the use of Communicative English syllabuses have already
been attempted in colleges across the country. In recent times, in some States,
there were attempts at introducing Constructivist practice in classrooms. Yet,
falling levels in English language
proficiency of Under Graduate students is found to be a common problem in our
country.
For Curriculum developers
and teachers alike, there is one simple goal
in teaching English – viz; helping students to quickly develop proficiency in English. But, conflicting ideologies and competing
approaches/ methods to language
teaching have continued to confuse many educators. To overcome a similar
situation which arose in some institutions in the US, Sheltered Instruction (SI) was attempted
with a fair degree of success.
Drawing on research
findings and reports of SI, this paper proposes the introduction of Sheltered
Instructional strategy as a panacea for the poor proficiency in English of students at the Under Graduate level. The paper will also
present a modified version of SI, that can work in UG classrooms in the
country.
Key words: ELT, Proficiency
in English, Sheltered Instruction,
Under Graduate
4.Lecture
entitled Web 2.0 Pedagogy
for QA in Teacher Education at the NAAC sponsored National Seminar
on Quality Assurance in Teacher Education in the Digital Age –
Issue and Challenges organized by Mount Carmel College of Teacher Education for
Women, Kottayam on 12th & 13th June 2012.
Abstract
It is common knowledge that the
quality of the work undertaken by a teacher has significant effects upon
his or her students. And those who pay
teachers' salaries- be it through taxes
or through school fees- expect value for
their money. Over the years, many countries have explored several avenues for
measuring the quality of work of individual teachers, educational institutions
and education systems. The Quality
Assurance Framework together developed
by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL)
and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council of India (NAAC) is one
such venture.
The past decade has opened up
a dream space through Web 2.0
Pedagogy. To the daring techno savvy
teachers, it was a dream of enabling students to swim like fish in the Web 2.0
ocean of blogs, wikis, podcasts and social networks. Some institutions attempted to explore the
potentials of Online learning and
Virtual Class rooms. Energized by
an affinity towards Social Constructivist principles, the field
was destined to be a source of wisdom
for students. But in many educational
institutions, strict quality control standards and procedural norms
did not exist. So it had not been possible to effectively exploit the
potential of Web 2.0 Pedagogy.
This presentation will attempt to identify ways of
ensuring Quality Assurance in Teacher Education through the introduction of Web 2.0 resources in each
of the six key areas identified by COL and NAAC. That is, in 1. Curriculum Design & Planning 2.
Curriculum Transaction & Evaluation 3. Research Development &
Extension 4. Infrastructure & Learning Resources 5. Student Support & Progression 6. Organization & Management
A few
Web 2.0 pedagogic strategies for
Teacher Education which will be
illustrated include: Ways of
providing digital learning;
Use of multimedia
e-portfolios; Identifying advantages of
networking of teacher education institutions; Listing down ways of
conducting research through Web 2.0 resources; Identifying the
use of Web 2.0 tools for developing thinking, communication skills
and Multiple Intelligence and
illustrating the scope of
Learning Management Systems. The presentation will also suggest a Check List to ensure that
QA is maintained for the Web 2.0
pedagogic strategies.
5.Lecture entitled Educational Renaissance Through
Reform, Transformation and New Indexes at the UGC Sponsored National Seminar on Educational Renaissance
for a New Generation organized by St. Thomas College of Teacher Education,
Pala, Kerala on
29thNovember 2012.
29thNovember 2012.
Abstract
“It’s not about perfect. It’s about
effort. And when you bring that effort every single day, that’s how change
occurs…” -Jillian Michaels
The idea of a ‘renaissance man’ suggests individuals like Da Vinci, who
dabbled not only in art as is
commonly thought, but possessed a profound knowledge of several branches of
knowledge-Engineering, Physics and Natural Science, to name a few.
Changing times, require a change in focus of education too. What
kind of skills and competencies do students require today? Is an attitudinal
change necessary for a re-birth of
Liberal Arts in the curriculum? How can
we reform our teachers and students so
that the products that come out of the portals of Higher Education in the
country, approximates the ideal of the
‘Renaissance man’? The author, in this paper, addresses these questions and goes on to
suggest a way out through a reformation and transformation of the present
education system. And to achieve these,
a few new indexes which need to be introduced are recommended.
Key words: Renaissance, Reformation, Transformation, New
Indexes, Education, Liberal Arts.
6.Lecture
entitled Fusing Video Modelling with Micro Teaching at the International
Conference on Teacher Education: Meeting The Needs of the New Generation
organized by Dr. Sivanthi Aditanar College of Education, Tirechendur,
Toothkudi, Tamilnadu on 24th
& 25th January 2013.
Abstract
As an instructional
technique, Video Modelling is employed to teach specific skills. In a teacher training programme, it can be
fruitfully employed to evoke interest and gain knowledge about performance of
target skills. Micro Teaching with its scaled down time and number of students
simplifies the complexities of the teaching act thereby enabling teacher
trainees to better understand the value and meaning of the teaching skill. But
in spite of the acclaimed value of Video Modelling and Micro Teaching, neither
finds any mention in the training
programme suggested in the BEd. Syllabus
of the University of Kerala!
As per the Kerala
University Academic Calendar, trainees joining
a ten-month BEd course have to undertake Practice Teaching within two
months of joining the course. The author of this paper, a practicing teacher
educator found the time available prior to the commencement of Practice
Teaching particularly short. Paucity of time even became problematic. In an
attempt to address the issue in question, the author attempted an integration
of Video Modelling using edited clips, video recordings of model class room
performance and a re-defined Micro Teaching Cycle.
This paper is a report of the innovative strategy employed by the
author. The paper will state the
methodology employed and show how the present generation of teacher trainees stood to benefit through the strategy.
Key Words: Micro Teaching, Video Modelling, Innovative,
Teaching Skills.
7.Lecture entitled Precincts Preventing Dyslexia-A Local
Community-based Inquiry at the International Seminar on Thinking
of Learning Disabilities Differently or Not
at all organized by Centre for
Learning Disabilities and Difficulties
(CLDD) Dept. of Education University of Kerala & World Council for
Curriculum & Instruction (WCCI) on 19th March
2013.
Abstract
An ongoing study of learner-interaction in select schools in
Thiruvananthapuram city led the investigator-cum-teacher educator to identify certain
definite behavioural patterns
among students belonging to a particular
community. A puzzling discovery was also made-viz; the conspicuously low reported cases of
Dyslexia or ADHD in children
from the ‘particular community’. Data collected from the
BEd trainees who taught the
students and the data from
the supervising teachers
in the respective schools also
matched the findings. This
prompted the investigator
to visit the
residential area from which
the students hailed and observe them on a periodical basis and study their life style, daily activities including leisure, food and study habits.
Around that
time, a report of a study conducted by
a researcher on reading
appeared in the February
issue of the Journal
of Neuroscience. Shortly
afterwards a researcher had reported studies related to Dyslexia on the Website The Globe and Mail. It stated that
although many different
factors contribute to Dyslexia,
the link between a child’s reading ability and auditory processing skills
appears to have a ‘highly significant relationship”. In another study the same researcher has found that there is
connection between music and reading.
Drawing on the
research findings posted in the Website,
the investigator conducted a re-examination of the social life/ activities of the students in the community. This led to the
discovery of the prevalence of a
peculiar environment and life habit that prevent the rise of Dyslexia in
students hailing from the community.
This presentation
is a brief report of the findings
based on the study conducted. The
investigator concludes by suggesting that it is possible to
prevent children becoming addicted with Dyslexia/ ADHD, if
certain life style and habits are scrupulously followed.
Keywords: Dyslexia, life style, students, community
8. Lecture entitled When Instructional designs vary, are we
employing emerging designs ? at
the NAAC Sponsored National
Seminar on ICT Enhanced Teacher Education Among Disadvantaged Sections: Issues
& Challenges For Teacher Educators organized
by Internal Quality Assurance Cell, Avila College of Education, Cochin on 17th
& 18th May 2013.
Abstract
Four
very popular instructional designs
explored until recently include Bloom’s
Taxonomy, Multiple Intelligence, Inter-disciplinary study and Models of Teaching. Quite recently an onslaught of
instructional practices drawing on the philosophy of Paulo Freire swept through
curricular practices in school
education. And, as if to fall in line with a sociological phenomenon - what affects one, affects another- curricular
reforms now in progress at the Under
Graduate (UG) level has begun to
reflect traces of the school
curricular practices!
When
the time was ripe for a complete
overhaul of instructional designs, UG curricular practices blindly adopted Constructivist practices,
with an avarice to gorge up ‘issues’,
giving the impression that it is
the highest form of education possible,
as it activates ‘mental processes’
which was hither to neglected.
But
the technological revolution, coupled
with the birth of the ‘Digital Native’, has ushered in instructional practices
focussing on a multimodal design. The author of this paper attempts an illustration of multimodal instructional
practices prompting teacher educators to
attempt a critique of ones
own instructional practices. The author
also affirms the need to insist on the
production of digital materials
as Course Work to ensure that
teacher trainees are receptive to
the emerging concept of Multimodal design.
Key words:
Instructional Designs, Multimodal design, Teacher Education
9. Lecture entitled Relevance of Ancient System of Education in India to
Present Day during the National Seminar on
Philosophical Foundations of Education in Ancient India and its
Relevance to Present day Context
organized by SCSVMV University,
Kanchipuram, November 2013
Abstract
A publication of the
Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute,
Pune, (Kane, P.V. History of
Dharmasastras) outlining the educational system in the Dharmashastra affirmed
the high and honourable position assigned to the teacher, the close
personal contact of the pupil with the teacher, the individual attention, the
pupil’s stay with the teacher as a member
of the family, oral instruction,
the absence of books, stern discipline, control of emotions and the will, and
the absence of fees. Several other scholars have highlighted the uniqueness of
the Vedic system of education which had liberation as an aim, and the attainment of knowledge through
‘Shravan’(hearing), ‘Manan’(meditation) and ‘Nidhidhyasan’(realization). Both
Manusmriti and Yajnavalkyasmrti had laid
down rules for the life of a student as a
Brahmachari in the Gurukula with the
teacher variously called ‘acharya’, ‘guru’ and ‘upadhyay’. The
whole purport of education was essentially, the moral and intellectual growth of
children.
This presentation while affirming the significance and relevance of the ancient
system of education in India, will focus on the
teaching of morals. Since ancient
times, words of wisdom were transferred
to the community through literary gems like the Panchatantra and the Jataka
Tales. Gurus and grandparents saw in
stories an indispensable tool for not only alluring the
young, but also for nurturing right
thoughts and values. Today, the fascination for the story form continues and instead of the traditional oral
mode, animated digital versions of the ancient tales of wisdom are the
preferred mode for nurturing moral
values in children. In the course of the presentation, the author will attempt to analyze this current fashion among teachers particularly at a time when story-narrating
grandmothers are becoming increasingly absent in nuclear families in modern
India.
10. Lecture entitled The Indian Education System during the International Seminar on
Bridging the Gaps: Education, Language and Culture organized by the School of
Distance Education, University of Kerala and the Faculty of Education,
Canterbury Christ Church University on 22 and 23 January 2014
Abstract
The presentation will attempt to provide a bird’s eye view of the education system in India. It will begin
by tracing its roots to the Vedas, the high esteem in which the guru and teacher was held in society and
the Gurukula system which is unique to
India. References are also made to
ancient Indian Universities like Nalanda and Taxila.
The contributions of the
British to the Indian Education System, facts and figures relating to institutions of higher learning in India- the IIT’s and IIM’s
and major agencies of education like the NCERT will also be mentioned.
The National Policy of
Education 1986, the changes in Primary Education particularly
SSA, secondary and tertiary
education will also be briefly
mentioned.
The lecture will be
supplemented with a handout and illustrative visuals and videos which will enable the participants to gain a fair
understanding of the Indian Education System.
11. Key note address during the national Seminar on Promotion of
Values and Ethical Standards in Teacher Education organized by TDACE,
Kannirajapuram, Tamil nadu on 24 January 2014
Abstract
Values are a set of desirable behaviour which if followed is good for the individual
and also the society. An unique advantage of values is
that they can become standards to be
used for making judgments.
Ethics basically is a
science of discrimination between the right and the wrong. Ethical standards are
principles when followed, promote values such as trust, good behaviour and /or
kindness. Given the fact that teacher educators have a seminal role to play, they are expected to display sound
professional ethics. But do they? In this presentation an attempt will be made
to identify the current climate in teacher education which is frustrating
educationists everywhere.
Constructive suggestion
including the maintenance of
certain ethical standards of practice
which focus on students and
student learning, professional growth of teachers and the role expected to be played by the managements of educational institutions
to promote a culture of proper values
and ethics will also be made in the Key note address.
12. Lecture
entitled Need for Fine Tuning Student Behaviour during the National Conference on Fine Tuning Student Behaviour organized by Gnanamani College of Education,
Namakkal, Tamilnadu on 27 January 2014
Abstract
The behaviour of students,
particularly those of college students
is becoming a cause for concern.
The attempts at enforced discipline in campuses or planned sessions on Moral Education have all failed to create any positive impact on the student community. Parents point an accusing finger at teachers and the latter blames the parents
themselves, society and the Media for
the pathetic state of
affairs.
Illustrative visuals and
videos will be shown to identify the current need for fine tuning
student behaviour. At any rate, the fact remains that violent juvenile crime, embezzlement,
the addiction to drugs etc. have
all resulted in a moral crisis. The special
habits and interests of the Net
Generation, the rise of nuclear families with reduced parental attention, the
sense of freedom which they display have
all made it imperative to address
the issue failing which the state of affairs is likely to bounce out of control.
In this
presentation an attempt will be made
to suggest a workable
strategy to fine tune the
behaviour of the students of the present generation. Certain
essential values which the students need to possess and the ways of nurturing
the same will also be mentioned in this presentation.
13. Lecture
entitled Pedagogical Base of ICT for the Digital
World during the International Conference on Redesigning Teacher Education for Value Addition organized by Immanuel
Arsar College of Education, Marthandom,
Tamilnadu on 28 January 2014
Abstract
The present generation of
learners- those roughly born after
1980, have grown up in an environment surrounded by media and computing. According to
Diana Oblinger (2006) by the age of 21, the millennial students will
have spent 10,000 hours playing video games, sent 20,000 e-mails, watched
20,000 hours of television and spent
10,000 hours on a cell phone.
Research conducted on the Net Generation have shown that they
share certain common characteristics. These include among other things, a
tendency for multitasking, a need
for immediacy in receiving information
and a preference for social activities. In fact, these ‘Digital Natives’ are independent
learners, who are totally comfortable using the all-but-unlimited informational
resources of the Internet.
A paradigm shift is also perceivable today. Until very recently the teacher was
considered the all important
provider of knowledge. Today,
the teacher is only one of the providers of knowledge. A host of providers from
CD ROM’s and the Internet to videos and social networking
sites perform the role effectively. So with new generation learners,
new learning environment and new learning media, one is bound to ask what
exactly should be the expected competency of the new generation teacher.
This presentation
will identify the
changing role of the teacher
and the learner and suggest appropriate changes in pedagogy
which involves among other things, a change from
blackboard / book to the use of multimedia, the need for teachers to
acquire the skill for exploiting Internet resources and the need for students
to acquire in addition to basic
computer skills, the skill of information processing. Mention will also
be made of the current trend in
institutions of higher learning to
liberally using different digital tools
and resources and also in developing need-based
e-content materials. The modern practice of networking and staying connected
for the purposes of learning and the special role that the managements of educational institutions
need to play in the changed scenario will also find special mention.
14. Lecture
entitled Innovative Tasks Through Film Reconstruction using ICT Tools during the UGC Sponsored National Seminar on Application of ICT in
Developing the Speaking and Listening Skills of Undergraduate Learners, organized by the
Department of English, SNM College, Malinkara, Kodungallur, Kerala from 29 to 31 January 2014.
Abstract
The growth of technology
has ushered in changes in almost every sphere of life. Education, particularly
language teaching and learning is no exception.
The present generation of
learners dubbed ‘Digital Natives’ are
‘wired and connected’ for long
periods of time. They are adept and
comfortable at receiving and communicating information using multimedia devices. Naturally, print-based materials used as language
learning materials are not likely to
invite sustained attention and interest in learners, especially
teenagers.
Studies have shown that film ‘help learners experience real
language in context, serve as an optimum source for learners to acquire useful
vocabulary, provide learners with an insight into new cultures, aid learners to
understand and recognize different accents, help learners improve their own
pronunciation, as well as other language areas via the regular exposure to the
moving image’ (Lowe: 2007:16-17).
The verbal and visual components
of film potentially provide a best fit to the characteristics of the present
Net Generation of students.
In this presentation, an attempt
will be made to share an innovative use
of Film for ELT tasks. It is based
on the author’s own experience of using
film for teaching.
The strategy suggested is
a film-focused method of
interaction. A short film is
reconstructed using ICT tools
and is presented to elicit varied responses. It aims at
fostering language use in teenage
learners. It is hoped that this
idea would stimulate teachers to explore
similar ways of using film to make
English language learning interesting.
Key
terms: ELT tasks, ICT Tools,
Net Generation
15 Lecture
entitled The ‘Must have’ and ‘Good to have’ Soft Skills- A
Relook during
the UGC National Level Staff
Seminar on Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Higher Education
organized by IQAC, Sri Sarada College
for Women (Autonomous), Salem on 15 March 2014.
Abstract
Soft
Skills at its simplest is doing the
right thing at the right time,
and doing it nicely. (Joubert et al) They have an important role in shaping an
individual’s personality. But employers have often noted a lack of Soft Skills among graduates passing
out from tertiary education institutions. If quality issues are to be
addressed, in addition to focussing on academic work, due attention should be
given to developing Soft Skills too.
Many
institutions have in recent years implemented training in Soft Skills. Some
major Soft Skills which invariably find a place in such training programmes
include Communication Skills, Thinking Skills, Problem Solving Skills, Team
work and Cultural sensitivity. A review
of the content of the Soft Skills will reveal that they all comprise various
sub skills which can be perceived as
‘must have’ and ‘good to have’. The author of this paper lists down the various sub skills and attempts a
critique-cum-reality check of the
fulfilment level of the same in training
programmes. The author believes that
such a critique would help those who implement Soft Skills training
to reorient their programmes if
necessary to address the needs of the
global job market.
Key
Words: Soft Skills, Training
