TIIE-EL-Teacher

Topic: Teachers cluster meeting

Strategies for Teaching Language using Language Lab Stories*

Objectives of conducting the cluster meeting:

• to share effective teaching methods used by teachers to teach concepts
• to discuss the challenges faced by teachers in the classroom
• to discuss the different strategies used by a teachers in the classroom.
• to share teaching materials (TLMs) prepared by the teachers
• experience-sharing on using different strategies in a class.

About Cluster Meetings:

The Cluster meetings are held on the first and third Saturdays of each month. The cluster meeting for primary teachers (grades 1 - 5) is held on the first Saturday of the month, while the meeting for higher primary teachers is held on the third Saturday of each month. 2 or 3 teachers attend the meeting including the HM from each school. These teachers attends the meeting after their schools hours from 11.00 A.M to 2.00 P.M. 2 to 3 CRP's conduct the meeting in one common place therefore, there will be around 30-40 teachers from various schools who attend the meeting. Different teachers introduced various teaching resources and described how to use them.

So far our team has attended 9 cluster meetings (5 for Higher primary teachers and 4 for primary teachers) such as Siddapura, Wilson garden, Arekere, Gurappanpalya, yeduru, Jakkasandra, Madiwala, Austin Town, Ejipura, Domlur, Konakunte and Gottigere clusters. The team focused on sharing the Language Lab work, TIIE work and different strategies of teaching Mathematics

Objectives of our session in the cluster meetings:

• To introduce the concept of Language Lab (why it is needed and its benefits) to the teachers and CRP’s
• To discuss possible strategies for integrating Language Lab resources into classroom teaching.
• General FAQs regarding using Language Lab resources (how to access and possible challenges)
• Presenting our work on Language strategies and tools (including Mathematics and Science if time permits) in TIIE school sessions and camps.
• To discuss the different strategies of teaching mathematics in the classroom.
• to install the kiwik offline application in the mobile to use in the classroom.
• To share our experience on using Language Lab in the classroom.
• to get the feedback of the teachers on Language lab.

Demonstration of language lab in the cluster meeting:

Introducing Stories for language learning was the main objective in all the cluster meeting.

In that session we discussed what are the challenges what they find in their classroom. Most of the teachers responded very well and accepted that due to the lack of opportunities for social interactions and Learning deprivation as a result of nearly 2 years of school closures has led to student’s foundational language skills are being seriously impacted on the children. Migrant children- teachers finds difficult to engage those children as their home language is different from medium of instruction. To overcome all these challenges stories acts as a major role to bridge the gap in the language. Stories can be very useful in helping develop listening, speaking, reading and also develops thinking skills. Perhaps the Teachers were made to explore the Multilingual Language learning which was available in the KOER page. The teachers were able to access the stories in different languages (English, Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu). One of the stories “Timmy and peppe” was demonstrated in the cluster meeting and discussed the importance of each slide in the project. Each story had multiple activities that a child had to perform such as listening to a story, try to read a story with the support of an audio, vocabulary related to a story, and few simple activities based on the story which gives immediate feedback to the child, where the child can try to attempt for correct response. The Multilingual language learning was available in both desktop and mobile version in the offline mode. The teachers were given a demo on usage of kiwix application in their smart phones and the teachers showed interest on the usage of it in their classrooms.

Teachers reflections on Multilingual Language Lab

• The session got good feedback from teachers saying that the resources are really useful as it has stories with activities which gives immediate feedback to children.
• All teachers downloaded kiwix application in their phones and were happy that it can work offline.
• Teachers were very interested, overjoyed, and they enjoyed telling stories in multiple languages.
• It has been requested by teachers that they require more time to become comfortable with using these resources before implementing them in schools.
• Few teachers requested and invited to schools to conduct the Language Lab session.

Scope for collaboration:

• The CRP’s requested to conduct teachers' DL session.
• To create more stories from the Kalika chetarike Material.
• The CRP’s have requested that some resources created for TIIE sessions be shared so that the teachers can also use these in their classes.

Suggestions to the teachers by the CRP's

One of the CRP in attendance shared her insights and experiences about what she has seen during school visits in various schools and asked the teachers to consider the following:

• Treat all children equally, without any discrimination, and show respect for each and every one of them.
• Keep in mind that every child is unique and do not judge the child based on their participation.
• Assign work that requires the child to think independently because they do think better than what we think.
• Give the kids an opportunity to talk and listen to what they're trying to say or ask any questions, doubts, or clarifications, and support the kids with what they're looking to learn. This will help the kids form a solid rapport with the teacher and gradually get them interested in the subject. It might have an impact on the child's growth and learning.
• Constantly praise and encourage the child, whether they are right or wrong; offer them to speak up because this encourages the learner too.
• Avoid calling or tagging the child by his nicknames because doing so can cause him to develop a bad attitude towards teacher and his subject.
• Instead of using the chalk-and-talk method, utilise various techniques/strategies that helps in the child's learning and comprehension.

Feedback and suggestions for improvement:

The Kannada Audio resources can be improved with expressions.

Notes:

The intention is to provide a brief overview of the Language Lab resources. It is advisable to keep the presentation duration flexible as per attendees' availability

Topic:Teacher interactions at Ejipura

To create an opportunity for teachers of the schools to interact with one another and build a teachers' community of learning for sharing and exchanging ideas and resources conducted a teachers' workshop which included 7 teachers from the project schools. The observations and findings from the baseline and case studies were presented and discussed with the teachers who also shared their experiences in the classroom and strategies they have been using.

Initially teachers look over the case studies which we had prepared, each case study belongs to one of the schools. After reading the case study, teachers actively participate in the discussion,

One of the teachers shared her thoughts on their work, "At first, I used to scold them, saying that if you live in Karnataka, you should know Kannada, but then I started supporting them and explaining differently why it is important - instead of forcing students to speak in Kannada, try to convince them that using more Kannada when speaking will help them to learn better and request them to try to avoid home languages like Tamil, Telugu, Bhojpuri, Urdu unless their medium of instruction. No matter how much we teach in school, if a child is having difficulty, he or she may have learning disabilities. Children will learn better if you care about them, which she turned into a teaching policy.

They learn a subject well when their teachers show them love and affection, and this encourages students to speak up and share their opinions without holding back. Ask them to reattempt if the answer is inaccurate, so they can correct it. Giving them stars or smiley faces for correct responses encourages them to participate in the activity and start to learn. Children always want to know why we are sad when we express it.

A few examples from their classroom:

1. A girl in class 7 named Krishnaveni speaks Tamil at home, and her parents are daily wageworkers. For various reasons, Krishnaveni's parents have decided to relocate the family to their hometown in Tamil Nadu. She is upset about this because it may cause her to drop out of school and become child labour. Unfortunately, her family changed their minds and decided to stay here. Krishnaveni was overjoyed as a result of this, and she enjoys it by giving sweets to their loved ones at school by mentioning her mother's birthday.

2. One student has not attended fifth grade the entire year, came in only sixth. I advised him to just attend class and not worry about studying. You don't need to write; just sit in class, eat well, and drink milk. However, he began writing, reading, and developing an interest in studies. He now writes so much on his own and waiting for me to correct his book.

If we force children to read and write, they will not learn anything. However, if we give them some time to read and write on their own while observing their friends, they will learn something through their interest.

3. Riya and Rani in class 6 moved to Bangalore after the COVID lockdown; they don't know much Kannada but are involved in learning activities and are eager to learn.

4. The child has three siblings who have moved from Nepal. She had no knowledge of Kannada when she was in fourth grade. She had learned a lot by the time she was in seventh grade.

FGD Discussion :

FGD consist set of questions about teacher’s beliefs about students learning and Kalika chetharike materials distributed by the government.

About KC :

• In KC for one learning outcome 3 to 4 activities given and that too different levels.
• KC Not meant for students but for teachers more work, students can't do it on their own. There is no fixed syllabus that this much has to be completed in some period based on mentioned learning outcomes.
• Students of class 7th missed class 5 and 6, but now they want to learn and have build academic competencies of all the 3 classes. Students not undergone any text exercises of previous classes may have difficulty to understand activities based on learning outcomes and specially activities of class 7 has very challenging.
• In language those who have acquired competencies in primary, able to build stories, etc. but others find it very difficult. Teacher itself struggling to find answer for KC material by referring all classes text.
• Some chapters are removed from text but their activities given in the KC (8th removed a chapter from 7th but given in KC) and Can’t give proper practice for reading.
• In class 1 to 3 Nali-kali program extremely difficult for teachers to create learning space based on KC.
• In old method we used to have a structure, teach a lesson and do it in one flow, now unrelated activities are there, students not understand the relations between content in the text and activities.
• If teachers told what competency to be taught and given freedom on what and how to do. Definitely we reach out all children's and make children to learn.
• Parents are complaining about no h/w given for their child, but they don’t care about student's learning abilities.  
• Would be better if KC ends, including too many administrative tasks, sometime not finding time to do classroom transactions.
• Hard copy of KC materials came late, nobody told how to do classroom transactions during that time, we struggled to taking print out of KC worksheets and give handout to the children and depended on soft copy of materials which shared by teachers in the mobile.  

About Training:

• Teachers not undergone any training(s) on strategies for teaching diverse learners after COVID time, previously teachers could choose topics. Interest based and attended some training. 
• 2 day KC training mainly focussed on what is the structuring (outline) of KC not on how to conduct activities or take it into the classroom.  
• Initially some teachers wrote daily journal and notes of lesson, but department person’s not interested in seeing what we’ve written. Some CRP's have no patience only cross-check the documents they want by sitting in the office and not interact with children in class to know about whether learning outcomes achieved or not or KC materials is benefited for children or not any all.
• Nobody wants to know our challenges and what is going on in the class. They just want us to do what they say and want us to record and report. They should come to our classes and see instead of just visiting the office

Challenges faced by students in classroom :

• Students in 5th struggling with language - when some inspection happens they are more bothered about language than children's learning. e.g. they know numbers in English but not Kannada. (5th maths. ECO asked numbers written on the board. Boy couldn't; identify 3-digit numbers. Came to office room and scolded me. After 2 days I wrote 3-digit numbers on board, he couldn’t tell in Kannada, but told in English.)
• 70% of children don't eat any breakfast. Even whatever they get to eat is not nutritious. No calcium, etc. That is why even mental development of the child is affected
• Have started Kannada from basics. They are struggling 
• The students who are migrated from different places feels excluded due to the language barrier and the medium of instruction
• Most of the students work before coming to school or after going from the schools this affects children learning.
• Due to family issues few children who had got admission attended school for very few days initially, later they did not turn back to school because those children were working in some hotels and garrage.

Challenges faced by Teachers :

• Nobody wants to know our challenges and what is going on in the class. They just want us to do what they say and want us to record and report. They should come to our classes and see instead of just visiting the office
• Teachers have to do KC as well as refer textbooks. We do it for different levels, but it is difficult to track and then when the inspection happens we get asked why students are not at grade level
• Most of the teachers have to combine 2 or 3 different grades in one classroom, therefore it is difficult for a teacher to provide what individual child is needed.
• Utilizing time is challenging. 12 Lessons in a subject and 6 to be completed by SA1 and remaining for SA2. But for one learning outcome 4 to 5 different activities we have to be discussed with children's.
• Teachers had to figure out how to manage KC and conduct the activities. Some students are able to write and incorporate it, but others copy from that.
• Students forgetting concepts soon, need more effort to reaching out students. Not actively participated in theory based activities and if experiments done, students not able to share observations easily.
• Issues at home, No parents support and a lot of students from single parent (single mother) families.

Suggestions :

   • Would be effective to provide materials related to each lesson, instead of only worksheets. For e.g. we got Maths kits from Akshara foundation which we found very useful for group work with children

   • Different students learn differently and have different interest, so we should teach like that and should be provided with materials that will help for that.

   • Good training needed – About classroom strategies, preparations for teaching aids, digital literacy

   • Infrastructure – computer lab, science lab, Library, ground

   • Individual teacher for each subject including Physical education.

   • Teachers must share certain competencies, and they can discuss this (exponents and indexes) or hold demonstration sessions.

Survey: Teachers responses

A survey was administered to 11 teachers, and their responses are listed below.

   1. They all agreed that students working together helps them think and come up with better ideas.

   2. All teachers agree that if a student makes mistakes while learning on a continuous basis, they are not smart.

   3. All teachers agreed that every student in their class could understand what they taught.

   4. Except for one teacher, everyone agrees - Students' understanding of a subject is determined by how it is taught.

   5. Five of them disagree that students are responsible for how much they learn.

   6. Six members disagree that each student has a unique learning ability that cannot be changed.

   7. Three teachers agreed completely and four teachers agreed partially that if a student does not understand what is being taught, it is because they are not trying hard enough.

   8. Eight teachers agreed that learning levels do not differ between girls and boys, and three teachers agreed that girls learn better than boys.

   9. To what extent family's socioeconomic situation influence children's learning - Three teachers believe it has a greater impact, five believe it has an average impact, and three believe it has no impact.

   10. Ten teachers agreed that both the school and home environments are equally important for children's learning, with only one teacher saying that the school environment is more important than the home environment.

   11. All teachers agreed that KC are beneficial to students because they include activities.

   12. All teachers agreed that some students would benefit more from lower grade materials/activities.

   13. Teachers meet with parents about their children's progress - 6 teachers meet once a month, 2 teachers meet once every 15 days, and 3 teachers meet twice a year.

   14. Teachers meet with parents of children with learning disabilities - 6 teachers meet once a month, 3 teachers meet once every 15 days, and 2 teachers meet twice a year.