Neeraja Raghavan
Can the task of writing a diary get students to reflect on what they have learned? Reflection deepens learning and helps students to realize their own shortcomings, what they have learned and what they have not. How best can diary- writing be used as a tool for reflection?
Neeraja Raghavan
There are exceptionally brilliant students and there are those who believe that they are not good at anything. Why are there these different kinds of students? What leads them to believe what they are? Can we, as adults, make the students who say ‘I cannot…’ say ‘I can…’?
Neeraja Raghavan
This month, I would like to bring to you one of my favourite research papers. I never tire of reading it. Each time I go back to it, I get something more from it. But unlike the previous research papers that I have shared here, this paper is not freely downloadable. After you read this piece, and participate in the NOW BRING IT INTO THE CLASSROOM section, you may email me if you want to read the original paper. I can help you with that, by sending you a soft copy.
Neeraja Raghavan
Are we spoon-feeding and spoiling our children by giving them all the answers? The next time a student asks us a question, let us not jump up to give them the answer, instead let us encourage them to find the answer for themselves.
Neeraja Raghavan
Often as a teacher, if you sit back and think about it, you realize that knowingly or unknowingly you are emulating you own teachers–be it their good practices or mostly their bad. While the good practices are fine it is necessary that teachers reflect on their teaching methodologies and consciously work to remove any bad practices they maybe following.
Neeraja Raghavan
The power of the word and an individual’s ability to read and understand can be awesome. This article in the RIA series takes us through the journey of a teacher, a student and a life- changing friendship. This deeply moving book is a story of Michelle Kuo– the teacher and her student ,Patrick Browning and how she steers his literary awakening. And how does she do this? She gets him to read, read and read! A must read book for teachers too.
Teacher Plus would like to thank its readers who have been writing in to share their views on the article Deepening conceptual understanding, which was published in its April 2017 edition. We give here in detail some of the responses we received. Asiya Arshi, Oakridge International School Can you recall instances of teaching a concept and feeling satisfied that the students seem to have grasped it well – then, after a worksheet or test, being puzzled at their obvious gaps in understanding? Yes If yes, can you recall stopping at the point where the concept has become clear to the student – but not going beyond to have the student think it through in an unfamiliar context? When I was teaching potential and kinetic energy, the concept was understood by the students as was evident by their answers in class. But when they wrote their assessment there seemed gaps in their understanding. In the assessment we had given an unfamiliar situation which some students could not comprehend. If you can recall such instances, can you now think of ways of extending the lesson so as to carry out the omitted step above? Yes, I could have taught the lesson differently where more examples on real life application would have made the concept clearer. What are the ways in which you can hook your students into the next lesson that you are planning to take Will plan a good tuning in activity which will kindle the student’s inquisitiveness. How can you ‘chunk’ information so as to render the chunks easy for students to inter-connect? Will take them for a field trip and have guest lectures to be able make connections with the topic. What can you do to allow students’ existing ideas [about the concept that you are going to teach] to (a) surface and then (b) be examined in a non-threatening ambiance? Will have a pre-assessment on the topic and then take it from there. Or will allow the student to express his views on the topic and provide resources for him to take it further. How can you help them see the inconsistency (if any) between their currently held beliefs and the actuality? Will let them explore the topic more so that they can reflect on their own inconsistency. Can you provide your students with a new context or situation in which they can apply this learning so that they now have to think through the problem on their own? Yes there are many
Neeraja Raghavan
In her column this time, Neeraja Raghavan, analyzes the chapter of a book that asks teachers to undertake a few exercises to find out how their teaching philosophies evolved and whether they are as effective as the teachers thought they would be.
Neeraja Raghavan
As teachers, surely we have all encountered many misconceptions that children hold. In this brief report of a research paper, the author talks of how teachers can go about first learning the misconceptions that children have and then prompting them to unlearn these and setting them on the right path of knowledge.
Neeraja Raghavan
This month Teacher Plus introduces a new column that looks to bring research in the educational sector to the classroom. In this first article, the author looks at how a teacher’s disciplining strategies can affect the students’ motivational levels and their impression of the teacher.
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