3S) HSSE- 2nd A Reflections on Practicum work (08-NOV-2017) Bharghava Shyam-

 Date: 08-Nov-2017

Name: A.N. Bharghava Shyam
Admission Number: MAE15007

Practicum School: B M English School

Co-Classmates in Practicum School: Vikas Kumar Prasad & Sharon

Dates of HSSE School Practicum works: 23-Aug-2017, 6- Sep-2017 & 15-Sep-2017

Question: Reflections on practicum work.

Introduction

Dictionary Meanings:

Reflection: Reflection means a serious thought or consideration on particular thing/person/situation.

Practicum Work: Practicum work means the work having practical (an examination or lesson in which theories and procedures learned are applied to the actual making or doing of something) section of a course of study.

Generally social sciences means “The scientific study of human society and social relationships from different angles like geographic, historic, civic (political science), economics”.

About Practicum School:

B.M. English School is Government Aided, Co-ed, School situated at St. Johns Road, near Commercial Street in Bangalore.

There are only few government teachers (6) in schools and remaining are private school teachers (30), nearly 400+ plus children are there.

Interpretation and Reflections on my Practicum School activities:

I went for my practicum school seven times, among those seven visits 3+1 times I saw some art activities in school (through reflections & interpretations I will try to connect with social science), I think they put Wednesdays for some activity based learning. I felt very happy with this school activities in school.

Now am writing those art activities sessions first, later I will write my observations in history class session & my teaching on history subject.

On 2nd August 2017:

On this day the school conducted drawing competition to the students from 4th class to 10th class with different themes per class (I didn’t remember all themes, but roughly I remember some that themes which are forest (wild) life, global warming, park, village life, etc., In 4th class-A section, I did my observation, their theme was  on “Village Life”. I also invigilated the class with teacher’s instructions. After this drawing competition madam told to me to select the best drawing. I tried to select some drawing which is relevant to topic and also an aesthetic one. I also felt little bad while judging these students art, there are some other good drawings also, but that are irrelevant to “Village life” theme. So teachers put that drawings outside.

I don’t know when they told to children about this drawing competition, but I can assume that they must informed earlier and also said the theme, here I can assume that the teacher will not only give the information about this drawing competition programme, but also explains them about how differently they can draw the theme, like the villages, they remember (from personal experiences or by watching movies), imaginative villages which are based on thoughts, perception etc. Why I am assumed like this because “Every teachers teaches more than textbook knowledge” (Roy, 2017). I feel this learning process is an analytical process, because they are thinking, imagining, etc. I think this will be helpful in children learning the social science subject.

Those students who get prizes they feel happy, but thinking about other fellow mates feelings also is also important, they might feel appreciative and also jealous about toward the winners & on their drawings also, we need to be conscious while we are doing judging someone, we need to be diplomatic.

And I am very happy that, the school is focusing on children education from art angle also. I felt happy to participate in this activity in school.

On 9th Aug 2017:

On this day prize distribution program held in school for last week drawing competition winners  4th to 10th class all children along with their parents (The parents whose children are succeeded in that drawing completion) assemble near the foyer area. And the Managing Director (MD), is the chief guest for this program, and School principal, some there are also there on stage. School conducted some cultural activities like singing songs, playing keyboard etc. and MD addressed the students about important on arts in education and also encouraged the students to be part in art (extracurricular) activities. In his speech he asked parents which you like most among good painting or simple digital photograph. All said comparatively we like paintings only, by this he explained about art importance. And also he appreciated all the students and said that it’s very difficult to judge your drawings

Later he distributed prizes to 10 children whose painting are aesthetic and relevant to the theme. Each class has different theme for their drawing which they announced one week before the drawing competition. They selected 10 students from each class for prize, 1st 2nd and 3rd and other seven prizes are merit prizes.

I generally use to see only 3 prizes will be given, but here they are 10 prizes for children from each class. It also kind of encourage to the children in school, He appreciated all the students and said that it is very difficult to judge your drawings, this show his diplomacy while talking to children.

I was very happy when Managing Director (MD) is talking about important of arts in education (My interpretation as Education through arts also, reflections are in next paragraph). When we make somethings from that we feel happy than others finished (artificial) things, By seeing a photo (Abstract/artificial-camera) we feel happy, but by seeing art (handmade) we feel more happy, Art is made by us in a natural (experiential) way, this helps in authentic learning which is main theme in education. For that only school is helping the children a lot.

Generally language is meant for communication (With self & others), mathematics is meant for logic, science is meant for observation and social is meant for understand individual in society (The aggregate of people living together in a more/less ordered community), these are the basics for all subjects, Now these communications (Language source), logic (Math’s source), observation (Science source), understanding the relation (Social source), etc. are natural (experiential) things, and the subjects we made this artificial (abstract) things such as products language subject (others communication/ expressions such as poems, stories, etc.), math’s subject (others logic such as theorems like Pythagoras, etc. (which are self-evident proved by reasoning)), science subject (others observation through theories like photosynthesis, etc.), social subject (knowing the facts without relating it to present individual). Products/facts/artificial/mechanical/finished is much important than source/experience/natural/organic/uncompleted, etc. Yes, this product (abstract) knowledge is very important, but it it’s only not important, we need to use this abstract/products/fact as guide for your experiences, but should not substitute for our personal experiences.

That means abstract and art (experiential) both are important, we need to find the linkage between this. Particularly by seeing drawing competition I was happy.

On 23rd August 2017:

Every Wednesday only the school is this kind of activities. I feel very happy by looking at luck (luck is not bad, but believing the luck is very bad), I feel very happy for this.

On this day 7th class students did an activity (Drama) on Purandara dasa. The lesson from their textbook. The all 7th class students made skit on Purandara Dasa. They portrayed whole life (Conception to Death) of Purandara Dasa on stage by 200 students in collaboration with 6th class students also. After this skit, quiz questions asked by other teacher, and who answered correctly they got chocolate from school management. For this skit all participants dressed different cultural clothes like saris, dhotis, pajamas, khadi, etc. Students only made some dummy material like crown, tambura, knife, etc. The skit was done with songs (Keerthana’s) of purandara dasa by a music player, etc. The play done in seven parts for more than one hour.

I just immerse in watching the skit, such nice skit by theatre, drama, music, craft, etc. it is not possible to teach every lesson like this with theatre, this will gives relief to them also gives some relaxation to children from some abstract knowledge. After the drama they conducted quiz, I feel it’s the questions are only texting factual knowledge of children, than analyzing knowledge, those who participated in that drama, they (including) might be analytical,   

Teachers told to us that it also a kind of teaching history & language (literature) subject, I feel that they play was really nice, but I feel there is less analytical knowledge, after this they only focused on answers/facts.

In my previous visit to school, the school called parents also, for showing their children’s drawings and  prices to that drawings, there I observed that so many parents are Muslims (By seeing their men’s cap & ladies Gurkha), that means so many students are Muslims also. Now in school they organised Purandara Dasa, sociologically he is called as Hindu, but here in Purandara Dasa skit all 200 students from 6^th & 7^th class participated in school, this shows me the sociologically unity in school, it will be help in welfare for society know.

Observations & interpretations in Social class in B.M. English School:

We went to the 6^th class-B section, with nearly 30+ students in class room, with almost equal ratio of girls and boys, there teacher taught the lesson Karnataka state SCERT syllabus textbook, having the lesson important dynasties in North India. It started with Ashoka king, Chandra Gupta Mourya to Mughal emperors, the class room discussions are at that time mostly reading based, one by one reading the paragraph and madam is explaining the chapter, while explaining she is asking some closed ended/factual questions to children, like which is the religion of King Ashoka, capital city of Maurya’s, etc.

I didn’t managed time to attend the 2^nd observation class, sorry for this.

Pre-planning for teaching history and social science pedagogic:

I and Vikas Kumar Prasad we both made the lesson plan in teaching “Jallianwala bagh”. We have taken screen shots of 7^th class Karnataka SCERT textbook freedom movement “Jallianwala bagh” part. We read carefully, We planned to start by some factual questions only like tell me about important places in Karnataka, later we want to ask important places in Punjab, by that we want to bring Amritsar, jallianwala bagh (why this meeting happened & its consequences) and later we planned that to do it like a drama, in classroom by arranging people in groups, one role is General Dyer, another group as solders & third group is people gathered in meeting, in classroom there is one door only, we assumed this class we can use as Jallianwala Bagh ground, later we planned to explain this. We also planned like an art based activity learning. We did a rehearsals kind of thing in our hostel. We also planned to asses this part by asking some questions on this incidence.

Teaching Jallianwala Bagh in class:

We asked about Indian states, later we particularly raised question what you know Punjab state, and asked important places, they told Amritsar name also, we asked about their culture (language, dance, religion, etc.). Gradually we tried to go to source of Jallianwala bagh what is Rowlatt act, for which purpose they made this act, and who made this act, when. Based on our perception we explained this,  

We started Jallianwala Bagh topic with Rowlatt act, and its consequences (Dr. Satyapal & Saifuddin Kithullu arrest) this Jallianwala bagh is the consequence of their arrest. We tried to give more described the place of jallianwala bagh. We tried to this discussion manner, what might happens next, in between teacher said to children this we already discussed, please explain this, etc. we wrote the facts on the board. We tried to relate to place problem in jallianwala bagh, general public unfortunate death including, children and women’s death. And who general dyer used rowllact, etc.

We conducted one exam after our teaching, with two questions they are

1.     Give your reflection on the Jaliawala Bagh Incidence? (What do you feel)

2.     Give three key learning from the whole discussion?

When we told about exam, all students started murmuring among themselves, class teacher shouted at them by saying to control their noise,

Some answers (reflections) of them

 

References Roy, K. (2017). Teacher and Curriculum [Recorded by A N B Shyam]. Bangalore, Karnataka, India. Setti, A. (2017). Overview of History and Social Science Education [Recorded by A N B Shyam]. Bangalore, Banglore, India. Tina (2017). Learning Preferences [Recorded by A. N. Shyam]. Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

 

We tried to share their opinions, learnings from classroom discussions, we tried to make the assessment reflective, analytic than factual form.

While we are teaching something they are silent, but when we told about exam they started murmuring in class

Reflections:

With the help of my partner I completed this task, I felt that for those who are new to teaching, 1^st they need some assistance ship, after getting some abstract knowledge from institution we need to work on empirical knowledge, for this if you will assisted by someone, they we may learn better, for this teaching also we need training period.

When teacher shouted at them and controlled them, I also felt shouting is immediate/instant temporary solution to control them in class, but handling with calmness is slightly for me, I felt that I am in wrong direction because of this reinforcements, I don’t like this, after knowing “Direction is important than speed” also, I am still showed interest on reinforcement activities, So I need to learn to be patience, and I also need faith on this quotation “Direction is important than speed”.

After completing my teaching I felt happy with our pedagogic performance in school, but after hearing the overview session of HSSE, in final session of HSSE class,  I am got (learning) many things that I can try to implement those principles in schools, the principles are need to be use in conscious way, Teaching is there is there to create better world, by teaching-process (making them to think), for this analytic process we don’t need to teach facts alone, we need to facts with perspectives and narratives, which will relate us to the present world. (Setti, 2017).

After attending the History & Geography sessions, I felt that without knowing how children will learn, I just taught the children, In future when I am teaching, I need to interest of children in learning also, I need to be conscious whether they are active or passive in learning, I need to try to make them active learners based on their interest, whether they learn by visual, audio, reading or by kinesthetic, I need to try to balance these all preferences in classroom. (Tina, 2017)

I didn’t not do my practicum work completely fine, at the same time dull also. I need to focus on mean not completely on product, I can’t be the perfect teacher, but I can try to be the better facilitator. I have a hope that I might become better teacher (student) with this kind of reflections.