Mila IT Centre - Workshop 4 Marketing Executives
Handout - By C. Radhakrishnan
For some companies, being ready simply means being prepared to launch a limited initiative. PRACTICED CORRECTLY, One-to-one marketing can increase the value of your customer base. The idea is simple: one-to-one marketing (also called relationship marketing or customer-relationship management) means, being able to change your behaviour towards an individual customer based on what the customer tells you and what else you know about that customer.
Why One-to-One?
Initial benefits can be gained from taking steps-even small ones-towards one to one marketing in specific areas. Relationship marketing is grounded in the idea of establishing a learning relationship with each customer, starting with your most valuable ones.
Think of a learning relationship as one that gets smarter with each interaction. The customer tells you of some need, and you customize your product or service to meet it. Every interaction and modification improves your ability to fit your product to this particular customer. Eventually, even if a competitor offers the same type of customization and interaction, your customer won't be able to enjoy the same level of convenience without taking the time to teach the competitor the lessons your company has already learned. There are four key steps for putting a one-to-one marketing program to work: identifying your customers, differentiating among them, interacting with them, and customizing your product or service to fit each individual customer's needs.
Getting Started
The following activities are keyed to the four steps of a one-to-one marketing program: identifying customers, differentiating among them, interacting with them, and customizing your product or service to meet each customer's needs. Most companies should be able to accomplish these activities fairly readily. If you have not yet identified your end-user customers, you can apply these suggestions to your channel partners. At some point, however, you will need to identify and interact with your end-user customers to get the most out of your relationship-marketing program.
Identifying your customers
To launch a one-to-one initiative, your company must be able to locate and contact a fair number of its customers directly, or at least a substantial portion of its most valuable customers. It's critical to know customers in as much detail as possible: not just their names and addressable characteristics (such as addresses, phone numbers, or account codes), but their habits, preferences, and so forth. And not just a snapshot - a one-time questionnaire.
IDENTIFY - ACTIVITY
Collect and enter more customer names into the existing database
Collect additional information about your customers
Verify and update customer data and delete outdated information
Ask your customers one or two questions every time you are in touch with them.
Put your customer files in a systematic way - easily accessible way.
Differentiating your customers
Broadly speaking, customers are different in two principal ways: they represent different levels of value and they have different needs. Once you identify your customers, differentiating them will help you to focus your efforts so as to gain the most advantage with the most valuable customers. You will then be able to tailor your company's behaviour to each customer in order to reflect that customer's value and needs. The degree and type of differentiation in a company's customer base will also help you decide on the appropriate strategy for a given business situation.
DIFFERENTIATE-ACTIVITY
Identify your organization's top customers.
Using last year's sales or other simple, readily available data, take your best guess at identifying the top 25% of your customers.
Determine which customers cost your organization money.
Look for simple rules to isolate the bottom 20% of your customers (such as customers who haven't ordered in more than a year or those who always bid you out) and reduce the amount of mail you send them.
Select several institutions or individual customers you really want to do business with next year.
Add them to your database, and record at least three contact names per institution.
Find higher-value customers who have complained about your product or service more than once in the last year.
'Baby-sit their orders: put a product or quality-assurance person in touch with them - check on your progress.
Look for last year's large customers who have ordered half as much or less this year 'Go visit them now, before your competitor does.
Find customers who buy only one or two products from your company but a lot from others.
Make them an offer they can't refuse to try several more items from you.
Rank customers into A, B, and C categories, roughly based on their value to your company. (Don't try to isolate the top 25% or bottom 20%-any "blunt instrument" criterion such as annual spending or years doing business with the company will work.)
Decrease marketing activities and spending for the C's and use the savings to fund increased activities for the A's.
Interacting with your customers
Improving both the cost-efficiency and the effectiveness of your interactions with customers is a critical component of a one-to-one marketing program. Cost-efficiency improves by directing customer interactions toward more automated and therefore less costly channels. For example, a company that provides helpful, up to-date information at its Web site won't need to spend as much as it once did supporting a more expensive call centre. Effectiveness improves by generating timely, relevant information, providing either better insight into a customer's needs or a more accurate picture of a customer's value. Every interaction with a customer should take place in the context of all previous interactions with that customer. A conversation should pick up where the last one left off, whether the previous interaction occurred last night or last month, at the call centre or on the company’s reception.
INTERACT- ACTIVITY
If you are focusing on channel members, call the top three people at your top 5% of customers.
Don't try to sell-just talk and make sure they are happy.
Call your own friends and ask questions; see how hard it is to get through and get answers.
Test eight to ten different scenarios as a "mystery shopper." Record the calls and criticise them.
Call your competitors to compare their customer service with yours.
Repeat the above activity.
Use incoming calls as selling opportunities.
Offer specials, dose-outs, and trial offers.
Evaluate the voice response unit at your customer information centre.
Make the call centre/recordings sound friendlier, be more helpful, and move customers through the system faster.
Follow the interaction paper trail through your organization
Seek to eliminate steps: reduce cycle times to speed up your response times to customers.
Initiate more dialogue with valuable customers
Use technology to make doing business with your company easier
Print personalized messages on invoices, statements, and envelopes.
Have sales reps sign personal letters rather than mass-mailing letters signed by a senior manager.
Have the right people in your organization - call the right customer executives. (That is, have your CEO call another CEO, or have the VP of marketing call the business owner.)
Call every valuable customer your company has lost in the last two years and give them a reason to return.
Gather the e-mail addresses of your customers in order to follow up with them.
Offer alternative means of communication.
Scan customer information into the database.
Improve complaint management system - Plot how many complaints you receive each handling day and work to improve the ratio of complaints handled on the first call.
Customizing your enterprise's behaviour
Ultimately, to lock a customer into a learning relationship, a company must adapt some aspect of its behaviour to meet that customer's individually expressed needs. This might mean mass-customizing a manufactured product, or it could involve tailoring some aspect of the services surrounding a product-perhaps the way the invoice is rendered or how the product is packaged. In any case, the production or service delivery end of your business has to be able to treat a particular customer differently based on what was learned about that customer by the sales, marketing, or any other department. In rushing to reap the rewards of relationship marketing, it's easy for a business to overlook this critical fourth step, leading many to misunderstand the entire discipline as simply an excuse for direct mail and telemarketing.
CUSTOMIZE-ACTIVITY
Customize paperwork to save your customers time and your company money
Use regional and subject-specific versions of catalogues.
Personalize your direct mail
Use customer information to individualize offers.
Keep the mailings simple.
Fill out forms for your customers
Ask customers how, and how often, they want to hear from you
Use laser equipment to save time and make you look smarter.
‘Use fax, e-mail, postal mail, or personal visits as the customer specifies.
Find out what your customers want
Ask your top ten customers what you can do differently to improve your product or service 'invite customers to focus groups or discussion meetings to solicit their reactions to your products, policies, and procedures.
Respond to their suggestions.
Follow up and repeat the process.
Involve top management in customer relations
Give them lists of questions to ask based on the history of individual customers.
These four implementation steps overlap considerably. Nevertheless, they are roughly in order of increasing complexity and increasing benefit for a company. Identifying and differentiating customers, the first two steps, are largely internal "analysis" steps, whereas interacting with your customers and customizing products and services are external "action" steps, visible to the consumer.
From that perspective, the four steps can he used as a kind of general checklist to guide your efforts in implementing a one-to-one marketing program. If you can't identify your individual customers, you have no hope of differentiating them, much less adapting your behaviour to address each one's needs.
Good luck to your new endeavour in marketing!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTS, REACTIONS, & SUGGESTIONS
You can always email me for clarification or assistance.
smartteacher@rediffmail.com
http://chettourhorizonsforteaching.blogspot.com
Monday, December 29, 2008
Introduction to Soft Skills
Mila IT Centre - Workshop 4 Executives
Handout - C. Radhakrishnan
“We are being judged by a new yardstick; not just how smart we are, or by our training and expertise, but also how well we handle ourselves and each other.”
Daniel Goleman, PhD.
GOOD PERSONALITY
Attributes of a person with “Good personality”?
Good physique
Pleasing manners
Personal and Professional integrity
Trustworthiness and reliability
Good control over body and mind
PERSONAL BENEFITS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Greater career success
Stronger personal relationships
Increased optimism and confidence
Better health
PROFESSIONAL BENEFITS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Effective leadership skills
Improved communication
Less workplace conflict
Better problem solving skills
Increased likelihood of promotion
THE FIVE ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES
A) Relate to Ourselves – 1) Self-Awareness – 2) Self-Regulation – 3) Self-Motivation
B) Relate to Others – 1) Empathy - 2) Effective Relationship
8 MENTAL STEPS TO SELF-MOTIVATION
Use visual motivators: Inspirational quote or poster - Cartoon or joke
Keep positive friends: Those support and build you up
Read and listen well: Books and tapes
Positive self-talk: Be your own best encourager
Life can be tough -get used to it: Life is not always fair; it’s rarely easy. Stop thinking life should be easy.
Keep a positive attitude: Choose your attitude towards your circumstances.
Take a break: Take some time to re-charge your emotional and spiritual batteries.
Share with others: Once you are motivated yourself, start motivating others. It will drive you to new heights of accomplishment!
Ten Commandments of Human Relationships
1. Speak to People
2. Smile at People
3. Call People by Name
4. Be Friendly and Helpful
5. Be Cordial
6. Be Genuinely Interested In People
7. Be Generous With Praise
8. Be Considerate
9. Be Alert
10. Have a Good Sense of Humour
Don't take yourself too seriously. When you add lots of patience, and humility, you will have a recipe for enduring success.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE MAP
Self-Awareness
Emotional Awareness
Accurate Self-Assessment
Self-Confidence
Self Management
Self Control
Trustworthiness
Conscientiousness
Adaptability
Innovation
Motivation
Achievement Drive
Commitment
Initiative
Optimism
Empathy
Developing Others
Service Orientation
Leveraging Diversity
Political Awareness
Social Skills (Relationships)
Influence
Communication
Conflict Management
Leadership
Change Catalyst
Building Bonds
Collaboration & Cooperation
Team Capabilities
THE MOST IMPORTANT PERFORMANCE DIMENSIONS BEING SOUGHT BY
PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS
#1 = Interpersonal Skills
#2 = Ethics and Integrity 80%
#3 = Leadership
#4 = Perseverance
#5 = Knowledge ------------- 20%
THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTS, REACTIONS, & SUGGESTIONS
You can always email me for clarification or assistance.
smartteacher@rediffmail.com
http://chettourhorizonsforteaching.blogspot.com
Handout - C. Radhakrishnan
“We are being judged by a new yardstick; not just how smart we are, or by our training and expertise, but also how well we handle ourselves and each other.”
Daniel Goleman, PhD.
GOOD PERSONALITY
Attributes of a person with “Good personality”?
Good physique
Pleasing manners
Personal and Professional integrity
Trustworthiness and reliability
Good control over body and mind
PERSONAL BENEFITS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Greater career success
Stronger personal relationships
Increased optimism and confidence
Better health
PROFESSIONAL BENEFITS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Effective leadership skills
Improved communication
Less workplace conflict
Better problem solving skills
Increased likelihood of promotion
THE FIVE ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES
A) Relate to Ourselves – 1) Self-Awareness – 2) Self-Regulation – 3) Self-Motivation
B) Relate to Others – 1) Empathy - 2) Effective Relationship
8 MENTAL STEPS TO SELF-MOTIVATION
Use visual motivators: Inspirational quote or poster - Cartoon or joke
Keep positive friends: Those support and build you up
Read and listen well: Books and tapes
Positive self-talk: Be your own best encourager
Life can be tough -get used to it: Life is not always fair; it’s rarely easy. Stop thinking life should be easy.
Keep a positive attitude: Choose your attitude towards your circumstances.
Take a break: Take some time to re-charge your emotional and spiritual batteries.
Share with others: Once you are motivated yourself, start motivating others. It will drive you to new heights of accomplishment!
Ten Commandments of Human Relationships
1. Speak to People
2. Smile at People
3. Call People by Name
4. Be Friendly and Helpful
5. Be Cordial
6. Be Genuinely Interested In People
7. Be Generous With Praise
8. Be Considerate
9. Be Alert
10. Have a Good Sense of Humour
Don't take yourself too seriously. When you add lots of patience, and humility, you will have a recipe for enduring success.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE MAP
Self-Awareness
Emotional Awareness
Accurate Self-Assessment
Self-Confidence
Self Management
Self Control
Trustworthiness
Conscientiousness
Adaptability
Innovation
Motivation
Achievement Drive
Commitment
Initiative
Optimism
Empathy
Developing Others
Service Orientation
Leveraging Diversity
Political Awareness
Social Skills (Relationships)
Influence
Communication
Conflict Management
Leadership
Change Catalyst
Building Bonds
Collaboration & Cooperation
Team Capabilities
THE MOST IMPORTANT PERFORMANCE DIMENSIONS BEING SOUGHT BY
PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS
#1 = Interpersonal Skills
#2 = Ethics and Integrity 80%
#3 = Leadership
#4 = Perseverance
#5 = Knowledge ------------- 20%
THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTS, REACTIONS, & SUGGESTIONS
You can always email me for clarification or assistance.
smartteacher@rediffmail.com
http://chettourhorizonsforteaching.blogspot.com
EFFECTIVE TEACHING
Workshop Handout - By C. Radhakrishnan
TEN CHARACTERISTICS:
1. Clarity of Explanations and Directions.
2. Establishing a task-oriented classroom climate.
3. Making use of variety of learning activities.
4. Establishing and maintaining momentum and pace for the lesson.
5. Encouraging students’ participation and getting every one involved.
6. Monitoring students’ progress and attending quickly to students needs.
7. Delivering a well structured and well organised lesson.
8. Providing students with positive and constructive feedback.
9. Ensuring coverage of the learning objective.
10. Making good use of questioning techniques.
Self Evaluation Questionnaire for Teachers
This assessment will help you determine your teaching style.
1. Do you find your teaching style:
• may lead to an inflexibility for managing the concerns of students.
• may cause students to feel inadequate when they can't follow your example.
• works well for most students but is very time consuming.
• may leave students feeling anxious about their ability to meet your expectations.
2. Which of the following do you like to use for evaluating student learning?
• teacher made tests.
• student self-assessment tests.
• performance based criteria.
• problem solving and critical thinking.
3. When planning lessons, you prefer to have:
• whole class lessons.
• role playing.
• peer tutoring.
• Brain storming.
4. When you teach face to face, your instructional time includes:
• lectures.
• demonstrations.
• films/videos.
• class discussion/brainstorming.
5. You believe in teaching by:
• being the source of information.
• personal example and establishing a prototype.
• emphasizing student-teacher interactions.
• being a resource person as needed by the student.
6. One of your goals is to have your student:
• function well within the learning structures needed.
• observe and emulate what was observed.
• able to work independently and under his/her own initiative.
• able to work in an autonomous manner.
7. One advantage of your teaching style is that it:
• focuses on clear expectations.
• emphasizes direct observation.
• allows students personal flexibility.
• helps students see themselves as independent learners.
8. Assignments given to students are usually based on:
• your personal preferences or on specific instructional models.
• a sequence of steps leading to mastery but which you organize.
• a student portfolio or learning log which has a self assessment component.
• problem solving based on research of course material.
9. Your teaching style develops a rhythm which contains:
• four steps: content selection, presentation/reception, reflection, application.
• three steps: selection, skill development, mastery performance.
• five steps: creating awareness, collecting data, choosing innovation, implementing a plan, reviewing results.
• twelve steps: ranging from pose and reflect on a problem, skill development exercises to interim evaluation, learner responses and development of solutions.
You can always email me for clarification or assistance.
smartteacher@rediffmail.com
THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTS, REACTIONS & SUGGESTIONS.
TEN CHARACTERISTICS:
1. Clarity of Explanations and Directions.
2. Establishing a task-oriented classroom climate.
3. Making use of variety of learning activities.
4. Establishing and maintaining momentum and pace for the lesson.
5. Encouraging students’ participation and getting every one involved.
6. Monitoring students’ progress and attending quickly to students needs.
7. Delivering a well structured and well organised lesson.
8. Providing students with positive and constructive feedback.
9. Ensuring coverage of the learning objective.
10. Making good use of questioning techniques.
Self Evaluation Questionnaire for Teachers
This assessment will help you determine your teaching style.
1. Do you find your teaching style:
• may lead to an inflexibility for managing the concerns of students.
• may cause students to feel inadequate when they can't follow your example.
• works well for most students but is very time consuming.
• may leave students feeling anxious about their ability to meet your expectations.
2. Which of the following do you like to use for evaluating student learning?
• teacher made tests.
• student self-assessment tests.
• performance based criteria.
• problem solving and critical thinking.
3. When planning lessons, you prefer to have:
• whole class lessons.
• role playing.
• peer tutoring.
• Brain storming.
4. When you teach face to face, your instructional time includes:
• lectures.
• demonstrations.
• films/videos.
• class discussion/brainstorming.
5. You believe in teaching by:
• being the source of information.
• personal example and establishing a prototype.
• emphasizing student-teacher interactions.
• being a resource person as needed by the student.
6. One of your goals is to have your student:
• function well within the learning structures needed.
• observe and emulate what was observed.
• able to work independently and under his/her own initiative.
• able to work in an autonomous manner.
7. One advantage of your teaching style is that it:
• focuses on clear expectations.
• emphasizes direct observation.
• allows students personal flexibility.
• helps students see themselves as independent learners.
8. Assignments given to students are usually based on:
• your personal preferences or on specific instructional models.
• a sequence of steps leading to mastery but which you organize.
• a student portfolio or learning log which has a self assessment component.
• problem solving based on research of course material.
9. Your teaching style develops a rhythm which contains:
• four steps: content selection, presentation/reception, reflection, application.
• three steps: selection, skill development, mastery performance.
• five steps: creating awareness, collecting data, choosing innovation, implementing a plan, reviewing results.
• twelve steps: ranging from pose and reflect on a problem, skill development exercises to interim evaluation, learner responses and development of solutions.
You can always email me for clarification or assistance.
smartteacher@rediffmail.com
THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTS, REACTIONS & SUGGESTIONS.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
MAJOR ORIENTATIONS OF LEARNING
Digital Workshop Handout - By C. Radhakrishnan
(Source: http://chettourhorizonsforteaching.blogspot.com)
Behaviourist:
Key Advocates:
“Psychology as the behaviourist views it is a purely objective experimental branch of natural science. Its theoretical goal is the prediction and control of behaviour.” - Watson, 1913.
What is learned?
All behaviour is learnt and can be determined.
Environment shapes behaviour.
Four key principles according to James Hartley (1998):
• Activity is important
• Repetition, generalisation and discrimination are important notions
• Reinforcement is the cardinal motivator
• Learning is helped when objectives are clear
• Learning process takes place through the connection of stimuli and response (S - R)
• Importance of contiguity and reinforcement.
Goal of education:
• To produce behavioural change that will ensure survival of human species, societies and individuals. (Merriam & Cafarella, 1999: 252).
Main principles:
Behavioural objectives (which would demonstrate the students’ understanding).
• Competency-based education.
• Skill development and training.
• Importance of feedback.
• Active and experiential learning (learning by doing).
• ‘Deterministic’ problem solving.
• Student is not responsible for his/her learning; environment is.
• Computerised and programmed instruction.
• Teacher facilitates environment, stimuli and reinforcement.
Humanist:
Key advocates:
Humanism is a movement in psychology which emerged in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Humanism has its roots in counselling psychology and focuses its attention on how individuals acquire emotions, attitudes, values and interpersonal skills. Humanist perspectives tend to be grounded more in philosophy than in research. (Ormrod 1999)
What is learning?
Intrinsic motivation of learner influences what is learned
The learning which occurs is dependent on self actualizing tendency of the individual
“The motivation for learning and change springs from the self-actualizing tendency of life itself, the tendency for the organism to flow into all the differentiated channels of potential development, insofar as these are experienced as enhancing.” (Rogers 1967)
(Source: http://www.ais.msstate.edu/TALS/unit3/3moduleB.html)
Goal of education:
Aim of humanistic educational strategies is to lead out the potential of the student to assist them in their quest for self-actualisation. (Stapleton 2001)
The major characteristics of human nature according to Rogers (1951) adapted from Lefrancois (1997) p. 243
• Reality is phenomenological
• Behaviour is motivated by the need to self-actualise.
• Behaviour occurs within the context of personal realities.
• The self is constructed by the individual
• Our behaviours conform with our notions of self.
Main principles:
• Experiential learning
• Student centred approach
• Teachers as facilitators of student learning
• Focus on the process of learning rather than the
• Acquisition of facts.
• Problem solving
• Education system should fit the student (Stapleton, 2001)
• Holistic education
Cognitivist:
Key Advocates:
“Learning is something that takes place inside a person’s head – in the brain.” (Robert Gagne)
What is learning?
However, even while accepting such behaviourist concepts, cognitive theorist view learning as involving the acquisition or reorganisation of the cognitive structures through which humans process and store information.” (Good and Brophy 1990)
Goal of education:
• To bring about learning through thought process.
Main principles:
• Memory
• Perceptions
• Emotions
• Experience
• Language
Social Learning:
Key advocates:
“Bandura’s social learning theory is referred to as observational learning, which implies that new responses are learned through observing the behaviours of others. Rather than experiencing reinforcement for them, people can learn through vicarious reinforcement, which means that we internalize the consequences of other peoples’ actions, and thus adjust our behaviours as functions of those consequences.” (http://www.ubishops.ca/index.asp)
What is learning?
Learning is interaction with and observation of others in a social context / interaction between person and society/environment.
Theorists may view the learner as not being in control in this relationship (behaviourist) or as active (humanist).
Goals of education:
• The purpose of education is to model new roles and behaviour / to teach people how to act in a social context.
Main principles:
• Social roles
• Mentoring
• Group work and team work
• Collaborative learning
• Experiential learning
• Informal learning
• Lifelong learning
• Any theory of andragogy must take account of the relationship between the person and society
• Adult education is often seen as a vehicle for addressing social issues
Constructivist:
Key Advocates:
‘Give a person a fish and you give him a meal; teach him how to fish and you feed him for life.’
What is learning?
Constructivist theory refers to the learner’s ability to construct knowledge through active engagement with their environment.
“…meaningful learning relies on active engagement in planning, problem-solving, communicating, and creating, rather than rote memorisation and repetition. Learning is a process by which people make sense of their environment and personal history. The acquisition of new knowledge is affected and shaped by prior knowledge, interaction with others, experience, and inherited predispositions. Our ability to learn is also influenced by logic, emotion, intuition, and motivation.” (Malone, 2003)
Goal of education:
• Focus is on the student – the approach is student centred. The student(s) interacts with environment with the aim of constructing new meanings, understanding, or experiences of the world.
Main principles:
• Co-operative problem solving
• Experiential Learning
• Peer tutoring
• Self-directed learning
• Group work
• Learning to learn
• Situated learning
• Social learning
• Learning is shared and negotiated
• Reflective practice
• Guided discovery
Print & Online References:
Corey, G. (2001). Theory and practices of counseling and psychotherapy (6th Ed.). California. Brooks/Cole.
Schultz, D. & Schultz, S.E. (1998). Theories of personality (6th Ed.). California. Brooks/Cole.
Rathus, S.A. (1995). Psychologie generale (3th Ed.). Laval, Quebec. Editions Etudes Vivantes.
Miller, H. (2001). Stanley Milgram, 1933-1984. Available at: www.fates.cns.muskingum.edu/~psych/psychweb/history/milgram.htm
Reyes, M. (2001). Class bio of Leon Festinger. Available at: www.utexas.edu/coc/journalism/SOURCES/j363/festinger/html
Zimbardo, P.G. (2002). Welcome to the homepage of professor Philip G. Zimbardo. Available at: www.zimbardo.com
http://www.ais.msstate.edu/TALS/unit3/3moduleB.html
http://images.google.co.uk
Copyright: Horizons, http://chettourhorizonsforteaching.blogspot.com
(Source: http://chettourhorizonsforteaching.blogspot.com)
Behaviourist:
Key Advocates:
“Psychology as the behaviourist views it is a purely objective experimental branch of natural science. Its theoretical goal is the prediction and control of behaviour.” - Watson, 1913.
What is learned?
All behaviour is learnt and can be determined.
Environment shapes behaviour.
Four key principles according to James Hartley (1998):
• Activity is important
• Repetition, generalisation and discrimination are important notions
• Reinforcement is the cardinal motivator
• Learning is helped when objectives are clear
• Learning process takes place through the connection of stimuli and response (S - R)
• Importance of contiguity and reinforcement.
Goal of education:
• To produce behavioural change that will ensure survival of human species, societies and individuals. (Merriam & Cafarella, 1999: 252).
Main principles:
Behavioural objectives (which would demonstrate the students’ understanding).
• Competency-based education.
• Skill development and training.
• Importance of feedback.
• Active and experiential learning (learning by doing).
• ‘Deterministic’ problem solving.
• Student is not responsible for his/her learning; environment is.
• Computerised and programmed instruction.
• Teacher facilitates environment, stimuli and reinforcement.
Humanist:
Key advocates:
Humanism is a movement in psychology which emerged in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Humanism has its roots in counselling psychology and focuses its attention on how individuals acquire emotions, attitudes, values and interpersonal skills. Humanist perspectives tend to be grounded more in philosophy than in research. (Ormrod 1999)
What is learning?
Intrinsic motivation of learner influences what is learned
The learning which occurs is dependent on self actualizing tendency of the individual
“The motivation for learning and change springs from the self-actualizing tendency of life itself, the tendency for the organism to flow into all the differentiated channels of potential development, insofar as these are experienced as enhancing.” (Rogers 1967)
(Source: http://www.ais.msstate.edu/TALS/unit3/3moduleB.html)
Goal of education:
Aim of humanistic educational strategies is to lead out the potential of the student to assist them in their quest for self-actualisation. (Stapleton 2001)
The major characteristics of human nature according to Rogers (1951) adapted from Lefrancois (1997) p. 243
• Reality is phenomenological
• Behaviour is motivated by the need to self-actualise.
• Behaviour occurs within the context of personal realities.
• The self is constructed by the individual
• Our behaviours conform with our notions of self.
Main principles:
• Experiential learning
• Student centred approach
• Teachers as facilitators of student learning
• Focus on the process of learning rather than the
• Acquisition of facts.
• Problem solving
• Education system should fit the student (Stapleton, 2001)
• Holistic education
Cognitivist:
Key Advocates:
“Learning is something that takes place inside a person’s head – in the brain.” (Robert Gagne)
What is learning?
However, even while accepting such behaviourist concepts, cognitive theorist view learning as involving the acquisition or reorganisation of the cognitive structures through which humans process and store information.” (Good and Brophy 1990)
Goal of education:
• To bring about learning through thought process.
Main principles:
• Memory
• Perceptions
• Emotions
• Experience
• Language
Social Learning:
Key advocates:
“Bandura’s social learning theory is referred to as observational learning, which implies that new responses are learned through observing the behaviours of others. Rather than experiencing reinforcement for them, people can learn through vicarious reinforcement, which means that we internalize the consequences of other peoples’ actions, and thus adjust our behaviours as functions of those consequences.” (http://www.ubishops.ca/index.asp)
What is learning?
Learning is interaction with and observation of others in a social context / interaction between person and society/environment.
Theorists may view the learner as not being in control in this relationship (behaviourist) or as active (humanist).
Goals of education:
• The purpose of education is to model new roles and behaviour / to teach people how to act in a social context.
Main principles:
• Social roles
• Mentoring
• Group work and team work
• Collaborative learning
• Experiential learning
• Informal learning
• Lifelong learning
• Any theory of andragogy must take account of the relationship between the person and society
• Adult education is often seen as a vehicle for addressing social issues
Constructivist:
Key Advocates:
‘Give a person a fish and you give him a meal; teach him how to fish and you feed him for life.’
What is learning?
Constructivist theory refers to the learner’s ability to construct knowledge through active engagement with their environment.
“…meaningful learning relies on active engagement in planning, problem-solving, communicating, and creating, rather than rote memorisation and repetition. Learning is a process by which people make sense of their environment and personal history. The acquisition of new knowledge is affected and shaped by prior knowledge, interaction with others, experience, and inherited predispositions. Our ability to learn is also influenced by logic, emotion, intuition, and motivation.” (Malone, 2003)
Goal of education:
• Focus is on the student – the approach is student centred. The student(s) interacts with environment with the aim of constructing new meanings, understanding, or experiences of the world.
Main principles:
• Co-operative problem solving
• Experiential Learning
• Peer tutoring
• Self-directed learning
• Group work
• Learning to learn
• Situated learning
• Social learning
• Learning is shared and negotiated
• Reflective practice
• Guided discovery
Print & Online References:
Corey, G. (2001). Theory and practices of counseling and psychotherapy (6th Ed.). California. Brooks/Cole.
Schultz, D. & Schultz, S.E. (1998). Theories of personality (6th Ed.). California. Brooks/Cole.
Rathus, S.A. (1995). Psychologie generale (3th Ed.). Laval, Quebec. Editions Etudes Vivantes.
Miller, H. (2001). Stanley Milgram, 1933-1984. Available at: www.fates.cns.muskingum.edu/~psych/psychweb/history/milgram.htm
Reyes, M. (2001). Class bio of Leon Festinger. Available at: www.utexas.edu/coc/journalism/SOURCES/j363/festinger/html
Zimbardo, P.G. (2002). Welcome to the homepage of professor Philip G. Zimbardo. Available at: www.zimbardo.com
http://www.ais.msstate.edu/TALS/unit3/3moduleB.html
http://images.google.co.uk
Copyright: Horizons, http://chettourhorizonsforteaching.blogspot.com
Monday, December 8, 2008
Assessing Classroom Involvement
The following criteria chart is used in the class to assess student involvement and interest in classroom activities.
Blooms Taxonomy
By C. Radhakrishnan
Taxonomy is the science or technique of classification.
Bloom's Taxonomy classified learning into six main parts.
1. Knowledge- The ability to draw on previously learned data.
2. Comprehension- Grasp meaning then explain and extrapolate.
3. Application- Using learned material in life situations.
4. Analysis- Separating information and creating links between those parts
5. Synthesis- Taking separate ideas and forming new, whole ideas.
6. Evaluation- Judge the worth of material.
Use of these classifications can help to expand the horizons of students. As they work to build upon their knowledge, create links between various topics, form new ideas, determine what's good, and then apply it all to their life, many windows and doors will open up. They will develop their talents and achieve higher levels of learning, which was a main goal of Benjamin Bloom.
Here is a diagram of Bloom's Taxonomy: Learning in Action
Taxonomy is the science or technique of classification.
Bloom's Taxonomy classified learning into six main parts.
1. Knowledge- The ability to draw on previously learned data.
2. Comprehension- Grasp meaning then explain and extrapolate.
3. Application- Using learned material in life situations.
4. Analysis- Separating information and creating links between those parts
5. Synthesis- Taking separate ideas and forming new, whole ideas.
6. Evaluation- Judge the worth of material.
Use of these classifications can help to expand the horizons of students. As they work to build upon their knowledge, create links between various topics, form new ideas, determine what's good, and then apply it all to their life, many windows and doors will open up. They will develop their talents and achieve higher levels of learning, which was a main goal of Benjamin Bloom.
Here is a diagram of Bloom's Taxonomy: Learning in Action
Industrial Revolution - Creative Writing
The following worksheet is used for encouraging creative writing amongst the students. It can be used for group activity or for individual activity. If conducted in group, students would learn to work in a group.
Notebook Evaluation
The criteria template given below for notebook correction, if used properly, would give the teacher a clear idea about each student in the class. Based on that it is very easy for the teacher to guide the student and to give proper feedback to all concerned.
IndustrialRevolution
This worksheet motivates the child to understand meanings of various terms related with Industrial Revolution.
Answer Key:
Answer Key:
Behavioural Check List
This check list is used for assessing and giving proper feedback to the students and parents on the behavioural aspects.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
THAT NOBLE PROFESSION - TEACHER
By C. Radhakrishnan & Ancy
A teachers room poster designed by us in the Mattupatti Top background, emphasising the nobility of our noble profession 'Teacher'. Whenever we think about this profession, we feel very much thankful to god for making us also teachers.
A teachers room poster designed by us in the Mattupatti Top background, emphasising the nobility of our noble profession 'Teacher'. Whenever we think about this profession, we feel very much thankful to god for making us also teachers.
Friday, December 5, 2008
SWOT TEMPLATE 4 STUDENTS
By C. Radhakrishnan
This Swot Template was prepared and utilized for understanding strength and weaknesses of students studying in my class. By making the children complete this template in the beginning of the academic year, the teacher can have a very good idea about different types of learners in the class and can plan the lessons and other activities to suit every one in the class one way or the other.
This Swot Template was prepared and utilized for understanding strength and weaknesses of students studying in my class. By making the children complete this template in the beginning of the academic year, the teacher can have a very good idea about different types of learners in the class and can plan the lessons and other activities to suit every one in the class one way or the other.
SIX HATS TO YOUR STUDENTS
How to teach the Six Hats to your students?
Workshop Handout - Bharat Vidya Bhavan, Payyanur
By C. Radhakrishnan
Materials:
1.White, red, yellow, black, green, blue poster board for Six Hats
Getting Started:
1. Before teaching the hats, you need to construct all of your hats. Cut out six hats from the poster board.
2. Write the words below on the hats :( I found these words to be the easiest for the students to understand.)
• White hat-Facts
• Yellow hat- Good
• Red hat-Feelings
• Green hat-Create
• Black hat-Caution
• Blue hat- Understanding
Procedures:
Day One:
1. Pick a topic in which the entire class is interested. (Movies, cricket, songs, toys, candy, etc.) I used movies/sport. What child does not like sport?
2. Introduce a new hat to the children each day. This way they won’t be overwhelmed.
3. Begin by holding up the white hat. Ask the children, what word is on the white hat? Tell the children you are going to ask them all white hat questions. For example, who throws the football during a football game? What is it called when you score a point in football? Every time a child answers the questions correctly, tell them to come, stand on the hat with you.
4. Next, tell the children that they need to ask the questions now. Tell them they can only ask white hat questions. Have them ask to one another. Once they ask a white hat question they can come up on the hat. (Continue until everyone has a turn.)
Day Two:
1. Review the white hat. Ask the students white hat questions and have them ask white hat questions. Introduce the red hat. Hold up the hat and ask the students what word is on the red hat? Tell the children all of these questions are red hat questions. Begin asking questions.
2. For example, how do you feel when you are hit with a ball in dodge ball? How do you feel after music class? Continue asking questions. If the children seem to understand, let them begin asking questions. Every time a child answers a question correctly, they can stand on that hat.
3. When dismissing the children to retrieve their things for home, review the hats. Ask them red and white hat questions and have them tell you if it is a red hat or white hat question. This helps to see if children truly understand.
Day Three:
1. Review the white and red hats. Next, ask the students to tell you if you are asking them white or red hat questions and have them ask you questions.
2. Hold up the black hat. Ask the children what the black hat means. Then begin asking black hat questions. For example, why should you be cautious while playing cricket? What should you be careful about when running with your shoes untied? After asking the students questions, if they understand move onto letting them ask the questions. Every time a child asks or answers a question, they may come and stand on that hat.
3. When dismissing the children, ask them white, red, and black hat questions to see if they can say which colour hat question that is.
Day Four:
1. Review the white, red, and black hats. Ask the students to tell you if you are asking white, red, or black hat questions.
2. Hold up the yellow hat and ask the students what the yellow hat means. Begin by asking all yellow hat questions. (Inform the students that this is the opposite of the black hat.) For example, what do you like about a particular movie? Why do you like playing football? Etc. Keep asking questions until students appear to understand. Then allow them to ask the questions. Every time they ask or answer a question, they can stand on the hat.
3. When finishing the review of all of the previous hats, ask questions to see if they know what colour hat question you are asking; however, this time tell them that they have to answer the question and tell the colour of the hat.
Day Five:
1. Review the white, red, black, and yellow hats. Have the students ask questions and tell what hat question they asked.
2. Hold up the green hat and ask the students what the green hat means. This hat is more difficult to understand, but keep on and they will comprehend the process of creativity. Ask only green hat questions. For example, how could you create your own bat for a cricket match? What if I was running around during dance class and my friend pushed me, what should I do? (Ask plenty of green hat questions to make sure the children understand.) Make sure the students are coming up to stand on the hat when they answer or ask a question.
3. Have the children begin asking green hat questions to their classmates.
4. Finish by asking the students hat questions. Tell the students you are going to ask them questions, and they have to first answer it and then tell what colour hat question it is. Ask white, red, black, yellow, and green hat questions.
Day Six:
1. Review all of the previous hats. Ask the students a few questions and have them answer. Ask a few students to ask questions and have fellow classmates answer.
2. Move to the last hat, the blue hat. This is the most complicated hat, so just go slowly. Hold up the blue hat as you stand on a chair/table. Ask the children what I may see that is different now? You are trying to get the students to look at things from another perspective, nicknamed out of the box. Tell them to pretend they are a bird in the sky looking down. Get them to look at things deeply and differently. If desired, stand next to a child and let them stand on the chair to experience looking at things differently.
3. Ask the children what the blue hat means. Begin blue hat questions. For example, explain to me how to play chess? Ask them to sequence the events in their dance class. Continue asking those questions, and then let them proceed with the questioning.
4. When dismissing the class, ask a few students to create a blue hat question.
Day Seven: Culminating Experience
1. Review six hats by asking the students all different coloured hat questions. (Make sure you cover all of them.)Have the students answer and tell which colour hat it is.
2. Pick a student and tell him/her to ask a particular colour hat question. For example, Ask a green hat question? This will also check for complete understanding.
3. After reviewing, tell the children we are going to have a topic quiz. Call six children up and have them pretend they are quiz masters. They can only speak/ask questions being the particular colour hat that they received. They are not limited to questions; they can make statements as well.
4. Continue this with other children. Have the children who have had a turn hand their hat off to someone new and pick a new topic.
5. Everyone should have a turn. Let the children know that if they are struggling, they can ask for help.
Tips:
1. Does this at the end of the day. The children get very excited and motivated.
2. Allow fifteen to twenty minutes at the end of the day for the HATS.
3. Suggested time is about seven days, one hat per day and a culminating experience.
4. Ask about five questions when teaching each hat. If they do not seem to understand, wait and ask more questions.
5. If you have a large area, put all six hats out, present a question, and have the children run to the corresponding question.
6. This works with any age level.
7. Have fun, and do not be afraid! Jump right in!
Workshop Handout - Bharat Vidya Bhavan, Payyanur
By C. Radhakrishnan
Materials:
1.White, red, yellow, black, green, blue poster board for Six Hats
Getting Started:
1. Before teaching the hats, you need to construct all of your hats. Cut out six hats from the poster board.
2. Write the words below on the hats :( I found these words to be the easiest for the students to understand.)
• White hat-Facts
• Yellow hat- Good
• Red hat-Feelings
• Green hat-Create
• Black hat-Caution
• Blue hat- Understanding
Procedures:
Day One:
1. Pick a topic in which the entire class is interested. (Movies, cricket, songs, toys, candy, etc.) I used movies/sport. What child does not like sport?
2. Introduce a new hat to the children each day. This way they won’t be overwhelmed.
3. Begin by holding up the white hat. Ask the children, what word is on the white hat? Tell the children you are going to ask them all white hat questions. For example, who throws the football during a football game? What is it called when you score a point in football? Every time a child answers the questions correctly, tell them to come, stand on the hat with you.
4. Next, tell the children that they need to ask the questions now. Tell them they can only ask white hat questions. Have them ask to one another. Once they ask a white hat question they can come up on the hat. (Continue until everyone has a turn.)
Day Two:
1. Review the white hat. Ask the students white hat questions and have them ask white hat questions. Introduce the red hat. Hold up the hat and ask the students what word is on the red hat? Tell the children all of these questions are red hat questions. Begin asking questions.
2. For example, how do you feel when you are hit with a ball in dodge ball? How do you feel after music class? Continue asking questions. If the children seem to understand, let them begin asking questions. Every time a child answers a question correctly, they can stand on that hat.
3. When dismissing the children to retrieve their things for home, review the hats. Ask them red and white hat questions and have them tell you if it is a red hat or white hat question. This helps to see if children truly understand.
Day Three:
1. Review the white and red hats. Next, ask the students to tell you if you are asking them white or red hat questions and have them ask you questions.
2. Hold up the black hat. Ask the children what the black hat means. Then begin asking black hat questions. For example, why should you be cautious while playing cricket? What should you be careful about when running with your shoes untied? After asking the students questions, if they understand move onto letting them ask the questions. Every time a child asks or answers a question, they may come and stand on that hat.
3. When dismissing the children, ask them white, red, and black hat questions to see if they can say which colour hat question that is.
Day Four:
1. Review the white, red, and black hats. Ask the students to tell you if you are asking white, red, or black hat questions.
2. Hold up the yellow hat and ask the students what the yellow hat means. Begin by asking all yellow hat questions. (Inform the students that this is the opposite of the black hat.) For example, what do you like about a particular movie? Why do you like playing football? Etc. Keep asking questions until students appear to understand. Then allow them to ask the questions. Every time they ask or answer a question, they can stand on the hat.
3. When finishing the review of all of the previous hats, ask questions to see if they know what colour hat question you are asking; however, this time tell them that they have to answer the question and tell the colour of the hat.
Day Five:
1. Review the white, red, black, and yellow hats. Have the students ask questions and tell what hat question they asked.
2. Hold up the green hat and ask the students what the green hat means. This hat is more difficult to understand, but keep on and they will comprehend the process of creativity. Ask only green hat questions. For example, how could you create your own bat for a cricket match? What if I was running around during dance class and my friend pushed me, what should I do? (Ask plenty of green hat questions to make sure the children understand.) Make sure the students are coming up to stand on the hat when they answer or ask a question.
3. Have the children begin asking green hat questions to their classmates.
4. Finish by asking the students hat questions. Tell the students you are going to ask them questions, and they have to first answer it and then tell what colour hat question it is. Ask white, red, black, yellow, and green hat questions.
Day Six:
1. Review all of the previous hats. Ask the students a few questions and have them answer. Ask a few students to ask questions and have fellow classmates answer.
2. Move to the last hat, the blue hat. This is the most complicated hat, so just go slowly. Hold up the blue hat as you stand on a chair/table. Ask the children what I may see that is different now? You are trying to get the students to look at things from another perspective, nicknamed out of the box. Tell them to pretend they are a bird in the sky looking down. Get them to look at things deeply and differently. If desired, stand next to a child and let them stand on the chair to experience looking at things differently.
3. Ask the children what the blue hat means. Begin blue hat questions. For example, explain to me how to play chess? Ask them to sequence the events in their dance class. Continue asking those questions, and then let them proceed with the questioning.
4. When dismissing the class, ask a few students to create a blue hat question.
Day Seven: Culminating Experience
1. Review six hats by asking the students all different coloured hat questions. (Make sure you cover all of them.)Have the students answer and tell which colour hat it is.
2. Pick a student and tell him/her to ask a particular colour hat question. For example, Ask a green hat question? This will also check for complete understanding.
3. After reviewing, tell the children we are going to have a topic quiz. Call six children up and have them pretend they are quiz masters. They can only speak/ask questions being the particular colour hat that they received. They are not limited to questions; they can make statements as well.
4. Continue this with other children. Have the children who have had a turn hand their hat off to someone new and pick a new topic.
5. Everyone should have a turn. Let the children know that if they are struggling, they can ask for help.
Tips:
1. Does this at the end of the day. The children get very excited and motivated.
2. Allow fifteen to twenty minutes at the end of the day for the HATS.
3. Suggested time is about seven days, one hat per day and a culminating experience.
4. Ask about five questions when teaching each hat. If they do not seem to understand, wait and ask more questions.
5. If you have a large area, put all six hats out, present a question, and have the children run to the corresponding question.
6. This works with any age level.
7. Have fun, and do not be afraid! Jump right in!
A Lesson on Stress Management
By C. Radhakrishnan
In modern times Stress has become a Buzzword and legitimate concern for people of all walks of life. No one is immune from stress. Straight from birth to death an individual is exposed to various forms of stress. Stress has become such an issue, which can never be avoided from research and interaction in the 21st century.
The concept of stress was first introduced in Life sciences by Hans Selye in 1936. Stress acts as a force on body to produce strain. It is an adaptive response to a situation that is challenging to a person, like for some business man it is a frustration or emotional tension. It is a physical or mental pressure that restricts and acts as a hindrance in the performance of an individual. It is pressure, people feel in life due to their reaction to situation. Hans Selye defines stress as “adaptive response to the external situation that results in physical, psychological or behavioural deviation for organizational participants."
Types of Stress
There are two sides for stress – Eustress and Distress. A positive side is called a Eustress. It can be called as a pleasant or curative stress. We can't always avoid stress, in fact, sometimes we don't want to. Often, it is controlled stress that gives us our competitive edge in performance related activities like athletics, giving a speech, or acting. In short Eustress, which refers to healthy, positive, constructive outcome of stressful event. It is an experience that motivates people to achieve goals and attain success in every field of their life.
Distress is an unpleasant or disease-producing stress. Chronic, sustained, uncontrolled stress of a negative type may lead to a compromised immune system, illness, and even death. As a result, we all should become more aware of common or persistent distresses in our lives and initiate methods for managing them.
SOURCE OR CAUSES OF STRESS:
It is difficult to manage stress unless the individual experiencing stress is aware of the causes or sources of Stress. There are few common causes of stress namely the working environment, monetary satisfaction, Job profile, relationship with seniors and subordinates, family problems, etc.
There are many different ways that stress can be categorized. The three categories discussed below are just suggestions as to how you might view the sources of stress in your life. The important thing is whether your most common stressors would fall into any of the categories discussed below. If so, you will find several coping methods, which will be outlined later, that will be based on these categories of stress.
Situational Stress
Situational stress is caused by situational stressors in your immediate environment. An example would be sitting in an airplane as it is taxiing the runway for takeoff. You may be sitting, clutching the arm rests and hoping that you won't need to use the emergency instructions that the stewardess has just explained to you.
Your work environment, while you are working, is considered a situational stress. You are running back and forth, dealing with customers, counting change, answering phones, etc. When your workplace is real busy, you may experience a high level of situational stress. If your workplace is always busy, you may need some coping methods to help you function at high levels with the lowest possible negative reactions to the continual stress.
Keyword: it's happening NOW.
Body Stress
Body stress is stress that results in overt physical symptoms. Examples include abuse, such as consuming too much alcohol, abusing drugs, or exercising too much. On the other hand, some people neglect their bodies by not getting enough sleep or proper nutrition.
Many people view it as a simple hangover, but drinking too much alcohol is a stress to the body. It reduces the amount of REM or dream sleep that you experience and results in a series of problematic symptoms such as headache, fatigue and inability to concentrate. This is an example of body stress that is caused by abuse of alcohol. What is the solution to this kind of stressor? Not too much can be done about an aggressive hangover except to wait out the symptoms. The more serious problem facing you would be to ensure that this type of abuse does not become a regular feature of your life. Often, body stress is related to other sources of stress. For example, the reason that one abuses alcohol may very well have to do with stresses at work or with relationships. So, the abuse of alcohol and resulting body stress is really tied to a deteriorating relationship. In this case, your body stress is your first clue to look for other stress-related problems.
Keywords: abuse, neglect.
Mind Stress
Mind stress is caused by negatively perceiving life events. Some people have a tendency to exaggerate problems or even invent problems that don't exist. We sometimes say that these people make "mountains out of molehills". Try to catch you being pessimistic, taking things personally or jumping to conclusions.
Mind stress is very common. You could be reading a book, listening to your teacher lecture or watching a movie, and suddenly you are no longer listening but instead you are thinking about something that happened earlier that morning or something that will be happening later that day. To the extent that you are worrying or fretting over these details is an example of mind stress. People who frequently allow themselves to mentally worry or think negative thoughts are the most prone to the negative long-term effects of mind stress.
Keywords: negative thinking.
It is a proven fact that most Indian executives suffer from fatness and 44 percent of middle – level executives report that job stress drives them to high level of alcohol consumption.
Stages of Stress:
The Stress is a response of an individual to the pressure and anxiety. There are both Positive and negative occurrences which give rise to stress. There are generally three stages through which an individual goes namely: Alarm, Resistance, and Exhaustion. In Alarm, the stress act upon an individual and the defence mechanism is brought into action. The next is the Resistance here the individual adapts to new stressful situations. If the defence mechanism is not successful then the last stage the Exhaustion comes into operation. Here the individual's resistance collapses and the organism do not perform satisfactorily.
High level of stress also impairs ability to remember information, make effective decisions, and take appropriate action.
Negative Out Comes of Stress:
There are certain outcomes of stress. The stress is a hindrance for individual’s performance, his work profile, his ability to work, migraine, fatigue, heart diseases, miscarriage and also his personal life.
Recent researches show that most executives are in the advanced stages of stress. There are certain results which are shown below:
1. Emotional Instability
2. Digestive Problems
3. High Blood Pressure
4. Inability to Relax
5. Chance of worry
6. Sleeplessness
7. Absent-mindedness
8. Non cooperative Attitude
9. Feeling of Inability to cope
10. Excessive use of Alcohol or Drugs
Relationship between stress and performance:
The research evidence shows that stress is both helpful and harmful to task performance. We can also say stress is both a friend and an enemy. Absence and too low level of stress does not stimulate the employee to work more or and perform better. Recent research evidences show that increase in stress level till its mild level serves as a stimulus to activate employee to respond to the challenges of task and, in turn, facilitates employee's task performance.
At the Escorts Heart Institute in Delhi, India, routine cardiac screening indicates that most executives are in the advanced stages.
Newstrom and Devis "have compared the relationship between stress and performance with that of strings and music on a violin, just as either too little or too much tension on the strings does not produce suitable music and the violin strings need to be readjusted to accommodate the changing conditions, such as increased humidity either too low or too high stress level interferes with employees performance and thus stress needs to be periodically adjusted and moderated.
How organisations Manage Stress?
Most organisations understood the need for coping with stress. Stress is harmful, as it hinders the employee's health and his or her work performance. There are certain tactics to cope with stress, which depends upon demands and constrains in which it is used. There are different techniques used for Stress reduction like Yoga, Counselling Services, Stress Management Programmes, etc.
Yoga: Yoga and Meditation are traditional techniques used in Indian origin; Yoga is a suspension of the functions of mind. There affect the psychological well being of an individual. It is one's willingness to change and self-transformation it is a glorified form of physical exercise and relaxation therapy. Meditation is a psycho spiritual process in meditation both self and external world together.
Employees Counselling: It is proactive approach used by organization, helping them in identifying their strengths and weakness. Counselling helps employees in the matters like career planning, there health planning, vocational guidance questions concerning the company and their job.
Training Program: The purpose of the Stress Control Training Program is, to teach personnel effective coping skills for stress reduction in the work place. This training is available to employees, teachers, counsellors, social workers, administrators, and other staff.
Personal Management of Stress:
Suppose you are not working any where, what can you do personally to manage stress?
As I told previously, we will discuss it category wise here.
Dealing with Situational Stress:
The following techniques can be used to deal with stresses that result from your immediate surroundings, i.e. Situational Stress.
Make changes in your surroundings:
If you have a headache because you've been reading with poor light, move to another room where the lighting is better. Changing your surroundings can mean turning on lights, turning off loud music or raising or lowering your computer chair. Make a careful survey of the places where you spend a good deal of your time, your study place at home or your workplace for example. Check your surroundings carefully for potential situational stressors.
Caringly and Carefully Communicate:
You need to learn to communicate with those with whom you are having problems. Sometimes your situational stress is caused by people. This is a more complicated potential source of stress. Whenever there are problems, you owe it to yourself and to the other person to reach a mutually acceptable solution to the problem. This involves communication in a caring and careful way.
Learn how and when to say "NO":
Sometimes your stress is caused by taking on too many responsibilities. Some people have a habit of always saying "yes" to requests for help by others. Pretty soon they not only have all their own problems and responsibilities to attend to-they have everyone else's too! You need to become more aware of your limits and learn when you have reached them. The next step is to practice saying "no". Remember, your first responsibility is to your own health. You are of little use to others if you are not healthy.
Learn techniques for time management:
Situational stress often results from feeling like we don't have enough time to accomplish all we need to in a given day. In many cases it is not a lack of time that is the problem, but rather it is poor time management skills that lead us to this dilemma. Time management means different things to different people. For some, it will be something as simple as making lists of "things to do". For others, learning to use daily planners and organizers will help them to better manage their time.
Delegate responsibilities:
People with perfectionist tendencies have trouble delegating work. They have the attitude that, "If I want it done right, I have to do it myself". They fear that by letting someone else help them with a given task that they are losing control and that something will probably go wrong. We need to learn that there is more than just, "my way" of doing things. Learning to delegate responsibilities when they become overwhelming, will help you build more trusting relationships and will relieve your burden of too many stressors.
Dealing with Body Stress:
The following interventions can be used to deal with stresses that result from abusing or neglecting your body, i.e. Body Stress.
Practice relaxation training:
Relaxation equals energy. Because a relaxed body conserves energy, there remains more stored energy to be used on demand. Do you balance periods of activity with times of relaxation? It isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. Inner relaxation means being comfortable with 'who you are'. By becoming more aware of your patterns of behaviour and learning your reactions to stress, you may be able to learn how to approach pressure situations with a more relaxed attitude. The next time you encounter a stressful situation, be mindful of your reactions. As you relax, more choices open up to you, so you needn't react automatically in negative, habitual ways.
Dealing with body stress often simply means dealing with the evident symptoms that are seen in the body. For example, when you see rapid, shallow chest breathing, you can counter that with the practice of more relaxed breathing technique. Or when you notice tense muscles in various parts of the body, you can practice systematically relaxing the muscles by consciously loosening the muscles that seem to be tense.
Avoid common stress-inducing substances
There are several food items that are a regular part of the average Indian diet that may predispose one to stress and ultimately, a stress related physical disorder.
1. Decrease your intake of sugar especially refined sugar. Read labels.
2. Cut down your sources of salt to no more than 2200 mg/day. Fast, packaged, and canned foods are notoriously high in salt.
3. Drink no more than the equivalent of two cups of coffee per day (250 mg) or less.
4. Seek out and consume good sources of water-soluble vitamins and if you are unsure, take a vitamin supplement with amounts of the water-soluble vitamins equalling no more than 100% of the RDA.
5. Drink no more than the equivalent of two drinks of alcohol per day.
6. Don't smoke and if you do find a program to help you quit.
7. Get regular exercise.
Dealing with Mind Stress:
The following interventions can be used when your stresses result from negative thinking or from a tendency to mentally create problems or unrealistically exaggerate problems.
Develop and take "Star Treks"
A Star Trek is just another name for mental imagery, or visualization. Just as on TV when they "beam" people back and forth, you can mentally transport yourself to the most peaceful, relaxing place that you can think of. Imagine a beautiful beach scene or lying in an outdoor hot tub on a warm summer night. Whatever you imagine, be sure to pay attention to each detail. Take five or ten minutes out of your day for "Trekking".
Find health enhancing phrases and repeat them regularly:
Write little notes to you, which say, "Smile more today" or, "Don't take things too seriously", or whatever else might reinforce a relaxed state of mind. Post these little notes in places where you are likely to see them often (bathroom mirror, near the TV, etc.). Or perhaps, enlist the help of a friend. You can write these little notes to each other and leave them in places where they are sure to be found. This practice can help to remind you that you have a tendency toward mind stressing.
Practice meditation and/or prayer:
Our traditional techniques of meditation are often excellent to provide simple methods for focus and concentration. A by-product of this focus is stress reduction. Meditation techniques have been shown to be effective in reducing heart rate and blood pressure, two common indicators of stress. Prayer can be used by those who are comfortable in a religious context. Prayer also allows focus (on God or on specific words of wisdom) and, as a result, often leads to a reduction in stress levels. Even you can think of listening to Vedic chants or soft instrumentals.
Create Mandalas:
A Mandala is a drawing that is made inside of a circle (usually). It is essentially a vehicle for concentrating the mind. It is actually a Vedic technique, used successfully by many of our sages. You can trace a circle on a piece of paper. Then, just start drawing. You can draw shapes, lines and pictures. The Mandala is an expression of your subconscious thoughts and feelings, and therefore should be constructed with great care and concentration. It often helps to use colour pencils in order to more accurately portray your feelings.
Conclusion:
The concept of Stress is from the natural sciences. Stress is a force which acts in a body to produce strain. It is becoming common in organizations because of increasing job complexity and economic pressure. There is a need to manage stress, which is both harmful and useful but ultimately affects the performance of an employee. In competitive and complex world implementation of strategies to manage stress, is a continuous process and a very essential aspect in every day life.
References:
1.Kale Latif Ahmed (June 1998); "Management and Human Resource Development''; Manisha Prakashan, Mumbai.
2.Sharma AM (2005); " Personal and Human Resource Development"; Himalayan Publishing House, New Delhi.
3.Mamoria CB and Gankar (2002) ; "Personal Management"; Himalayan Publishing House.
4.John W. Newstrom and Keith Davis: Organizational Behaviour: Human Behaviour at work, Tata Mc Graw-Hill Publishing company Ltd., New Delhi.
5.http://www.rxtm.co.nz
6.http://www.maharishitm.org
In modern times Stress has become a Buzzword and legitimate concern for people of all walks of life. No one is immune from stress. Straight from birth to death an individual is exposed to various forms of stress. Stress has become such an issue, which can never be avoided from research and interaction in the 21st century.
The concept of stress was first introduced in Life sciences by Hans Selye in 1936. Stress acts as a force on body to produce strain. It is an adaptive response to a situation that is challenging to a person, like for some business man it is a frustration or emotional tension. It is a physical or mental pressure that restricts and acts as a hindrance in the performance of an individual. It is pressure, people feel in life due to their reaction to situation. Hans Selye defines stress as “adaptive response to the external situation that results in physical, psychological or behavioural deviation for organizational participants."
Types of Stress
There are two sides for stress – Eustress and Distress. A positive side is called a Eustress. It can be called as a pleasant or curative stress. We can't always avoid stress, in fact, sometimes we don't want to. Often, it is controlled stress that gives us our competitive edge in performance related activities like athletics, giving a speech, or acting. In short Eustress, which refers to healthy, positive, constructive outcome of stressful event. It is an experience that motivates people to achieve goals and attain success in every field of their life.
Distress is an unpleasant or disease-producing stress. Chronic, sustained, uncontrolled stress of a negative type may lead to a compromised immune system, illness, and even death. As a result, we all should become more aware of common or persistent distresses in our lives and initiate methods for managing them.
SOURCE OR CAUSES OF STRESS:
It is difficult to manage stress unless the individual experiencing stress is aware of the causes or sources of Stress. There are few common causes of stress namely the working environment, monetary satisfaction, Job profile, relationship with seniors and subordinates, family problems, etc.
There are many different ways that stress can be categorized. The three categories discussed below are just suggestions as to how you might view the sources of stress in your life. The important thing is whether your most common stressors would fall into any of the categories discussed below. If so, you will find several coping methods, which will be outlined later, that will be based on these categories of stress.
Situational Stress
Situational stress is caused by situational stressors in your immediate environment. An example would be sitting in an airplane as it is taxiing the runway for takeoff. You may be sitting, clutching the arm rests and hoping that you won't need to use the emergency instructions that the stewardess has just explained to you.
Your work environment, while you are working, is considered a situational stress. You are running back and forth, dealing with customers, counting change, answering phones, etc. When your workplace is real busy, you may experience a high level of situational stress. If your workplace is always busy, you may need some coping methods to help you function at high levels with the lowest possible negative reactions to the continual stress.
Keyword: it's happening NOW.
Body Stress
Body stress is stress that results in overt physical symptoms. Examples include abuse, such as consuming too much alcohol, abusing drugs, or exercising too much. On the other hand, some people neglect their bodies by not getting enough sleep or proper nutrition.
Many people view it as a simple hangover, but drinking too much alcohol is a stress to the body. It reduces the amount of REM or dream sleep that you experience and results in a series of problematic symptoms such as headache, fatigue and inability to concentrate. This is an example of body stress that is caused by abuse of alcohol. What is the solution to this kind of stressor? Not too much can be done about an aggressive hangover except to wait out the symptoms. The more serious problem facing you would be to ensure that this type of abuse does not become a regular feature of your life. Often, body stress is related to other sources of stress. For example, the reason that one abuses alcohol may very well have to do with stresses at work or with relationships. So, the abuse of alcohol and resulting body stress is really tied to a deteriorating relationship. In this case, your body stress is your first clue to look for other stress-related problems.
Keywords: abuse, neglect.
Mind Stress
Mind stress is caused by negatively perceiving life events. Some people have a tendency to exaggerate problems or even invent problems that don't exist. We sometimes say that these people make "mountains out of molehills". Try to catch you being pessimistic, taking things personally or jumping to conclusions.
Mind stress is very common. You could be reading a book, listening to your teacher lecture or watching a movie, and suddenly you are no longer listening but instead you are thinking about something that happened earlier that morning or something that will be happening later that day. To the extent that you are worrying or fretting over these details is an example of mind stress. People who frequently allow themselves to mentally worry or think negative thoughts are the most prone to the negative long-term effects of mind stress.
Keywords: negative thinking.
It is a proven fact that most Indian executives suffer from fatness and 44 percent of middle – level executives report that job stress drives them to high level of alcohol consumption.
Stages of Stress:
The Stress is a response of an individual to the pressure and anxiety. There are both Positive and negative occurrences which give rise to stress. There are generally three stages through which an individual goes namely: Alarm, Resistance, and Exhaustion. In Alarm, the stress act upon an individual and the defence mechanism is brought into action. The next is the Resistance here the individual adapts to new stressful situations. If the defence mechanism is not successful then the last stage the Exhaustion comes into operation. Here the individual's resistance collapses and the organism do not perform satisfactorily.
High level of stress also impairs ability to remember information, make effective decisions, and take appropriate action.
Negative Out Comes of Stress:
There are certain outcomes of stress. The stress is a hindrance for individual’s performance, his work profile, his ability to work, migraine, fatigue, heart diseases, miscarriage and also his personal life.
Recent researches show that most executives are in the advanced stages of stress. There are certain results which are shown below:
1. Emotional Instability
2. Digestive Problems
3. High Blood Pressure
4. Inability to Relax
5. Chance of worry
6. Sleeplessness
7. Absent-mindedness
8. Non cooperative Attitude
9. Feeling of Inability to cope
10. Excessive use of Alcohol or Drugs
Relationship between stress and performance:
The research evidence shows that stress is both helpful and harmful to task performance. We can also say stress is both a friend and an enemy. Absence and too low level of stress does not stimulate the employee to work more or and perform better. Recent research evidences show that increase in stress level till its mild level serves as a stimulus to activate employee to respond to the challenges of task and, in turn, facilitates employee's task performance.
At the Escorts Heart Institute in Delhi, India, routine cardiac screening indicates that most executives are in the advanced stages.
Newstrom and Devis "have compared the relationship between stress and performance with that of strings and music on a violin, just as either too little or too much tension on the strings does not produce suitable music and the violin strings need to be readjusted to accommodate the changing conditions, such as increased humidity either too low or too high stress level interferes with employees performance and thus stress needs to be periodically adjusted and moderated.
How organisations Manage Stress?
Most organisations understood the need for coping with stress. Stress is harmful, as it hinders the employee's health and his or her work performance. There are certain tactics to cope with stress, which depends upon demands and constrains in which it is used. There are different techniques used for Stress reduction like Yoga, Counselling Services, Stress Management Programmes, etc.
Yoga: Yoga and Meditation are traditional techniques used in Indian origin; Yoga is a suspension of the functions of mind. There affect the psychological well being of an individual. It is one's willingness to change and self-transformation it is a glorified form of physical exercise and relaxation therapy. Meditation is a psycho spiritual process in meditation both self and external world together.
Employees Counselling: It is proactive approach used by organization, helping them in identifying their strengths and weakness. Counselling helps employees in the matters like career planning, there health planning, vocational guidance questions concerning the company and their job.
Training Program: The purpose of the Stress Control Training Program is, to teach personnel effective coping skills for stress reduction in the work place. This training is available to employees, teachers, counsellors, social workers, administrators, and other staff.
Personal Management of Stress:
Suppose you are not working any where, what can you do personally to manage stress?
As I told previously, we will discuss it category wise here.
Dealing with Situational Stress:
The following techniques can be used to deal with stresses that result from your immediate surroundings, i.e. Situational Stress.
Make changes in your surroundings:
If you have a headache because you've been reading with poor light, move to another room where the lighting is better. Changing your surroundings can mean turning on lights, turning off loud music or raising or lowering your computer chair. Make a careful survey of the places where you spend a good deal of your time, your study place at home or your workplace for example. Check your surroundings carefully for potential situational stressors.
Caringly and Carefully Communicate:
You need to learn to communicate with those with whom you are having problems. Sometimes your situational stress is caused by people. This is a more complicated potential source of stress. Whenever there are problems, you owe it to yourself and to the other person to reach a mutually acceptable solution to the problem. This involves communication in a caring and careful way.
Learn how and when to say "NO":
Sometimes your stress is caused by taking on too many responsibilities. Some people have a habit of always saying "yes" to requests for help by others. Pretty soon they not only have all their own problems and responsibilities to attend to-they have everyone else's too! You need to become more aware of your limits and learn when you have reached them. The next step is to practice saying "no". Remember, your first responsibility is to your own health. You are of little use to others if you are not healthy.
Learn techniques for time management:
Situational stress often results from feeling like we don't have enough time to accomplish all we need to in a given day. In many cases it is not a lack of time that is the problem, but rather it is poor time management skills that lead us to this dilemma. Time management means different things to different people. For some, it will be something as simple as making lists of "things to do". For others, learning to use daily planners and organizers will help them to better manage their time.
Delegate responsibilities:
People with perfectionist tendencies have trouble delegating work. They have the attitude that, "If I want it done right, I have to do it myself". They fear that by letting someone else help them with a given task that they are losing control and that something will probably go wrong. We need to learn that there is more than just, "my way" of doing things. Learning to delegate responsibilities when they become overwhelming, will help you build more trusting relationships and will relieve your burden of too many stressors.
Dealing with Body Stress:
The following interventions can be used to deal with stresses that result from abusing or neglecting your body, i.e. Body Stress.
Practice relaxation training:
Relaxation equals energy. Because a relaxed body conserves energy, there remains more stored energy to be used on demand. Do you balance periods of activity with times of relaxation? It isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. Inner relaxation means being comfortable with 'who you are'. By becoming more aware of your patterns of behaviour and learning your reactions to stress, you may be able to learn how to approach pressure situations with a more relaxed attitude. The next time you encounter a stressful situation, be mindful of your reactions. As you relax, more choices open up to you, so you needn't react automatically in negative, habitual ways.
Dealing with body stress often simply means dealing with the evident symptoms that are seen in the body. For example, when you see rapid, shallow chest breathing, you can counter that with the practice of more relaxed breathing technique. Or when you notice tense muscles in various parts of the body, you can practice systematically relaxing the muscles by consciously loosening the muscles that seem to be tense.
Avoid common stress-inducing substances
There are several food items that are a regular part of the average Indian diet that may predispose one to stress and ultimately, a stress related physical disorder.
1. Decrease your intake of sugar especially refined sugar. Read labels.
2. Cut down your sources of salt to no more than 2200 mg/day. Fast, packaged, and canned foods are notoriously high in salt.
3. Drink no more than the equivalent of two cups of coffee per day (250 mg) or less.
4. Seek out and consume good sources of water-soluble vitamins and if you are unsure, take a vitamin supplement with amounts of the water-soluble vitamins equalling no more than 100% of the RDA.
5. Drink no more than the equivalent of two drinks of alcohol per day.
6. Don't smoke and if you do find a program to help you quit.
7. Get regular exercise.
Dealing with Mind Stress:
The following interventions can be used when your stresses result from negative thinking or from a tendency to mentally create problems or unrealistically exaggerate problems.
Develop and take "Star Treks"
A Star Trek is just another name for mental imagery, or visualization. Just as on TV when they "beam" people back and forth, you can mentally transport yourself to the most peaceful, relaxing place that you can think of. Imagine a beautiful beach scene or lying in an outdoor hot tub on a warm summer night. Whatever you imagine, be sure to pay attention to each detail. Take five or ten minutes out of your day for "Trekking".
Find health enhancing phrases and repeat them regularly:
Write little notes to you, which say, "Smile more today" or, "Don't take things too seriously", or whatever else might reinforce a relaxed state of mind. Post these little notes in places where you are likely to see them often (bathroom mirror, near the TV, etc.). Or perhaps, enlist the help of a friend. You can write these little notes to each other and leave them in places where they are sure to be found. This practice can help to remind you that you have a tendency toward mind stressing.
Practice meditation and/or prayer:
Our traditional techniques of meditation are often excellent to provide simple methods for focus and concentration. A by-product of this focus is stress reduction. Meditation techniques have been shown to be effective in reducing heart rate and blood pressure, two common indicators of stress. Prayer can be used by those who are comfortable in a religious context. Prayer also allows focus (on God or on specific words of wisdom) and, as a result, often leads to a reduction in stress levels. Even you can think of listening to Vedic chants or soft instrumentals.
Create Mandalas:
A Mandala is a drawing that is made inside of a circle (usually). It is essentially a vehicle for concentrating the mind. It is actually a Vedic technique, used successfully by many of our sages. You can trace a circle on a piece of paper. Then, just start drawing. You can draw shapes, lines and pictures. The Mandala is an expression of your subconscious thoughts and feelings, and therefore should be constructed with great care and concentration. It often helps to use colour pencils in order to more accurately portray your feelings.
Conclusion:
The concept of Stress is from the natural sciences. Stress is a force which acts in a body to produce strain. It is becoming common in organizations because of increasing job complexity and economic pressure. There is a need to manage stress, which is both harmful and useful but ultimately affects the performance of an employee. In competitive and complex world implementation of strategies to manage stress, is a continuous process and a very essential aspect in every day life.
References:
1.Kale Latif Ahmed (June 1998); "Management and Human Resource Development''; Manisha Prakashan, Mumbai.
2.Sharma AM (2005); " Personal and Human Resource Development"; Himalayan Publishing House, New Delhi.
3.Mamoria CB and Gankar (2002) ; "Personal Management"; Himalayan Publishing House.
4.John W. Newstrom and Keith Davis: Organizational Behaviour: Human Behaviour at work, Tata Mc Graw-Hill Publishing company Ltd., New Delhi.
5.http://www.rxtm.co.nz
6.http://www.maharishitm.org
School Education and Globalisation – Problems and Prospects
By C. Radhakrishnan
Introduction
Globalisation is no more a recent phenomenon in the world's socio-economic system. In popular discourse, it is often synonymous with internationalisation, referring to the growing interconnectedness and interdependence of people and institutions throughout the world. Influences of a global scale touch aspects of everyday life. For example, the spread of democracy as part of globalization, giving more people access to the political processes that affect their lives, but also, in many places, concealing deeply rooted socioeconomic inequities as well as areas of policy over which very few individuals have a voice. Influences of globalisation are multi-dimensional, having large social, economic, and political implications.
A massive spread of education and of Western oriented norms of learning at all levels at present and the consequences of widely available schooling are a large part of the globalisation process. With regard to the role of schools, globalisation has become a major topic of study.
The Role of Education
As the major formal agency for conveying knowledge, the school features prominently in the process and theory of globalisation. In globalisation, it is not simply the ties of economic exchange and political agreement that bind nations and societies, but also the shared consciousness of being part of a global system. That consciousness is conveyed through ever larger transnational movements of people and an array of different media, but most systematically through formal education. The inexorable transformation of consciousness brought on by globalisation alters the content and contours of education, as schools take on an increasingly important role in the process.
Indian Perspective
The impact of globalisation has been uneven and responses to it are varied in terms of its positive and negative dimensions the world over. While it has speeded up the pace of development in some areas, it has led to certain absurdities in others. Therefore, it is necessary that steps should be taken to reduce, if not remove, its baneful fall out. Globalisation has a multi-dimensional impact on the system of education. It has underlined the need for reforms in the educational system with particular reference to the wider utilisation of information technology, giving productivity dimension to education and emphasis on its research and development activities.
Education is an important investment in building human capital that is a driver for technological innovation and economic growth. It is only through improving the educational status of a society that the multi-faceted development of its people can be ensured. In the post-industrialised world, the advanced countries used to derive the major proportion of their national income not from agriculture and industry but from the service sector. Since the service sector is based on imparting skills or training to the students and youth, the education sector is the most sought after. It must provide gainful employment so that the sector is developed in a big way. It has advocated privatisation of school and college education without realising the danger of making the system a commercial enterprise.
Market driven schooling: Much of the focus on the role of school education in globalisation has been in terms of the structural adjustment policies of the World Bank and other international lending organisations in developing countries like India. These organisations push cuts in government expenditures and user charges for and privatisation of public services such as education. Consequently, changes in schooling are increasingly driven largely by financial forces and gradually school education gets neglected in the government sector.
In regard to schools, these market driven policies apparently reduce public bureaucracies that obstruct the delivery of more and better education. By reducing wasteful expenditures and increasing responsiveness to demand, these policies promote schooling more efficiently. However, this policy denies standard schooling for millions of students in our country and widens the social gap between English educated with others. The question we have to ponder again and again is; for how many children is it possible to afford costly CBSE, ICSE, IB or IGCSE schooling?
Democratisation: As part of the globalisation process, the spread of education is widely viewed as contributing to democratisation throughout the world. Schools prepare people for participation in the economy and polity, giving them the knowledge to make responsible judgments, the motivation to make appropriate contributions to the well being of society, and a consciousness about the consequences of their behaviour. Along with mass provision of schools, technological advances have permitted distance education to convey modern concepts to the extreme margins of society, exposing new regions and populations to knowledge generated by culturally dominant groups and helping to absorb them into the consumer society.
A policy of using schools as part of the democratisation process often accompanies structural adjustment measures. However, encouraging user fees to help finance schooling has meant a reduced ability of people in some economically backward areas in our country and of the world to buy books and school materials and even attend school, thus enlarging the gap between rich and poor and impeding democracy. Even in areas displaying a rise in educational participation, observers have reported a reduction in civic participation. Increased privatisation of education in the name of capitalist democratisation could invite greater participation of corporate entities, with the prospect of commercialising schools and reducing their service on behalf of the public interest.
Ground Realities: Sadly, the Human Development Report of UNDP indicates that India had the largest national population of illiterates in the world. Even the Article 45 of the Indian Constitution that promised for free and compulsory education within the first decade of our Independence, achieved very little, partly due to its non-judicial character. The simple calculations of free and compulsory education were never gone into though all realized that the total cost would be enormous. Obviously, the Indian Education Commission (1964-66) under the leadership of D. S. Kothari and J. P. Naik as the Chairman and Member-Secretary that laid the foundation of post-Independent India’s national education policy. Thus, the Commission had recommended that 6%, as against 3%, of the national income be allotted as government expenditure on education.
Decades of under-investment in education have created shocking shortages of quality teachers, buildings, laboratories, libraries, sanitary facilities and even drinking water and sanitation facilities in the nation’s decaying school education sector. Though the finance minister cites shortage of investible resources for implementing the 6 percent proposal, it is common knowledge that given political will, additional resources can be deployed into education only by trimming non-merit subsidies to the middle class, and reducing defence expenditure. In the final analysis a national consensus has to be built immediately by the Union ministry on the premise that school and higher education outlays are important investments in the nation’s future. Besides, the emerging political consensus that seeks to reform India’s traditional education, based on mere memorization rather than development of problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills requires immediate attention in the current globalised world.
Recent Trends: In the wake of globalisation process and to cope up with the changing priorities of the people, the planners are bound to revise their strategies in the education sector. Thus, several specialist committees, involving the elites and captains of industry and education, constituted by the Union ministry are engaged in the process. Whereas, the public interest demands a wider domain for the national debate on syllabus and curriculum reform among other related aspects. The common educational reforms that were endorsed by some of the eminent industrialists and academics include:
Liberalise and deregulate the education system to encourage promotion of new schools and decentralize syllabus design. Central and state governments should change their roles within the education system, re-inventing themselves as facilitating and supervisory organisations. Teacher training, infrastructure and syllabuses need to be urgently upgraded.
Further, because of strong hold of the English language in MNCs and corporate circles, the divide between rural and urban is almost complete in the field of education. In consequence, this great reservoir of skills and expertise offers the opportunity to utilize them for the spread of quality education through several technologies. Again the pace is set by a variety of private ‘educational entrepreneurs’, otherwise known as, ‘edupreneurs’, who have promoted internationally recognized schools such as the Ambani International, Mumbai; Indus International, Banglore; Birla Schools; Park-wood International, among others. Besides, some Indian ‘edupreneur’ are venturing overseas. These are all certain recent trends that undermine the very social obligations of our governments.
Initiatives of Central Government: This urgent flood of activity within the existing lethargic education sector has ensured that the vital importance of qualitative education has permeated down to the lowest income groups across the country. Incidentally it was Rajiv Gandhi who was instrumental in laying the foundations of a scheme known as the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. Simultaneously it has focused public attention upon hitherto mysterious subjects such as syllabus design and curriculum development and shifted national attention from ritual to really quality education. Suddenly mere degrees are not as important as skills that school leavers and college graduates must acquire within their institutions of learning.
However, official indifference and unwillingness to engage in constructive debate, a characteristic of our governments is glaring. But there is a glaring evidence of the rising tide of anxiety about the quantity and quality of education being noticeable, as is indicated by the unprecedented provision made in the Union budget in the last two years. Thus, Union finance minister P. Chidambaram committed to imposing a two percent cess on all Central taxes and by promising to raise the annual education outlay to 6 percent of GDP. This may help to raise the additional funds for education. The additional revenue expected this year seems to be used to upgrade education levels in the country. Additional safeguards that the ministry taking to ensure optimal deployment of the incremental revenue for primary education are still mysterious.
Social Obligations: In fact, the economic reforms have resulted in freezing the public funds to many institutions and in stagnating, the expenditure on education. Thus, educational sector has been more commonly described as, not service sector, but education industry. The free market philosophy has already entered the educational sphere in a big way.
Commercialisation of education is the order of the day. Commercial schools have come up everywhere. In view of globalisation, many corporate schools, both foreign and Indian, are encroaching upon our government schools. Once these schools get foothold, their prices would be benchmarked against their global counterparts, which would be affordable to the same top layer of the society. As the job markets become acutely narrow, the polarisation between the elite and non-elite would be clearly noticeable. Meanwhile, various kinds of price barriers would be imposed to prevent the entry of the non-elite like the downtrodden and poor communities. Further, Corporatisation has transformed the schools into an enterprise for profits.
Thanks to Dr. Ambedkar, the government policy of reservations in education and employment spheres has played a remarkable role for Dalits and Adivasis. Now, due to the globalisation policies the winds of change in the name of ‘Economic Reforms’ has slowly shaken the very foundations of the Dalits. In consequence, more than any one else it is Dalits who would be the first ones to be affected very adversely in terms of ‘no reservation in private sector’.
Conclusion: Finally, these reforms envisage the withdrawal of state from its social obligations once for all. Thus, each country should decide about the nature and extent of globalization that can be constructively introduced in their socio-economic and educational systems. While it is difficult to resist the temptation of falling in line with the international community, it is necessary that while doing so, the paramountcy of national interests should be kept in view. This is more so in the field of education, which is intimately connected with the development of human capital. Ultimately, any hasty involvement in the global educational market can end up in harming the vital interests of students, and particularly of poor and downtrodden for generations to come.
Introduction
Globalisation is no more a recent phenomenon in the world's socio-economic system. In popular discourse, it is often synonymous with internationalisation, referring to the growing interconnectedness and interdependence of people and institutions throughout the world. Influences of a global scale touch aspects of everyday life. For example, the spread of democracy as part of globalization, giving more people access to the political processes that affect their lives, but also, in many places, concealing deeply rooted socioeconomic inequities as well as areas of policy over which very few individuals have a voice. Influences of globalisation are multi-dimensional, having large social, economic, and political implications.
A massive spread of education and of Western oriented norms of learning at all levels at present and the consequences of widely available schooling are a large part of the globalisation process. With regard to the role of schools, globalisation has become a major topic of study.
The Role of Education
As the major formal agency for conveying knowledge, the school features prominently in the process and theory of globalisation. In globalisation, it is not simply the ties of economic exchange and political agreement that bind nations and societies, but also the shared consciousness of being part of a global system. That consciousness is conveyed through ever larger transnational movements of people and an array of different media, but most systematically through formal education. The inexorable transformation of consciousness brought on by globalisation alters the content and contours of education, as schools take on an increasingly important role in the process.
Indian Perspective
The impact of globalisation has been uneven and responses to it are varied in terms of its positive and negative dimensions the world over. While it has speeded up the pace of development in some areas, it has led to certain absurdities in others. Therefore, it is necessary that steps should be taken to reduce, if not remove, its baneful fall out. Globalisation has a multi-dimensional impact on the system of education. It has underlined the need for reforms in the educational system with particular reference to the wider utilisation of information technology, giving productivity dimension to education and emphasis on its research and development activities.
Education is an important investment in building human capital that is a driver for technological innovation and economic growth. It is only through improving the educational status of a society that the multi-faceted development of its people can be ensured. In the post-industrialised world, the advanced countries used to derive the major proportion of their national income not from agriculture and industry but from the service sector. Since the service sector is based on imparting skills or training to the students and youth, the education sector is the most sought after. It must provide gainful employment so that the sector is developed in a big way. It has advocated privatisation of school and college education without realising the danger of making the system a commercial enterprise.
Market driven schooling: Much of the focus on the role of school education in globalisation has been in terms of the structural adjustment policies of the World Bank and other international lending organisations in developing countries like India. These organisations push cuts in government expenditures and user charges for and privatisation of public services such as education. Consequently, changes in schooling are increasingly driven largely by financial forces and gradually school education gets neglected in the government sector.
In regard to schools, these market driven policies apparently reduce public bureaucracies that obstruct the delivery of more and better education. By reducing wasteful expenditures and increasing responsiveness to demand, these policies promote schooling more efficiently. However, this policy denies standard schooling for millions of students in our country and widens the social gap between English educated with others. The question we have to ponder again and again is; for how many children is it possible to afford costly CBSE, ICSE, IB or IGCSE schooling?
Democratisation: As part of the globalisation process, the spread of education is widely viewed as contributing to democratisation throughout the world. Schools prepare people for participation in the economy and polity, giving them the knowledge to make responsible judgments, the motivation to make appropriate contributions to the well being of society, and a consciousness about the consequences of their behaviour. Along with mass provision of schools, technological advances have permitted distance education to convey modern concepts to the extreme margins of society, exposing new regions and populations to knowledge generated by culturally dominant groups and helping to absorb them into the consumer society.
A policy of using schools as part of the democratisation process often accompanies structural adjustment measures. However, encouraging user fees to help finance schooling has meant a reduced ability of people in some economically backward areas in our country and of the world to buy books and school materials and even attend school, thus enlarging the gap between rich and poor and impeding democracy. Even in areas displaying a rise in educational participation, observers have reported a reduction in civic participation. Increased privatisation of education in the name of capitalist democratisation could invite greater participation of corporate entities, with the prospect of commercialising schools and reducing their service on behalf of the public interest.
Ground Realities: Sadly, the Human Development Report of UNDP indicates that India had the largest national population of illiterates in the world. Even the Article 45 of the Indian Constitution that promised for free and compulsory education within the first decade of our Independence, achieved very little, partly due to its non-judicial character. The simple calculations of free and compulsory education were never gone into though all realized that the total cost would be enormous. Obviously, the Indian Education Commission (1964-66) under the leadership of D. S. Kothari and J. P. Naik as the Chairman and Member-Secretary that laid the foundation of post-Independent India’s national education policy. Thus, the Commission had recommended that 6%, as against 3%, of the national income be allotted as government expenditure on education.
Decades of under-investment in education have created shocking shortages of quality teachers, buildings, laboratories, libraries, sanitary facilities and even drinking water and sanitation facilities in the nation’s decaying school education sector. Though the finance minister cites shortage of investible resources for implementing the 6 percent proposal, it is common knowledge that given political will, additional resources can be deployed into education only by trimming non-merit subsidies to the middle class, and reducing defence expenditure. In the final analysis a national consensus has to be built immediately by the Union ministry on the premise that school and higher education outlays are important investments in the nation’s future. Besides, the emerging political consensus that seeks to reform India’s traditional education, based on mere memorization rather than development of problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills requires immediate attention in the current globalised world.
Recent Trends: In the wake of globalisation process and to cope up with the changing priorities of the people, the planners are bound to revise their strategies in the education sector. Thus, several specialist committees, involving the elites and captains of industry and education, constituted by the Union ministry are engaged in the process. Whereas, the public interest demands a wider domain for the national debate on syllabus and curriculum reform among other related aspects. The common educational reforms that were endorsed by some of the eminent industrialists and academics include:
Liberalise and deregulate the education system to encourage promotion of new schools and decentralize syllabus design. Central and state governments should change their roles within the education system, re-inventing themselves as facilitating and supervisory organisations. Teacher training, infrastructure and syllabuses need to be urgently upgraded.
Further, because of strong hold of the English language in MNCs and corporate circles, the divide between rural and urban is almost complete in the field of education. In consequence, this great reservoir of skills and expertise offers the opportunity to utilize them for the spread of quality education through several technologies. Again the pace is set by a variety of private ‘educational entrepreneurs’, otherwise known as, ‘edupreneurs’, who have promoted internationally recognized schools such as the Ambani International, Mumbai; Indus International, Banglore; Birla Schools; Park-wood International, among others. Besides, some Indian ‘edupreneur’ are venturing overseas. These are all certain recent trends that undermine the very social obligations of our governments.
Initiatives of Central Government: This urgent flood of activity within the existing lethargic education sector has ensured that the vital importance of qualitative education has permeated down to the lowest income groups across the country. Incidentally it was Rajiv Gandhi who was instrumental in laying the foundations of a scheme known as the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. Simultaneously it has focused public attention upon hitherto mysterious subjects such as syllabus design and curriculum development and shifted national attention from ritual to really quality education. Suddenly mere degrees are not as important as skills that school leavers and college graduates must acquire within their institutions of learning.
However, official indifference and unwillingness to engage in constructive debate, a characteristic of our governments is glaring. But there is a glaring evidence of the rising tide of anxiety about the quantity and quality of education being noticeable, as is indicated by the unprecedented provision made in the Union budget in the last two years. Thus, Union finance minister P. Chidambaram committed to imposing a two percent cess on all Central taxes and by promising to raise the annual education outlay to 6 percent of GDP. This may help to raise the additional funds for education. The additional revenue expected this year seems to be used to upgrade education levels in the country. Additional safeguards that the ministry taking to ensure optimal deployment of the incremental revenue for primary education are still mysterious.
Social Obligations: In fact, the economic reforms have resulted in freezing the public funds to many institutions and in stagnating, the expenditure on education. Thus, educational sector has been more commonly described as, not service sector, but education industry. The free market philosophy has already entered the educational sphere in a big way.
Commercialisation of education is the order of the day. Commercial schools have come up everywhere. In view of globalisation, many corporate schools, both foreign and Indian, are encroaching upon our government schools. Once these schools get foothold, their prices would be benchmarked against their global counterparts, which would be affordable to the same top layer of the society. As the job markets become acutely narrow, the polarisation between the elite and non-elite would be clearly noticeable. Meanwhile, various kinds of price barriers would be imposed to prevent the entry of the non-elite like the downtrodden and poor communities. Further, Corporatisation has transformed the schools into an enterprise for profits.
Thanks to Dr. Ambedkar, the government policy of reservations in education and employment spheres has played a remarkable role for Dalits and Adivasis. Now, due to the globalisation policies the winds of change in the name of ‘Economic Reforms’ has slowly shaken the very foundations of the Dalits. In consequence, more than any one else it is Dalits who would be the first ones to be affected very adversely in terms of ‘no reservation in private sector’.
Conclusion: Finally, these reforms envisage the withdrawal of state from its social obligations once for all. Thus, each country should decide about the nature and extent of globalization that can be constructively introduced in their socio-economic and educational systems. While it is difficult to resist the temptation of falling in line with the international community, it is necessary that while doing so, the paramountcy of national interests should be kept in view. This is more so in the field of education, which is intimately connected with the development of human capital. Ultimately, any hasty involvement in the global educational market can end up in harming the vital interests of students, and particularly of poor and downtrodden for generations to come.
Personal Educational CD/DVD Collection
By C. Radhakrishnan
Sl. No. DVD Title
1 a) Ganesa – The Elephant God & b) The Story of India – The Beginnings
2 The Story of India – Freedom
3 The Universe - Jupiter
4 The Story of India – Meeting of The Two Seas (Medieval India)
5 The Universe – Life and Death of a Star (Comp)
6 a) The Universe – Mars, b) Lost World – Atlantis & c) Kalaripayat
7 a) The Story of India – Meeting of The Two Oceans, b) UN
8 The Story of India – The Beginnings
9 The Story of India – Guptas & Cholas & Mt. Everest
10 The Story of India - Mayuryas
11 The Story of India – Silk Route
12 Engineering An Empire – Bourban-Napoleonic France & Theyyam
13 Treasures of the World – Jerusalem – Lalibeca
14 Lost World - Athens
15 Engineering An Empire – Davinci’s World
16 India – Anamalai
17 Orissa Festivals
18 Tibet – A Journey to Nirvana
19 Discovery Atlas – India Revealed Part 2
20 Discovery Atlas – India Revealed Part 1
21 Engineering An Empire – Maya
22 Treasures of Central Asia
23 Nefertiti & The Lost Dynasty
24 Nefertiti’s Odessy
25 Engineering An Empire – Aztecs
26 Engineering An Empire – Byzantine Empire
27 Mere India – A Look At India – Resources, Industries & Film
28 a) Story of India – Power of Ideas, b) Ganges River of Life, c) Anghor Wat, d) Ancient Greece – Giant Ships, e) Ancient Greece – weapons of Mass Destruction, f) Planet Earth - Mountains, g) Ancient Rome - Stadiums e) Ancient Rome - Flats
29 a) Super River – Amazon, b) Universe - Saturn
30 a)Super River - Amazon, b) Universe Saturn
31 Hitler-The Rise of the Evil-Part 2
32 Hitler-The Rise of the Evil-Part 3
33 Hitler’s Gestapo & Lebensborn
34 Seasons in Grand Canyon
35 Anne Franks Diary
36 Great Wall of China– Man Made Marvels
37 Hitler – The Rise of The Evil-Part 1
38 Hitler’s End
39 Chattisgarh- The Tribal Planet
40 Taj Mahal – Mystery of India
41 The American Revolution-Becoming A Nation
42 Lost Queen of Egypt-Hateputs Part 1
43 Lost Queen of Egypt-Hateputs Part 2
44 Uttarakhand
45 Declassified - Joseph Stalin
46 Declassified – Chairman Mao
47 Digging for the Truth-Nefertiti
48 The Lost Pharaoh – Cleopatra
49 Mahatma Gandhi – A Great Soul
50 Rajasthan-A Colourful Legacy
51 Abraham Lincoln – Gettysburg Speech
52 Gangotri, Rajarajeswara Temple & Vijayanagar – Man made marvels
53 Indian Monsoon
54 Winston Churchill
55 Into Alaska with Jeff Coffner
56 Ancient Discoveries – Engineering an Empire – Rome – Part 1
57 Ancient Discoveries – Engineering an Empire – Rome – Part 2
58 Ganges – The Daughter of the Mountain (Source to Prayag)
59 Ganges – River of Life (Great Plains)
60 Ganges – Water Land (Sundarbens)
61 The Universe: Outer Planets
62 The Universe: Most Dangerous Places
63 Wild Europe: Ice Age
64 Wild Europe: Taming the Wild
65 Wild Europe – Genesis
66 Volcanoes–Every Thing You Need to Know
67 Political and Cricket Clips – Jan 08
68 Mega falls of Iguaçu
69 India’s Otter Paradise-Corbet National Park
70 Equator-South Asia-Battle for light
71 Wild South America
72 Planet Earth – Deserts
73 Discovery Atlas – China – Part 1
74 Discovery Atlas – China – Part 2
75 Discovery Atlas – Brazil – Part 1
76 Discovery Atlas – Brazil – Part 2
77 Discovery Atlas – Italy – Part 1
78 Discovery Atlas – Italy – Part 2
79 Discovery Atlas – Australia – Part 1
80 Discovery Atlas – Australia – Part 2 - Clips on Treasures of the World
81 Tides & Ocean Currents
82 Major Oceans - Oceanic Currents & Pollution
83 Engineering An Empire - Ancient Greece
84 Engineering An Empire - Alexander the Great
85 Discovery Atlas – Mexico – Part 1
86 Discovery Atlas – Mexico – Part2
87 Ancient Discoveries - Ancient China
88 Ancient Discoveries - Medieval China & Legacy of Great Britain
89 The Universe: Inner Planets
90 The Universe: Giant Planet
91 Treasures of the World: China & Japan
92 Discovery Atlas–South Africa–Part1
93 Discovery Atlas–South Africa–Part 2
Sl. No. DVD Title
1 a) Ganesa – The Elephant God & b) The Story of India – The Beginnings
2 The Story of India – Freedom
3 The Universe - Jupiter
4 The Story of India – Meeting of The Two Seas (Medieval India)
5 The Universe – Life and Death of a Star (Comp)
6 a) The Universe – Mars, b) Lost World – Atlantis & c) Kalaripayat
7 a) The Story of India – Meeting of The Two Oceans, b) UN
8 The Story of India – The Beginnings
9 The Story of India – Guptas & Cholas & Mt. Everest
10 The Story of India - Mayuryas
11 The Story of India – Silk Route
12 Engineering An Empire – Bourban-Napoleonic France & Theyyam
13 Treasures of the World – Jerusalem – Lalibeca
14 Lost World - Athens
15 Engineering An Empire – Davinci’s World
16 India – Anamalai
17 Orissa Festivals
18 Tibet – A Journey to Nirvana
19 Discovery Atlas – India Revealed Part 2
20 Discovery Atlas – India Revealed Part 1
21 Engineering An Empire – Maya
22 Treasures of Central Asia
23 Nefertiti & The Lost Dynasty
24 Nefertiti’s Odessy
25 Engineering An Empire – Aztecs
26 Engineering An Empire – Byzantine Empire
27 Mere India – A Look At India – Resources, Industries & Film
28 a) Story of India – Power of Ideas, b) Ganges River of Life, c) Anghor Wat, d) Ancient Greece – Giant Ships, e) Ancient Greece – weapons of Mass Destruction, f) Planet Earth - Mountains, g) Ancient Rome - Stadiums e) Ancient Rome - Flats
29 a) Super River – Amazon, b) Universe - Saturn
30 a)Super River - Amazon, b) Universe Saturn
31 Hitler-The Rise of the Evil-Part 2
32 Hitler-The Rise of the Evil-Part 3
33 Hitler’s Gestapo & Lebensborn
34 Seasons in Grand Canyon
35 Anne Franks Diary
36 Great Wall of China– Man Made Marvels
37 Hitler – The Rise of The Evil-Part 1
38 Hitler’s End
39 Chattisgarh- The Tribal Planet
40 Taj Mahal – Mystery of India
41 The American Revolution-Becoming A Nation
42 Lost Queen of Egypt-Hateputs Part 1
43 Lost Queen of Egypt-Hateputs Part 2
44 Uttarakhand
45 Declassified - Joseph Stalin
46 Declassified – Chairman Mao
47 Digging for the Truth-Nefertiti
48 The Lost Pharaoh – Cleopatra
49 Mahatma Gandhi – A Great Soul
50 Rajasthan-A Colourful Legacy
51 Abraham Lincoln – Gettysburg Speech
52 Gangotri, Rajarajeswara Temple & Vijayanagar – Man made marvels
53 Indian Monsoon
54 Winston Churchill
55 Into Alaska with Jeff Coffner
56 Ancient Discoveries – Engineering an Empire – Rome – Part 1
57 Ancient Discoveries – Engineering an Empire – Rome – Part 2
58 Ganges – The Daughter of the Mountain (Source to Prayag)
59 Ganges – River of Life (Great Plains)
60 Ganges – Water Land (Sundarbens)
61 The Universe: Outer Planets
62 The Universe: Most Dangerous Places
63 Wild Europe: Ice Age
64 Wild Europe: Taming the Wild
65 Wild Europe – Genesis
66 Volcanoes–Every Thing You Need to Know
67 Political and Cricket Clips – Jan 08
68 Mega falls of Iguaçu
69 India’s Otter Paradise-Corbet National Park
70 Equator-South Asia-Battle for light
71 Wild South America
72 Planet Earth – Deserts
73 Discovery Atlas – China – Part 1
74 Discovery Atlas – China – Part 2
75 Discovery Atlas – Brazil – Part 1
76 Discovery Atlas – Brazil – Part 2
77 Discovery Atlas – Italy – Part 1
78 Discovery Atlas – Italy – Part 2
79 Discovery Atlas – Australia – Part 1
80 Discovery Atlas – Australia – Part 2 - Clips on Treasures of the World
81 Tides & Ocean Currents
82 Major Oceans - Oceanic Currents & Pollution
83 Engineering An Empire - Ancient Greece
84 Engineering An Empire - Alexander the Great
85 Discovery Atlas – Mexico – Part 1
86 Discovery Atlas – Mexico – Part2
87 Ancient Discoveries - Ancient China
88 Ancient Discoveries - Medieval China & Legacy of Great Britain
89 The Universe: Inner Planets
90 The Universe: Giant Planet
91 Treasures of the World: China & Japan
92 Discovery Atlas–South Africa–Part1
93 Discovery Atlas–South Africa–Part 2
Student Learning
By C. Radhakrishnan
These pictures were taken of students during a Civics lesson. Students were given the assignment of using pictures, drawings and captions to "illustrate" some problems of our civic life. This provided the opportunity to use creativity and personal experience in making posters, in contrast to traditional assignments of copying definitions, reasons and examples from media and other sources into the notebook. Students were allowed to work in groups if they desired, and later shared their work by having the class attempt to determine which civic issue was illustrated in their poster. Students showed a great deal of enthusiasm and creativity in this project, and demonstrated mastery of their topic during class discussion and subsequent testing.
A Quiz Programme organised by my class 9 students for the whole school in January 2oo8, as part of a group learning activity, connected with the lesson ‘History of Cricket’. A very clear testimony to illustrate ICT integrated teaching.
'On the Ramp Down the Centuries'- a costume show organised by class IX for the whole school in October 2008, as a part of a group learning activity is another very clear illustration of learning by doing. Each and every student of the class collected datas and designs of costumes used by people belonging to different cultural backgrounds during different periods. Finally, each one of them opted for a particular costume and designed it and presented it on the stage by using their variety skills such as dramatics, dance, mono act, mime,and singing. Really, the show was an excellent depiction of Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence.
These pictures were taken of students during a Civics lesson. Students were given the assignment of using pictures, drawings and captions to "illustrate" some problems of our civic life. This provided the opportunity to use creativity and personal experience in making posters, in contrast to traditional assignments of copying definitions, reasons and examples from media and other sources into the notebook. Students were allowed to work in groups if they desired, and later shared their work by having the class attempt to determine which civic issue was illustrated in their poster. Students showed a great deal of enthusiasm and creativity in this project, and demonstrated mastery of their topic during class discussion and subsequent testing.
A Quiz Programme organised by my class 9 students for the whole school in January 2oo8, as part of a group learning activity, connected with the lesson ‘History of Cricket’. A very clear testimony to illustrate ICT integrated teaching.
'On the Ramp Down the Centuries'- a costume show organised by class IX for the whole school in October 2008, as a part of a group learning activity is another very clear illustration of learning by doing. Each and every student of the class collected datas and designs of costumes used by people belonging to different cultural backgrounds during different periods. Finally, each one of them opted for a particular costume and designed it and presented it on the stage by using their variety skills such as dramatics, dance, mono act, mime,and singing. Really, the show was an excellent depiction of Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence.
Teaching Learning
By C. Radhakrishnan
My personal growth as a teacher is illustrated among the links of this page. The courses I have taken in working towards certification as a teacher have provided me with the tools I need as an educator. My student teaching experiences have allowed me to put this knowledge into practice.
Evidence of my growth as a teacher can be found in my lesson plans, which illustrate creativity and the ability to incorporate most modern methodologies and ICT in teaching-learning process. To make teaching-learning easy and enjoyable, I extensively use plenty of educational videos and have an excellent personal DVD collection. Student feedback and normative and summative assessment of learning indicate that I am able to present information to students in a manner which they can understand and relate to their own personal experiences and background knowledge. To understand the learners and their specific problems, I used to have SWOT analysis for the students based on a SWOT template developed by me.
I have demonstrated growth as a teacher in that I am no longer hesitant to engage students in group activities. I have experienced that these are situations which require confidence and strong classroom management skills, as middle and senior school students can quickly turn "cooperative learning" into "chaos". As a teacher, I have put into place an effective plan for managing my classroom regardless of the activity, implementing classroom management strategies developed during my teaching career and learning from experienced teachers within my student teaching placement.
In my student teaching experiences, I have had the opportunity to work with students from diverse cultural backgrounds, evidenced by my teaching placement schools. I experienced the opportunity to communicate with parents using a translator during Parent-Teacher Meetings. Recently, I have facilitated few workshops for students, teachers and other professionals. These experiences have supported my learning in the writing of scholarly papers on our educational system and career planning, and have provided me the opportunity to effectively put these ideas and strategies into place. All these experiences have given me the confidence to launch two blogs to share my experiences, thoughts and understandings with fellow teaching professionals and my loving student community.
My Bachelor of Education Course, student-teaching experiences and workshops I facilitated, have provided me with numerous opportunities for growth as a teacher. I know that as I further my journey in the field of education, I will continue to grow as I build on personal strengths and teaching skills and adapt to the changing needs of my students.
My personal growth as a teacher is illustrated among the links of this page. The courses I have taken in working towards certification as a teacher have provided me with the tools I need as an educator. My student teaching experiences have allowed me to put this knowledge into practice.
Evidence of my growth as a teacher can be found in my lesson plans, which illustrate creativity and the ability to incorporate most modern methodologies and ICT in teaching-learning process. To make teaching-learning easy and enjoyable, I extensively use plenty of educational videos and have an excellent personal DVD collection. Student feedback and normative and summative assessment of learning indicate that I am able to present information to students in a manner which they can understand and relate to their own personal experiences and background knowledge. To understand the learners and their specific problems, I used to have SWOT analysis for the students based on a SWOT template developed by me.
I have demonstrated growth as a teacher in that I am no longer hesitant to engage students in group activities. I have experienced that these are situations which require confidence and strong classroom management skills, as middle and senior school students can quickly turn "cooperative learning" into "chaos". As a teacher, I have put into place an effective plan for managing my classroom regardless of the activity, implementing classroom management strategies developed during my teaching career and learning from experienced teachers within my student teaching placement.
In my student teaching experiences, I have had the opportunity to work with students from diverse cultural backgrounds, evidenced by my teaching placement schools. I experienced the opportunity to communicate with parents using a translator during Parent-Teacher Meetings. Recently, I have facilitated few workshops for students, teachers and other professionals. These experiences have supported my learning in the writing of scholarly papers on our educational system and career planning, and have provided me the opportunity to effectively put these ideas and strategies into place. All these experiences have given me the confidence to launch two blogs to share my experiences, thoughts and understandings with fellow teaching professionals and my loving student community.
My Bachelor of Education Course, student-teaching experiences and workshops I facilitated, have provided me with numerous opportunities for growth as a teacher. I know that as I further my journey in the field of education, I will continue to grow as I build on personal strengths and teaching skills and adapt to the changing needs of my students.
Benefits of Bachelor of Commerce Course
By C. Radhakrishnan
I, as a teacher very strongly believe that one should choose a course on the basis of pure interest rather than peer pressure, parental pressure or circumstantial pressure. The following facts very clearly illustrate the current relevance of this course.
In my analysis and discussions with known people about the scope and aim of this course, I found that the Bachelor of Commerce Degree Course aims to provide students with a good grounding in various fields of business and an opportunity to specialize in a selected area of business. The syllabus prescribed by the universities is designed for a rapidly changing world with innovation, market-relevance, flexibility and an international focus. This builds a bridge between the academic environment and the world outside.
The subject, Accounting will enable you to understand and critically analyze financial reporting issues and their impact within the framework of the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. They will also develop an understanding of cost and management accounting techniques for planning, decision-making and performance evaluation. This will provide a foundation in the procedures of auditing and international taxation.
The subject, Finance will allow you to gain an in-depth understanding of the role of financial management in the business firm, including the calculation and use of financial ratios. This can also develop an understanding of how companies choose between possible investments and how they raise capital. Besides, you can acquire knowledge about the role of financial institutions particularly the operation of securities markets. The course will equip you with the ability to analyze the riskiness of investments and the use of hedging with options and futures to reduce the risk of an investment portfolio.
I understood that the Bachelor of Commerce is designed to prepare students with a good grounding in various fields of business studies while focusing on the Human Resource Management specialization. The program equips us with the ability to identify, analyze and solve complex business problems. From a human resource perspective, students can develop abilities to understand the environment and processes of recruitment and selection, apply concepts and techniques to promote change, manage and develop people and apply appropriate occupational health and safety practices in organizations. In brief this will provide critical perspectives on the role and functions of HR professionals.
Management is the art and science of planning, coordinating and leading group efforts. It is the mobilizing of human and material resources to achieve organizational goals. Managerial skills include the ability to make sound judgments on issues that arise at work and to achieve objectives through organizational skills. I know that this course aims to provide a basic understanding of how to apply key managerial concepts and theories in the contemporary work environment. I strongly assume that B. Com assists students in developing interpersonal skills and to understand how group dynamics affect individual and group behaviour. They develop an understanding of sources of change, barriers to change and effective ways of overcoming them.
It also provides the skills to generate products and services for which there is a defined customer need and to position the product or service in the market with effective promotion, pricing and distribution strategies. I hope it is geared towards problem-solving and management decision making and seeks to engage students in critical thinking processes, requiring in-depth analysis of qualitative and quantitative market data and development of subsequent marketing strategies.
The Bachelor of Commerce is designed to prepare students with a good grounding in various fields of business studies such as economics, accounting, management, and marketing. The course equips us with the ability, tools and multi-dimensional expertise required in the fields of commercial activities from a technical and financial perspective. The Bachelor of Commerce is structured so as to develop professionals to be career ready and able to effectively apply competence and implement strategies within the context of current fast growing globalised commercial world of business.
Finally the subjects available within the B.Com lead to careers in virtually every area of business and government in India and internationally. Possible career paths include money market operations, professional accounting, financial journalism, sport promotion, social and economic policy development, international trade, human resources and teaching and information systems. It is my firm conviction that this course will equip learners with all required talents to excel in today’s increasingly competitive and global environment.
I, as a teacher very strongly believe that one should choose a course on the basis of pure interest rather than peer pressure, parental pressure or circumstantial pressure. The following facts very clearly illustrate the current relevance of this course.
In my analysis and discussions with known people about the scope and aim of this course, I found that the Bachelor of Commerce Degree Course aims to provide students with a good grounding in various fields of business and an opportunity to specialize in a selected area of business. The syllabus prescribed by the universities is designed for a rapidly changing world with innovation, market-relevance, flexibility and an international focus. This builds a bridge between the academic environment and the world outside.
The subject, Accounting will enable you to understand and critically analyze financial reporting issues and their impact within the framework of the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. They will also develop an understanding of cost and management accounting techniques for planning, decision-making and performance evaluation. This will provide a foundation in the procedures of auditing and international taxation.
The subject, Finance will allow you to gain an in-depth understanding of the role of financial management in the business firm, including the calculation and use of financial ratios. This can also develop an understanding of how companies choose between possible investments and how they raise capital. Besides, you can acquire knowledge about the role of financial institutions particularly the operation of securities markets. The course will equip you with the ability to analyze the riskiness of investments and the use of hedging with options and futures to reduce the risk of an investment portfolio.
I understood that the Bachelor of Commerce is designed to prepare students with a good grounding in various fields of business studies while focusing on the Human Resource Management specialization. The program equips us with the ability to identify, analyze and solve complex business problems. From a human resource perspective, students can develop abilities to understand the environment and processes of recruitment and selection, apply concepts and techniques to promote change, manage and develop people and apply appropriate occupational health and safety practices in organizations. In brief this will provide critical perspectives on the role and functions of HR professionals.
Management is the art and science of planning, coordinating and leading group efforts. It is the mobilizing of human and material resources to achieve organizational goals. Managerial skills include the ability to make sound judgments on issues that arise at work and to achieve objectives through organizational skills. I know that this course aims to provide a basic understanding of how to apply key managerial concepts and theories in the contemporary work environment. I strongly assume that B. Com assists students in developing interpersonal skills and to understand how group dynamics affect individual and group behaviour. They develop an understanding of sources of change, barriers to change and effective ways of overcoming them.
It also provides the skills to generate products and services for which there is a defined customer need and to position the product or service in the market with effective promotion, pricing and distribution strategies. I hope it is geared towards problem-solving and management decision making and seeks to engage students in critical thinking processes, requiring in-depth analysis of qualitative and quantitative market data and development of subsequent marketing strategies.
The Bachelor of Commerce is designed to prepare students with a good grounding in various fields of business studies such as economics, accounting, management, and marketing. The course equips us with the ability, tools and multi-dimensional expertise required in the fields of commercial activities from a technical and financial perspective. The Bachelor of Commerce is structured so as to develop professionals to be career ready and able to effectively apply competence and implement strategies within the context of current fast growing globalised commercial world of business.
Finally the subjects available within the B.Com lead to careers in virtually every area of business and government in India and internationally. Possible career paths include money market operations, professional accounting, financial journalism, sport promotion, social and economic policy development, international trade, human resources and teaching and information systems. It is my firm conviction that this course will equip learners with all required talents to excel in today’s increasingly competitive and global environment.
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