Frameworks for raising learning standardsLionel CranenburghIf a revolution to raise learning standards is to occur in India it won‚t be because of commissions, new governments or politicians but due to the efforts of visionary teachers and principals. Unfortunately no single group has had more opportunity to raise education standards across the board than teachers and principals, and no group is more guilty of doing less to change the face of national education than school and college teachers in India. Unlike Bernard Shaw, who had a poor opinion of teachers in general, I have high regard for the latent talent of the teachers‚ community in India. When Shaw wrote of teachers that “those who can, do and those who can‚t, teach,” I believe he got it wrong. Despite his legendary intellect and sharp wit, he missed the irony that writers too are teachers who communicate ideas, concepts, vision and values. The time has come for teachers and principals in India to get their act together to deliver the newly elected United Progressive Alliance government‚s commitment to provide “quality basic education” to all children. Somewhat belatedly there is a general awareness that nothing can be more important than rapidly improving standards of basic education.I have first hand experience of being a student and teacher in the multi-tiered system of schools in India, having studied and taught in super private, private, government-aided and village schools in north and south India. And at all levels I found dedicated, but ignorant teachers who paraded before their students like Dickensian caricatures of humanity. Dr. Rakesh Popli, professor of physics at Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra writing in this column in EducationWorld (April 2003) rightly condemns the pernicious ritual of dictating notes, the upshot of which is that “little knowledge enters students‚ heads and none into their lives”. In fact, teachers‚ efforts to raise standards in classrooms can be inexpensive, achievable and highly effective if they use tried and tested frameworks or scaffolding to develop children‚s skill-sets. Encouraging students to write a daily journal is one way by which teachers can provide them opportunities for predicting, exploring, recording, re-shaping and analysing and evaluating ideas. Journal writing allows children to approach tasks at a personal level, gives them the opportunity to apply their understanding while developing writing skills. I have used this methodology to develop my own short story writing skills and encouraged my students to do likewise. ‚ËœStructured overviews‚ are also a useful methodology for assisting students to improve their comprehension, while providing a framework for developing themes and ideas. The teacher inserts graphic sub-headings into dense text matter and students work in pairs to select key words and phrases under each sub-heading. Over time students are able to construct their own overviews. A third idea I recommend is to encourage the use of note-making frameworks. Early induction into note-jotting is useful for developing the skills necessary for writing short stories, essays, poems, journals and magazine articles, technical descriptions, examination questions and so on. Moreover working in…
