Good Morning. As teachers we have become experts at
demanding obedience. Is obedience and conformance really important? Please
think about this.
What is the first channel on your cable TV? Which
one is set as channel No:1? Yes, Doordarshan. I am like the doordarshan channel
coming and then you have a long list of speakers who are established as among
the best in Bangalore.So, it will be a dull doordarshan followed by by some
really wonderful channels.
I was wondering about how to engage a class of
professors. Yes, remember when the Principal tells you that the faculty is
absent and I do not want students loitering in the corridors, so, please engage
the class. My situation is a bit like that. I need your cooperation more than
anyone else.
I plan to spend the next half an hour talking about
two things. First, to steal the thunder from speakers who will follow me, let
me share my views about each of the topics that will be discussed today and
tomorrow. 2nd I want to share with you what I have learnt about teaching
the post google generation.
A little bird told me Dr Srikanta has chosen his
second most favourite topic to start the FDP today. For the benefit of faculty
from Kengeri campus, let me tell you that from what I have heard, his favourite
topic is ‘discipline’. Classroom management starts much before the class. Not
only can a lesson plan that details pedagogy, resources to be used, a board
plan, and a complete learning design
make managing the class easier, it optimises time for both the teacher and student.
You will then hear about Mentoring. The gurukula
system thrived on mentoring. Socretes was possibly the first recorded mentor to
Plato who was his protégé. Understanding each student and the world around us,
apart from having an attitude of concern and understanding are essential
qualities of a mentor.
This afternoon Dr Sandeep Shastri will be talking
about moving from teaching to learning. This means colleges have to move from
institutions providing instruction to institutions that produce learning. In
instruction paradigm ‘instructor’ is central and in the learning paradigm
‘learner’ is central. Learning is all about discovering, experiencing, and
reflecting. Will the role of the faculty reduce? We need to listen to Dr
Shastri for all this and more.
The final discussion today will be an open house,
where discussions, team work and feedback are important components.
Tomorrow we start the day at the very top. Prof Mala
Sridhara will talk about a psychological approach to student –faculty
interaction. Whether it is managing a classroom, mentoring, helping someone
learn or providing feedback, understanding the mental model of the student is
extremely important.
Next, we have a holy man looking at success in a
holistic way. As teachers, we are generally measured only by university results
or number of classes handled in a semester. This may not be right for today.
Similarly, only test scores to compare students is surely limiting.
I am hoping to be back on stage to introduce
Dr.Karajgi who is going to talk about stimulating creativity. What has
creativity got to do with examination results where we have predefined
syllabus? We are teaching Business and Commerce not art or drama. Dr Karajigi
can tell us.
The topics are vry diverse. Is there any link at all
or is this some variety program? To me all these talks are well connected to my
next topic which is about college for the post Google generation.
We are used to thinking that obedience and following
instruction is great, but, is it relevant now? Let us look at the history of
organized colleges.
Schools and colleges were built for the industrial
era where productivity was important. Factories wanted people prepared to obey,
comply and behave and a system was set up to mass produce such people. The
industrial age is over, however, we are still creating students who can do
exactly what their boss wants them to do.
Google has made accessibility of information and
knowledge really easy. One does not need to go to college to hear a good
lecture, it is easily available at khanacademy.com. Whether Modi is the 15th
or 16th Prime minister can be found out in 3 seconds on the net and
there is no need for a teacher to provide this information.
In the post Google era we do not need memorization
or compliance, we need dreamers with plans to realise their dreams.
Students will come to college not to be fed
information or collect likely questions. They will come to college to learn to
make and keep commitments, to overcome fear, to take initiative, to work in a
team, to learn to enjoy diversity, and to work to a plan.
As teachers, our role needs to change to creating a
desire for lifelong learning, to be innovative, and, to express themselves students need to be
taught how to collect, analyse, and understand the loads of data on the
internet. We can teach students how to make a good decision, we can teach them
about how to deal with a fast changing world. The list is endless. Colleges
will be required and faculty will play a important role in the lives of
students.
The various talks we are having these two days are
all linked to understanding the changes that are taking place. So, while
appears disconnected, they are all aimed at preparing us for some new
realities.
Teaching is emotional labour, it is digging deep to
engage at a personal level. The involvement needed to be good teachers is only
increasing.
I am truly blessed to be able to address teachers on
guru poornima. Thank you all for listening to Doordarshan, and, thank you Dr
Srikanta and Smt.Archana Surana for giving me this opportunity.
Wish you all a wonderful two days of learning and
fellowship with colleagues.
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