Changes

=== Teacher education ===

=== Teacher education ===

Teacher education acknowledged as an important lever for the quality of school education. Improving the quality of teacher education would help in development of more capable and motivated teachers, which would improve the quality of classroom processes and school education. However, the current teacher-education system has several challenges and limitation. The basic model of the in-service teacher education (INSET) has been of a centralised program design. It is seen necessary to ‘cover‘ all the teachers in a state, this makes training to be of scale, supply driven and focused on  reaching training targets.   This leads to limited interaction amongst participants during training and amongst participants and with Resource Persons (RPs) after training.  {{Collapsed|NCFTE - Issues with current INSET models

Teacher education acknowledged as an important lever for the quality of school education. Improving the quality of teacher education would help in development of more capable and motivated teachers, which would improve the quality of classroom processes and school education. However, the current teacher-education system has several challenges and limitation. The basic model of the in-service teacher education (INSET) has been of a centralised program design. It is often seen necessary to ‘cover‘ all the teachers in a state every year in teacher training programs, this makes the process focus on reaching training targets, making it supply driven.  This model leads to limited interaction amongst participants during training and amongst participants and with Resource Persons (RPs) after training.  {{Collapsed|NCFTE - Issues with current INSET models

The National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, 2010 (NCFTE) has identified several issues with INSET. It says,

The National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, 2010 (NCFTE) has identified several issues with INSET. It says,

=== ICT and Teacher Education ===

=== ICT and Teacher Education ===

In a society that is termed as the '[[wikipedia:Information_society|digital society]]', educational processes too can be meaningfully impacted by ICT. So far, the  significant focus of ICT in education has been on students learning to use few software applications, without much involvement of the teachers, this has made these programs stand-alone. Perhaps the beginning of ICT integration should be in Teacher Professional Development (TPD). Digital technologies (popularly known as Information and Communication Technologies, or simply ICT) can provide opportunities for connecting teachers and reducing intellectual isolation. The [http://ncte-india.org/ncte_new/pdf/NCFTE_2010.pdf NCFTE] says 'Any effort to strengthen teachers’ professional practice must equally respect them as professionals. This includes matters of training in content and approach, how trainings are announced and how they are implemented. Programmes must build on and strengthen the teacher’s own identity as a professional teacher and in many cases also establish and nurture the linkage with the academic disciplines of their interest. Programmes that compromise on the professional identity of the teacher and his/her autonomy will be unsustainable in the long run, providing very little psychological motivation for teacher to internalize what they have been ‘told’ in their practice'. to TPD essential for effectiveness'.

In a society that is termed as the '[[wikipedia:Information_society|digital society]]', educational processes too can be meaningfully impacted by ICT. So far, the  significant focus of ICT in education has been on students learning to use few software applications, without much involvement of the teachers, this has made these programs stand-alone. Perhaps the beginning of ICT integration in school education, should be in the area of Teacher Professional Development (TPD).  

ICT can support participatory models of teacher education. ICT can be used to support self-directed, need based, continuous, peer learning and mentoring based teacher education. This tool-kit discusses one such model of ICT integration.   

 

ICT can support participatory models of teacher education. ICT can be used to support self-directed, need based, continuous, peer learning and mentoring based teacher education. The integration of ICT in teaching can help in the enrichment of classroom pedagogies. This tool-kit discusses a model of ICT integration that facilitates these processes.   

=== Teacher learning spaces / forums ===

=== Teacher learning spaces / forums ===

The [http://ncte-india.org/ncte_new/pdf/NCFTE_2010.pdf NCFTE] advocates for Teacher Learning Centres (TLC's)  as a Forum for Interaction and Sharing. It says "A TLC would serve as a forum for interaction among teacher trainees and teacher practitioners on issues of developing materials and planning for  teaching. Frequent interaction and sharing would help trainees to articulate  concerns with clarity and learn from each other’s experiences".   

The [http://ncte-india.org/ncte_new/pdf/NCFTE_2010.pdf NCFTE] advocates for Teacher Learning Centres (TLC's)  as a forum for interaction and sharing. It says "A TLC would serve as a forum for interaction among teacher trainees and teacher practitioners on issues of developing materials and planning for  teaching. Frequent interaction and sharing would help trainees to articulate  concerns with clarity and learn from each other’s experiences".   

ICT can be used to build virtual learning spaces, in which teachers (and teacher educators and student teachers) can share their ideas, experiences and resources for learning, as well as seek support of peers. These virtual networks can also help support the NCFTE's suggestion that  "the broad aims of continuing professional development programmes for teachers are to break out of intellectual isolation and share experiences and insights with others in the field, both teachers and academics working in the area of specific disciplines as well as intellectuals in the immediate and wider society".  

ICT can be used to build virtual learning spaces, in which teachers (and teacher educators and student teachers) can share their ideas, experiences and resources for learning, as well as seek support of peers, beyond the constraints of space and time, imposed by physical interactions. These virtual networks can also help support the NCFTE's suggestion that  "the broad aims of continuing professional development programmes for teachers are to break out of intellectual isolation and share experiences and insights with others in the field, both teachers and academics working in the area of specific disciplines as well as intellectuals in the immediate and wider society".  

=== Curricular resources ===

=== Curricular resources ===

Material development has been acknowledged as an important component of TPD, which would enhance the availability of local resources for teaching. A recent  development in the educational domain has been the rise of Open Educational Resources (OER), with the promise of delivering quality education. An essentially, digital phenomenon, OER seek to leverage the possibilities of digital methods for accessing, creating, modifying and sharing educational content.  OER has redefined the copyright regime, stimulating the sharing of content with license to re-use, modify and share or publish.  

Material development has been acknowledged as an important component of TPD, which would enhance the availability of local resources for teaching. A recent  development in the educational domain has been the rise of [[wikipedia:Open_educational_resources|Open Educational Resources]] (OER), with the promise of delivering quality education. An essentially, digital phenomenon, OER seek to leverage the possibilities of digital methods for accessing, creating, modifying and sharing educational content.  OER has redefined the copyright regime, stimulating the sharing of content with license to re-use, modify and share or publish.

 

There is need to promote the integration of ICT in education, to meet the aims of TPD and towards the creation of teaching resources. This toolkit aims to promote a model of TPD, which integrates ICT in the creation, re-purposing and publishing of OER using FOSS applications.  

There is need to promote the integration of ICT in education, to meet the aims of TPD and creation of teaching resources. This toolkit aims to promote a model of TPD, which integrates ICT the creation, re-purposing and publishing of OER using FOSS applications. Implementing the PLC-OER model in government school systems would improve the teacher development and curricular resource development processes and thereby support the national goal of a universal and equitable education system.

[[File:TPACK Graphic description, IT for Change.png|alt=TPACK framework|thumb|TPACK framework]]

Implementing the PLC-OER model in government school systems would improve the teacher development and curricular resource development processes and thereby support the national goal of a universal and equitable education system. This model subscribes to the 'Technological-Pedagogical-Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, which emphasises the integration of technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge for teacher professional development. Another way of expressing this would be to say that strengthening the technological knowledge of the teacher, should be towards altering the content and pedagogical practices of the teacher, enhancing her content and pedagogical knowledge as well. The integration of ICT must aim at enriching pedagogy and content.  

[[Category:A Professional Learning Community Approach for Teacher Development and OER creation - A toolkit]]

[[Category:A Professional Learning Community Approach for Teacher Development and OER creation - A toolkit]]