Specific Training in Web Based Teaching

By PR GuruprasadcloseAuthor: PR Guruprasad Name: PR Guruprasad
Site: http://educationwriter.blogspot.com
About: Panamalai R Guruprasad has served in K-12 school systems, Educational Publishing and E_learning for over 30 years. He holds B Sc [Physics], B Ed [English and Physical Science] and M A [Childcare and Education] degrees. In 2008-09, he worked as Technical Advisor to the Inspectorate of Education at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Government of Cambodia, on a one year placement. His published works include an ebook `Creative Classrooms and Child Friendly Schools’ and 57 articles in teacher magazines such as Teachers Net Gazette. Most of the articles are based on his own professional experience in 6 developing countries including his home country India. He continues to contribute articles whenever he finds time from his work as Manager, Content Development in a K-12 E_learnng Company in Gujarat, India. He can be reached directly at panamalairguruprasad@gmail.com or by visiting his blog http//www.educationwriter.blogspot.comSee Authors Posts (7)
 

This article describes the importance of specific skills training to teachers who use Web based resources in their classrooms.  Experiences mentioned in the article are mine own, anecdotal in nature and not based on any structured research study.

A few years back, I happened to begin working in a city school that was being run by a very rich corporate house in Southern India.  Increasing numbers of parents in India deem it a privilege to have their children admitted in such schools, by spending a lot of money (in sharp contrast to parents who send their children in government run or NGO run schools).  This happens mostly because of unfounded “myths”, although exceptions are there.

As Academic Officer in the school, one of my professional roles was to develop more effective multimedia teaching learning resources (human and material) than what the school had at that time.  As any professional in my position would have done, I decided to observe what was going on before embarking on my project.

My first classroom that was observed consisted of 20 students and 1 teacher in a middle school science classroom.  Each student was provided with a computer.  The teacher worked on her own computer and an LCD Projector.  One of the classroom walls was used as screen.  The teacher was teaching a lesson on “Photosynthesis in Plants”.  She was displaying very exciting and colorful animations with fast and loud music, that today’s children usually enjoy.  Children seemed to be completely immersed in the `joy’ of watching the whole show. After a few minutes, she paused the animations and asked a few basic formative assessment questions on what her students watched on the screen.  To my dismay, none of the students could answer her questions.  At the end of the session, we gathered that these students enjoyed their science class for a wrong reason: Exciting animations and enjoyable music.  Thus the cognitive effect of the classroom process was near zero.

I have seen several multimedia and web based classroom processes such as these.  This is the main reason why I have always tried to train my colleagues properly before letting them use the resources in their classrooms.

From my experience, I have found 7-days long workshops, as documented below, held during school holidays, to be very useful.  It is because teachers can use the knowledge, skills and attitudes that they gained in the workshops, to develop teaching resources in their own homes and get back to me for any further clarification or guidance.  I plan the workshop schedule so as to fit the needs of individual schools.

Day 1:

Understanding the role of Internet in the classroom

Technical requirements

Day 2:

Pedagogic issues related to Curricular requirements

Issues involved in selecting appropriate Net resources

Day 3:

Search Engine Optimization

Downloading and saving Net resources

Internet resources file management

Day 4:

Editing the files

Developing PowerPoint presentations with voice-over possibilities

Folder Management of PowerPoint presentations

Day 5:

Pros and Cons of using the Net as a resource based on global, national and local perspectives

Copyright issues and ethics

Day 6:

Net resource in specific lesson planning (in Concept formation, Concept development and assessment of Pupil learning)

Day 7:

Best practices and research evidences

Web based classroom processes as related to School Aims and Objectives

If teachers are trained properly, Web based teaching methods can effectively contribute to quality education.

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Panamalai R. Guruprasad is a former school principal settled in Chennai, India.  In August 2009, he returned home after completing a one-year placement as Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Government of Cambodia. His main career responsibility was to offer technical support to the Inspectorate of Education in enhancing the overall effectiveness in Planning, Supervision, Monitoring and Evaluation of School Performance at central, provincial and local levels.

Previously PR Guruprasad worked as teacher, principal and education officer in school systems.  He served in rural, NGO run urban, as well as corporate school systems. PR has also worked in textbook publishing and educational digital media development companies for nearly 4 years.

PR has worked in South Asia, East Africa, Southern Africa and South East Asia.

He has introduced several innovative and cost effective strategies to enhance the quality of education imparted to children. His published works include 50 articles in teacher journals and a 1000KB ebook entitled “Creative Classrooms and Child Friendly Schools”.

PR Guruprasad can be reached at his blog http://educationwriter.blogspot.com or at his email ID educationwriter@gmail.com .