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Words Unlimited Are you curious about the English language? Ever wondered how certain words, meanings, phrases originated? In his quintessential light-hearted manner, S Upendran tells us the stories behind words and phrases.

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TEACHER PLUS August 2020

Editorial

Cover Theme

Reshaping education during the pandemic Sanjhee Gianchandani It seems like the ant and the elephant story playing out in real life. A microscopic virus has wrecked havoc in the lives of human beings worldwide. Like everything else, education systems across the globe have been disrupted. How are the various stakeholders in education coping with this crisis? Have we found ways to adapt? Is online education the solution to our problems? Are we listening to the voices of the digital have-nots? While the situation we are in is unprecedented and therefore scary, perhaps we should also look upon this as an opportunity to rethink what education should actually be like and work towards more permanent solutions that will help us withstand future crises.

The intrigue of teaching and learning during lockdown Dev Nath Pathak

Recalling a forgotten tryst... S. Mundayoor Online education, social justice and digital exclusion Ambika Aiyadurai My life now, in six words Fareen Wahid A teacher’s conundrum Disha Jain And the job must go on Shreya Jindal The new normal through a parental lens Ardra Balachandran

6 – 30

Did we use the lockdown wisely? Zamir Arif

Worksheet

Corona and I Sriparna Tamhane Here is a set of simple activities for 8-10 year olds to understand and cope with the pandemic we are experiencing.

Off the library shelves

Fostering students’ ownership of the school library Dharamjeet Kumar If a library is to become popular among its users, no matter how young, a bond has to form between the two. Facilitators of this school, on an island in Assam, involved their primary class students in setting-up the school library, formulating rules and deciding on activities for the library. In the process the young students ended up building an everlasting bond with their school library.

A Step Ahead

Arresting the downward tumble Neerja Singh

It is not always that human activity destroys nature. Once in a while, they also contribute to its biodiversity. Man-made salt pans not only produce a nutrient that humans most need to survive, but they have also become places for several birds and mircoorganisms to flourish. These habitats too are under threat and we need to conserve them.

Editor Usha Raman

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Editorial Team M Nirmala Shalini B Sushma Rana

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Layout & Graphics Rajendra Kumar S Social Media Jamuna Inamdar Circulation N Srinivas

In this interview, renowned ELT practioner, Dr. Parthasarathy Ramanujam talks about how the importance that English language has gained is creating a cultural hegemony, why this is not good and how we need to accept that there is a language problem and build bridges to help students transition from school to college/ university.

From the Principal's Desk A village in our school Rama Devi

Educating the special child Anuradha C

Teaching Practice

Buzz groups as a technique to develop socio-emotional learning Pramila Kudva

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Cogitations

The views expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Teacher Plus. Similarly, mention of products and services by writers in the magazine does not constitute an endorsement by Teacher Plus. Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers of India under RNI No: APENG/2003/09403

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Linguistic imperialism – a threat to multiculturalism and global development Leena Satuluri

The Other Side

Nature Watch

Salt pans – a human-made wetland of significance Geetha Iyer

Thinkers and Educators

Reflections of an intolerant teacher Prakash Iyer We are living in a pluralist society and if, unlike us, we want our children to live in harmony in such a society we need to train them. But will merely talking about unity and diversity in the classroom do the trick? What should a teacher do before embarking on contentious topics? Here’s what this teacher concluded after an intense reflective session.

Unsolicited submissions are welcome. Please address all correspondence to Teacher Plus A 15, Vikrampuri, Secunderabad 500 009. Telangana. India. Tel: 040 2780 7039. editorial@teacherplus.org www.teacherplus.org ISSN No 0973-778 Vol. 18, No. 7; Pages 60

Cover Illustration Dhwani Shah. She is an illustrator and graphic designer from Mumbai. She studied design from Sir J.J. School of Applied Art, Mumbai and National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and is presently working with Tara Books, Chennai. She enjoys working on editorial illustrations, non fiction comics and publication design projects. Good books, conversations and food keep her going. She can be reached at <dhwani.s12@gmail.com>.

EDITORIAL

Finding new ways to learn

o you have a sense that we seem to be living the same day over and over? You pick up the paper, and apart from some variation in terms of current events (tensions at the border, party politics, environmental degradation, etc.) the main stories are unchanging – new numbers of Covid-19 cases and deaths, the sorry state of preparedness in our health system, the slow advances in vaccine development.... And so the uncertainty continues and anxieties remain about how we will get through the coming months. It’s hard to engage in any meaningful conversation without the topic of Covid-19 intervening in some way. When we make plans, there is always a disclaimer to the effect that it all “depends on how things go” in relation to the pandemic. But teachers have to bash on, regardless, teaching their lessons, worrying about their students, setting assignments and grading work. That part of the old doesn’t really go away... what does change is how we do it. The past four months have already shown us that the digital divide is wide and deep and is unlikely to disappear any time soon. There have been reports about students not having reliable access to the network or even to devices, making it difficult for them to keep up with online instruction. But this is only one part of the problem, and the most visible – and yes, it remains very important to tackle such inequities. There are many other issues that render even the offline (or physical) classroom a deeply unequal space, issues that force us to revisit our ideas about education and about how people learn. In this issue, we asked several writers to consider how teaching and learning have been impacted in these months following the first lockdown in March. We received a number of accounts, some that talk about how parents have been dealing with having children at home all the time, others that outline the challenges faced by children in marginalized contexts, and several that try to understand and address the ways in which we can handle – and make the most of – this moment. Clearly, this is an unfolding story. Even as we get used to functioning on and through our devices, we will be forced to confront new issues that emerge from the lack of physical social contact, the absence of convivial spaces where we can chat over chai and where children can play, argue and make up during intervals and lunch breaks. But maybe we will also find that there are new, hopeful ways of learning that draw more from independent reflection and self-motivation rather than enforced competition and rote learning. So, take care to keep your notes and share your own stories; there is much to learn from our collective experiences. We are all in this together!

TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

COVER THEME

Reshaping education during the pandemic Sanjhee Gianchandani

ovid-19, the global pandemic, is ravaging all that humankind reckoned to be ‘normal’. In addition to its impact on lifestyle, economy and agriculture, it has also disrupted the education system globally. We are living amidst what is potentially one of the greatest threats in our lifetime to global education, a gigantic educational crisis. According to the World Bank, as of March 28, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused more than 1.6 billion children and youth to be out of school in 161 countries. This is close to 80 per cent of the world’s enrolled students. Furthermore, the world was already experiencing a global learning crisis for though many students were in school, they were not learning the fundamental skills needed for life. The World Bank’s “Learning Poverty” indicator – the percentage of children who cannot read and understand at age 10 – stood at 53 per cent of children in low and middle-income countries – before the outbreak started. We must understand that this pandemic has the potential to worsen these outcomes if necessary steps are not taken in this regard. On the other hand, it may also present an opportunity for education leaders to substantially re-think long-held educational practices that could use some improvement.

distancing measures advised by the government and the extended periods of nationwide lockdowns. Hence, the concept of a physical classroom which was the basis for all teaching practices till now has been shunned for an indefinite period of time as we don’t know when we will be ready to send our kids to regular school again. What this change has necessitated is that the age-old lamentable system of rote learning in classrooms initiated by the advent of the public-school system in 1635 and the regurgitation of the same material in examinations has been replaced by newer, technology-based solutions for imparting education to the students of today.

Consequently, the approaches taken to teaching, learning, assessing and monitoring students have undergone drastic changes – some of which are yet to be figured out by educators, students and their parents who are also important stakeholders in their children’s education. Online teaching has suddenly taken an upsurge, owing to the necessary social Illustrations: Niharika Shenoy

TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

This unheralded change can be seen everywhere in the world. For instance, in Hong Kong, students started learning at home in February 2020 via interactive apps. In China, 120 million Chinese students got access to learning material through live television broadcasts. Closer home, the DIKSHA platform is being used across all government schools in India to ensure continuity of learning. So, we can see that now the traditional in-person classroom learning will be complemented with new learning modalities - from live broadcasts to virtual reality experiences. But at the same time, we must also keep in mind that not all students have access to devices and reliable internet connectivity. Therefore, the appropriate strategy in countries should be to use all possible delivery modes with the existing local infrastructure instead of exacerbating the ‘digital divide’ among students belonging to different socioeconomic backgrounds. Online tools can be used to assure that lesson plans, videos, tutorials, and other resources are available for some students. But at the same time, podcasts and other resources that require less data usage should be encouraged. Schools and

institutions can also work with telecommunication companies to apply zero-rate policies which can in-turn facilitate learning material to be downloaded on a smartphone, which more students are likely to have. Researchers believe that in ramping up capacity to teach remotely, schools and colleges should take advantage of asynchronous learning, which works best in digital formats. As well as the regular classroom subjects, teaching should include varied assignments and work that puts COVID-19 in a global and historical context. Educating students of all age-groups about what the world is going through can prove to be a vital coping mechanism for students. Following this plan, learning can transform from being a ‘task that is to be completed’ to becoming ‘a habit that is integrated into daily routines’ something that educators and visionaries had intended it to be since a very long time. Moreover, the way we assess students’ performance will also be upturned as we redefine assessment tools and scamper for newer strategies to carry on this task. Standardized tests have broadly been cancelled this year due to school closures. While there will be a need to assess where students are academically when classes resume, there will likely be more focus on mastery-based assessments already offered by many online learning platforms like Khan Academy. In a webinar hosted by the Right To Education Forum, education experts and activists debated declaring this year a “zero academic year”, keeping in view the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Ashok Agarwal, a Delhi-based lawyer and activist suggested that the ongoing academic year should be cancelled and students should be promoted without exams. "A majority of parents of children across the country are also not in favour of opening schools. They do not wish to risk the lives of their children," Mr. Agarwal said. Secondly, the pandemic has also brought in its wake a dual challenge to educators as they now not only need to disseminate information to the students without the comfortable logistics of a classroom setting but more importantly, they also need to help their students negotiate with the prevalent anxiety, confusion and uncertainty that this time has unfolded in its wake. Katie Rosanbalm, a research scientist states, "Kids look to adults for cues about whether there’s reason to be worried, to be anxious, whether there’s danger in the environment. We’re all stressed right now, we’re all worried and anxious and kids TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

are soaking that all up. They are losing their routine and their structure to the day. They’re losing their connection with friends and teachers and all these wonderful things they’ve looked forward to all school year or maybe for years. Things like sports and field trips and concerts and performances. So, there’s a lot of emotion going on for kids right now." This is where the role of the parents becomes more pertinent. Reassuring students and parents is a vital element of institutional response. Teachers are taking up this task using targeted communication in a state of uncertainty about cancelled examinations and modified procedures themselves. Most parents are hitting the panic button as they feel that their child will lag behind if education based on a strict curriculum is not provided in a timely manner. Where households are confined to their residences by COVID-19, parents and guardians may be deeply anxious about their own economic future, so studying at home is not easy, especially for children with low motivation. But one must keep in mind that this is not the time of normalized learning. Parents must utilize this time to upskill their children and make them help around with the daily chores, teach them life skills and values beyond academic learning which are core to surviving through unprecedented times such as these. They must value

TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

the fact that being well may not be an alternative to being successful. But it surely is an essential precondition for achievement, especially among our most vulnerable children. Kristen Stephens, an education professor opines that this type of learning should be termed as ‘pandemic learning’ rather than ‘online learning.’ She rightly points out that, "When you transition to online learning, typically it’s very well thought out and you have time to plan. In this case, in the period of one or two weeks, teachers took everything that used to be face-to-face in the classroom and took it online. It’s been challenging for them but they’ve risen to the occasion out of their care for their students." Some of these approaches such as blended learning, flipped classrooms and e-learning platforms are not entirely new but circumstances are forcing adoption instead of blending it smoothly in their fabric. This has made everyone realize the importance of teachers as the essential unsung heroes who are struggling with these softwares, creating materials, preparing lessons, reassuring parents, supporting the weaker students, and also managing their own homes. "The pandemic has truly reiterated the much clichéd skills of the 21st century: Decision-making, problem solving, ability to innovate, and most importantly,

adaptability," opines Mrs. Ameeta Mulla Wattal Principal, Springdales School, Pusa Road, New Delhi. Thirdly, this life-altering situation has made everyone realize the value of teaching vocational skills to students. The pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of the global economy to collapses in essential supplies. It is quite clear now how much we depend on and need to value all our essential workers like care workers, construction workers and retail staff. So, when the regular economy starts up again, some people will feel proud to call themselves as the ‘working class’ and insist on the financial and broader recognition that goes with it. Finally, during this time there is more emphasis on personalized learning – a term that had been the buzzword in the education industry for a long period of time. Students will eventually return to classrooms and campuses, but virtual education will stay part of the mix. "Blended learning options where students are split up for classroom learning for a few days a week and online for the remainder will likely become the norm," says Andy Rotherham, co-founder of non-profit Bellwether Education. He also predicts a transition to competency courses where students can move ahead at their own pace instead of logging into classes for the entire school day. The most important adjustment, for those used to teaching and learning in classrooms in real time, is to take advantage of asynchronous learning. For most aspects of learning and teaching, the participants do not have to communicate simultaneously. Asynchronous working gives teachers flexibility in preparing learning materials and enables students to refer to them as per their own time and convenience. Teachers can check on student participation periodically and make online appointments for each student who has particular needs or questions, thereby facilitating focussed one on one interactions. This time is a stark reminder of the critical importance of school not just as a place of learning, but of socialization, care and coaching of community and shared space which technology cannot fulfil. The pandemic is giving us massive insights as to what human development and learning looks like, allowing it to potentially shift from just content dissemination to augmenting relationships with teachers, personalization and independence. Institutions, teachers and students will continue to look for flexible ways to repair the damage caused by COVID-19’s interruptions to the learning

trajectories. In this context, the open schools (e.g., India’s National Institute of Open Schooling; the New Zealand Correspondence School) and open universities (e.g., The UK Open University; Athabasca University, Canada) – most of which have continued to operate through the COVID-19 pandemic – would help provide a variety of courses and the flexibility of time and place of learning to help students regain their sense of normalcy and confidence. Disease, toxics, climate change and pollution are by-products of the global economy that we all benefit from. Educators are responsible for ensuring that the expertise needed to maintain this complex world continues to be regenerated. The mission of all education systems across the globe is the same – to overcome the learning crisis we were already living with and to respond positively to the pandemic we are all facing. The challenge of the hour is to reduce as much as possible the negative impact this pandemic will have on learning and schooling and build on this experience to get back on the track of faster and more efficient improvement in learning. As education systems cope with this crisis, they must also be thinking of how they can recover stronger with a renewed sense of responsibility and with a better understanding and sense of urgency of the need to close the gap in opportunities and assuring that all children have the same chances for a quality education. References • https://countercurrents.org/2020/05/indian-education-in-covid19-pandemic-lockdown/ • https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/educational-challengesand-opportunities-covid-19-pandemic • https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/coronaviruslockdown-education-children-going-back-to-a-newschool-6374612/ • https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-teachers-school-education85ba24a3-bb5c-4d4f-bf0d-90b0a20056d2.html • https://today.duke.edu/2020/05/how-teach-kids-home-duringpandemic

The author holds a Master’s degree in English from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi and a CELTA from the University of Cambridge. As an English language assessment specialist, she has extensively worked on developing content for various English language assessments offered by Cambridge Assessment English. Her love for publishing brought her to her current job as an ELT editor wherein she developed an entire English Grammar series for classes 1-8. She loves to fill in the crevices in her day by writing about the changing trends in education. She can be reached at <sanjheegianchandani28@gmail.com>.

TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

The intrigue of teaching and learning during lockdown Dev Nath Pathak

he idea of a ‘new normal’ has been rife during the lockdown. Looking at the children and teachers during this situation however one is puzzled about the newness of the normal. And a question that haunts us is, what is normal about the so called new? This is so emphatic when it comes to the teaching-learning conducted by various schools. Unfortunately, the crisis has only unmasked the deep-rooted problems of pedagogy, the objectives of teaching and learning and the purpose of schooling. Everyone seems foxed about the coveted benchmark – the idea of contextual learning and nurturing independent learners. More tragic is the fact that educational institutions refuse to reflect on the anomalies even in these tenuous times. Irony unfolds with hilarity to show that we refuse to learn from such crises. The practice of teachers zooming in on the possibility of virtual classrooms under the compulsions and conditions created by the administration is indeed a telling tale. If before lockdown teachers were reduced to clerical staff, now they are supposed to be efficient technocrats. There is not much difference between a teaching-clerk and teachingtechno manager. They had to do so as their employers want them to be at work, no matter the situation. Teachers, in this regard, are no different from other professionals, say software engineers or content developers. Lockdown or unlocked existence, they are asked to do the same things they do in normal situations. The institutions of learning did not want to forego their role as a service provider and the ever impatient parents longed for a continuation of the service too. After all, the only consideration parents have is that they should get the service they are paying for; just like, they expect pizza delivery in record time. A great opportunity for rethinking teaching 10 TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

and learning was lost in this technical relation of service providers and clients, or between teachers and employers, or between teachers and taught. In the beginning, parents and children enjoyed the intrigue! Teachers were gung ho about conducting classes on some of those handy online meeting services, or so it seemed. Saddled with domestic chores in the absence of house helps and a perpetual work-from-home situation, parents found such

Illustration: Niharika Shenoy

engagements for their children useful. If parents were working from home, why should the teachers not do the same? It has been parental practice to keep-the-child engaged! And hence, they expect teachers to do the needful. During vacations too, we see children enrolled in formal classes to learn various skills. Never leave a child with any time to do some independent thinking, mulling, imagining and doing things spontaneously – a common concern of schools as well as parents. And to ensure that the child is not wasting time, examine-evaluateadjudge endlessly. Some such anti-independent learning notions guided the engagement between children and teachers during the lockdown too. The virtual engagement between the teacher and taught began to fall apart as the children reached the limit of curiosity and teachers faced the problems of managing virtual classes. Many teachers experienced hurdles in conducting these classes, as they kept requesting parents to supervise children, keep the younger ones from popping up in front of the camera and regulate the fiddling that youngsters do when they have free hands on the computer. Consequently, the number of homework assignments increased and the sublime metamorphosed into the grotesque, so to say. There was hardly any difference in the assignments students got from the teachers during the usual routine days. The idea was the same old practice, keep the children occupied. The same old apprehension prevailed – managing time well so that it is not wasted, controlling children properly so that they don’t turn unruly and bombarding them with assignments so that the children remained disciplined through the lockdown. Homes became virtual schools and the ever ill-oriented, unreflective parents stepped in on behalf of the schools and teachers. Teachers started making frantic phone calls to friends they thought could give useful advice on how to develop ‘creative’ assignments to occupy older children. The school administration demanded from each teacher a work plan to show how innovatively he/ she plans to engage with the students during this time. Innovation, otherwise an innocent and interesting word, became a serious challenge. Some teachers thought of asking students to watch a set of films and write about nature and culture, virus and humans, or evolution of humans and the risk of living. But this was not sufficient. The administration cannot nod affirmatively to such

strangely romantic pedagogy that gives so much freedom to students. They solicited more fortified and leak-proof lesson plans, very clearly making promises about possible delivery. In many cases, the more innovatively an idea was planned, the less innovative it became. After all schools have to be answerable to their clients, the buyers of their services. Hence, every plan must show that the teachers are not taking their task lightly. Even though a teacher was teaching social sciences, it seemed to be beyond imagination to ask students to read about the plight of migrant workers during lockdown. A teacher thought of asking students to talk to parents and accessible neighbours about the relationship between clapping and banging on utensils and the spread of the virus. It was immediately shot down by the vice-principal of the school. Some of the students of political science at a school decided to do a collection of news reports about poor governance and nationalist vigilantism of residents’ welfare associations. The teacher had to request students to abort such a plan. None of the students of civics, sociology, history, political science, and even biology and chemistry were encouraged to explore whether distancing should be physical or social in order to avoid the spread of the virus. No administration is comfortable with such issues even though they stare in our faces. And zooming in and out of virtual classes, many students wondered as to why the new kind of social untouchability based on Covid-19 was not an issue of discussion at all. Even though everyone in the metro cities faced inconvenience from the absence of domestic helps, it did not trigger a debate on the importance of migrant workers or casual labourers in our everyday life. And the instances that it did were few and far between, it hardly made a difference in the way pedagogy unfolds in the process of teaching and learning. This was not normal and there is nothing new about this idea of normal, as far as pedagogic practices and vision of schooling are concerned. For, to turn a new leaf, one ought to be able to comprehend the old, limitations of the old, and then seek for new! The author who has written various books, teaches sociology at South Asian University in Delhi and engages with issues in education. He can be reached at <dev@soc.sau.ac.in>.

TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

Did we use the lockdown wisely? Zamir Arif

s the world slowed down around the globe and more than 3.5 billion people locked themselves inside their homes to try and arrest the spread of the coronavirus, there were also millions of innocent children/students arrested in their homes and being subjected to third degree torture. As I say this, you are probably wondering if I have lost my mind. Why will children be tortured in their own homes? Well it is a fact that from day one of the lockdown, parents have been tracking their children like RAW agents because for the first time they have time with their children. And unfortunately, parents are parenting more than is necessary. And as if that's not enough, they're also spying on their neighbours and relatives to know how creatively the neighbours are torturing their children during this stay-at-home period. Add to this the fact that schools are in cut-throat competition, one after another throwing bombs on their students with zero chance of escaping. Some are giving worksheets, some notes, some are conducting video classes, some online, some sharing links for the success of the child. This commitment and dedication was never seen when the students were actually present in school. I have a few questions to ask. Is the closure of schools a study leave given to students before appearing for the final exam of their life? Is this the only way to deal with students during this lockdown? If this lockdown is not utilized in this way, will the lives of the children be ruined? Are students machines that will stop functioning, if the fuel of studies is not poured into them continuously? Have students ever experienced such a crisis before? Are they emotionless? Actually I have a lot of questions to ask, but will not torture you, as many of you are already torturing innocent children. I wish students had been allowed to live on their terms, for the first time in their homes not as 12 TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

renters but as members of the family. I wish they were allowed to speak, share, discuss, discourse, debate, decide... on those issues/topics, which they usually don’t get to. With everyone at home, for the first time, families had the opportunity to run democratically. I am not sure many of us are practicing it. I wish schools had given their students the kind of tasks they wouldn’t have dreamt about even in their wildest dreams. This was the time when the school and teachers could have developed a good relationship with their students. Could we have dealt with this continued lockdown for schools in a better way?

1) School management and teachers could have talked to their students, casually asking how their lives were during this period, what they were doing, whether they needed anything, etc., and allowed them to talk and ask questions freely. I don't know how many unanswered questions our students have.

inspire them to read something worth reading or something which they like to read. Why don't we challenge them to write something they would love to write about? Ultimately we want our children to learn the art of reading and writing. But our approach is outdated, question, answer, textbook, notebook, that's it.

2) I would have asked students to be with their grandparents and parents. Talk to them about their good and bad memories. How they used to live in the olden times, their stories of success and failure in life. Their school experiences, village experiences, their memories of their parents and best friends. Do you think all students are lucky enough to talk this much with their parents and grandparents in this so called modern era?

8) Since, this crisis is the rarest of rare, we should have motivated our students to find ways to help our government in this crisis. We must not forget that children's minds are very creative, original and pure. They may have come up with various ways to help local, state and central governments.

3) I would have insisted that my students do house work, like cleaning, washing clothes, tidying the home, helping parents in their work, learning cooking as an art. Don't you think they may have developed compassion for those who work for them? Be it mom, dad or the house help? And this learning would have made them good employers as well as employees and above all good human beings. 4) I would have given my students the freedom to be creative. Draw, paint, do art and craft of all kinds, gardening, interior designing, fashion designing, calligraphy, cartooning and so on. I don't know how many surprises there would have been in store for us. 5) I would have used tricky ways to involve my students in their studies as well. I would have asked my students to prepare study material for younger classes and share it with the teachers and younger students. Being students themselves, I am sure they would have had a better idea of transacting lessons.

9) Children are very mobile, and naturally restricting them to one place is the toughest punishment you can give them. And in this lockdown you can understand their pain. We should have guided them in how to maintain long distance relationships without being together with their friends. Like writing letters to each other. Creating scrapbooks for friends, making cards and gifts. Writing stories and poems for their friends. 10) This lockdown was a blessing in disguise because this generation is so dependent on their parents, house helps, teachers, friends... that they can't do anything on their own. We could have helped them learn self-dependency. After a few years they will be on their own so why not practice being independent in this lockdown for a future without struggle? So, dear friends we did not make good use of this lockdown. We are using it as task masters with no direction or result. It's a lockdown in which our minds are also locked. I wish we could have opened our minds in this lockdown for a better tomorrow. The author is a social science teacher at St. Xavier's school Hazaribag, Jharkhand. He can be reached at <zamirarif377@gmail.com>.

6) We only say NO to everything our students do. I would have asked my students to use the smart phone and internet, computer and laptop purposefully. Learn about whatever makes them crazy. Make videos for YouTube, post on FB or Instagram, something which can inspire others, share their knowledge, art, talent, findings.… 7) We only demand that our students read and write, which irritates them. The reason for this irritation is repetition of the same work. Why can’t we

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Recalling a forgotten tryst... S. Mundayoor “My children? Oh, they’re busy playing on the mobile, not much bothered about the online assignments from school....”

weather, environment, school education and light entertainment. Public response to SITE programmes was enthusiastic, even with frequent failures in connectivity, equipment breakdown and sometimes doubtful content relevance and quality. Sadly, SITE telecasts ended in 1976, as it was dependent on an American satellite provided to India for only a year. Many of us felt deeply disappointed that SITE did not reach students in all states. I wonder if the educational materials produced during SITE were telecast later by Doordarshan centres to target schools.

OVID-19 has suddenly made online education a most discussed subject, making even the biggest pessimist doubt if school education in the country is all set for the long-talked about transformation. For a nation which has prided itself in providing IT brainpower to a large part of the western world for the last two decades, why did it take so long to evolve interventions for making schooling a purposeful phase of the Indian child’s life?

Was there any other educational television intervention in the later years that created such public enthusiasm? Educators, TV fans and readers could perhaps throw more light.

Where did we miss the bus? Memories flash before my eyes...

1980s, NE India. Colour TV had arrived with great fanfare in all major Indian cities on Oct 2, 1982. Even in the north east we could access DD programmes though it meant installing a large expensive ‘disc’ and a lot of acrobatics with long

1975: Our dreams came true as the SITE telecasts (Satellite Instructional Television Experiment) began in select villages and towns across central India, beaming programmes directly onto satellitelinked TV sets installed in public places. Thus the common people in these places had free and direct access to watch a range of television programmes on issues related to their lives: agriculture, health, 14 TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

Illustration: Niharika Shenoy

1973: The four Indian metros had received a welcome I-Day gift on Aug 15, 1972, with Doordarshan commencing evening telecasts on black and white TVs. As students of journalism, we were on a visit to the Overseas Communications Services (OCS) centre of the I & B Ministry in the city of Bombay. It was only at OCS that we first saw a colour TV programme. ‘When can we get a colour TV in India?’ we asked. ‘Would Doordarshan beam at night the World Cup football going on (somewhere)? Promptly we were reminded of PM Indira Gandhi’s clear words when Doordarshan was launched – "Colour TV programmes are not a priority for a poor country; we must first make sure that the whole nation receives the benefits of television services. And that television will be used extensively to improve school education." We nodded in agreement – urban India must feel for its less privileged rural masses before looking up to the moon for more.

wires. TV sets were still beyond the reach of the common man and cumbersome to maintain. Most schools did not think of procuring a set, considering the frequent powercuts in the 1980s and 90s. Many private residential schools however did set up one, but showed only a routine Sunday film or ‘serial’ – they hardly had any choice with powercuts hanging like a Damocles’ sword. Even if a school thought of screening the ‘evening’ English news to give students exposure to spoken English, it was too late an hour; 9.30 pm for people of the NE and for students across rural India is almost midnight! We wondered why educational planners never thought of using DD’s English news as a tool to provide valuable listening exposure to the language.

schools and bring on a head-load of problems. ‘Let Doordarshan start educational programmes,’ we told them. Then, during the International Youth Year, 1985, two of our schools got a gracious gift of a TV from the army units nearby. ‘Why not us?’, queries started from other schools. ‘Let’s see’, we were noncommittal.

(What the planners didn’t try, the Hindi film and video-cassette industry did admirably: Hindi rapidly gained lingua-franca status across the entire NE communities by the late 90s by a people’s enterprise! Hundreds of tiny ‘VCP – theatre’ huts that mushroomed in the hamlets on hilltops started screening day and night, the latest Hindi films released in Bollywood! The VCPs ran mostly on petrol gen-sets and the viewers paid Rs.5/- for a show. Teaching spoken Hindi was never easier! (A change worth researching by educationists.)

It was then that we came to know of the EMRC Pune telecasts. Screened from Monday to Friday 1 pm – 2 pm, it was wholly educational. The Educational Media Research Centre (EMRC) programmes of the Pune University were for college students, but like SITE, they covered several subjects in English and Hindi. Some were quite interesting for school students too and others for teachers.

A group of residential schools in Arunachal Pradesh, of which I was a managing team member, firmly decided that we will not procure TV for our

Came 1987-88, and ‘Ramayana’ started telecasting on DD on Sunday mornings and later the Mahabharata. Now the clamour got louder! Friendships, cooperation, teamwork everything could be endangered, if one didn’t own or favour a TV! We quietly nodded assent, still wishing TV would soon become an educational tool.

Excited, we directed the schools to screen EMRC shows as the students had their noon meals. Here was classroom learning made appealing to the Arunachali students in villages, who had not even seen a train! Overriding all objections, the screenings went on for a few years. I always watched them with the students, whenever I visited one of our schools. Did the students benefit from these telecasts? It will be interesting to find out after nearly three decades. But EMRC shows did benefit our schools in an unexpected way. A telecast that caught our attention was a presentation by (late) Prof M. R. Bhide on “vermicomposting” on cultivating earthworms to produce enriched manure! ‘Look at the immense benefit it could add to rural residential schools with shoe-string budgets, struggling to procure fresh vegetables!’ We immediately wrote to Prof Bhide inviting him to Arunachal. To our endless joy, the professor very graciously accepted our request. His training sessions for our staff and nearby villagers were highly successful; we had a handsome increase in crops that year! We also felt elated that we were involved in introducing an agricultural innovation in our state, all from watching TV! Soon after, this writer moved out from the arena of school education. It will be interesting to learn how

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Online

subsequent major educational serials by DD were used for strengthening classroom learning – “Turning Point” by Dr Yashpal on popular science, “Bharat Ek Khoj” on Nehru’s ‘Discovery of India’. Did educational agencies like NCERT, CBSE or the state school boards use them? As we listen to governments promoting online learning during the coronavirus crisis, the call for using TV as a medium sounds quite feeble. How sad the TV media wasn’t directed to reach out to schools during the last two decades! Today cable TV has the largest network providing TV content even in the remotest areas of India. Has the government tried to rope them in telecasting learning materials? If not, the time has come for cable TV companies to do their CSR bit. And TV is far more accessible and suited for supplementing classroom learning across India. Not just pedagogic content, but related resources that can stir the learner to explore beyond and make learning joyful, inspiring, and purposeful. Indira Gandhi’s government gifted us a tryst with television. It is time now to redeem it. The author is an education and library activist with four decades of close association with the Arunachali youth. He can be reached at <lohit.libraries@gmail.com>.

he COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted and changed education in dramatic ways. Educational institutions were shutdown when the lockdown was imposed and now they are making efforts to go fully digital and gearing up for online education. Schools and universities are encouraging teachers to embrace e-learning. Teachers are being trained to acquire new skills through a variety of applications (Zoom, Webex, Google Meet) to adapt to the changing nature of teaching. Change is never easy, especially for teachers with several years of experience in the ‘chalk and talk’ mode. Like the teachers, students too were anxious about their classes and the upcoming semester. Quick emails and phone calls to my students helped me understand what kind of facilities they had at home, which would enhance or hamper learning opportunities. I teach ‘Politics of the Environment’, an elective course open to all students from B.Tech to PhD. My students come from across India, from Assam to Kerala. This article offers a glimpse into the lives of students who have been at home and are struggling with online classes. Students in metro cities replied immediately that they would be able to access and attend online lectures and download pre-recorded videos. Haridhar, who lives in Tarpoli village in Kolkapur, Maharashtra, wrote back after four days. He wrote, “My village is in a very remote area surrounded by a jungle of Western Ghats. There is very bad network connectivity. I can't access from home and always go out. Rainy days have started and the network connection gets lost many times. Please consider this situation. It will be difficult to be online to attend lectures. So please post it on YouTube. I will somehow go out with umbrella, download it on the mobile. I could watch it afterwards.” Students in Tarpoli go out to the fields for better internet connectivity. The phone network is unreliable too. They have to step out of their homes even to receive or make phone calls. After some trial and runs, students in this village find a few designated spots where internet works. When it becomes too hot, they sit under a tree or on a machan, made for villagers to guard their farms. These farms are their new classrooms. In the evenings, it becomes dangerous to stay on the farms. Gaurs (Indian Bison) raid the farms and an encounter with one could be fatal. Haridhar later told me that a gaur attacked two villagers a week ago. One of them is seriously injured and the other died.

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education, social justice and digital exclusion Ambika Aiyadurai While the location of Haridhar's village poses unique site-related issues, similar problems are faced by students living in towns where internet services are infact available. Ismail, a first-generation collegegoer, lives in Kairana in Western UP. His father's textile shop had to be closed due to the lockdown. Unable to cope with family problems, including lack of regular income and uncertainty of his education, Ismail is not able to sleep at night. He says, “I have been unsuccessfully trying to study at night. I don't have space where I can sit and study peacefully. We live in a joint family, so only at night, there is less noise and disturbance as compared to the day. There is not good internet speed, and sometimes I have to go to an open field in search of good internet speed. Also sometimes, power cut problem is there in my locality. Due to all these reasons, it seems very difficult for me to attend online classes.” Students like Ismail face frustration, irritation and anxiety, which in turn lead to psychological problems.

connectivity. Without that the students’ struggle is magnified. A student told me he spends 4-5 hours to download my lectures. While official estimates show that in 2018, 93.9 per cent of rural households had electricity for domestic use, the supply of power is not regular. Kumar adds, “I have to keep a check on the charge of the mobile phone. There was no electricity for three days last week. Under such conditions, I give up.” Most students use their smartphones to download and access online classes. In places like Kashmir with only 2G available, asking students to join classes and submit assignments online is outright unfair. There are detrimental psychological effects on students, especially from Jammu and Kashmir, who already

The great digital divide in India is glaring. According to the National Sample Survey data for 2017-18, only 42 per cent of urban and 15 per cent of rural households have internet access. Access to internet does not mean that there is internet at home. Households having computers in rural India count for only 4.4 per cent and 23.4 per cent in urban India. In this survey, having smartphones was not considered. There are four groups of students who require our attention and support: students from marginalized groups, those living in remote geographical locations, those with a non-conducive learning environment at home and those with some form of disabilities. These groups of students fall on the wrong side of the digital divide. With no support, they find it challenging to catch up with the rest of the class. “To access online lectures, I go to the terrace because there is no reception at home. It gets very hot there, but what to do. And during rains, I have to take care of my devices. If my laptop gets damaged, there is no way to repair quickly,” says Kumar who lives on the outskirts of Nanded. A crucial requirement of this new form of learning is highspeed internet Photos courtesy: Ambika Aiyadurai TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

face difficulties because of the political environment, military conflicts and technologyrelated barriers. A few students like Pasha have gone into depression. The day I called Pasha, he was at a clinic. When I enquired if everything was alright, he told me that he was depressed. “If there are online classes next semester, I would not be able to join. I have to withdraw for the semester. I live in a joint family and have family responsibilities. With a limited internet connection and things to take care at home, it isn't easy to cope. It makes me feel unworthy.” Students living in remote mountainous areas of northeast India, Jammu and Kashmir and in forest areas of central India will be left behind and digitally excluded. Students from marginalized sections (scheduled castes and scheduled tribes) and students with disabilities, end up further excluded because of the already existing disadvantages and structural barriers. The nature of the classroom has changed. It is no longer formal and no longer an official space, it is the domestic family space. For many, this is not a comfortable space, especially for those living in non-nuclear families. According to Census (2011), the number of households in India with oneroom homes, and two-room homes were 91.49 million (37 per cent) and 78.12 million (32 per cent) respectively. A single room house, noisy and congested can hardly be a space for students to focus on assignments or attend virtual classes. Lakshmi wakes up at 6 am. She helps her mother cook breakfast and lunch. Washing utensils and cleaning the house are her daily responsibilities. In her oneroom home in a slum area in Pune, she waits for everyone to go to sleep and then study. “There are fights during the day time and people shout at each other. The sound from our neighbour's television is often loud. There is never a quiet time. How can I sit and study?,” asks Lakshmi. Believing that technology has the potential to reach out to all sections of the society is one thing, but the reality is something else. If educational institutions do not reach out to the digital have-nots and support 18 TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

them, they need to reflect on their sense of social responsibility and justice. Every class may have 5-10 per cent (sometimes more) students who may need some kind of support, both materially and emotionally. We can take steps as teachers to make our classrooms as inclusive as possible. Institutions must have a policy for those students who are at home and who may need technical support (providing them with devices, posting books and pen drives with syllabus and readings), monetary support (a nominal amount for data usage) and emotional support. Setting up a hotline and helpline for students and parents could be a way to build confidence for those who may need support, both for academic queries and for emotional support from counsellors. Online education is also challenging us to rethink how to teach, how to engage with students and more importantly, how to evaluate students. To be flexible and adaptable without compromising the quality of teaching is the need of the hour. This needs out-ofthe-box solutions. More importantly, as individual teachers and as institutions, we need to reach out to the students over phone calls and talk to them. This will go a long way in building confidence among students like Haridhar, Ismail, Laxmi and Pasha. As teachers, we have to walk that extra mile to reach students who are at the edge and face the risk of dropping out. These students are waiting outside the 'new classroom' and they know that the classes have begun but because their background (geographic location, class, caste, gender, disabilities), they are unable to participate on the digital platforms. The first step is to recognize the factors contributing to the digital divide. Both at the institutional and individual level, we need to carefully consider and find ways to let these students come and join the virtual classrooms. If not, we would have failed in our roles as educators. The author is Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar. She can be reached at <a.ambika@iitgn.ac.in>.

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My life now, Fareen Wahid

What’s a six-word memoir? Writing in six words is an imaginative way to catalyze communication, spark creativity and bring big ideas down to students' realities. Six-word memoirs are an effective tool to discuss significant ideas and a beautiful way for individuals to break the ice. Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in just six words. He came up with: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” This spawned the concept of six-word memoirs.

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Using this idea I gave my students an assignment: Write a story about your life during the coronavirus pandemic in six words (no more, no less). Your story does not have to be a complete sentence. Use powerful words, mainly nouns and verbs. The most important thing is to be honest and to be yourself. Prompts 1. What does social isolation feel like? 2. How has your family life changed? 3. What do you miss the most or least about school? 4. What have you discovered? 5. Describe a new book, show, podcast, recipe.

Photos courtesy: Fareen Wahid

in six words

6. What advice do you have for your parents or caretaker? 7. How do you think life will change when this is over? Make your story visual Option 1: Write or type your six-word memoir. Be visually creative. Use different sizes/styles of handwriting and fonts. Option 2: Create a Google slide with your six-word memoir and an original photograph or drawing.

Option 3: Draw a postcard-sized picture (at least 3.5 x 5 in., or larger) with your six-word memoir written on the back. For more ideas on how to use the six word memoirs in your classroom please visit www.teacherplus.org. The author is a humanities educator based in Mumbai. She is currently a teacher in Garodia International Centre for Learning, Mumbai. She can be reached at <fareenwahid18@gmail.com>

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A teacher’s conundrum Disha Jain

n the midst of the current pandemic, where everything seems to be thrown out of gear, I wonder why my mind constantly takes me back to an idea that one of my favourite teachers always emphasized upon (thankfully) – simplicity. At a time when teachers are finding it difficult to cope with a sudden surge of online dissemination of ‘knowledge’, I am beginning to realize its relevance more than ever before. Simplicity My teacher always said that the ability to convey a tricky concept in simple language so that a reader/ listener understands comes with an in-depth knowledge. You need to have the 'inquisitiveness' of a child in order to inquire. You need to persist in knowing a 'phenomenon' in its entirety. This journey towards knowing is in itself a reward. But the journey requires consistent effort and perseverance. Quickfixes won't work. As a teacher, when I see my digital space inundated with invitations to free online webinars that offer handy advice to adjust to the ‘new normal’ way of teaching online, with innovative methods to engage students, I feel overwhelmed. This is ironic because that's exactly what these webinars want us to not feel with their promise of providing easy accessibility and efficient digital assets. Notwithstanding how I feel, I let my focus shift to 'knowing' about these technologies, more because of the fear of missing out on tools and strategies that claim to make learning interactive and fun for students. I’m drawn to these platforms for I really, really want to keep my learners engaged. That’s what is expected of me, right? And so, I inevitably start with a simple and interesting tool at one moment and soon after, I find myself experimenting with another interesting tool that I came across somewhere on an educational site. Social media and popular search engines make

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it easier for me to navigate from site to site, thanks to the imperceptible work of data analytics. The very next day, there's another one that pops up on my digital space. I am tempted to try that one too. While doing so, I've completely disregarded the first one that I had started with, because that became too common a tool by the time I chanced upon the ‘new’ one. Plus, the students have become bored with using the same tool over and over again, so the situation dictates that I start 'shopping' for another one. The fact of the matter is that there are so many fancy terms for teaching methodologies today that I spend more time in getting to know about them, than on knowing what all these teaching methods have primarily in common – the children – a simple fact that a teacher is bound to lose sight of in this frenzied pursuit. Am I focusing on studying my subject in such a way that the children, no matter what method I use, find it purposeful? Am I struggling with the question of how to simplify instructions so that EVERYONE understands? Am I immersing myself in the subject in such a way that I am asking myself as a teacher – 1. Why I want to teach this to the students. 2. Why is it relevant? How can they be motivated to acquire it and apply it to become better at thinking creatively and critically?

see how a new tool works and confusion about the learning goals students had set out to achieve in the beginning.

Illustration: Niharika Shenoy

In all this, therefore, the deeper questions, the basic ones – why I am there; what subject knowledge I wish to facilitate for my learners; what subject knowledge I want to simplify for my students; whether I am giving them an opportunity to struggle with a concept introduced; or if they see the excitement in why they are learning a concept – get sidelined. And I, as a teacher, consequently, end up having no knowledge of any of these at the end of the day, for how will I know, if I continue to make learning nothing more than just an opportunity to tirelessly search for a new technology for students’ immediate consumption and instant gratification? The author teaches English (IB curriculum) at an international school in India (Noida). A recipient of the Junior Research Fellowship in Education, she holds a double masters in Education and English Literature from Delhi University (India). A teacher and a life-long learner by choice, she is fond of writing poetry and reflective pieces. She can be reached at <disha. nanu@gmail.com>.

In my chase to find new tools to engage students every day, I spend no time pondering over such questions, which appear to be ‘outmoded’, no matter how foundational. The idea of ‘the more the better’ seems to have taken every educator in its stride, which is why it appears normal to spend a lot of time knowing and exploring new technologies and letting students have a go at them. Ultimately, students are engaged in knowing more about the tool. Mindful reflection, however, will allow us to realize how, thanks to this frenzied rummage, the focus shifts to excitement and confusion – excitement to

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And the job must go on Shreya Jindal

he messages started flowing in on a Sunday afternoon in May. The WhatsApp group for Indians stranded in Mexico had been a mix of hope, despair and anger for weeks. Now, it was full of excited, giddy messages – Did you receive an email from the embassy? There is a flight tomorrow from Mexico City to Amsterdam, and then from Amsterdam to Mumbai! You have to respond to them by 7:15 today; don’t forget! I was in the middle of lunch, which I had ordered from a new Indian restaurant I’d decided to try that day. After months of searching for good Indian food in Monterrey, I had been ecstatic to find it, but now, my first thought was, I wish I’d known I was leaving tomorrow; I would have ordered something Mexican. My second thought was just a haze of panic. My lesson plans were in no shape for my students to be able to work on their own, and also I hadn’t received any email yet from the Indian embassy. What if I wasn’t on their list?! And if I was on the list, what should I do with my five classes? The next hour was spent in frantic phone calls to the Indian embassy, whose phone lines were jammed with calls for information and clarification. Once I managed to sort out the confusion and confirm that my name was on the list, I had only about 16 hours to

get my entire apartment packed up. I knew I should focus on that first... but as I rushed around pulling clothes off hangers and shooting off text messages to the school principal and several colleagues, I couldn’t concentrate at all. I was, of course, extremely relieved to be getting out of Mexico. I had been afraid for months that I would get stuck there, even nursing some dark fears that I would lose my new teaching job in Mumbai if I didn’t make it back in time. Having access to a repatriation flight when so many were stranded all over the world was a wonderful gift, but I was caught completely off guard by the short notice. Trying to pack up two years’ worth of clothes in one night wasn’t the biggest source of stress – it was my lesson plans for the final two weeks of school. It was the remediation week, and I had a handful of students at risk of failing English – how would they manage the work without me? I was hoping that I would be able to get back in contact and teach again once I began my institutional quarantine in Mumbai, but what if something happened; what if I couldn’t connect to the WiFi from my hotel room? Realizing that I wouldn’t be able to concentrate if I didn’t figure this out first I abandoned my attempts at packing and spent the next three hours planning lessons for two weeks, sending emails to parents and colleagues about what students should do during class time, and making screencast videos to explain the tasks I had assigned. I even shared my WhatsApp number with each of my 124 students and their parents, something I usually avoid doing - but I was worried about what would happen if I ended up with a connectivity issue and WhatsApp was my only means of communication.

Images courtesy: Shreya Jindal

As soon as I sent off the emails, I was instantly flooded with emails and text messages from 6th graders and their parents wishing me well, telling me they would miss me, and even reminding me not to get coronavirus on the flight. A few of them did not bother with niceties, however, and were far more concerned about their grades than my travels – how would I grade them if I was leaving? When would I update the gradebook? What about handing the assignments in; where would they do that? And what if they had a question?

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I answered their messages all evening while I opened drawers, made piles of things to discard, and threw things into suitcases. In the end, I managed to get everything done – just barely. After working all night, I ran out of time to finish the kitchen and empty the fridge, so I asked a friend to come over and take care of that and left. Over the next few days and weeks, I would continually find myself juggling my unprecedented situation with my responsibilities as a teacher. When students got confused about a Google Meet which had been cancelled (Ms. Jindal, why aren’t you here, we are all waiting), I WhatsApped them a reminder that I had cancelled my classes for the week while I stood in line to check in for a flight. When a girl sent me a picture of a question she couldn’t understand, I responded in a voice note as I waited for the flight to take off. There were other things to worry about, of course – forms to fill out, overweight baggage fees, getting three extremely heavy suitcases across an airport which had no luggage trolleys available – but all of that played out against the backdrop of classes, assessments, and last-minute updates to the gradebook. When I finally reached my hotel room in Mumbai 30 hours later, I gave myself a day to recuperate before I resumed teaching. My classes for the final days of school took place during my hotel quarantine from 7:30 pm – 1:00 am. During my first class back, my students greeted me with excitement, asked me if I was feeling like I had coronavirus, and demanded to see the view out of my hotel room window because they “wanted to look at India.” Unfortunately, since it was pitch dark outside, there was nothing to see. They had to content themselves with a picture of the view from my window and a virtual room tour. The last few days of the quarantine was the only time when the stress truly began to get to me. First, my COVID-19 test results were delayed, which also delayed the length of the institutional quarantine

from seven days to nine. Then, Cyclone Nisarga hit Mumbai at the worst possible moment, causing my flight to Bangalore to be cancelled. I was texting people on WhatsApp about flights while also trying to teach classes, and my students picked up on my distraction, with one girl gleefully catching me in the act and saying, “Ms. Jindal, are you texting someone on your phone right now? You shouldn’t have a phone in the middle of class!” I even got stuck with Indigo Airlines’ customer care for 40 minutes trying to get a refund for my expensive flight while my students listened to the automated music with amusement and fascination, which played in the background as I took attendance and gave instructions. When my final lessons drew to a close, I was profoundly relieved at the arrival of summer break, though mine was going to be a very short one this year. Still, even though I was ecstatic to be home, and to not have to teach at such strange hours, there was also sorrow about the way the year had ended. I couldn’t believe I had said goodbye to students and colleagues who I would probably never see again, over Google Meets! The year felt unfinished in a way that most school years do not, and I could tell that my students felt it too. At the same time, I have many fond memories to carry with me – a YouTube video bidding me farewell made by my colleagues when they realized that I couldn’t attend the Farewell Zoom meeting, the outpouring of emails from students and parents wishing me well and saying goodbye, and the Flipgrid videos my Mexican students made with advice for my future students in India. When all is said and done, the one thing that this experience has taught me is that despite how much the day-to-day of teaching may have changed, our jobs remain the same. It’s not the same as it is face to face, but with constant communication, it is possible to do this effectively and well, even if you’re in the middle of an airport, puzzling over a child’s grammatically horrific WhatsApp message, or trying to figure out the latest iteration of the e-pass on the Seva Sindhu while reminding your students about the importance of punctuation in the Google Meet that’s open on a separate tab. The author is a writer and English teacher with eight years of experience working with middle and high school students. She currently works at Edubridge International School in Mumbai. She can be reached at <shreyapjindal@gmail.com>.

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The new normal through a parental lens Ardra Balachandran “We’ve been strongly reminded of the fact that we’re Jews in chains, chained to one spot, without any rights, but with a thousand obligations. We must put our feelings aside; we must be brave and strong, bear discomfort without complaint, do whatever is in our power and trust in God. One day this terrible war will be over.” The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (P 253, The Definitive Edition)

a house with a child (or two, or more) who is not allowed to step out, the lockdown period proved a truly testing time for many parents.

Ramya Krishnan is a Mumbai-based service delivery lead in the finance industry and was working from home 17-18 hours a day during April-May. She lives with her nine-year old son, Pranav. It was initially difficult for Pranav to understand what was going on. He is a livewire who loves to play football (he’s a Liverpool fan), and he cried until kingdom come for not being allowed to go outside and play. But Ramya says any goal can be achieved through proper communication.

Covid-19 conversations One of the most challenging aspects of parenting is answering questions in terms suitable to every age. Add to that the challenge of being confined in

Six-year-old Hayden Johnson saw his parents working as Green Kochi volunteers distributing food packets to the needy, every day, during those two months. Neena Menon, a popular RJ, and her husband Johnson Peter, a dentist, would take precautionary measures of covering up appropriately and washing hands meticulously, throughout. When children see concepts in action, it is so much easier for them to assimilate. So, it did not take much effort for Hayden to understand that this virus is dangerous. Now he walks around the house with a small bottle of hand sanitiser, reminding everyone to use it.

nne’s words from April 1944 are prescient of another April, the one of 2020. Many young girls and boys (also the not-so-young) may have jotted similar words in their journals this year. It is still a world war, only the religion became humanity and the enemy, a virus. In the wake of unprecedented events leading to the world shutting down, human beings across the world are likely to have faced existential dilemmas in one way or another. For a parent, some of the most fervent of these thoughts would be about children, whom we consider our future.

Photos courtesy: Ardra Balachandran

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But listen to Tony Jose, a senior journalist with Malayala Manorama, speaking about his teenage daughter: “Madhumitha is not dealing well with social distancing. Although she is a receptive child, it is a time of big changes for a 14-year-old, and she breaks down often saying that she has had enough of this. She wants to meet her friends and teachers.” Madhumitha just started class 9 at Mar Baselios Public School, Kottayam. Plans gone kaput What humans had proposed, in a swat, the virus disposed. Martin Antony and his family were all set to move from Mumbai to Essen, an industrial city in western Germany, this summer. His wife Aswathy V. had landed a plum job offer there and they had decided that Arya, their three-year-old daughter, would start kindergarten once they got there. But at this point in time, these are all plans hanging in the air. They had not taken a school admission in India and for now, Martin, a freelance professional, has made it his personal project to make Arya thorough with the alphabet. While the project goal was to make her learn until the 13th letter in two months of lockdown, they are lagging a little and are resting at the letter K. Martin says: “Explaining calculus to a grown-up child is so much easier than this. Making little children understand basics is a tough job, best done by teachers. Right now, I feel like a lawyer who has been asked to do a surgery.” When the world is open again, they will move to Germany where Arya will start formal classes, and by then, hopefully, she will be armed with all 26 letters. Learning in the new normal way While the virus was out on the prowl and social interactions came to a halt, it is technology that

came to our rescue. Zoom calls became a norm and we realized that children may soon be doing their lessons through these platforms too. While most private schools have already started online classes using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, Webex and the like, government schools cannot afford to do the same mainly because not all students have access to the internet. The Government of Kerala, for example, started its virtual class initiative called ‘First Bell’ on June 1st via two modes. There is a timetable based telecast of classes on television – on Victers channel run by Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) – and the classes are soon uploaded on their YouTube channel too. Furthermore, local self-governments have arranged TV sets and computers with internet in common facility centres like anganwadis, reading rooms and clubs to ensure that not a single child is left outside the learning net. Sure, they are not as interactive as the classroom simulation offered by digital platforms, but in these extraordinary times, it is certainly one way to keep learning going. It is quite a delight to watch some teachers impart lessons with animated expressions and an affectionate disposition for an imagined class one audience! Some of them, like Sai Swetha of Muthuvadathoor VVLP school in Vadakara, have even been hailed as super stars on Malayalam social media. Struggling together, learning together Old ways have quickly turned into rubble. Arjun Kolady, a digital media professional based in Mumbai, says that online learning is a difficult affair for all three parties involved – children, teachers and parents. However, he emphasizes, “It is the toughest on teachers. They have had to rework their methodology for the new medium; they have to keep unruly children under check from beyond a screen; the security of their comfort zones, the classrooms, has been taken away; they also have to deal with additional surveillance from parents.” While many schools insist that parents should not pry around the children while classes are on, we all know that is not how it works in many households. Arjun’s son Shiv is a 3rd class student at Billabong High International School, Mumbai and he notes that many of Shiv’s classmates are accompanied by their mothers; some of whom are judging the teachers’ pronunciation / teaching method, etc.

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Vandana Devan, mother to Nanda Menon who wrote her class 12 board exams this year, teaches physiology at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi. She says that even parents of grownup MBBS students intrude while online classes are progressing. One can then imagine what parents of younger children would do! Arjun adds, though, that in the case of younger children, it is definitely difficult to hold attention without the teacher’s physical presence. They will invariably get distracted and indulge in mischief; so, some amount of parental check is indeed necessary while doing this from home. Ann Mary Thomas chooses to see the bright side though. She is a teacher at National Public School in Indira Nagar, Bengaluru, where her 11-year-old daughter, Joanne studies. She says that the new normal has been a rewarding experience. “In one of the first sessions, a naughty fellow kept muting me. It was another student who made me notice that everyone was in presenter mode. He helped me change settings such that everyone except me became an attendee. What a delight it is to learn from your students!” she beamed. Arjun recalls how he caught Shiv sitting frozen in front of the desktop. Worried, he checked on him and the brat chuckles, “Oh, I just want them to think my system is stuck and loading.” Children ace the ‘tricks of technology’ far easier than teachers, of course. Battles with space and schedules Although lockdown was lifted at one point, many parents still continue to work from home, and

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with children too learning from home now, there is an obvious shortage of ‘space’. Aadi Krishnan is a class 9 student at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram, and as a 14-year-old, he knows that his parents should not be disturbed while they are at work. His father occupies their bedroom while Aadi and his mother Smitha Radhakrishnan have set up their desks in two facing spaces in the dining room. When Smitha raises her voice while communicating to her teammates during a meeting, it is often Aadi who requests his mother to keep quiet. So, now it is his ritual to remind her five minutes before he goes in for his class: “Please bahalam vekkalle” (please don’t be noisy). Anu Mathew, a homemaker, really misses her personal space too. “Obviously, I prefer Chris going to school. Once he leaves, I would have half a day to myself,” she says. Her husband is a Commander in the Navy and their child attends the Navy Public School in Chanakyapuri, Delhi. That said, she is clear that she will not send Chris to school even if it reopens right now. But for Ramya Krishnan, her ‘work from home’ days are coming to an end soon. Her job involves a lot of travel too, apart from regular office going. She is a single mother, but plans to take Pranav’s father’s help (he lives close-by with his parents) in taking care of their son for the time she is away. Hayden’s time after kindergarten hours used to be spent at his grandparents’ house. Neena and Johnson would pick him up on their way back from work

and head home. With online classes having begun, they now have to ensure that one of them is with him during its course. The grandparents do not have the knowhow to deal with any tech trouble / questions that may emerge. They have arrived at an arrangement where Johnson starts his work a little late, after Hayden’s morning class of an hour is done. Let us shift focus now to a frontline warrior in the Covid-19 battle. Seema Siby is a cleaner who works for daily wages at Kottayam Medical College. Her daughters Amala and Anakha just started with class 10 and 8 respectively at St. Paul’s Girls High School, Vettimukal. They got their faulty television fixed just ahead of the commencement of ‘First Bell’. But in two days, the appliance gave up again and the children had no option but to catch up on classes on YouTube. But there is a problem – there is only one smartphone in the household and that belongs to Seema who is often gone for long hours to the hospital. During these months, their shift timings have been reorganized such that they can work longer shifts in one visit and earn two days’ wages. Amidst all this, Amala and Anakha’s classes wait. Their father is an auto rickshaw driver and is mostly at home now because of lack of work, but he doesn’t have a smartphone and doesn’t interfere in study matters either. Their elder sister Akhila, a second-year nursing student, is currently at home too. The three sisters have taken up cooking and cleaning duties so that their mother can rest when she is back after a tiring work shift in the barely-breathable PPE kit. For many,

the battle is not just of space and schedule, but of other resources too. When the world shrinks to oneself All stakeholders in education (except the students, perhaps) know that the most important learning happens outside the four walls of classrooms, during peer conversations and activities beyond the books. With this crucial element of education cut off in this period, parents are concerned about their children’s social skills. Ann Mary Thomas recollects how her son Ivan used to be enthusiastic about going out to play with other kids in the apartment complex. He is all of four years old and used to love going to his Montessori school. The other day he got a peek of their neighbour boy just outside the door and he immediately asked Ann, “What is he doing there, Amma? Ask him to go inside.” Ann says: “I was shocked, frankly. With his entire family holed up here for two months plus, the child is slowly getting used to his shrunken world.” But Ann believes that online classes are a boon for her daughter. “She is anyway online – chatting with friends and attending virtual birthday parties. Then why not use that screen time for learning?” she asks. She has hired a full-time nanny to take care of Ivan while she, her husband and Joanne are locked up in three different bedrooms through the day. Learning versus health With children being born into a world of gadgets, ‘policing screen time’ is now perceived as a key responsibility in modern parenting. Apart from the

TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

problem that children glued to screens will miss out on social interactions and thus a wholesome growing up experience, uncontrolled screen exposure also has obvious health repercussions, particularly on the eye. This is a key concern raised, in the context of full day online learning, by parents like Jee Chirackal. She is a movie director based in Kochi, and her 11-year-old daughter Esther is a cancer survivor. As a parent who has watched a child go through a patch of bad health, she is vehemently against the idea of extended screen engagement. Esther’s online classes started in full swing on June 1st and soon, Jee noticed fatigue and stress in her daughter. If Jee had her way, she would ban online classes entirely for lower classes, and she is of the opinion that the least the schools can do is limit classes to one or two hours per day. “Radiation can cause issues; their retinas may get affected and there may be other effects that we don’t even know yet. Why should we expose our children to many more health risks worrying about one – the coronavirus?” she asks. So, while #RightToLearn, a parents’ collective in Karnataka, conducted a tweetstorm on June 21st appealing to the state government to lift the ban on online learning for students below class 5, Jee was trying to form a collective of parents to petition against prolonged online classes for their wards. (While the Kerala government has not given a state-wide directive on the number of hours or the age of children, many others like Maharashtra and Karnataka have. Private schools in Kerala have autonomy in conducting classes as they deem suitable while all government schools and aided schools come under the ‘First Bell’ umbrella.)

Family time – the silver lining in the virus cloud While the lockdown phase has been a disruptive time as far as families are concerned, it has also been a time to reconnect. Sreedevi Gopakumar, Shiv’s mother, a children’s book author and a homemaker, says: “Initially it felt odd. I missed not having the house to myself by 9 am. I kept wondering why everyone was hungry all the time. But having been able to do lunch together and play ludo in the evenings, every single day for two months plus, feels like such a blessing now.” With online classes having commenced for Shiv and with Arjun set to continue working from home until December, her blessing is lasting longer for sure. Anxiety amidst the new normal It is quite normal for parents to feel anxious about this new normal. There is general uncertainty about how life will pan out, long-term, in the new world order, and there is more specific and short-term worry about how this will affect their children’s education. “Will they cope?” “Will they fail?” – these doubts are integral to this journey. Martin Antony succinctly contextualizes these thoughts: “Everybody has to recalibrate life expectations in general. In Canada, they gave out an advisory to employees that ‘you are not simply working from home; you are working from home during a pandemic.’ Nobody should expect to be as productive as during a normal time and the same goes for children. Two letters less learnt, one academic year lost, or anything in between – it is all okay.” While this may look like settling for a lower bar at this point, the fact is there is no race to be run or won. If there is one perspectival shift that this pandemic has given us, it is this. We need to slow down for our own sake and for our children’s sake because we are all humans with flaws and fears. The best learning for our children from this tough phase should reflect in the stories they will narrate about this time, years later; not in their grades. The author is a post-graduate in Mass Communication from the University of Hyderabad and an M.Phil. in Gender Studies. A Kochi-based media professional, she is mostly on stage as an emcee, and during other times, she writes on her favourite topics – gender, education, food and entertainment. She can be reached at <ardramaanasam@gmail.com>. Read more articles on this theme on www.teacherplus.org.

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TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

Teacher Plus Worksheet

Sriparna Tamhane

Copy & Use

he spread of the coronavirus and the lockdown are unprecedented events in our lives. Most people have been unprepared for it – physically, psychologically and emotionally.

A lot of work is being given to children during this time to help them learn from home. Yet, the experience of coping with the pandemic itself lends to a lot of learning. This is a time when we can help children keep their eyes, ears and hearts open; help them cope with the sudden confinement while being aware of and sensitive to the changes around them. It is also a time to teach cooperation and empathy while keeping them creatively engaged. This worksheet is meant for 8-10 year old children and will help them explore their relationship with the pandemic and with others coping with the crisis!

What has changed Our lives have changed in some ways since the pandemic. Can you think of five ways in which the pandemic has changed our lives? These are the ways in which life has changed since the spead of the pandemic: 1.

Learn to take care! We are constantly being told what to do and what not to do to protect ourselves from the virus. Check whether you know these facts. Tick the statements that are true. 1. Avoid travel if you have fever and cough. 2. Wash your hands with running water only when dirty. 3. When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth with flexed elbow or tissue.

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4. Clean hands with alcohol based handrub or soap water after coughing or sneezing. 5. Always wear a mask at home. 6. Wash your hands before or after you prepare food. 7. Pay attention to rumours. You can learn from them. 8. Avoid spitting in public. 9. Seek medical assistance if you have fever, cough or difficulty breathing. 10. Wear a mask when you go out.

What does it mean? The spread of the coronavirus has thrown up words that we had never heard of before. Check whether you know what they mean. You will find the meanings of some of these words in a dictionary. You might have to ask people to find out about the others.

Word

Meaning

Covid-19

Coronavirus

Pandemic

Lockdown

Quarantine Incubation period Social distancing

TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

Copy & Use

Calming down with yoga Being locked up at home might make us feel angry and irritated at times. Yoga can really calm us down! Let us decide to be strong, kind, friendly, brave and wise while doing these yoga postures! The warrior pose From a standing position, step one foot back, placing the foot so that it is facing slightly outwards. Take your arms up in parallel to the ground, bend your front knee and look forward. Pretend to be a warrior and say to yourself, “I am strong like a warrior!” The tree pose Stand on one leg, bend your knee, place the sole of your foot on the opposite inner thigh and balance. Pretend to be a tree. Think of trees being kind by offering shade, creating oxygen and providing homes to animals and say to yourself, “I am kind like a tree.” The dog pose Bend down and place your palms flat on the ground. Step your feet back to create an upside-down V shape with your buttocks high in the air. Straighten your legs, relax your head and neck, and look down between your legs. Think of being an eager and friendly dog. Say to yourself, “I am friendly, like a dog.” The lion pose Kneel on the floor. The feet will point out to the sides. Press your palms firmly against your knees. Inhale through the nose. Then open your mouth wide and stretch your tongue out and exhale the breath slowly out through your mouth with a distinct "ha" sound. Pretend to be a lion and say to yourself, “I am brave as a lion.” The hero pose Drop your knees to the ground and come down to rest upright on your heels. Then pretend to be a wise owl perched on a tree. Say to yourself, “I am wise as an owl.”

Another lockdown, another time! Ask your parents or grandparents whether they have seen another time when they had been asked to stay indoors at specific times due to a war or disease. When did it happen? What was it like? How did they cope with it?

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Eat Well! You need to eat healthy food to make your body strong so that it can fight any infection! In the boxes below draw five items of food that you will have to remain strong and healthy! Try to find out by talking to your parents!

I will have

because it

I will have

because it

I will have

because it

I will have

because it

I will have

because it

Let’s read! Staying at home is a good time to read those wonderful books! Arjun has started making a list of the books that he has read. Can you add to the list? Don’t forget to write the name of the author! Discover ways of sharing your list with friends and request them to send you theirs too! My favourite books 1. I am not afraid by Mini Srinivasan 2. Kalpana’s cycle by Sowmya Rajendran 3. A helping hand by Payal Dhar 4. 5. 6. 7.

TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

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Write a Letter! Write a letter to coronavirus describing your thoughts and feelings about the sickness all around and asking it to leave so that your friends and family can all be healthy and you can go back to school to meet your friends again! Dear Corona,

Yours exasperatedly,

Write a thank you note! There are many people who are quietly helping us every day during this crisis. Can you tell who they are? Find out more by talking to others! Write a thank you note below to any one of them, expressing your gratitude!

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Imagine! Imagine you are the Chief Minister of the state you live in. What five rules will you make to keep people safe from coronavirus. You can talk to your parents and listen to the news to get an idea! I will do these things to keep my people safe: 1. I will

2. I will

3. I will

4. I will

5. I will

New solutions The spread of the coronavirus has created many problems for us and new solutions to those problems are needed. Think of a new machine or system that you would like to invent in order to deal with one such problem! You can draw your invention and write about it! My invention

TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

Copy & Use

Teacher Plus Worksheet

Holding on and letting go! In the space below, trace the outline of your right hand. Within the outline write about the things you would like to hold on to from your stay-athome period.

In the space below trace the outline of your left hand. Within the outline, write about the things you would like to let go of from your stay-at-home period.

My right hand:

My left hand:

My learnings Every new situation teaches you something. Is this pandemic teaching you something? Think! The pandemic is teaching me…….

Note: For similar activities on the coronavirus for young children, please write to the author at the email id given below. The author was a passionate educator for many years, following which, she has been engaged with research and training in many organizations. As an independent consultant, she develops content for classroom enrichment and teacher development. She also designs and conducts physical as well as online workshops for teachers. She can be reached at <sriparna.newleaf@gmail.com>.

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Off the library shelves

Fostering students’ ownership of the school library Dharamjeet Kumar

remember when I was in school we had a library and there was a fixed period for students to spend time reading in the library. I developed an attachment to the library and it continued through my life in the university. The library, for me, was not just a place for reading but a place I could escape to when I felt lonely. At school, we had a fixed period for the library, but at the university, I could spend more time there.

livelihoods in the flood affected rural parts of Assam) we believe that access to books and reading is the right of every child. It is this belief that pushed us to go ahead with our library intervention programme for the school.

Photos courtesy: Dharamjeet Kumar

As a professional, when I started working in the field of education and had the opportunity to build a library, I asked myself, “Can a library be a non-judgmental space where users feel safe both physically and mentally?” This question was born out of my childhood experience with libraries. The attachment that I formed with the library had much to do with the space being non-judgmental towards me. Picture of the school during floods

The Hummingbird School, Majuli

The Hummingbird School, run by Ayang Trust – a registered non-profit organization based in Majuli, Assam, where I work, is situated on a river island surrounded by the mighty Brahmaputra. The rich diversity of the communities that live in these dense green surroundings makes it one of the most beautiful places. However, it is also a place where most of its people spend a substantial part of the year preparing for the imminent floods, facing the floods and then recovering from the floods. For the people living here, accessing books and allocating time for reading isn’t easy, but at Ayang Trust (which works for the promotion of public education and

Considering the geographical challenges and natural vagaries that these communities have to constantly deal with, we realized that a sustainable and dynamic yet relevant library has to be collectively owned by its users. Collective ownership widens the vision of the library as it gives users an equal say in shaping the library to their liking, keeping in mind their needs. I believe that a library has to evolve as a democratic space and help in empowering the voices of the people using it. Just when we started building our library in The Hummingbird school, I was fortunate enough to participate in a Library Educators Course (LEC) conducted by the Bookworm Trust, Goa. During the course, I was introduced to a paper by Ivanka Stricevic (a Croatian writer who is a strong advocate of public libraries). Reading this paper expanded my vision of libraries. In her paper (Stricevic, 2000), Stricevic writes how during the Croatian war, the library (citing the example of libraries in Croatia’s capital, Zagreb) became a shelter, particularly for TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

children; they became much more than a physical space as they fulfilled the psychological and emotional needs of the people who used it during the difficult times. I was also inspired by Usha Mukunda’s (co-founder of Centre For Learning, Bangalore and a mentor on the LEC course) definition of the ownership of the library. Mukunda says, “In an open library, all users are owners of the library. They are responsible for all aspects of the library, its collection, and its use. This is seen in the framing of agreements and contracts regarding the running and use of the library.” (Mukunda, 2016)

For their classroom library, I carefully selected a set of books (see box on page 41) suitable for young readers. All the books had a strong component on ownership. There were 10 sessions as part of the study and the sessions were designed to raise discussions on ownership and encourage students to be responsible for and take up independent initiatives in the library. Since my participants were very young children, they were naturally very energetic. On several occasions, I had to calm them down so that they could think and reflect on the sessions. Activities like making library cards, entering the names of the books on the cards, drawing and storytelling brought that much needed stillness and moments of thoughtfulness. Every session was followed by a discussion on ownership. I noticed the developing ownership among the children through their library cards, the drawings on the walls, display of books that they made and the rules of the library that they put together.

Students of Hummingbird School during a group discussion

As part of the field project for my course, I decided to explore this question of access and ownership in a school library with my own primary school students as my subjects. How can young children develop a sense of shared ownership about the library and why is it important. Before moving to the main library, I decided to start small and first chose to work with my students in the classroom library.

Picture from a library activity where students are putting their ideas to decorate the library

Over time, my belief in collective ownership further strengthened. However, I realized that for the readers to continue valuing their ownership of the library there should be opportunities for the ownership to be engaged, appreciated and celebrated. When we choose to operate a library this way, it changes many conventional beliefs about libraries. Children here have put books around the Gandhi’s message of peace and non-violence

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We integrated dance, songs, poetry, and theater as regular events for the library. The community in Majuli has a rich tradition of folk songs, dance and

Books selected for the sessions were – • I will save my Land (By Rinchin) • The Why-Why Girl (By Mahasweta Devi) • Satyadas (By Bimal Kar) • Ismat’s Eid (Fawzia Gilani)

theater. These art forms have historical importance and they continue to be part of the identity of the communities. Through bringing the arts alive in the library we had the presentation of texts based on them which opened for meaningful engagement by children. As context-based literature, local art and crafts were brought into the library, it helped further strengthen the sense of ownership among the children. Looking back on the entire effort of building a shared ownership of the library, I think we could have worked on the school curriculum to allocate more time during the school hours for the students to spend time in the library. We should have involved them in deciding library timings and purchasing the books for the library as well. I also think we could have had sessions with the parents about the library, making them aware of how their children are participating in the school library.

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For young children, as they start to explore more stories in the world and relate their own stories with others, the librarian’s role becomes important in facilitating their exploration and sustaining co-ownership of the space. Being a facilitator, I have experienced the tremendous curiosity and excitement among young readers and the readiness to take responsibility of a shared space for learning and growing.

Name: .......................................................................

References • Mukunda, U. (2016). The Open Library – Some thoughts. • Stricevic, I. (2009). Bringing Books and Children Together: Croatian War Experiences. Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature, Volume 47, Number 4, pp. 9-19.

If you are a school, which board do you belong to?

The author is a co-founder of Ayang Trust. Ayang Trust runs a school called the Hummingbird School in Majuli, Assam and also works in the area of livelihood and promotion of libraries. He can be reached at <dharamjeeth.k@gmail.com>.

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A step ahead

Arresting the downward tumble Neerja Singh

ll the smart marketing jargon, shrewd political negotiations and original, earth-shaking ideas will come a cropper if we leave behind a world not fit enough for our young. The other worrying fact is that they themselves exhibit a troubling lack of resilience to make a go of their legacy from us. Do you remember how it was? There was a virtual cocoon of distance and silence around my generation as we advanced through our teen years into adulthood. There was space to breathe and hear ourselves think. There was only a trickle of information about our peers that reached us. We met them in school or college or at work and the rest of the time was spent at home, doing our own thing. The adult world inspired confidence and assurance. The children today sit under a waterfall of information about everyone else their age across mother earth’s curvature. There is no escaping how well or poorly they compare with their contemporaries. And it is not just them, their families know the degree of differences too because everybody is on the same social media platform. There is no getting away. Imagine going through life with gritted teeth, pictures of your classmate’s rising popularity curve, foreign exchange program and that unholy trip to the beaches with her ‘oh so cool’ family competing with their Instagram retouched book festival story. Everyone else appears to be sorted on all fronts; all of it figured out, life’s boxes in place. And there you are, at age 15, living in mortal fear of your house-of-cards falling. You know there has been another shooting in the United States. Your social media feed tells you about the glaciers sliding towards the plains. There are videos of plastic activists screaming at you that your body is spontaneously absorbing 5 gms of plastic every week. Your best friend just cancelled on you. Your friends are telling you to pipe down and not be so hypercompetitive. Your parents direct mixed messages at you about giving your exam a 1000 per cent but then feeling frustrated if you 42 TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

do not score well on a the subject. Your grandmother has observations on your appearance. There seems no respite. These are heartbreaking times. Youth was supposed to be the spring of life, a time of promise and vitality looking ahead with eyes of wonder. Instead, you have zoomers aged 14 on medication protocol for anxiety. Those young bodies have already seen enough. These are spirits that are perplexed at the chaotic waves of misinformation, polarizing views, and poorly researched opinions crashing against their weary minds. It is not unusual to have a zoomer share, “There is nothing to look forward to.” And this if you are honoured enough to be privy to the workings of their inner minds. For the rest of us, it is withdrawal, disconnect, even dissonance. Families are no longer able to keep up with their young; that space has been taken over by friends, therapists, YouTube and Google. My generation and Gen X frequently wonder what the fuss is all about. Did we not provide well enough for the next generation? Have we not been in standby mode for them since forever? Do we not keep them fed, hydrated, and financed enough? When did we not drop everything to rush to assist them in their hour of crisis? Is it not abundantly clear that we stay informed of their whereabouts and keep track of their life events? What more could we be doing? Ironically enough, this defensive self-dialogue reaches the kids only to add to their anxiety. It might stun older generations to know that the teenagers, many of them are anxious at an existential level, are wondering about the meaning of life. There is a new ambivalence about the significance of their own lives. Of course, there is anxiety about money, will there be enough of it? There is a latent resentment at the climate change, the quality of political discourse, the state of security in public spaces, the sudden jolt of their phone buzzing, a school/work alert or update. The anxiety looms, like a dark cloud overhead; coupled with a keenly felt awareness of not just the passage of time but also the scope of a lifetime that they fail to make sense of without panic flooding their young minds. The troubling fact is that this anxiousness stemming from their hypercompetitive lives infests the entire gamut, right from the honours student to homework avoidant quarter. Both struggle with the moment-tomoment, day-to-day stress in their lives, the first by

seeking therapy and the second by going into hiding and self-medicating with drugs, alcohol, videogames, or binge-watching. Few and fortunate are the young people who are able to go unscathed by anxiety today. Anxiety can hit as dizziness, nausea, headache, or even joint pain. A panic attack may appear in the form of symptoms reflecting an excruciating fear. Most people, if pushed will probably admit to an ongoing state of anxiety, a persistent buzz of dread at the back of their minds. It can take many forms. Children may likely respond by avoiding school. Some may blank out during tests or public speaking. For others, anxiety can cause acid reflux. It is common to experience an impulse to vape or grab the phone or just act out. The heart can knock and the blood pressures shoot up. The manifestations of profound anxiety are all around us. In order to understand how pervasive and intrusive this phenomenon is, I would urge school communities to organize a screening of Angst, an IndieFlix Original documentary designed to raise awareness around anxiety. The film includes interviews with kids, teens, educators, experts, parents and a very special interview with Michael Phelps. The goal of the film is to help people identify and understand the symptoms of anxiety and encourage them to reach out for help. The film also points viewers towards tools, resources, and above all, hope. https://angstmovie.com/ Just below that surface of anxiety and self-loathing borne by many young today, there is special courage, and strength and kindness. I can’t think of a bigger mandate than to help them see these qualities in themselves without a crisis precipitating their awareness. The message that needs to go to our children is that balance and goodness of fit at work and emotional wellness are in the final analysis, the cornerstones of success. The author is a professional speaker on Generational Empathy. She is a former teacher/journalist, published author with a background and training in media, having worked in advertising, public relations, documentary film making, and feature journalism. She can be reached at <neerja@neerjasingh.com>.

TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

Nature watch

Salt pans – a human-made wetland of significance

Photos: Geetha Iyer

Geetha Iyer

Salt pans with freshly pumped sea water

Salt pans are extensions of larger wetland complexes. Naturally occurring salt pans are also known as salt flats. These are natural formations, flat expanses of land where the soil is covered with salt and other minerals. Appearing white and shining under the sun such natural formations are generally seen in deserts 44 TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

or at places where there are underground deposits formed through evaporation of sea water millions of years ago, when such regions were a marine environment. Artificial salt pans are created by humans close to seas, estuaries or salt lakes for the purpose of extracting salt. They are also found in relative proximity to urban dwellings. Known also as salt ponds, the design of these ponds or pans may vary but the common feature is that salt water is pumped

Salt worker at a pan in Rann of Kutch

Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

hen we think of salt water habitats or ecosystems, it is the sea or the ocean that comes to mind. But present close to these large marine habitats, associated especially with estuarine areas, is a habitat that is yet to gain prominence or get attention as have other habitats. These are the naturally occurring salt marshes and the artificially created salt pans where salt is produced. It is not merely the seas and oceans that are the source for salt marshes and pans. Inland sources such as salt lakes also contribute to the creation of this kind of habitat. This article explores the artificially created salt pan habitat, its characteristics, importance in sustaining biodiversity and the need to conserve them.

Salt being formed – assemblage of birds neary

Natural or artificial, these pans are examples of dynamic ecosystems that are constantly subjected to perturbations in their environment. Rapid changes in water activity, especially the changes in the salinity, often stress the system. Oxygen concentrations are quite low in water that has high concentrations of sodium chloride and high ultraviolet radiations. How then does such an extremely harsh environment support biodiversity? The salt pans do not sustain (flowering) plant life; however plant life – largely the scrub vegetation kind – may be seen in the land surrounding the salt pans. In some regions such as in Kutch, you may not see any vegetation for miles, just a white expanse or pans with water shimmering in the sun. The soil being saline, the kind of plants that can survive here are relatively few. The primary producers of energy within the pans thus are the microscopic algae. The nutrient rich seawater offers a favourable environment for algal blooms. A notable feature in this habitat is its biotic simplicity. The number of species in each trophic level is not very high. Studies have shown that the biological systems exist not only in harmony with the processes taking place in the pans but many are adapted to specifically thrive in them. The microorganisms thriving in the salt pans are described as haloalkaliphilic; meaning they are well adapted to the alkaline and saline conditions. They not only influence and assist salt production but also create niches for other organisms to thrive. Vegetation around salt pans in Kanyakumari

The metabolism of microorganisms produce organic matter which is a source of energy for those at the next trophic level. The organic matter also ensures that the permeability at the bottom of the ponds is reduced thus minimizing salt loss especially when the water concentrations are low. Have you ever noticed that the salt produced at some places has a red hue to it? It is very prominent in the salt that is produced in Rajasthan. The red colour is due to the presence of, among others Halobacerium and an algae called Dunaliella salina. The anit-oxidant activity of this microscopic algae creates large amounts of β-carotenoids adding nutritive value to the salt. The red colour also allows greater absorption of solar radiation and shields radiation reflection from the white salt bed. These microorganisms have a habit of forming mat like structures that influence salt production.

Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

into them, from which through solar evaporation salt is obtained. This sounds simple but is not. They are unique in many characteristics that are yet to be explored comprehensively or studied to understand the existence of biodiversity in them.

After salt extraction-Sandpiper foraging

Dunaliella sp.-CSIRO

Feeding on these organisms or the organic matter are the zooplanktons – both micro and macrozooplanktons , the latter being mostly crustaceans or molluscs. Copepods and mysids may Mysis relicta

Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

Salt pans set for evaporation Gullbilled and whiskered terns feeding

TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

Migratory birds – Lesser sand plovers and Little stint

Black-winged stilts

Greater flamingoes

be seen in large numbers in salt pans as also small snails and clams. Many of them are detritus feeders. In terms of diversity, 21 species of copepods from the Bhayander slat pans and 18 species from Thane salt pans have been recorded by researchers. Similarly observations have been made for mysid populations at the Bhayander salt pans where researchers have found nearly 79 mysids/m3. The salt pans also serve as nurseries for fish to raise their young. Mysids are a source of energy for them in these nurseries. The most spectacular diversity visible in these salt pans is that of avian fauna. With a variety of planktonic and fish life in them, salt pans are a welcome haven for migratory birds on long journeys. These pans are both a resting and feeding place for these weary travellers on wings. Whereas many birds arrive at the pans during the annual winter migration, several are residents who have made these salt pans their permanent homes. In India, birds such as the black-winged stilt, the greater flamingos, cormorants, painted storks, etc., may be seen throughout the year. The crustaceans, insect larvae, small snails, fish as well as the organic matter are food for these birds. The composition of salt pans change as the water evaporates and salt accumulates. The pans then are a muddy area and the composition of biota changes. When the slush is removed and the pans are inundated with fresh seawater, the composition of biotic community undergoes a change again. Hence, one can notice different kinds of birds using these salt pans as feeding areas at different times. As many as 93 species of birds were observed during a study at the gogte salt plant in the suburbs of Mumbai. This is an example of species not the total number of birds. The most spectacular bird in any salt pan is the flamingo. These birds attract human beings like fleas. Salt pans promote tourism, especially bird tourism.

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Pangong tso-Ladakh

Salt from lakes Salt pans are constructed next to lakes too. There are six salt water lakes in India of which Sambhar Salt lake is the largest saline lake. The Pangong-tso from Ladakh, Pulicat lake from the south, and the Chilka lake from Orissa are examples of some of the well-known salt lakes. About 2,10,000 tonnes of salt produced annually in Rajasthan comes from the Sambhar lake. Based on the presence of microorganisms, the salt water in the pans may even be green, orange, pink purple or red. Activity for the history classroom Biodiversity and conservation are issues that should not be restricted to a biology or environment science classroom. History classes have an important role to promote conservation. Here are a few questions that can become the starting point for a project on cultural and biological significance of the salt pans of Rajasthan. The name Sambhar evolved from the presiding deity of that area, Shakambhari. Lakes are generally fresh water bodies. How did this one become a salt water lake? What does history tell you?

Eurasian curlew foraging for food

The sambhar lake is a Ramsar site. It is also a popular tourist spot. What steps would you take to conserve the habitat and its biodiversity? In 2019, 20,000 birds were mysteriously found dead in the lake area. Explore to find out how and why this happened? What steps can be taken to prevent this from happening again. Conservation It is not just natural habitats, even human-made habitats are under threat. Salt pans are among the most misunderstood ones that are often earmarked for alternate land use. Anthropogenic activities are the most serious threats. Real estate industry always eyes salt pans for their urban complexes. Till recently, the salt pans around Manakudy estuary in Kanyakumari were assigned to build an airport. Salt pans which attracted birds in thousands, where greater flamingos were permanent residents, were in danger of being destroyed. Strong public protests backed by some excellent data from the forest department saved this bird habitat.

Salt pans that were saved from becoming an airport

Salt pans are not only home to thousands of birds but a thriving industry for humans producing a nutrient most essential for human sustenance. For once, this human-made habitat has, instead of destroying, become a place for biodiversity to flourish. It is not merely the birds that are found in them. Salt pans

are home to haloalkalophilic microorganism which secrete very unique enzymes that are active and stable in both alkaline and saline conditions. Thus, the proteases, amylases or cellulases produced by them are excellent for the production of laundry detergents. It is believed that the metabolic pathway of these haloalkaophiles can be used for biodegradation of toxic pollutants in waste water treatments or even in the biofuel industry. The microalgae Dunaliella salina with its antioxidant properties and the ability to secrete large amounts of carotenoids is seen as a candidate for dietary supplements. Naturally occurring salt marshes trap sediments, acting like a buffer against harsh waves, thereby protecting shorelines from erosion. They minimize flooding by absorbing rainwater, act like a filter to keep back sediments so that the runoff water is cleaner. The microorganisms present metabolise the nutrients, reducing the mineral concentration, improving further the quality of water. There are new species of microorganisms that are being discovered from this habitat. What benefits they can bestow to a world where environment degradation is bringing on newer and unknown issues will remain unknown if such unique habitats are not conserved. References 1. Images of Copeopods: https://copepodes.obs-banyuls.fr/ en/fichesp.php?sp=1024 2. Sambhar Lake: http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/ sambhar_lake/sambhar_lake.htm 3. http://wasterecycleinfo.com/sambha%20lake%20a%20 wetland.html The author is a consultant for science and environment education. She can be reached at <scopsowl@gmail.com>.

TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

Thinkers and educators

Linguistic imperialism – multiculturalism and global Leena Satuluri

n the post-liberalization period, education, which is supposed to be the basic right of every individual irrespective of their economic status, has become a commodity. Parents aspire to send their children to English medium schools, not just any English medium school but the best. The reason, I often hear, is that the ability to speak good English will enable their children to get lucrative jobs. This has also led to government schools in some states starting English medium schools. Well, I am not against it. I am an English language teacher myself but when I see children struggling to articulate, I empathize with them. I am afraid that brilliant minds, due to lack of fluency in English language, often face a setback when it comes to competition. The language policy in many private schools in India has led to a great divide between English speakers and non-English speakers. In some metropolitan cities, people consider English as their mother tongue. On the other hand, the speculation that English education leads to the development of communities and the globe at large has also led to the domination that English enjoys today. Dr. Parthasarathy Ramanujam, a renowned ELT practitioner dispels the myth that ‘Good education is associated with good English’. Your longevity in academia and extensive work in the field of English language has been an inspiration to many. Do you think promoting and elevating the status of the English language and literature will enhance global communication thereby leading to global development? Underlying your question is the assumption that English language and English literature are in need of promotion and elevation and that their promotion will facilitate global development. There is no gainsaying the importance of English. It is the language of international communication, science

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and technology and business. What is more, it is the language of the internet. You just can’t do without English if you want to be a global player – that’s the bottom line. But the language is not at all in need of promotion; actually, it has been over promoted. It is a lingua franca across the globe already, and as the de facto medium of communication in former British colonies like India, it already enjoys a dominant position. It has more non-native speakers than native ones. As a matter of fact, the language has become a global commodity. And the sale of this commodity is being vigorously promoted by various agencies not the least of which are the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the ELT industry in general and the British Council and the United States Information Agency (USIA) in particular. Neither is English literature in an enfeebled state. It enjoys a canonical status in many universities. Actually, what we need to do is to counter the disturbing phenomenon of linguistic imperialism and cultural domination that the language has promoted. The world is multilingual and multicultural, but thanks to this linguistic domination, which is actually an aspect of cultural domination, a multicultural world is fast becoming a monocultural one. English language, which plays a key role in promoting this global monoculture, exercises a hegemony that poses a threat to the linguistic diversity of the world. I’m talking about all this because your question is about facilitating global development by promoting English. It is a paradoxical situation. We can’t do without the English language, but at the same time, we must counter the global monoculture the language is promoting. Multiculturalism is a new idea. It is struggling to operate within the old structures of the educational system and society. The result is a social spillage – violence in our cities and disturbances in our universities, with the resurgence of nativism and national identity in Europe, America and India

a threat to development adding to them. Sometime ago, I came across a cartoon on the internet which tellingly captured the old structures attempting to contain the new idea of multiculturalism. In the cartoon, a bigot tells a member of a minority group, ‘Look, we are a very tolerant society, but if you don’t behave like us, you can well go back to where you came from.’ Our thinking in general and our educational practices in particular are still within the colonial framework. English language education in our country reflects this. We can promote competence in English in our students and also literary sensibility with the accompanying values to the extent that global citizenship calls for without forsaking our local identity. I’ll give a simple example. The CBSE has prescribed a 19th century British novel called Invisible Man by HG Wells for the 12th class. Isn’t it possible to find an Indian novel, either originally written in English or translated into English from an Indian language to replace that? Or a Sri Lankan or a Japanese novel? Our teaching of English in general and English pronunciation in particular should be based not on a monomodel but a polymodel. This calls for a certain degree of sensitivity and some imagination. My point is this. Merely promoting the English language, as it is being done as a commodity now, and teaching British literature will be detrimental to global development. Promoting proficiency in English vis-à-vis English calls for nuanced understanding and careful planning. Do you think school students make a smooth transition from school to college and university? What additional role do you envisage for school teachers in contributing to global development? The transition is far from being smooth – by and large, I mean. That’s why I have introduced peer mentoring for the first year students of my college. On the programme, carefully identified 350 or so student volunteers render social and academic mentoring to over 600 of their counterparts to help them effect a

smooth transition into college life. College and university life demands a great deal of independent work on the part of students. A typical college entrant in India is unprepared for this. He or she is heavily dependent on teachers. Schools, where students are required to do project and off-campus work are different; students pick up the muchneeded skills and also develop some intellectual and emotional maturity as a result. But in the vast majority of schools, this is not the case. This calls for a gradual change in the school curriculum – gradual not radical; radical changes in education have often led to chaos. School teachers can do a lot in promoting education. Global education includes a range of values – pluralism and diversity, tolerance and empathy, co-operation and solidarity, and equality and justice. These are actually values the promotion of which is essential for global peace, human rights, sustainability, and intercultural communication. School life is a formative stage when beliefs, values and principles develop and take shape. The role of teachers in this process of formation cannot be overemphasized. Dr. Ramanujam, recipient of two national awards, is a former Director, Loyola ELT Centre; Head, Department of English and Dean of Humanities at Andhra Loyola College. He has served as a resource person at several national and international seminars, made plenary presentations at international conferences and conducted over 125 workshops in schools, colleges and universities in South India. He is currently, Director, ELT Centre, and Senior Professor of English at Gudlavalleru Engineering College. In conclusion, I would like to add that we need to bridge the divide that has been created between urban and rural schools. Students from a rural background with Hindi or any other vernacular language as the medium of instruction should not feel threatened entering into a college in the city because they cannot speak good English. Students from various backgrounds must be facilitated to co-exist. Therefore, we cannot keep cashing in on ‘English only’ in private schools and compromise on our rich cultural heritage and miss out on the treasure trove of Indian literature. The author is a teacher of English Language and Literature at Delhi Public School, Vijayawada. She believes in providing equity in education. Her interests lie in bridging learning gaps in students and inculcating reading habits in them. In partnership with a colleague, the author has been supporting teachers who need help in updating their teaching skills. She can be reached at <leena3278@hotmail.com>.

TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

From the principal's desk

A village in our school Rama Devi

Photos courtesy: Rama Devi

his year at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s public school (Vidyashram) Jubilee hills, we decided to celebrate Sankranti more purposefully. We wanted our students to have fun but also to learn and experience something new. After a brainstorming session, we decided to get the students to showcase life in a village – the backbone of our country. We hoped that this way all our students and visitors to the event will come to know how organized our villages are with spaces and places for everything, how villagers earn their livelihood, how our culture and heritage is protected and conserved in our villages. It took the collective effort of parents, teachers and students to bring an entire village to life within the boundaries of our school. The end result was a visual treat that everyone truly appreciated. Students and staff dressed as villagers and student volunteers guided visitors (parents) around the village. Here is a visual sketch, which I hope will give you an idea or two as well. The Bhavan’s village A red bus stopped near the village bus stop for visitors to alight. The entrance to the village had a festive look with student villagers beating drums and performing aarthis to welcome the visitors. As soon as we entered the village, we could see the uricheruvu (village pond), where a few families were washing their clothes and cattle. We then came across women working in the fields. The village patashala (village school) had students learning poems from the Acharyaji. The student volunteers then guided us to the grandhalayam (library), where the village youth could be seen reading books and newspapers. There was an installation of the gramadevatha (village goddess) as well. Visitors were allowed to offer coconuts to the goddess, who the villagers believed protected their fields, crops and families from evil spirits. Opposite the temple

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was a health center in which student doctors were carrying out health check-ups. There was a post office and a postman too, indicating that this was how villages stayed connected with the rest of the world. We spotted a man in colourful attire with a pot in hand. He was begging for alms. Another man was going around the village with a decorated bull, singing rhythmically with a nadaswaram. The Rachabanda is an important place in every village, as it is here that village grievances are sorted out and village management is taken care of. The Bhavan’s village too had a sarpanch, who along with the ward members was resolving village issues brought to his notice by the villagers. The Bhavan’s village also showed visitors how different festivals are celebrated in villages. During Diwali and Sankranti, villagers arrange bomallakoluvus and pray to goddess Lakshmi for the prosperity and wellbeing of the village. Our student villagers set up a bomallakoluvu with different types of dolls, wooden toys, flowers, artifacts and idols of gods and goddesses. There was a display of bhogimantalu (fire lit during sankranti) with the villagers dancing around it to the beats of drums. Bonalu festivities were being carried out near the Matha temple. There were women walking towards the temple with decorated pots on their heads, which contained offerings for the goddess. A few feet away was a 10 feet tall bathukamma (a floral arrangement made during the festival of Bathukamma in Telangana) surrounded by 150 small bathukammas. Festive delicacies were placed like goli soda, kobbari bonda, sugarcane juice, sankranthi pachadi, sakinaalu, pindi vantalu, jangirilu, jantikalu, madatakaja, etc. The special mirchi bajji counter was handled by the women’s group of school assistants. The volunteers then guided us to the Kalakendra, the creative corner of the village. Here, we had real artisans showcasing their creativity. There was

a lakka bangle maker showing the art of making bangles with lac. We also had artists exhibiting their skills in kalamkaari, nirmal and ikat and students were taking tips from the experts. There was a potter engaged in making pots and training children in working with clay. At the village market we saw some 30 stalls where farmers were selling their produce and artisans their products. Right outside the village market were the Erkala sodi girls (fortune tellers). The students also got the presentation of village houses (huts) perfect. In front of the house was a welcoming rangoli design. There were two cots in the courtyard and inside we could see the well, where guests could wash their feet before entering the house. The women inside were singing even as they were doing household chores. There was a display of the traditional martial arts (karra saamu) and games like pachhisi (traditional ludo), ashta chamma, vamanagunthalu (seven pits) that people played. The visitors got to play these games too. There was also a rangasthalam, the main stage, in the village, where dances and dramas are played out for the villagers’ entertainment. It was a visual feast with 4000 people participating in the program. This was the first time that the entire school (students, teachers, management and parents) worked on a project together and it has bound the entire school community as one. And while our aim was to expose the students to our culture and tradition, we ended up learning many things ourselves as well. The author, until recently, was senior principal at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Public School Jubilee Hills Hyderabad. She has 40 years of teaching experience. Progressive approach is her key word. Practical, dynamic, proactive and promoter of values, she transformed the school into a green school. She can be reached at <ramadevi_1@yahoo.co.in>.

TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

The Other Side

Educating the special child Anuradha C

mparting formal education to little ones is among the foremost challenges of adult human society. Simply because we are trying to play God. Deciding what’s good for them and what they should know, when they are not able to decide that for themselves. Knowing fully well that each child is unique in its acumen, interests, natural talents, financial position, social standing and so on. The best system we have come up with is formal school education – a collective learning method that classes all children in more or less the same mould. This is sub-optimal, surely. But alternate methods of personalized learning are tough to implement and involve massive investment of time and effort from the adult world. Our responsibility becomes increasingly grave when it comes to the matter of special children. Because it becomes impossible to slot these children into common moulds. Just like the vividity of God’s creation, the ‘special’ part of these children is simply too unique in every child! We may try to apply some terms like “Autism”, “Asperger Syndrome”, “Down Syndrome”, “Dyslexia”, “Cerebral Palsy” or “Motor Skills Disorder”. But these are just for our own convenience, because it helps to define the indefinable, at least to some extent. It gives us something concrete to work on. The tricky part of this category of children is that they are equal in innate intelligence to normal children, in most cases. What they lack is dexterity in movement, ability to communicate and comfort among crowds. More than these limitations, there is an even bigger problem they face – their fear of the unfamiliar. The existing education framework for these special children is pathetically sparse, prohibitively expensive and limited to the big cities. The first dilemma for an affected parent begins with acceptance. The natural urge is to try and coax the child into the ‘normal’ school system and hope that he or she will cope eventually, with a little extra support and guidance. This method might seemingly work in a few outlier cases. But predominantly, 52 TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

the rigorous schooling system only manages to break the child’s fragile confidence and dim their interest in learning. This is the stage where a parent’s acceptance that ‘my child is different’ is vital. With this acceptance begins their search for viable alternatives. Government guidelines and accreditations When it comes to offering formal educational courses to special children, there cannot be a fixed rigid format, due to the diverse nature of their deficiencies. The Government of India, under the auspices of the HRD Ministry and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment offers an open schooling curriculum for this purpose. NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) prides itself on being the world’s largest open schooling system. The idea is to offer a wide variety of basic subjects, vocational training content, home schooling aids and format-free evaluation methods. Students can appear up to the class 12 examinations in this format. However, there is no formal education prescribed beyond this level. Alternative schools for special needs Inclusive schools – These institutions try to maintain a balance in their class strength with a mix of

‘normal’ and ‘special’ children, say something in the range of 80:20. For mildly affected special children, this is a good option. They might offer mixed formats of curriculum – the regular ICSE/CBSE/State boards along with NIOS. Some of the well-endowed schools may also provide free of cost education to economically disadvantaged special children. However, such schools are limited in number and always in great demand. Special needs schools – The concept of a special needs school is very sketchy and difficult to itemize. Just like schools for children with physical disabilities, there are dedicated schools catering to children with learning disorders. They usually employ teachers with certifications or diplomas in these specialized teaching methods. These schools may also offer the support services of a paediatric psychiatrist. There is a lot of focus on one-to-one learning in such schools. They also have a good mix of sports, yoga and music among the extracurriculars. However, the specific focus areas of each special school is left to the vision and priorities of its founders. Home schooling – Works wonderfully well in the early years of the child’s life. No better teacher than the parent who fully understands and empathizes with the child’s valiant efforts to learn about the world around. Grandparents with stories of morals and faith, courage and compassion are a big hit with the kids. The limitations of home schooling start to appear as the child grows up. Exposure to peer circles of children and teachers qualified with specialized training become vital then. Complementary support systems One of the major impediments to schooling for special children is managing logistics. Its takes immense time and effort for a parent to pick up and drop the child at school, since they cannot be allowed to travel unaccompanied. And then hunt for other support systems that complement the child’s growth process. Physiotherapy/speech therapy sessions, surgical and medical intervention on need basis, psychological counselling and finding playmates for leisure time, the list is daunting. Suffice to say, the parent’s entire universe shrinks to cater to the needs of the child. Vocational training options Activities which involve minimal reading and writing are the ones that work best for these children. Especially those which are more visual or enriched

with sound. Cooking, carpentry, percussion music are good examples of vocations and interest areas that appeal naturally to special children. The added advantage of activities of this kind is that they can be performed in relative solitude. So that the children don’t have to deal with the additional stress of handling people around them. Several parents that I have interacted with vouch for the effectiveness of these areas. The parent of a 16 year old strapping young boy recently shared her new discovery with me. After years of trying to find an area of interest for her son who shows characteristics of autism, she chanced upon software programming for websites! Not the dreary complex kind, but simple web page creation with lots of experimentation in colour, fonts, images and sounds. The boy even won an award certificate for his efforts. And the joy on the mother’s face is indescribable. There are several options out there which might work well with these children, it takes a lot of determination and a stroke of luck to find the right fit for each child. We must be prepared to think unconventionally and make relentless attempts. Some parents are so overwhelmed by the whole ordeal that dejection and disillusionment sets in. While some others come out with a steely purpose of doing something concrete and constructive to better the lives of these sweet innocents. Many of the special needs institutions are the result of a parent’s resolve to make a difference. Contributions come in many forms – monetary support, part time teaching, peer circle groups, experience sharing, counselling centers. One such parent I know is in the process of creating a mobile app to aid self-learning for these children. Many people who come in contact with these special children make one remarkable observation. These children are curiously free of petty human failings such as jealousy, greed or bitterness. Whatever little the world achieves in the form of educating these children for their betterment, it should not affect this tranquil existence in a world of their own. The author is an IT industry drop-out after several years of slogging and money-making. She is now working freelance as a corporate technical trainer and content writer. She is hoping to channelize her passion for writing into a satisfying experience for herself and a joyous experience for her readers. She can be reached at <anuradhac@gmail.com>.

TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

Teaching practice

Buzz groups as a technique to develop socio-emotional learning Pramila Kudva

ne of the main thrust areas of the New Education Policy is social and emotional learning (SEL). This is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy towards others, establish and maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions. SEL can be viewed as a process with five components as indicated below:

Self-awareness Self-awareness is being able to recognize and comprehend one’s emotions and how they translate into our behaviours. This can include identifying anger, stress, negative emotions, etc. Self-management Self-management involves the ability to regulate or control our feelings and behaviours. This can include controlling anger, handling stress, self-motivation or persistence through setbacks. Social awareness Social awareness is about empathizing with others and being able to understand and behave as per the social norms of the group. Relationship skills This is about creating and maintaining healthy relationships through cooperation, active listening, conflict resolution and communication. Responsible decision-making This final component involves making positive decisions which are healthy and beneficial not only to self but also to others. SEL can be inculcated through team work, group work, the think-pair-share technique, project work and such other collaborative techniques. 54 TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

Buzz group Buzz group is a cooperative learning technique, which involves the formation of small discussion groups with the objective of developing a specific task (idea generation, problem-solving and so on). After the initial presentation of the task to be completed, big groups are divided into smaller groups of three to six people. Each group names a spokesperson to inform the rest of the groups about the results of the discussion in their group. “Buzz groups” was first used by Dr. Donald Phillips, a professor at the Michigan State University. Principles of effective buzz groups Plan the class time to allow setting up of the class. Define the roles of the group leader and recorder in front of the whole group so that everyone knows what they are expected to do. Set a definite time limit for discussion. If five group members have 15 minutes to deal with their questions, each member of the group can speak for only three minutes. Noting the time will be the duty of the recorder. The teacher should move from group to group to ensure better involvement, help them over any hurdles and generally spread enthusiasm around the room. Gather the notes from the reporters and collate. The leader can also add his/her comments at the end so that such a report sheet will be helpful as a reference item long after the class is over. Example Subject: Social studies Topic: Dandi march Introduction to the lesson Objective of this introduction is

1. To relate to real life situations. 2. To understand varying reasons that lead to people agitating/protesting.

To initiate the discussion, teacher asks the students to reflect on the following questions and write down their responses.

Teacher distributes newspaper cuttings on an agitation featuring the cutting down of trees at Aarey, Mumbai and asks the following questions:

1. What were the ways in which people agitated? 2. Why were they protesting? 3. What is the one commodity, which if taken away or made unavailable to you, might inspire you to protest? 4. What are the ways in which you would fight for your cause?

Main body of the lesson: Objectives:

• To understand the term “non-violent resistance” or satyagraha. • To explain Gandhiji’s principles of non-violence and its impact on the Indian freedom movement. • Be able to describe the Dandi march and Dharasana salt raid and explain its significance in Indian and world history.

Teacher provides a backgrounder to the students. Backgrounder On May 22, 1930, Webb Miller, a reporter sent to India on assignment, wrote in his dispatches, “In eighteen years of reporting in twenty-two countries, during which I have witnessed innumerable civil disturbances, riots, street fights and rebellions, I have never witnessed such harrowing scenes as at Dharasana.” Copies of the article “Natives beaten down by police in India salt bed raid,” written by American journalist Webb Miller in 1930 to be distributed to the groups. A link to Miller’s article is provided at the end for ease of reference. Why was salt chosen for the civil disobedience movement? The East India Company imposed a tax on the production and distribution of salt within the country. According to the Salt Act of 1882, Indians could not produce or sell salt and had to buy it from the British, which created a monopoly. The basic commodity was out of reach for Indians, who simply could not afford to buy salt at the exorbitant prices set by the British. So, Gandhiji decided to challenge the salt legislations by marching from his base in Sabarmati, Ahmedabad to Dandi, a coastal town 240 miles away. The Dandi march or salt march He began his march with 79 of his followers on March 12, 1930 and made his way across the state of Gujarat, addressing large crowds on the way,

many of who were inspired to join his movement. As he covered the distance at a brisk clip, the British authorities were confronted with the problem of how to control the impact of this march. Points for group discussion:

1. Why did Gandhi choose salt for the disobedience movement? 2. Why did the British flinch at the attitude of the satyagrahis? 3. What were the patriotic sentiments that the followers of this movement believed in? 4. Who took over the movement after Gandhiji was arrested? 5. Why was women involvement in the movement an important aspect? 6. Gandhiji was a good spokesperson and orator. How can you justify this? 7. How did Miller’s report influence world opinion?

The discussions should happen in small groups and each group will present their point of view to justify the closure. Closure

1. It was a civil disobedience movement but is accepted as the movement that led to the freedom of India from the clutches of the British. 2. ‘A Pinch of Salt that shook an Empire’ does it aptly describe the movement. Justify.

Assessment

1. What are some other non-violent methods Gandhiji could have used to rebel against the unfair salt laws? 2. Name a few other people who were influenced by the Gandhian principles and used them to get political support and benefit their country? 3. What are some of the potential drawbacks of a nonviolent protest? 4. What are some of the leadership lessons that can be learnt from Gandhi’s salt campaign?

In this example the teacher was a facilitator. It was a student centric lesson which used a little technology by way of a YouTube video on the Dandi march and had a high involvement of students. References 1. Dr. Pramila Kudva, From Chalk to Talk The Art of. Teaching, Buuks, 2019 2. Miller’s report: https://100years.upi.com/sta_1930-05-21.html 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWl6Jn2CfUE

The author is a principal of a reputed ICSE school in Mumbai. She has several publications to her credit and has authored a book "From Chalk to Talk: The Art of Teaching". She can be reached at <pramilakudva2016@ gmail.com>. TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

Cogitations

Reflections of an intolerant teacher Prakash Iyer

had this beautiful idea – celebrating diversity in our traditions. All students were nicely sharing something they did to celebrate their festivals. “We eat modaks on Ganesh chaturthi.” “We are poor but we always get new clothes on Id.” “I help my parents cook langar on festivals and some holidays.” “We share sweets with all our neighbours.” “My mother makes the most amazing dhansak.” “Our neighbours love the sheer khurma (seviyan kheer) my father makes.” “So you people eat vegetarian food also?” “Yeah yeah, and you people pray to stones na.”… Then it was total chaos. One nasty jibe after another, one insult after another. Rather than celebration of diversity, it became celebration of intolerance and hatred. I did not imagine there could be so much prejudice in those little children. I screamed, “Shut up! Everybody shut up! Class is over,” and ran out of the class. I tried to look angry so that they would not see me crying. Celebrating diversity indeed! As if by calling all differences as diversity, everything automatically becomes good. We conveniently use examples of differences that are beautiful and heart-warming: clothes people wear, languages they speak, work people do like woodwork, cattle herding, repairing motorbikes, farming, post offices. This will help children understand diversity and learn social studies also. Yeah! Try doing that in a class. Some people worship idols, others consider all material things divine, some claim it is sacrilegious to represent God in any form. Some believe there is no God or Divine. I am lying if I say all religions are fundamentally the same, or there is unity in diversity. There isn’t! If I believe God should not be represented in any material form, idol worship is sacrilegious. If I am vegetarian, eating meat is immoral. I was not able to deal with so much intolerance. How I shouted! How I walked out of the class! I have 56 TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

never done this in my entire teaching career. What could I do? There is no way these two belief systems will reconcile with each other. Oh no! What am I saying! I am democratic. I respect people from all religions, all cultures, all traditions. How can I say these two cultures will not reconcile with each other? Surely, they agree on so many things. He said, “You eat vegetarian too!” so sarcastically, but he loves seviyan kheer. I remember he ate so much kheer during Ramzan. The other boy goes with his friends to the temple and even holds their bags when they are inside praying. He does not pray to idols, but he does not mind other people praying. What happened to them today? There are many common values shared by different religions. God exists and we worship God. If they agree on that, then how each of them represents God, how they pray is less important. Aah one problem is when they see one practice, they forget other beliefs that the same person holds. Worshipping idols is one practice in their belief system. There are so many other beliefs that this guy completely agrees with. In fact, he practices those same things himself. Praying to God, for example. That is common to both belief systems. They only use different methods of praying. What about atheists then! They do not pray, but they do not stop others from praying. They respect the other person as a human being. So, respecting other human beings is a value common to all cultures and belief systems. However, this is not enough. Let me draw a Venn diagram. Groups of people share a common belief system. Each belief system has many traditions and practices. These practices are based on some fundamental values. There are many values that are common to all belief systems. Wait a minute. Are these fundamental values common to all belief systems in a society? Maybe not. But if there aren’t

reasons for holding some values and they should be reasonable, i.e., we should be able to reason with them. They will have a reason, reason(s) they think any human being would accept.

But there should be reasons to have a feeling of solidarity. What could they be? Respecting other human beings is definitely necessary. That means if anyone disrespects or causes harm to other humans, it is injustice. Therefore, a common definition of justice is necessary too. Wow! Am I thinking like John Rawls! Yeah, I am repeating his ideas. What was that term? Overlapping Consensus. Even if different groups of people have different belief systems, there have to be some common values and a common definition of justice. This is what he means by overlapping consensus, without which he says a democratic society cannot be.

This Venn diagram is very restrictive. It seems to impose some values on everyone. Should I imagine it as a spectrum of values? But this will not work. In a spectrum, even though the difference between values is blurred, it does not show what will bind everyone together. Everyone should accept some fundamental values, as we need overlapping consensus and agreement on some principles of justice.

He uses a different term for diversity. He calls it “reasonable value pluralism”. Plural. Aah he says there are many value systems, not just one. Diversity immediately brings differences to our mind. Whereas, plural is only understood as ‘more than one.’ He qualifies ‘plural’ with an important adjective: reasonable. It means everyone should have

Illustration: Boopathy Srinivasan

any common values, how will they live in the same society? If they accept that they are part of the same society, they have some common values. At least they have one value: solidarity.

So, what do I have now? Value pluralism, reasonable but differing values and common accepted values. So pluralism is bounded. Everyone has to accept some fundamental values. They can have any other values they want, except something that goes against the fundamental values. If any belief system has a practice that violates fundamental values, then they are wrong. We should be able to say, “You are wrong, and you have to stop this practice.” But how would that happen? We first ask them for reasons why they have that practice. They give reasons, which will help everyone decide if they

TEACHER PLUS, AUGUST 2020

are right or wrong. We have to evaluate practices using fundamental values accepted by everyone. For example, if their practice disrespects some people – a particular caste, or some religion, or some gender – then we can say, “We are Indian and this practice is against the fundamental values that Indian society holds.” These common values are in the Constitution of India. Aah but everything is not right or wrong. There is the grey area called tolerable! What is ‘tolerable’? Tolerance means we don’t agree but we are OK with others doing it! Tolerance has a negative aspect and positive aspect. I have moral reasons for objecting to a practice, but it is immoral of me to reject or stop others from doing that. For moral reasons, I should accept an immoral practice! But that is paradoxical! How can I be moral and immoral at the same time! I should have acknowledged and accepted that the student who criticized meat-eating, was morally offended. If I do not do that, I am being unjust. At the same time, I have to acknowledge that the other boy is morally offended by idol-worship. I only saw intolerance and I was too busy criticizing the intolerance. Why do we need this category called tolerable? To make sure we do not feel forced to accept all differing values, we have to check their tolerance level. If any practice violates individual autonomy, disrespects some individual(s), does not follow the accepted common principle of justice in our society, then they are not tolerable. Eating meat, idol worship, atheism are tolerable. Why? Fundamental values again: respect others’ right to freedom in the way they want to live. Teaching tolerance It is all so clear to me now, but why couldn’t I manage today’s class properly? The way I reacted, I encouraged the intolerance and hatred, rather than encouraging them to think. They could see that I felt, “You are not reasonable. You are intolerant.” I was being intolerant of intolerance; because my mind was made up already. They did not even pause and ask why he worshipped idols, or why they eat meat when they can eat seviyan kheer. Both of them came from a dogmatic stance. My belief system is right, and I will judge your beliefs and practices based on my belief system. But a dogmatic stance makes the “other” completely different from “me”, sometimes even

reduces the “other” to lesser than “me”. Then there is no possibility of dialogue, leave alone reflection or reconciliation. I wish they had completely agreed with the other belief system, even if it made their own belief system seem inferior. No! This is the opposite of dogmatic, but equally problematic. Respecting someone else should not mean disrespecting myself. At the same time, they should not adopt a shallow, “sab chalta hai” (anything is fine) attitude. How do we solve this situation? They should be seeing controversial practices from an independent viewpoint. Rawls calls this the Original Position. When we are dealing with justice, we should not see who the person is, what belief system he is from, what belief system I come from. We should imagine that we do not have an opinion about the situation. He calls this adopting the Veil of Ignorance. This is required for at least two reasons. One obvious reason is for us to be unbiased. Secondly, agreement or opposition should be an autonomous decision. We have to consider others autonomous too. Rawls says we should consider everyone as free and equal, properly informed and reasonable. If we have that attitude, the most obvious thing to do is to respectfully ask the ‘why question’. I should think hard before I do activities like this in class. First of all, I have to adopt a neutral viewpoint in my mind, as if I don’t know what is right and what is wrong. This should be seen and heard in the look on my face and the tone of my voice and my body language. The most important thing is to create an environment where everyone has a sense of solidarity and everyone thinks of themselves and others as reasonable and rational. That is my job as a teacher. In a classroom everyone should feel empowered to speak their mind, without worrying about opposition or ridicule. Only then should I get into contentious issues like value diversity...oops value pluralism! References • “Toleration in Conflict: Past and Present” by Rainer Forst • “Justice as Fairness” by John Rawls

The author teachers Philosophy of Education at Azim Premji University. He can be reached at <prakash.iyer@apu.edu.in>.

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