This is an Educational blog maintained by SABARISH P, (MSc Physics, MEd, NET), Assistant Professor in Physical Science Education. Contact : pklsabarish@gmail.com

Wednesday 10 September 2014

Models of Teaching-Concept attainment model -B.Ed Teaching notes

Models of Teaching

Prepared by
SABARISH-P
M.Sc., M.Ed., JRF & NET
Lecturer in Physical Science, Arafa Institute for Teacher Education
Attur, Thrissur.
A model of teaching is a plan or pattern that can be used to shape curriculum, to design instructional materials and to guide instruction in the class room and other settings.

They are prescriptive teaching strategies.

They are designed to realize specific instructional objectives (eg. To help children attain concepts, to train children to think inductively, to train children in scientific enquiry etc.)

  Concept Attainment Model

What is a concept?
A mental representation / mental picture of some object or experience.

The elements of a concept are
1.     Name or label
2.     Attribute (Essential & Non essential)
3.     Attribute value
4.     Exemplars (Positive & Negative)
5.     Rule or definition

Jerome S Bruner in the exponent of this model. This model belongs to information processing family of models. Designed primarily to develop inductive reasoning but also for concept development analysis. Concept attainment is “the search for and listing of attributes that can be used to distinguish exemplars from non exemplars of various categories.”(Bruner,Goodnow, and Austin). Where as concept formation, which is the basis of the inductive model described in the previous chapter, requires the students to decide the basis on which they will build categories, concept attainment requires a student to figure out the attributes of a category that is already formed in another person’s mind by comparing and contrasting examples that contain the characteristic of the concept with examples that do not contain those attributes. To create such lessons we need to have our category clearly in mind.

Syntax
Phase 1 : Presentation of data and identification of concept
·        Teacher presents labeled examples
·        Students compare attributes in positive and negative examples
·        Students generate and test hypotheses
·        Students state a definition according to the essential attributes
Phase 2 : Testing attainment of the concept
·        Students identify additional unlabelled examples as yes or no
·        Teacher confirms hypotheses, names concept, and the restates definitions according to essential attributes
·        Students generate examples
Phase 3 : Analysis of thinking strategies
·        Students describe thoughts
·        Students discuss role of hypotheses and attributes
·        Students discuss type and no. of hypotheses

Social System

Prior to teaching with the concept attainment model the teacher chooses the concept, selects and organizes the material into positive and negative examples and sequences the examples. When using the concept attainment model, the teacher acts as a recorder, keeping track of the hypotheses as they are mentioned and of the attributes. The teacher also supplies additional examples as needed. The three major functions of the teacher during concept attainment activity are to record, prompt, and present additional data.

Principles of Reaction

During the flow of the lesson, the teacher needs to be supportive of the students hypotheses – emphasizing, however, that they are hypothetical in nature – and to create a dialogue in which students test their hypotheses against each other.

Support System

Concept attainment lessons require that positive and negative examplars to be presented to the students. When students are presented with an example, they describe its characteristics which can be recorded.

Application

The use of the concept attainment model determines the shape of particular learning activities. For example, if the emphasis is on acquiring a new concept, the teacher will emphasize through his or her questions or comments the attributes in each example and the concept label.

Instructional and Nurturant Effect

Instructional Effect
Nurturant Effect
Nature of concepts
Awareness of Alternative Perspectives
Improved Concept-Building strategies
Tolerance of Ambiguity
Specific concepts
Sensitivity to Logical Reasoning in Communication


 Inductive Reasoning

References:
1. Joyce, B & Weil, M. (2004). Models of Teaching. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India.
2. Aggarwal, J.C. (1999)Essentials of Educational Technology : Teaching Learning. New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House.

Saturday 6 September 2014

TEACHERS’ DAY MESSAGE

TEACHERS’ DAY MESSAGE

MESSAGES FOR STUDENT TEACHERS ON HOW TO TEACH
Prepared by
SABARISH-P
M.Sc., M.Ed., JRF & NET
Lecturer in Physical Science, Arafa Institute for Teacher Education
Attur, Thrissur.

Ø Teachers are always students.
Ø Students like the subject, if they like the teacher handling the subject.
Ø Students will follow and obey the instructions of a teacher if they like the teacher.
Ø The role of a teacher is not merely as a teacher but also as a guardian.
Ø Teachers can influence the students more than the parents can.
Ø Teachers have to aim at making the students good and great
Ø Teachers may not remember their students always, but  students will always remember their good teachers.
Ø The students have the freedom to behave and misbehave, but the teachers have the freedom only to behave and not to misbehave.
Ø Teachers can give only one quarter of the knowledge needed for the students.
Ø Teachers should inform the students that the second quarter of the knowledge they have to make by themselves.
Ø The third quarter of the knowledge, the students should be informed that they should collect from others/colleagues / surroundings.
Ø The teachers should tell the students that the last quarter of the knowledge can be made available during the process of marching forward through addition, deletion, modification and correction. This can be done through listening, watching, discussing and thinking     (about) stories, messages, experiences and life truths.
Ø The role of the teacher is to collect as much information as possible and convert them into knowledge and convert the knowledge into wisdom and use the wisdom to get experience. This message, the teachers should teach the students also.
Ø Creating silent change is better than creating violent changes. Thus evolutionary changes are better than revolutionary changes.
Ø A students will always remember the painful experiences  from the teachers, even though a teacher may forget about it.
Ø A student will always be helpful for a teacher, but a teacher is generally useful for a student till their exam is over.
Ø Neglect simple and silly  negatives happening in the classrooms
Ø Never be biased or partial in taking any decision. Prove that the teacher is impartial.
Ø Never insult, ignore, belittle, make fun of a student at any time. Never scold a student in front of others. Never compare the bad qualities of a student and tell others are better.
Ø All the students will not be genius and very good as the teachers may also not be so.
Ø Students are coming from different background as the teachers also are.
Ø The academic, financial, intellectual, experiential ……. Backgrounds of the parents influence the students very much. Inhere qualities of the students may also drag them to bad friendship.
Ø Adolescent period is a bit risky. Never be too much bonded with any students particularly opposite sex.
Ø Correct the students by calling individually to the teachers room, that too without insulting.
Every student is a living file and not dead file, as he/she has feelings and emotions.
LET US NOW GO TO THE TEACHING PARAMETERS
Teaching subjects should be   Modern Knowledge (MK), General Knowledge (GK), Value based Knowledge (VK) and  Heritage Knowledge (HK)
What to teach: Teaching subjects should be classified upto  the end of second term of each academic year;  70% pure Modern Knowledge (MK) , 10%  General  Knowledge (GK)  , 10% Value based Knowledge (VK)  and 10%  Heritage  Knowledge (HK).  After the second term of the academic year more focus can be given to the MK.
Modern Knowledge (MK) :  Here the modern knowledge means the knowledge, the teacher is expected to handle as per the syllabus which should be taught in the class systematically as per the time schedule fixed. Ask question or subjects told in the previous classes. Repeat the subject in a nutshell.
General Knowledge (GK): The General knowledge expected here  should be connected with the  MK, on which the teacher should prepare separately for present with MK. It can  be subject based but at a higher level.
Value based Knowledge (VK):  Value based knowledge can be defined (for the students) as  the knowledge which brings sustainable and permanent benefits  for the mind, body, family, society and nation.  Thus  VK is meant for elevating the mind from negative to positives,  elevating the body from ill health to good health,  strengthening family relation, building social bondage and integration of the nation.
Heritage Knowledge (HK) ; Heritage knowledge is the knowledge which we inherited from our forefathers which can include the stories, experiences/ incidents/ messages/ life truths  for making  the students  proud of our motherland and culture. This should include   ancient and modern knowledge in all branches of science and technology depending upon the subject of each teacher, the explanations should be selected. Eg, Mathematics teacher should teach some aspects of mathematics heritage of India.
Teach  very specifically as many stories as possible from religious books (Bhagavat gita/quran/Bible etc) Puraanaas and Mahaabhaaratha. Teach the experiences of Pandavas and Kouravas  from Mahabhaaratha and also those  from Ramayana. This should include all the personalities connected with Sri Rama. Teach  the messages  given in Bhagavat gita, Vedas  and also  the life truths given in Upanishads.  In all the above group of books, hundreds and thousands of messages are also directly given, which should also be include in VK.