INNOVATIONS IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM

Concept: Effective Classroom Processes and Practices to enable Children as 21st Century Citizens

Innovations in-and-out of the classroom

D.Pushpa

B.T.English, P.U.M.School, Bettatti, Coonoor, The Nilgiris.

E-mail: dpushpa76@yahoo.com

Abstract:

In the 21st century, each and everyone needs innovations in all aspects of life. Present-day students do not want to read the lessons for a second time. So, as a teacher, it is our extreme duty to present innovations in and out of the classroom. Instead of teaching the alphabet from A-Z, let them listen and do the actions related to that sounds. Let us give them a chance to listen from other sources like TV, DVD, and downloads. Reading becomes a pleasure when we take them out. They enjoy reading colorful wallpapers, posters, and hangouts. We should encourage students to use software like the tux type that motivates them to read English faster. Conducting regular vocabulary games make them familiar with words. Homework should be friendly to uneducated parents. The collaborative connecting classrooms pave the way to share student’s ideas freely with other school teachers. And also helps them to clear their doubts then and there. All Saturdays should be allotted for computer, gardening, and socially useful productive work. We should build a good relationship with the children without bothering portions on these Saturdays. Please be the best innovative facilitator to mold their skills!

Keywords:

Phonic drill, downloads, tux type, vocabulary games, collaborative connecting classrooms, stress-free Saturday.

Introduction:

Reading is dreaming with open eyes. The more you read the more things you will know, the more you learn the more places you will go. No two persons ever read the same book.  We must bring innovations to make our children read. Writing is the painting of the voice. Reading feeds the soul and writing nourishes it. To nourish our student’s souls we should give them practice. As Thomas A. Edison said, “A genius is just a talented person who does his homework”. Parents always want their wards to do the homework when they are at home. So the students get fed up with the word “Homework”. So let us make the homework just to build confidence and relationships. There is a child inside each one of us, who comes out in front of the person we are most comfortable with. Don’t stress the students. Try your very best to appreciate their every step and forget the rest. 

The reader is an excellent leader: 

Reading makes a man perfect. It is a necessary skill to improve the knowledge of an individual that enables a student to start from school to catch the bus and reach here to attend the conference for a paper presentation. In ALM class, the first and foremost step is just reading. If we ask our students to underline any unfamiliar words; they underline the maximum number of words in the text. So let them read pleasurably and don’t try to give complicated words as this would make them get discouraged about themselves. This may also lead them to discontinue their studies.

Reading in the classroom:

There are 44 sounds for 26 alphabets We should teach them a sound per day along with the actions, stories, and songs. After they are familiar with the sounds we should give them a regular phonic drill. Then we can provide an ample number of books to kindle their knowledge. The tux type is a wonderful tool for slow learners to read joyfully. Teach them basic structural words in the order of 1 letter word, 2 lettered words, and 3 lettered words, and so on. This will give them hope that they can also read. Then give them syllabification that enables them to read any word. While writing on the board encourage them to spell and say the words. Regular usage of dictionaries makes them read words along with their meanings. Conducting a reading competition for at least a month paves them away to read accurately. Activities like Jig jaw reading, tongue twisters, and picture reading make fun of reading.

Reading out of the classroom:

We can also utilize other resources like TV, DVD, and downloads. Even we can take them to nearby schools to enrich their level in different atmospheres. When they are appreciated by other school teachers their confidence level increases even better. That tempts them to do more. While going on the way we can engage them to read colorful wallpapers, posters, and hang-outs. That gives them recognition in the public. Being friendly with students through various interesting games intuits them to read. Students are fond of singing songs. Thus every week we can introduce a new song so that they enjoy and sing along with us. Then if we write the same song on the board, they show eagerness towards reading.

Vocabulary games:

Dictating letter sounds, words or sentences is important for developing writing skills. Through games, we can teach anything memorable forever. Games like anthaksari, hang him not leave him, auction,hot-seat, words in a word, giving clear instructions, chip -chap- choo, word bingo, star activity, onion ring activity, airplane activity, rhyming tennis, secret questions, queen of Sheeba, vocabagram, running dictionary, etc gives tangible improvement for our children to enrich their vocabulary. Many of us are giving dictation words regularly. Some tend to give their own words, some take it from newspapers, and others are taken from textbooks without understanding the level of the students. Due to their low scores in this, they get vexed. After some days they do not listen to what we are dictating, just write down some fixed words on their own. So while giving dictation we should keep in mind that each one should score a minimum of one. That would motivate them to do better the next time. Teachers should utter the word promptly. While giving dictation we should concentrate on the sounds and syllables that will enable them to write correctly. Regular revision and dictation will help all the children to master the spellings. Guided writing is an important step in preparing children for independent writing.

Reading Analysis in 2010

DATE FAMILIAR  IN BASIC STRUCTURAL WORDS FAMILIAR  IN ALPHABETS CONFUSED IN ALPHABETS

10-08-10 6 5 8

06-09-10 12 4 3

04-10-10 15 4 -

08-11-10 19 - -

2010 – Class 6th, P.U.M.School Bettatti-

 Reading Test Analysis

                                   

Reading Analysis in 2014

Target Group Class No. of students

All students +MR 6th 8

Slow learners 7th 3

Slow learners+MR 8th 4

Result- 

Including 2 mentally retarded children. Now everyone can read easily. 

Uneducated friendly homework:

The homework aims to build confidence and fluency in writing. Due to technological developments, the new trend in homework is just to get the printout, cut it and paste it, which is not suitable for uneducated parents. Many students just open their notebook in front of their parents, pretend to do homework till 10’O clock along with watching television. Or else they would be searching in the unwanted websites. So we should take an initiative to this problem. We must discuss the importance of giving homework to their parents. With the combination of educated and uneducated parents, they must weekly monitor the student’s homework from 5 pm to 6 pm every day. It will regularize their work. We should encourage the students to do household works after the completion of homework. Homework is given to lessen their classwork. It should not burden the students. This should build a bridge between students and parents so that they can spend at least an hour discussing their future and relationships. Let them play, enjoy, eat, chat and sleep well. Let us give them time to think at home freely without the torture of parents.

Collaborative connecting classroom:

The collaborative connecting classrooms pave the way to share ideas freely with others.  And also helps us to clear the doubts then and there. In this class, if the teacher is on leave student could connect to other school teachers. So there will be no stagnations in the syllabus. Some students love the subject. But due to the hatred towards the particular subject teacher, they are unable to excel in their career. If they are connected with other school teachers they can lead a healthy life. No need to see the same face. Students do not want to hear advice like keep quiet, take notes, etc. When we introduce these classes they set right on their own. When they meet many teachers, many students in the same class for 45 minutes period, they can share more experiences. They always anxiously wait for the class. So at least we should conduct this type of class weekly once to know various atmospheres and situations.

Stress-free Saturdays:

All Saturdays should be devoted to the holistic development of a stress-free life. These days should be allotted for computer, gardening, cleaning, games and socially useful productive work. Even though these are in our curriculum not even one of the teachers is giving them chance to perform these activities.  To complete the portions they are making them as arrangement periods without understanding the younger generation’s potentials. We should build good relationships with our students. We should play with them. And clean the school campus. We can also have a wonderful kitchen garden. We should give special coaching to slow learners. They can be allowed to come in a color dress. They can bring food from home and share it. Also engage them to prepare albums, greeting cards, posters, etc to meet the challenges in their life. Co-curricular activities like solo song, drama and group dance, etc can be practiced on these days which the students are eagerly waiting for. These show them light for the rest of their life.

Conclusion:

According to the new trend, we must move along with the students, take them in and out of the classroom to see the world which they are expecting. They need some changes in every minute by minute. We should try to make them leaders and thus encourage them to become the best readers. They want to enjoy their days and so conduct regular interesting vocabulary games. Through the homework encourage parents to spend time with their children. Connect the students through the connecting classes to connect everywhere in this globalized world. As Swami Vivekananda said, “We can’t teach our children anything new but we can facilitate them”.  Be the best innovative facilitator to mold our student’s skills to utilize stress-free Saturdays.

A CHANGE OF FEELING IS THE CHANGE OF DESTINY

-Neville Godard

References

1. Morgan, J & Rinvolucri M (1986): Vocabulary, Oxford University Press, Oxford

2. The Songs the Letters Sing –Book 1 by S.N.D

3. www.teachingenglish.org.uk

4.www.britishcouncil.org.in/projectenglish