Wipro to train school teachers in US

Indian IT major Wipro Limited will train 120 school teachers in partnership with the University of Massachusetts in Boston, US, over the next three years to foster excellence in science education among students.

"The 12-month fellowship programme is aimed at developing competencies in teachers and make them catalysts of change in schools where less privileged students from Boston and New York read," the global software major said in a statement here Wednesday.

Funded by Wipro, the programme will select 40 science teachers from Boston and New York for the fellowship by Jan 2013 and the course will begin from Sep 1, 2013.

"The programme is part of our efforts to align with the US's goal to engender an environment that instills and nurtures scientific temper and innovative spirit among young people," Wipro chief executive T.K. Kurien said in the statement.

"The programme involves a set of activities to improve teachers' pedagogical and content knowledge with the aim of boosting the performance of underprivileged students," Kurien said.

The University of Massachusetts will partner with a university in New York and multiple school districts in Boston and New York to administer the programme.

"Wipro's science education initiative aligns with the 'educate to innovate' campaign to improve the performance of US students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)," Kurien noted.

University of Massachusetts Chanceller J. Keith Motley said effective STEM education was crucial to students' success.

"We are upbeat on playing a role in providing Boston's teachers with new skills for imparting mastery in these fields," Motley said.

For the past decade, Wipro has been working towards empowering education in India with its 'Applying Thought in Schools' initiative to help in societal change and development by improving the quality of education.

The company works with teachers to enhance employability skills of engineering graduates across India through its not-for profit initiative Mission10X.
 

Boy from Andhra Pradesh making waves in U.K.

The way Samara Kolli acquired knowledge is astounding to say the least

“Mathematics is essentially a language. Mathematics and philosophy are like the hardware of a computer and every other subject the software. Maths and philosophy teach us how to think creatively and analyse, learning other subjects becomes very easy,” says Samarasimha Kolli (called Samara in short).

 

Samara is one of the toppers of his class at Merton College, University of Oxford, in the subjects of mathematics and philosophy. With mathematics and philosophy being his passion, he wants to pursue Ph.D. in them.

 

Before diving headlong into academics again, he has come to India to discover his roots. Samara spent the first two years of his life in Madhira in Khammam district, where he was born. His mother Padmasri Chekuri belongs to the village. His father Prasanth, an anaesthesiologist, belongs to Jangaon in Warangal.

 

When Samara was two, his family moved to Oman and a couple of years later to the U.K. After moving around a little bit, his parents settled down in Manchester and Samara finished his high school in Manchester Grammar School, scoring 599 out of 600 in mathematics, 597 in philosophy, and 600 in politics.

 

Having high scores in philosophy, he opted for Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE) course, a forerunner for Whitehall jobs (civil administration) in the university.

 

He even took a few courses in macroeconomics and political philosophy in Harvard University (Boston, USA), but found the combination intellectually “unstimulating.” It was then he decided to study mathematics and philosophy.

 

In his post-graduation, Samara scored 92 per cent in Godel’s (mathematical logician) ‘Incompleteness Theorems’ and 88 per cent in Lambda Calculus.

 

Languages known

 

He is fluent in English, French, and Russian. He studied French and Russian from school itself.

 

He has begun learning Urdu and also speaks Telugu, his mother tongue.

 

He is very fond of Carnatic music and has given Veena concerts and even played for television channels.

 

He is also very good in Western dances such as the Waltz and the Jive and has participated in nation-wide inter-varsity competition and won prizes for his college.

 

It's Time to Re-Think the U.S. Education System

by Tammy Erickson

Children today, those born after 1995, are seeing a world that looks substantively different to them than the world did to members of Generation Y during their formative years. In an earlier post, I discussed how the global financial crisis and mobile technology have catalyzed the formation of a new generation. Because this new cohort is concerned about sustainability and living within finite limits, I call them the Re-Generation.
 

Clearly the experiences these Re-Gens are having in school are also influencing the ideas they're forming. And, although there are some encouraging signs of change, several major challenges stand out from my ongoing discussions with today's 11-13 year olds.

 

A disconnect between the way school works and how they function outside school. In some ways, traditional schools operate in ways that are foreign to the world in which today's students live. They inhabit a technology-based world of multi-media, addictive games, and mobile access, of asynchronous activities and anywhere, anytime capabilities. Schools are very different. For example, 13 to 15-year-olds in my research thus far average 50 texts a day with peers and parents, but most are required to communicate with teachers via email or in-person. I recently had an animated discussion with a group of academics regarding the desirability of changing their traditional approaches. Many argued that they were preparing the kids for the real world — limiting the Re-Gens' use of "kids'" technology, teaching them to communicate the way adults do. I understand their perspective, but frankly find it short-sighted. We are not preparing these kids for the world as it operates today.

 

Boredom with the teacher-centered learning process. The kids I've interviewed all say that they wish their classes were more entertaining, interesting and fun. They are living in the most stimulating period in the history of the earth — besieged with information that they multi-process through a wide variety of technologies. But most schools require them to put that all away and ask them to focus on one, often-not-that-engaging speaker. Then they penalize them for getting distracted. An average of 12% of all children in the U.S. between 3 and 17 each year are taken to ambulatory care visits (to physician offices, hospital outpatient and emergency departments) with attention deficit disorder as primary diagnosis.

 

Shifting sources of authority. Kids have figured out that the adults in their world — whether teachers or parents — are not necessarily the most reliable source of knowledge. Adults can be wrong — or at least warrant double checking. Parents have told me that even very young children will ask a question, listen to the answer, then suggest that they Google it "just to be sure." Technology leads to a new role for teachers (and parents): that of a learning facilitator and coach, rather than of an authoritative source of information.

 

Growing interest in pragmatic, job-oriented skills. Re-Gens are grounded and focused. The economy is one of their greatest concerns. Most that I've interviewed express an interest in learning more that has to do with "real life" — business, entrepreneurship, how to get a job, computer science, mechanics, robotics, electronics. Many are skeptical of the promise that a good job awaits if you just work hard and do well. They want to make sure they're learning the right stuff now.

 

Unease regarding global standing. Even the youngest students in my research are aware they will face competition from individuals educated in other countries. It's a legitimate concern for those in the U.S. where 15-year-olds are outperformed by their peers in many other nations. U.S. students rank 23rd in math (just above the international average score), 17th in reading, and 32nd in science (well below the international average score).

Several years ago I heard the noted economist Lester Thurow ask an audience to name the greatest invention in U.S. history. Hum. . . The light bulb? Telegraph? Cotton gin? Polio vaccine? Frozen food? Sliced bread?

None of these. Thurow argued that the most significant invention in U.S. history was the public education system established in the early days of the industrial revolution. When U.S. textile owners recognized the need for an educated workforce and forced through legislation requiring young people to attend school, the U.S. created, he argues, its single greatest asset. Education that was paid for the by taxation, compulsory to everyone, and free at the point of delivery, was a revolutionary idea.

 

 

From his perspective as an economist, Thurow argues that this unique educational system produced a workforce that was perfectly matched — in both skills and behavior — to the burgeoning needs of the new industrial economy. Students emerging from this system had both the right knowledge (reading, math) to perform the industrial jobs and the right behaviors (punctuality, focus on specific linear tasks) to form an efficient industrial workforce.

Thus our current approach to education was designed for a different age. It was modeled both on the interests of industrialization and in the image of it: specialization into separate subjects, standardized curricula, conformity, batch processing — by age group. The system was designed to leverage a "lock step" approach over set periods of time and using broadcast delivery methods to prepare students effectively for known jobs.

 

 

The model worked well for 100 years because it matched between the needs of employers. But, as we all know, most of the jobs of tomorrow will not be industrial jobs. Even those in the manufacturing sector will require a knowledge-based set of skills and behaviors. The gap between the output of our educational system and the job demands of the current century is enormous — and growing wider. And the kids intuitively recognize the gap. They're asking for a change.

Happily, progressive organizations are responding to the push from the Re-Generation: for example, by enhancing the learning experience through the integration of technology, "flipping the classroom" so lectures are recorded for the student to watch at home while "school" operates as a sort of "base camp" or design hub for learning, grouping students by what they know not by age, or providing credit for demonstrated life skills through an innovative process we call "badging."

What are your kids learning at school? What programs do you admire?

 

Now, a ‘tablet’ comes to assess school children

Innovative tool demonstrated at Jeevana School in Madurai city

Technology-enabled learning went a step further as a ‘tablet’ is now being prescribed to assess school children and find out the “learning gaps.”

Educational Initiatives, an Ahmedabad-based educational research company, is promoting its innovative assessment tool in schools in Madurai region claiming that it had developed it with a deep understanding of child psychology and research.

The Detailed Assessment (DA) tablet computer was demonstrated to subject teachers and students at Jeevana School in Ponmeni here on Friday.

Speaking to reporters about the tablet way of diagnostic assessment, Sudhir Ghodke, Director, Educational Initiatives, has said that continuous and comprehensive assessment is of paramount importance to identify the learning gaps among students at regular intervals.

The 17.8 cm tablets being used for DA are with captive touch screen and topic-wise tests will be customised to curriculum of respective schools. It will be suitable for State Board, CBSE and all types of schools.

“Once the subject teacher finishes doing three or four topics, he or she can go the online system and ask for conducting a test for students. Questions are prepared keeping the course structure in mind and every child gets personalised report which the parents also can access,” he said.

According to him, the tablet test will be very helpful to schools because teachers should not assume that every student had understood what was taught. “Assessment method drives learning and teachers will be effective in their work. Mistakes committed by students can be corrected and explained to them. Schools can decide on which date they want to conduct the test,” Mr.Ghodke said.

In the first phase, the Detailed Assessment through tablets is available for three subjects- English, Mathematics and Science. Totally, 24 tests would be conducted for these three subjects and it will be Rs.1,800 per student for one year. This testing method is available for students from third class to Tenth standard.

“Ours will be an apt example of technology aided learning and it offers year long assessment programme. Schools in various States have come forward to introduce ‘tablets’ and our representative will carry a set of tablet computers to school on the test date. The assessment report will be ready in 24 hours and teachers can view the results online,” he explained.

After getting the results, teachers can take remedial action and Mr.Ghodke claimed that schools would benefit in formative/summative assessment of students.

 

Create a Portable Cloud

The purpose of this experiment is to observe how moisture, cooling temperature, and condensation nuclei play a role in cloud formation.

 Make it Happen





 


1. Pour 100 ml of cold water into the jar. Add food coloring to the water.
2. Swirl the water in the jar for one minute to allow some water to evaporate.

3. Stretch the open end of a rubber glove over the mouth of the jar, with the glove fingers hanging down into the jar.

4. Place a rubber band around the mouth of the jar to secure the glove.

5. Turn on the lamp so it shines through the jar.

6. Insert your hand into the glove. Pull quickly outward without disturbing the jar's seal. Record your observations.

7. Quickly push your hand back down into the jar. Record your observations.

8. Carefully remove the glove from the jar.

9. Drop a lit match into the jar and quickly seal it again with the rubber glove as before.

10. Insert your hand into the glove. Pull quickly outward without disturbing the jar's seal. Record your observations.

11. Repeat the entire procedure using hot tap water instead of cold water.

 Whats Happening ? 

What do you see happening inside the jar?
Water vapor is created as water heats under the lamp. Swirling the water also help water molecules to move into the air from the water’s surface.

When you pull the glove out of the jar, the air pressure is lowered inside the jar. The jar contains the same number of air molecules, but they have more space between them (they are less dense).

Molecules collide with each other less frequently and slow down, causing the air temperature to go down.

When you press the rubber glove into the jar, you are increasing the air pressure. The air becomes more dense as the molecules are crowded together. This also causes the air to heat up as molecules collide with each other more often.

The smoke particles provide tiny nuclei on which water vapor molecules condense, when the air temperature cools. This forms a little cloud.
 
What does this has to do with the weather ?


There must be three main ingredients present in order for clouds to form:

• Moisture - There must be sufficient water vapor in the air to build a cloud.
• Cooling air - The air temperature must decrease enough for water vapor to condense.
• Condensation nuclei - Tiny particles, invisible to the human eye, such as dust, dirt, and pollutants, provide surfaces on which water molecules can gather and condense into water droplets.
 

CBSE to change exam pattern

School examination pattern and composition are set to undergo an overhaul by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

The teaching community has mixed reactions. Questions to test the problem solving abilities of the students will be included, starting from

2013.


“This will force children to come out of the rote-learning and test their application and analytical skills,” said Usha Ram, principal, Laxman Public School.

CBSE’s chairman, Vineet Joshi stated that the PSA system would evaluate quantitative and qualitative reasoning and incorporate aspects such as creative thinking, decision-making, problem solving and communication.

CBSE will also allot 5% of every major subject, such as English, Hindi, mathematics and physics, on questions pertaining to the cultural, environmental and social ethos of the country.

“Our existing educational system needs to be strengthened to deliver values enshrined in the Constitution. The curriculum needs to assign more weightage to value based questions,” said Ram Shankar, joint director, CBSE.

CBSE also plans to implement the ‘open book testing’ method for classes 10 and 12 from the next academic session.

Teachers said that this was a move that would require planning at not just the school level, but university level too. It’ll require students to know their texts well, teachers said.

“There has to be some connect between school and higher education. Some re-thinking is required to bridge the gap between school and college education,” said Ameeta Wattal, principal, Springdales (Pusa Road).
 

Is technology harming your child's eyes?

While technology is revolutionizing the classroom, health experts warn computers, smartboards and tablets could lead to eye strain and fatigue.

Thirteen-year-old Casey Connelly has firsthand experience with this issue, complaining of tired eyes as her school moves increasingly toward new technology versus old-school utensils like pencil and paper.

“We use computers a lot for typing, and we are getting iPads in the eighth grade, and that will hold our text books, so we'll be doing a lot of work on those,” Casey said.

Casey’s condition, known as computer vision syndrome, consists of a whole host of symptoms related to computer use – including eye strain, blurred vision, headaches, loss of focus, loss of attention, neck pain and double vision, according to Dr. Andrea Thau of the American Optometric Association.

“When we look at a computer screen, it presents a unique visual demand on the eyes because they are looking at something up close and not in 3-D,” Thau told FoxNews.com. “It's flat and it's glowing, and it tricks the eye into thinking something is closer than it is… it often sets up an imbalance between eye coordination and focusing.”

To prevent vision problems, Thau recommends a few easy steps, such as taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes and keeping the computer screen four to five inches below eye level.
“Don't forget to blink,” Thau added. “People stare when they are looking at computers, and blinking is really important to restore the tear film.”

Most importantly, she said every child should have a comprehensive eye exam at the beginning of the school year.


 

Word building

A dictionary is relevant even in today’s digital world, asserts Joanna Turnbull, managing editor of Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary Eighth Edition

The good old dictionary is going strong. Even in an era when words open up at the click of a mouse. “Our dictionaries sell extremely well. They are not only tools that you can carry in the palm of your hand but also access at the tap of the screen. We provide information in different forms — as a CD Rom, app for android smartphones and iPhones. We provide the best of both worlds,” says Joanna Turnbull, managing editor of Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (OALD) Eighth Edition.

She is on a visit to India as part of the Oxford University Press India’s centenary activities for school teachers and is conducting workshops for them in Lucknow, Kolkata and Pune. The workshops are aimed to guide middle school teachers on using the dictionary as an effective tool to help students improve their writing skills. She was in Chennai recently and spoke to the English Language Teachers’ Association of India on the role of dictionaries.

INDIAN CONNECTION

 

“Oxford has a long history in India. In India, think ‘dictionary’ and you think ‘Oxford’,” says Turnbull. The history of the learner’s dictionary goes back to 1948 when A.S. Hornby had the idea of publishing one — how to use the word and also provide illustrations and simple definitions. “All these features are still there,” says Turnbull, “but now we have infused new technology,” she says.

The dictionary in the book form is used while one is working at the desk but while students are outside, they refer to the digital one, says Turnbull opening out the Eighth Edition of the Advanced Learner’s dictionary that comes with a CD Rom.

How relevant is a dictionary in today’s digital world? “Very,” she replies. “We have new editions that connect it with today’s world — with technology and the social media.” The role of the teacher comes in a big way, adds Turnbull.

A TEACHER'S ROLE

“We conducted world wide research. We were surprised to find the problems and challenges the same in countries where English is not the native language. Students find writing difficult. They don’t plan their writing and don’t check their written work. The teacher can play a vital role in helping students consult the dictionary and the way it is used.” Which age group uses dictionaries the most? “Anyone who is learning English, and requires information that can help him / her pass an exam, get a job, improve language skills and vocabulary.”

It must be quite a challenge to decide what words to introduce in the dictionary and what to take out… “It is dangerous to take words out. But sometimes there are words such as ‘millennium bug’, which are typical of the times and so we have removed them. Before words go in, we consult the corpus of English to test them out. The corpus has three billion words! The corpus tells us how language is being used today, whether words are worthy of being used or not. Lexicographers in the past had to use their intuition, now we can be more scientific. Most of my colleagues are teachers and they exercise their judgment. So now both science and judgment go into the process.”

“My research team and I have introduced the topic collocation notes, for example, Environment. The Oxford Writing Tutor is another distinct feature. It contains guidelines on how to write essays, reports, formal letters, business and academic e-mails, CV… This helps the student work in tandem with the Oxford iWriter, which is part of the CD Rom.”

Do texting and the way the young people use language pose challenges to those who bring out dictionaries? “That’s a form of communication. Some of them find serious writing difficult. We reflect how younger people are using words. We have people around the world constantly searching for new words. When my team members and I see or hear a new word on television, we immediately take it down. In fact, it is a sort of compulsion; it takes over our lives,” she laughs.

Indian vocabulary

“In India, the standard of English is very high,” says Turnbull. “But a different combination of words is sometimes used than in the U.K. It’s interesting and different. In newspapers, for instance, there is a combination of formal and informal words. For example, ‘The decision to abstain from the presidential race came in for flak’. Also difficult and rare words such as ‘nexus’ are used here; they are not used or understood in the U.K.” Turnbull says the main difference in the way language is used by native English speakers and Indian speakers are collocations — the way the words go together. “For example, ‘heavy rain’ not ‘strong rain’.

 

Maths online anywhere, anytime

 

• 
  Special ArrangementMaths online: TMS sir explaining concepts using video lessons.
• 
  Special ArrangementT.M. Soundrarajan.

Maths can now be learnt at a click of the mouse, thanks to TMS Math Academy.

Teaching and learning are no longer confined to the classroom. Technology has broken the monotony of the classroom, physical barrier and limitations of a time-bound teaching. Computer has widened the horizon of teacher-learner relationship. What other subject can be apt to teach online than maths? Knowing the potential of the subject, TMS Math Academy was recently launched at the Garden Terrace of Navin's Triumph Building, Nandanam. T.M. Soundrarajan, fondly called TMS by his students, has more than thirty years of service at Ahobila Mutt Oriental Higher Secondary School, West Mambalam, to his credit.

His aim of beginning the TMS Math Academy is to provide an online social learning and teaching environment for students who can have access to his teaching anywhere, anytime. This Academy handles an integrated teaching plus revision course. TMS' teaching style combines real life situations with the fundamental principles of mathematics.

Thanks to Entrayn Education Technologies, the dream of bringing students closer to mathematics with the help of the Internet was realised with ease. Pavithra Srinivasan, the founder and CEO of Entrayn, came up with the idea of video lessons. Whether the students belong to State board or CBSE, of Class X and XII, TMS lessons are ready for them. Students have to merely log on to the classroom. In a series of video lessons, the online lessons turn into a virtual teacher. In a personalised way, TMS explains the concepts again and again.

When asked about what is his take on repetition, TMS says, “Practice makes a person perfect. One's memory and skill are enhanced by repetition. Also the learning style, ability and confidence of all students are not the same. So, video lessons at TMS Online Academy are designed to enable the child to rewind and check a particular concept, in case he/she is unable to grasp it the first time. Students will be enthused to probe into the subject if they understood it better. If the repeat button helps them in doing so, I think Entrayn has done the right thing. Repeating etches the topics in the mind.”

The other advantages of the academy are discussion forums, FAQs, leader rounds, etc. In the common forum if a student raises a doubt, he can expect a response from the teacher in 24 hours or from fellow students who have grasped the concept. Repeated doubts in a particular area qualify it for the FAQ session. Thus if one goes through FAQs, they stand to benefit. Children can also slowly go through the sessions page by page and book mark the difficult ones which can be revised later. Similar to Facebook, if someone explains a doubt he/she will get a number of likes and thereby feel motivated to learn more.

The leader round lists the toppers. This list varies for each topper as it shows each student how much portion he has covered. By looking at the list, students can vie with each other and increase the speed of study. These are some of the salient features of the system.

Even school teachers can use these lessons to supplement and reinforce their regular classroom teaching, especially for repeatedly explaining important concepts, clearing doubts, revision, etc.

These online sessions are a hit among students and parents because of proximity to a teacher, one-on-one learning, no commutation involved and motivation through vibrant techniques.

Future plans

TMS considers education as a powerful social leveller. He is looking at rendering the lessons in Tamil, so that rural students can also benefit. For this, Entrayn Technologies is searching for philanthropic organisations and individuals to help sponsor Tamil lessons for deserving students and Government schools.

TMS also wants to extend Online teaching for Classes VII to IX and XI besides taking it to the college level. In addition, he along with Entrayn, is also looking to add online question banks for various topics, so that students can be assessed on their learning and application.

About the master

TMS has been in the panel of authors appointed by the Educational Department, Achievements Government of Tamil Nadu; for the revised text books in Mathematics for the Higher Secondary classes, in addition to being appointed Key Resource Person in Mathematics by the Government of Tamil Nadu for a Training-Orientation Session for Mathematics Teachers of Tamil Nadu.

He also influenced and made a substantial contribution at the training programme on question paper setting, jointly organised by the Tamil Nadu State Board of School Examinations and NCERT, New Delhi. He has always supported students who have shown active interest in studies by providing and facilitating scholarships, grants and other aids. This has been a motto regardless of student background.

To enroll into the academy, contact Pavithra of Entrayn at 95000 20740. Teachers who are interested to teach physics, biology and chemistry in a similar fashion, can get in touch with Entrayn Education Technologies at Navin's Triumph, 802-804, Anna Salai, Nandanam. Ph: 4320 7777.

 

 

High-tech teaching comes of age

Education system unfurls new concepts these days. Gone are the days when students and teachers interacted with each other through chalk and blackboard. With technology taking upper hand, schools are bringing in new solutions for effective teaching.

To impart education in an organised framework and to retain the concepts better, Tata ClassEdge -- a digital pattern of teaching was introduced for the first time in the city. It is an interactive tool including lesson plans, assessments and other multimedia sessions where content can be taught and perceived in an effective manner. The innovative tool was launched at Sri Prakash Vidyaniketan on Wednesday. Students had an interactive session with founder and CEO of Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) Sanjaya Sharma and shared insights on the concept introduced.

Addressing to the media, he said that the system was introduced last year and is implemented in thousand schools across India. “This is the first time it is introduced in the city. Right now only private schools are introducing the new concept but with technology catching up faster, even government schools can think about implementing it soon,” he said.

Every topic will be taught with key objectives, visual effects and illustrations. Teachers can integrate the concept and incorporate their own style of teaching, while students have a better quality of understanding when taught in a digital fashion, said head, sales and marketing of TIS Rajesh Shethia. Director of the school Ch. Vasu Prakash and teachers participated.

 

Teacher Evaluation System (TES)

 

Cincinnati Public Schools, Teacher Evaluation System (TES) has been nationally recognized as a leading model for enhancing teacher professionalism and supporting higher student performance. The district continues to enhance the program, maintaining its rigor while strengthening professional development and increasing overall efficiency.

 

Cincinnati Public Schools developed an evaluation system designed to ensure a high quality teaching staff for every student and every school.

A lead teacher models effective teaching methods.

All teachers participate in a Comprehensive Evaluation at defined intervals - the first year as a new hire, the fourth year, then every five years after that point. The Comprehensive Evaluation consists of an orientation meeting to learn about the evaluation process, a readiness conference with the evaluator to share details about the teaching assignment, followed by at least four classroom observations.

 

An Annual Assessment, one classroom observation conducted by the teacher's administrator, occurs during those years a teacher is not scheduled for a Comprehensive Evaluation.

 

The Tool

 

The district's Teacher Evaluation System (TES) was developed based on the framework prescribed by Charlotte Danielson in her book "Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching." This framework divides skills and responsibilities into four domains: Planning and Preparing for Student Learning, Creating an Environment for Student Learning, Teaching for Student Learning, and Professionalism.

 

Good teaching is further defined within each domain by a set of standards. Sixteen standards describing quality teaching serve as the foundation of the Comprehensive Evaluation. These standards articulate the skills and responsibilities integral to good teaching and establish clear expectations for performance and professional development in the Cincinnati Public Schools.

 

Teaching performance for each standard is described by a rubric (scoring guide). These standards and rubrics also have been adapted for specialists in the field (librarians, counselors, social workers, school psychologists, etc.).

Help & Support

 

The district and the teachers' union recognized that just evaluating teachers was not enough. Instead it was important to improve the quality of teaching and help teachers refine their teaching skills. As a result, the Peer Assistance and Evaluation Program (PAEP) was developed to help new hires, as well as experienced teachers with instructional deficiencies.

 

In addition, it was recognized that many quality experienced teachers were leaving the profession. As a result, the Career-In-Teaching Program was developed to provide incentives to attract and retain quality teachers in the profession, to improve and encourage teachers' professional growth opportunities, and to give teachers broader roles and responsibilities that improve student achievement and provide better schools for children and teachers.

 

Peer Assistance and Evaluation Program (PAEP)

 

The Peer Assistance and Evaluation Program has two major roles. First, through its Apprentice Component, it assists teachers in their first year in the Cincinnati Public Schools by helping them refine their teaching skills and orienting them to the district, including its goals, curriculum and structure. Through this component, each teacher is evaluated and assisted by a consulting teacher.

 

The Peer Review Panel participates in a training session.

Second, through the Intervention Component, the program assists experienced teachers who exhibit serious instructional deficiencies. When a teacher's principal has concerns about his/her performance, or when a teacher has not met the expected performance standards, the teacher can be referred for intervention. A joint panel of teachers and administrators reviews the referrals and assigns consulting teachers to work with those teachers to improve their instructional skills and to improve the teachers' levels of performance. In cases where improvement does not occur, the panel may recommend a second year of intervention or the non-renewal of a teacher's contract.

 

Career-In-Teaching

 

The Career-In-Teaching program identifies five teaching levels, based on a teacher's evaluation scores. Teachers work toward achieving lead teacher status, which in turn can lead to broader roles and responsibilities, as well as a stipend.

 

Level One, ApprenticeAn apprentice is a teacher without previous teaching experience. This level prepares teachers to pursue a career in teaching.

 

Level Two, Novice
A novice is a teacher who has met licensure requirements and is working to develop the skills required for a career in teaching.

 

Level Three, Career
A career teacher has demonstrated the skills needed to have a career in teaching.

 

Level Four, Advanced
An advanced teacher is continuing to master the art of teaching, demonstrating a distinguished level of teaching.

 

Level Five, Accomplished
An accomplished teacher is a teacher who has demonstrated outstanding teaching.

 

Lead Teacher

A lead teacher helps another teacher improve her skills.

The primary and most important role of a lead teacher is to support quality instruction. In addition to receiving advanced and/or accomplished scores, a lead teacher must demonstrate leadership in his/her profession, effective communication skills, a consistent pattern of professional growth, cooperation and collaboration, and commitment to teaching as a career. Teachers may apply to be a lead teacher by going through a three-phase application process. A joint board/union panel grants lead teacher status. Once a teacher is certified as a lead teacher, he/she may apply for lead teacher positions throughout the district. Lead teachers serve at both the school and district level in various roles (consulting teachers, teacher evaluators, curriculum specialists, subject leaders, team leaders and program facilitators, etc.).

 

CBSE ties up with Pearson

The partnership was announced by Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal here on Thursday. He also inaugurated the centre’s website.

 

The Central Board of Secondary Education has entered into a partnership with a private foreign education company, Pearson, to form a Centre for Assessment, Evaluation and Research which will evaluate CBSE’s examination system, carry out research on implementation of its schemes and develop research resources to help teachers. The partnership was announced by Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal here on Thursday. He also inaugurated the centre’s website.

 

The main purpose of the centre will be to develop research and assessment capabilities and resources for CBSE, its schools and teachers and “focus on International best practices in school-based assessment, teaching techniques and high stake examinations”.

 

Pearson (India) chairman Khozem Merchant said the entire project will be funded for the initial two years by the company’s philanthropic arm, Pearson Foundation, but the centre will start to generate its own financial revenues through different projects and activities within three years. Another objective of the centre would be to evaluate exam results, analyse them and help decide on the type of questions to be set.

 

CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi will also be the chairman of the centre’s executive council. “Initially it will focus on the impact of the recent CBSE innovations such as continuous comprehensive evaluation programme in classrooms and life skills curriculum,” said Mr. Joshi, adding that the centre would be “drawing on relevant international best practices to arrive at recommendations for improving teaching practices and approaches to assessment before rolling out an extensive programme of professional development of teachers.”

 

“It also seeks to look at the process of examinations, analyse the results, see what further improvement can be done and what type of training to be given to teachers if there is any shortcomings among its host of core activities,” he said.

 

While announcing the partnership, Mr. Kapil Sibal said one of the prime areas for any assessment was to evolve a mechanism where a child would be able to discover himself and communicate that discovery, adding that the new centre was another example of a successful public-private partnership.

 

He also said that the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) programme introduced some years ago would not be able to succeed unless there was a general transformation in the education system. “It won’t succeed unless teachers understand CCE,” he said, adding that education must to be viewed holistically.