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 Previous Week Topic |
| February 10 |
 Let the music flow More... |
08-02-2010 |
The dream of music lovers to have a university, which extends the facility to learn every kind of music under one roof, will soon be realised with the Government setting up the Dr. Gangubai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University. The first ever music university in South India will, in all probability, start its academic activities by September this year. When the Government decided to set up the varsity, the natural choice was Mysore, as there is a close and historical relationship between the city and music. It is surprising, pleasantly so, that this ‘dream' varsity has been able to come into being within two years of the idea being floated. During the presentation of his first budget as Chief Minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa made known his desire to set up this institution and earmarked Rs.5 crore for the purpose. He appointed Professor in Music, Hampi Kannada University, Hanumanna Naik Dore, as special officer in 2008. Mr. Dore, an accomplished Hindustani vocalist, travelled all over the country to meet musicians, academicians, and vice-chancellors of various universities to structure the framework of the varsity. He then drafted a legislation for setting up the university and submitted it to the Department of Higher Education. The legislation was passed in both the Houses of the Assembly on July 29 and Mr. Dore was appointed the first Vice-Chancellor. Now, he is all set to take up work on building teaching blocks in the place allotted. Surrounded by Varuna Canal and picturesque hills, the area provides the perfect ambience for the students to learn music. Mr. Dore has a dream of designing the buildings without harming the existing eco-system. Instead of constructing huge concrete structures for teaching, he hopes to construct cottages in the midst of green on the lines of the ancient gurukulas. Modalities As a first step the university will be launching ‘Sangeetha Kaaranji,' a programme to create interest among the students of music to enrol. According to Mr. Dore, students with PUC and with basic degree in any faculty can join the courses. An entrance exam will be held to test their interest in music and performing arts. Though earlier it was thought of setting up an exclusive music university, later it was decided to include other performing arts to extend the scope of the varsity. The Government is also enthusiastic in making the university a centre of excellence. It has promised to release Rs.25 crore, in the budget to be presented this month, for creating infrastructure. Besides courses in various music forms such as Hindustani, Carnatic, folk, light, western and cinema, classes will be conducted in dance forms including Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Kathak and dramatics. Though there are departments of music in various universities of South India, this is the only distinctive university meant to promote music and performing arts. Syllabus ready The syllabus for the courses has already been prepared and it has been planned to concentrate on the areas of research, publication and teaching. The university will be imparting education in music and performing arts both in gurukula and modern systems. While the former system will groom artistes, the latter will help students in getting academic qualification and degrees. Both residential and non-residential courses will be offered in the gurukula system. Scholarships and hostel facilities will be provided to students. There is also a plan to send the students to gurus (musicians) in various parts of the country. Besides taking up teaching, those who acquire a degree from the university can work for music channels, music troupes and music research organisations as musicologists, and can also function as music therapists and music critics in both print and visual media. |
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| Education plus - Anniversary special More... |
01-02-2010 |
The education system has rarely been the subject of such sweeping reforms efforts as it has witnessed in 2009. For the country as a whole, and in Tamil Nadu in particular, debates on issues ranging from increasing school enrolment to improving research output have matured and seem to be reaching critical mass. Launched in 2004, The Hindu Education Plus has consistently tracked the policy issues, providing expert advice and offering practical guidance to students on courses and careers. We have brought to our readers, in simplified terms, as they apply in practice, the complex ideas involved in these debates. We greatly value our large and growing number of young readers, especially boys and girls in high school, young women and young men in college. In the varied fare we offer them, which we wish to improve and develop in a big way, coverage of education ranks at the top. As we celebrate our sixth anniversary, we encourage our readers to become more actively involved in developing Education Plus. Whether you are a student or teacher, an education administrator or simply a concerned citizen, send us your ideas, opinions, and information about education in India. Also give us feedback on the articles we publish. To mark this special occasion, we bring you a special issue. It is our take on the happenings in the sector in 2009 and the challenges facing it in 2010. Experts comment on specific issues while our reporters look at the different segments in detail. The 24-page edition also features more informative articles, interviews, and exciting contests. Do e-mail your feedback to education.thehindu@gmail.com or post your responses to Education Plus, The Hindu, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai 600002. |
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| Valentine's Day More... |
14-02-2010 |
| Saint Valentine's Day (commonly shortened to Valentine's Day)[1][2][3] is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions.[1][3] The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in AD 496. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards Older tradition The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century Great Britain, and, in 1847, Esther Howland developed a successful business in her Worcester, Massachusetts home with hand-made Valentine cards based on British models. The popularity of Valentine cards in 19th century America, where many Valentine cards are now general greeting cards rather than declarations of love, was a harbinger of the future commercialization of holidays in the United States.[5] It's considered one of the Hallmark holidays. The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend on average twice as much money as women.[6] Saint Valentine
Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine.[7] The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae).[8] Valentine of Rome[9] was a priest in Rome who was martyred about AD 269 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. His relics are at the Church of Saint Praxed in Rome,[10] and at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland. Valentine of Terni[11] became bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) about AD 197 and is said to have been martyred during the persecution under Emperor Aurelian. He is also buried on the Via Flaminia, but in a different location than Valentine of Rome. His relics are at the Basilica of Saint Valentine in Terni (Basilica di San Valentino).[12] The Catholic Encyclopedia also speaks of a third saint named Valentine who was mentioned in early martyrologies under date of February 14. He was martyred in Africa with a number of companions, but nothing more is known about him.[13] No romantic elements are present in the original early medieval biographies of either of these martyrs. By the time a Saint Valentine became linked to romance in the fourteenth century, distinctions between Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni were utterly lost.[14] In the 1969 revision of the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints, the feastday of Saint Valentine on February 14 was removed from the General Roman Calendar and relegated to particular (local or even national) calendars for the following reason: "Though the memorial of Saint Valentine is ancient, it is left to particular calendars, since, apart from his name, nothing is known of Saint Valentine except that he was buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14."[15] The feast day is still celebrated in Balzan (Malta) where relics of the saint are claimed to be found, and also throughout the world by Traditionalist Catholics who follow the older, pre-Vatican II calendar. The Early Medieval acta of either Saint Valentine were expounded briefly in Legenda Aurea.[16] According to that version, St Valentine was persecuted as a Christian and interrogated by Roman Emperor Claudius II in person. Claudius was impressed by Valentine and had a discussion with him, attempting to get him to convert to Roman paganism in order to save his life. Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Because of this, he was executed. Before his execution, he is reported to have performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his jailer. Legenda Aurea still providing no connections whatsoever with sentimental love, appropriate lore has been embroidered in modern times to portray Valentine as a priest who refused an unattested law attributed to Roman Emperor Claudius II, allegedly ordering that young men remain single. The Emperor supposedly did this to grow his army, believing that married men did not make for good soldiers. The priest Valentine, however, secretly performed marriage ceremonies for young men. When Claudius found out about this, he had Valentine arrested and thrown in jail. In an embellishment to The Golden Legend provided by American Greetings, Inc. to History.com and widely repeated, on the evening before Valentine was to be executed, he wrote the first "valentine" himself, addressed to a young girl variously identified as his beloved,[17] as the jailer's daughter whom he had befriended and healed,[18] or both. It was a note that read "From your Valentine |
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| Share, delegate, earn trust in the classroom More... |
22-02-2010 |
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Ten tips for teachers to build useful and productive relationships with youngsters | | |  Tip 1
Get in and get out quickly with your dignity intact
We know that to effectively deliver sanctions the message needs to be simple, clear and non-negotiable; in practice it is easy to get caught up in a lengthy argument or confrontation. Focus on moving in, delivering your sanction as discreetly as possible and then moving out quickly. Choose a phrase that you will withdraw on ‘I need to see you working as well as you were in yesterday’s written task, thank you for listening’ or ‘I will come back and give you feedback on your work in five minutes’.
Avoid waiting around for the student to change their behaviour immediately; they may need some time and space to make a better choice. Engage another student in a positive conversation or move across the room to answer a question and only check back once the dust has settled. No one likes receiving sanctions and the longer the interaction the more chance of a defensive reaction or escalation. Get in, deliver the message and get out with dignity; quickly, efficiently and without lingering.
Tip 2
Countdown
A good technique for getting the attention of the whole class is to use a ‘countdown’
from 5 or 10 to allow students the time to finish their conversations (or work) and listen to the next instruction. Explain to the class that you are using countdown to give them fair warning that they need to listen and that it is far more polite than calling for immediate silence. Embellish your countdown with clear instructions so that students know what is expected and be prepared to modify it for different groups:
‘Five, you should be finishing the sentence that you are writing’.
‘Two, quickly back to your places’.
‘One, all pens and pencils down now’.
Some students may join in the countdown with you at first, some will not be quiet by the time you get to zero at first but persevere, use praise and rewards to reinforce its importance and it can become an extremely efficient tool for those times when you need everyone’s attention.
You may already have a technique for getting everyone’s attention. For instance, hands up. The countdown technique is more effective as it is time related and does not rely on students seeing you.
Tip 3
Closed requests
Prefacing requests with ‘Thank you’ has a marked effect on how the request is received. ‘Thank you for putting your bag in its place’, or ‘Thank you for dropping the paper in the bin’.
The trust in the student that this statement implies, combined with the clarity of the expectation, often results in immediate action without protest. It is almost a closed request which leaves no ‘hook’ to hold onto and argue with.
A similar technique can be applied to requests for students to make deadlines or attend meetings that they would rather ignore, salesmen would call it an ‘assumed close’.
‘When you come to see me today get as close to 3.30 pm as you can so we can resolve this quickly and both get home in good time’. As opposed to, ‘Meet me at my room at the end of school’.
‘When you hand in your homework next Monday, meet me by the staff room so that I can store it safely’. As opposed to, ‘I want your homework in on Monday’. You are assuming and encouraging a positive response; making it awkward for the student to respond negatively.
Tip 4
Get out and about
Perhaps your greatest contribution to managing behaviour around the school is your
presence. If you have your lunch with the students and are ever-present in the corridor outside your classroom students will see consistency in your expectations for behaviour both in and out of class.
They will grow used to your interventions in social areas and your presence will slowly have an impact on their behaviour. The relationships you forge will be strengthened, with opportunities for less formal conversation presenting themselves daily.
In more challenging institutions there can be a tendency to avoid social areas or stray too far away from teaching areas. For a while it may seem that life is easier that way but by taking the long way round to the staff room to avoid potential problem areas and you risk being effective only within the confines of your classroom.
Tip 5
Jobs for the boys and girls
At primary level students’ mutual trust is encouraged through sharing and delegating jobs in the classroom. A well organised teacher will have students handing out resources, clearing and cleaning the room, preparing areas for different activities, etc. The students learn how to share responsibility with others and accept responsibility for themselves.
It is often said that primary schools teach students to be independent and secondary schools teach them not to be. The tasks and responsibilities that you are able to share may seem mundane and trivial but by doing this an ethos of shared responsibility can be given a secure foundation.
Tip 6
Proactively developing relationships with students
It’s not about trying to get down with the kids. Choose your opportunities to build a relationship with a student carefully. Open up casual conversation when the student appears relaxed and unguarded.
Try asking for help or advice, giving the student something you know they are interested in (a newspaper cutting, web reference, loan copy of a book) or simply say ‘hello’ and pass the time of day. You may choose to wait until you find a situation that is not pressured or time limited. Aim for little and often rather than launching into a lengthy and involved conversation.
Remember, your intervention may be unwelcome at first. Your aim is to gently persuade the student that you are committed to building trust. Be prepared for your approaches to be rejected.
The student may be testing you to see how committed to developing the relationship you really are. He may not welcome any informal conversation with you because it is easier for him to deal with a conflict than a relationship of trust. Or quite simply, he may have decided that all teachers need to be given a wide berth. Give your time freely and expect nothing in return.
With persistence your reward can be a positive relationship that others will be amazed
at... “How do you get him to behave like that? In my lessons he has made a home under the table and is refusing visitors.”
Tip 7
“Chase me”: What to do with secondary behaviours
Secondary behaviours are those that occur during your intervention or as you leave a
conversation with a student. They are ‘chase me’ behaviours designed to push your buttons and gain a furious response. When you have exhausted all of your positive reinforcement, redirection techniques, warnings and sanctions and need the student to leave the room, the secondary behaviours are the chair being thrown back, or door being slammed, or the infuriating smile that slowly cracks across his face.
He may want to divert the conversation away from the original behaviour or encourage an adrenalin fuelled confrontation in the corridor. Don’t allow him to take control of your behaviour. Resist the temptation to address the secondary behaviours in the moment. Instead record them and deal with them later on.
The fact that he has left the room means that he has followed your instructions; the dramatic trail of disruption that he has left in his wake can be dealt with when he is calm. Your calm and considered response will be closely observed by the rest of the class and they will be impressed by your confidence even in those emotionally fuelled moments.
Tip 8
Don’t just get down, get way down!
It is often said that getting down to students’ eye level is important when delivering
praise or sanctions to students. This can often be interpreted as leaning over a student rather than standing above them or sitting down next to them.
I often observe teachers who think they are at the student’s eye level but are actually still demanding that the student looks up at them. I prefer the student to be looking down at me; teachers who do this know that crouching down lower than eye level is not weak but assertive and confident physical language.
When you are delivering sanctions there is less chance of a defensive/aggressive reaction, and when praising, you create a more private space in the room. If you are teaching in an open space or would prefer to speak to students standing at the side of the room, double the personal space that you allow the student or stand side by side with him (or her) and it will have a similar effect.
Tip 9
Duty at the school gates
Duty at the school gates is not a popular pastime for many teachers. The complications of
unwanted visitors mixing with students as they arrive or leave is compounded by the confusion of where the teacher’s jurisdiction lies. Yet just as you can nurture a positive atmosphere in the classroom by standing at the door welcoming students or reinforcing positive behaviour at the end of the lesson so you can have an impact at the school gates.
Your physical and verbal language is read by students as they pass; if you are calm, confident, positive, smiling, softly spoken and can reinforce students who are following the rules, it will set the right tone. Patrol like a cartoon policeman and you will attract negative responses and aggression!
Tip 10
Classroom makeover
With the growth of the interactive whiteboard and use of computer screens for teaching, many classrooms are reverting to students in rows with the teacher’s desk at the front and in the corner.
Thirty years ago the classroom was arranged for students to see the blackboard, now technology has replaced chalk but the difficulties of inflexible classroom configurations remain.
With students in rows and the teacher sitting behind their desk there are many hiding places for students to escape to. If you cannot get to students quickly and easily then the classroom becomes an arena where conversations about behaviour are broadcast for everyone to hear. Confrontations become more frequent, delivery of praise less subtle and as the teacher retreats behind the desk the physical divide can easily develop into a psychological one.
Desks in rows with the teacher’s desk at the front makes the management of behaviour harder, stifles gentle human interaction and forces most conversations to be broadcast publicly. They may be able to see the screen but are they engaging with it or with you? |
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