Bachelor of Elementary Education

Transcription

1 Bachelor of Elementary Education Celebrating 20 successful years of B.El.Ed. Faculty of Education University of Delhi

2 What is B.El.Ed.? The Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed.) Programme is a four-year integrated professional degree programme of Elementary Teacher Education offered after the senior secondary level (class XII or equivalent). This is a bilingual programme, conceptualized by the Maulana Azad Centre for Elementary and Social Education (MACESE) of the Faculty of Education, University of Delhi. Launched in the academic year , the programme is an attempt towards fulfilling the need for professionally qualified elementary school teachers. The B.El.Ed. Programme is designed to integrate the study of different disciplines to build a comprehensive understanding of the students about education. The programme offers compulsory and optional theory courses, compulsory practicum courses and an intense school internship experience. The B.El.Ed. programme is currently being offered in the following eight women colleges of the University of Delhi: Aditi Mahavidyalaya Gargi College Institute of Home Economics Jesus & Mary College Lady Shri Ram College for Women Mata Sundri College Miranda House Shyama Prasad Mukherji College Approximately percent of graduates are placed in government or private elementary schools as teachers. Some private schools offer B.El.Ed. graduates a TGT scale. More recent recruitments based on contractual appointments in schools of Directorate of Education, in Delhi offer a consolidated salary of TGT equivalence to B.El.Ed. graduatea quick appraisal of the data gathered using and social networking sites of about 304 graduates indicates that 90 percent have qualified the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET). B.El.Ed. graduates have found opportunities for teaching in departments of elementary education in the University of Delhi and in District Institutes of Educational Research and Training (DIETs) and in private institutions offering teacher education programmes. Currently, all the eight colleges offering B.El.Ed. and the Central Institute of Education have at least one member of the faculty who is a B.El.Ed. graduate. Thus, both, professional and academic opportunities are available to students graduating with a B.El.Ed. degree. Strengths of B.El.Ed. B.El.Ed. interns are able to create a positive atmosphere and develop a good rapportwith their school students, track their students' development and are responsive to children. Several Principals and school administrators attribute this sensitivity to the developmental and socio-cultural perspectives that students engage with in the first three years of programme. Classrooms designed by B.El.Ed. students during internship are of distinctive quality and offer immense scope for learning. B.El.Ed. is perhaps the only undergraduate degree of the University of Delhi that is accepted for admission into post-graduate studies in a variety of disciplines. Approximately 30 percent graduates pursue post-graduate studies and research in education thereby contributing to the generation of knowledge in education in the Indian context. 1 Due to this programme, a new and creative person takes birth Other courses give knowledge, but this course makes a fully-functional person I can feel the change in me, in my life, and in my attitudes towards life.

3 Career Options Some of the professional and academic opportunities available for the B.El.Ed. graduates: Teaching in elementary schools (Classes I to VIII): B.El.Ed. graduates are eligible for appointment in MCD / NDMC / Sarvodaya Vidyalayas in Delhi as well as in Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas all across India, and in private schools. Leading the elementary school systems in various capacities. Teaching and research in elementary education in the government and nongovernment sectors. Post-graduate and research studies in education and allied disciplines. Serving as teacher-educators in various State Institutes and University Departments/ Colleges offering training in elementary / secondary education. 2

4 Programme Outline 3 *Options will be offered as per the availability in respective colleges. Grand Total 2200

5 Courses of Study: Experiences and opportunities The four years of the B.El.Ed. programme has a predominant focus on what and how to teach and through this, students develop a critical perspective about various curriculum, pedagogical and contextual issues. Alumni and current students shared that Self- Development workshops and the Human Relations and Communication course and Theatre opportunities have helped them to develop confidence in themselves and the desire to make a difference. One of the main objectives of the Core courses in the B.El.Ed. is that students revisit their content knowledge, examine their misconceptions about various concepts and then work to reach at scientifically correct understanding. This opportunity helps them realise that misconceptions are deeply rooted and need to be addressed in the classroom. The impact of this is observed during school internship when students not only identify their own misconceptions of concepts but also explore school children's alternate conceptions and learn to explore children's ideas. The pedagogy courses, for instance, environmental studies, help students to understand concepts in an integrated perspective - scientific, historical, and sociopolitical. This integrated understanding is reflected during teaching, which school children find very engaging. The classrooms designed by B.El.Ed. students offer scope for discussion and hands on experience, a process they have undergone themselves as student-teachers. Specific experiences gained through individual courses help in forging meaningful linkages during school internship for instance, concepts engaged with in the II year during the course 'Language across the Curriculum' are widely used by the IV year interns in teaching other subjects as well. The techniques of KWL, Marginal Gloss, Advance Organizers, Schema Activation, Concept mapping form an integral part of social science plans as well. The understanding of 'Content Area Reading' techniques enables the 'Pedagogy of Social Science' option students to design the plans and activities developmentally suitable for school students. Contemporary India is of importance in the first year as students are able to develop a critical perspective on political, economic and social issues in the early stages of preparing to be a teacher. This course provides a rigorous frame within which to understand school education. The course on Gender and Schooling provides students a new perspective of looking at issues of gender within and outside of formal schooling. The strength of the B.El.Ed. programme lies in the multi-disciplinary nature of the faculty. Holding expertise in various backgrounds, including social sciences, sciences, language, and mathematics, the faculty provides for a robust engagement on issues of contemporary concern and relevance. The course of Child Development has taught us to see things around us with the lens of reasons behind various behaviors. B.El.Ed. is transforming us into not just teachers but, 'sensitive teachers' who know the psyche of their students and find greater avenues to break conventional ways of teaching and learning with support of theories we learn. 4

6 Life of a B.El.Ed. Student During the programme B.El.Ed. students not only study different subjects, but are engaged in the study of various disciplines and are also involved with varied academic enrichment activities. These include workshops, seminars, talks, visits to different sites and much more. Self-development and theatre workshops help students to grow and evolve as a person and as a teacher. Group presentations in classrooms and interaction with leading scholars from different institutions provide B.El.Ed. students with an intellectually stimulating atmosphere. These opportunities help B.El.Ed. students in critically examining theoretical frameworks and in building up their own positions and perspectives. Visits to Alternative schools Students in the third year of the B.El.Ed. programme visit alternative and innovative schools. The visit to alternative schools as a practicum is aimed towards providing exposure to creative, innovative and alternative teaching practices within India. Now let us provide you a closer look into the life of a B.El.Ed. student... Seminars and Workshops Seminars and workshops are an integral component of the B.El.Ed. programme. During the four years, B.El.Ed. graduates dialogue with leading educationists, academics, thinkers and scholars from India and abroad, thereby building critical perspectives on aspects concerning elementary education. B.El.Ed. has made me more empathetic by providing me an insight into the lives of many people, belonging to various sections of the society. It has made me extremely conscious of my thought process and action. 5

7 Creative Classrooms The B.El.Ed. programme provides a perfect mix of theory and practice, as students engage with schools and children throughout the duration of the programme. During the fourth year of the programme, students engage in creative teaching-learning process as part of school internship. The internship enables them to strengthen the theoretical understanding about the functioning of the school, students as learners and different pedagogic practices. Theatre and Craft Theatre and craft practicums are integral part of I and III year curriculum. The focus of these practicums is to enable the students to understand how theatre and craft can be used as effective pedagogic tool within the classrooms. Click on the image above to see students' work During the theatre, self development workshops, we talked and discussed about different issues like illiteracy, sexual harassment, problems faced by different castes and religions. In the class we shared different experiences, different perspectives that served as a great platform for me to think critically on these issues. 6

8 Self- Development Workshops The self-development workshops have been conceptualised to facilitate the studentteacher's process of personal development. The workshops aim to cover broad areas of awareness of: one's own strengths and limitations, developing sensitivity, open mindedness, and positive attitudes. It further seeks to develop the ability to communicate and relate with children and adults and developing one's own personal aim and vision as a teacher and as a person. Our programme (B. El. Ed) provides us an opportunity to explore different fields. It believes in our holistic learning and our whole development, thus we have self-development workshops, theatre, art and craft, physical education, storytelling session. B.El.Ed. has made me more empathetic by providing me an insight into the lives of many people, belonging to various sections of the society. It has made me extremely conscious of my thought process and action. Physical Education This component is offered in the II year of the programme. It provides opportunities for sports and fitness activities and makes B.El.Ed. students understand the significance of physical fitness and bodilyawareness. This understanding is crucial for future-teachers to enable their students to develop an attitude for leading a healthy lifestyle. Academic Enrichment Seminars, workshops, discussions, talks and heritage walks inhabit an integral space in the B.El.Ed. programme. Heritage walk, for example, allows students to explore different sites which help them to enrich their own understanding of issues of sociocultural, historical and ecological relevance 7

9 Initiatives by Departments of Elementary Education Newsletter of Aditi Mahavidyalaya Click below to view the newsletter B.El.Ed. provides us a bundle of everything including creativity, innovative, and i n t e r e s t i n g l e a r n i n g environment... We learn and discuss those issues which are common to everyone's daily life, such as inequality, gender discrimination etc. It provides us a framework with which we can think and see things critically a n d d e v e l o p o u r o w n understanding about it. Newsletter of Lady Shri Ram College for Women B. E l. E d. g i v e s e v e r y individual their space; their opinions and views are respected. This programme gives us the opportunity to criticize the concepts and practices done in society. 8

10 Media Reports Teacher training: A higher standard Elementary Education course has become a benchmark for teacher training programmes. Currently, eight DU colleges offer it. These colleges have a dozen faculty members each for the programme and a total of 350 seats, indicating a healthy teacher-to-student ratio. A few more colleges plan to start the course too. B. El. Ed. students at Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi. Started in 1994/95, the course has become a benchmark for teacher training progammes in India. Photo: Aditya Kapoor/ In March 2012, the results of a test conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) showed that only seven per cent of the 7.85 lakh examinees had passed. The result was worse than the performance in the test a year before when nine per cent cleared the examination. And who were the people taking the test? Not school students but teachers aspiring for jobs in government schools. The CBSE-conducted Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET), instituted in 2011, is mandatory under the Right to Education Act for teachers if they want to apply for jobs in central or state government schools, the Kendriya Vidyalayas, and the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. There are more than 13,800 teacher education institutes in India churning out about 1.1 million new teachers every year. These institutes provide either a diploma or a bachelor's degree in education (B.Ed.). But the results of CTET tests are evidence enough that the quality of teacher training is far from satisfactory. Why is the state of affairs so dismal? "There's a general perception that many teacher training programmes are bogus and run by corrupt institutions," says Padma Sarangapani, Dean, School of Education, Tata Institute of Social Sciences. "Recruiters feel that B.Ed. candidates are no better than non-b.ed ones." Is there any institute that stands out? "Except B.El.Ed., there's hardly any course that fulfils the demands of teacher education," she says. Sarangapani is referring to Delhi University's four-year Bachelor of Elementary Education course Launched in 1994/95, the Bachelor of The programme has a healthy mix of practical sessions and theory, and also teaches behavioural sciences. Over a four-year-long course, the prospective teachers acquire a wide range of skills such as in dramatics, different crafts, classroom management, documentation, and evaluation. Almost 60 per cent of the course content consists of field activities. For example, in the final year, the students go through four months of internship at a school. In contrast, a typical B.Ed. student, takes just 40 classes of 30 to 35 minutes each during her one-year course. "By providing such limited practical exposure, the other courses restrict students from getting the sense of a real classroom and school environment," says Poonam Batra, Professor of Education at the Central Institute of Education, Delhi University. Batra says there is little difference in the methods taught to B.Ed. students for teaching different subjects. "B.El.Ed. students get the opportunity to study the subject matter and enquire into it to develop appropriate pedagogic approaches," she says. Sarangapani agrees that the dominant teaching models are outdated. "B.El.Ed. has a contemporary approach to teaching. The entire course is developed indigenously, which makes it easy for students to understand and relate with," she says. Its students endorse her view. "Besides pedagogical training, the course allows a variety of work experience with children within and outside elementary schools," says Kanishka, who uses only one name and is a final-year student at Miranda House in Delhi University's North campus. Ashtami Rajan, a 2011 graduate who now teaches at Delhi Public School in Raj Nagar, Ghaziabad, says B.El.Ed. students are not required to mug up facts or theories developed by educationists. "Students develop their own perspectives on education," she says. That, perhaps, is the need of the hour. (Retrieved from: 9

11 B.El.Ed Aimed at creating quality Elementary school teachers Faculty of Education University of Delhi