CHALLENGES IN EDUCATION

Education is formally a challenge for – Parents, Students and Teachers.  Each has their own perception of the same challenge.  Each argue that their view is correct while none take the consideration of the protagonist in the scene ‘the student’.

Source: https://www.taazatadka.com/cartoon-6-9-web/

Parents feel teachers are not doing enough.   Teachers feel that students and their parents are not doing enough while students feel teachers and parents are making their life difficult. Whose is at fault?

A short survey from those directly involved in schooling is as follows

Education system refers to the collaboration of various systems that include – Curriculum, Management, Teaching and Parenting.  The members involved in these systems should work towards the common goal of ‘achieving learning’ rather than ‘identify the flaws of each other’.  The right question to ask will we ‘How to ensure the working of all these systems towards achieving learning?' 

Building a network is easier said than done.  The intricacies of human mind play havoc in building such networks.   Attributes like Individualism, Ego, Jealousy, prominence and Identification - rules in networks leading to doubtfulness, distrust and non-participatory attitudes within them. 

To overcome such detrimental thoughts, building positive, keeping an open mind towards learning and performance becomes mandatory.  The trust building process in networks is essential to lay foundation towards a successful learning process. Networking is not about all acting as ‘single unit’.  Networking is about various units approaching from different dimension with the focus of ‘achieving learning’.  It is about setting boundaries and providing scope for the learner to understand the norms within the set boundaries towards learning.  Parents and management should support teacher in their effort towards learner achievement and teachers need to openly communicate about the learner performance variation to both parents and management.  Confidentiality is crucial from all directions on learner direction.  Achieving everything without confidentiality can lead to loss of trust from the learner.

Learning is more about the intermediary process between input and output.  However, it is still not sure as to what input initiate the right learning to deliver the expected output.  That is why, it is all the more important to focus on working together rather than as a mutual fault finders in ‘achieving learning’

WHY I CHOOSE POWERPOINT?

Technology has become part of today’s classrooms.  Technology allows teacher to provide in-depth analysis to virtual field trips around the globe within the frameworks and boundaries of the classroom

   1.  Recall or revisit previous connectors:  

    Teachers build connections while developing the concept to their students in the classroom.  What better than a technology tool which provides all options of linking to textbook, or an image or an incident for a better correlation.

   2.  Sequence of the lesson:  

    Classrooms are dynamic and students change their pattern of listening and understanding every day.  Teacher struggle in coping up and succeeding in playing along with the classroom dynamics may just be an ideal philosophy.  The larger truth is, as a human being, the teacher is bound to skip or overdo their part.  To check and keep them in control, PowerPoint provides a good scope.

    3. Step by step procedures of solving problems or experiments: 

    Sequential approach for solving mathematical equations, science experiments or social events is essential in classrooms or laboratories.  Story narration without an order would be haphazard and jumbled up leading to confusion and misunderstanding.  PowerPoint is the simplest tool with animation designs to go ahead in sequence.

    4. Picture or video enabling in classes:  

     Critical thinking, Observation and Collaboration are skills essential in 21^st century learning.  Picture based discussions can develop empathy among the learning community.  PowerPoint provides the option of ‘insert’ picture or video links to make the class more interactive and dynamic.  Moreover, in the era of ‘differentiation in learning’ the addition of ‘media’ in any form is appreciated and attractive to the various types of learners present in a class.  Historical events, to nuclear process may not be viable for student because of the time of occurrence and severity of the situation.  However, any media form of such important events fetch a complete understanding of the situations at hand.

    5. Data tables and analysis:  

    Scientific and statistical measurements are always a part of learning.  In the era of sustainable development and with the promotion of ‘go green’, textbooks have become more monumental, while the data it contains will only be a record of the past.  Live data analysis is a part of today’s classrooms which is thoroughly enabled through PowerPoint presentations. On the spot, population analysis or election analysis using insertion of excel sheets and graphs within the presentation gives the actual view of the process and its extensions.

    6. On spot assessments:  

    Learning does not happen till the learner questions.  It is now become a hectic task for the teacher to design assessments to suit the learners’ aptitude.  Designing and changing assessments as per the learners’ learning environment is difficult without the aid of technology.  The simplest and the smartest tool for such assessments would be the use of ‘ppts’.

   7. Synopsis at the end: 

    A quick recap on today’s lesson is a dream come true for students as well as teachers.  The last slide when emphasizes on the taught gives immense satisfaction to the learner on the days learning goals.  PowerPoint slides are used for textual synopsis recap at the end of any session.

How to make such presentations?

The seven points that I have mentioned are a regular routine of my classrooms.  The tool is free and available with 'Windows Office'.  

What better option, than to do something which gives me a world view on my window!