What problems did you have teaching parents to use computer?
Im trying to teach them how to use a computer, mainly how to look for information and use their email. What problems did you have teaching them and how did you overcome it?
haha. easy does it. i showed my mom how to use facebook and now she is a junkee. i showed her to use email, now i get chain letters from her all the time. she still cant use google worth a damn though. my gran i taught to use all kinds of stuff, like wifi and bluetooth eatr peices. just go slow and listen to their questions, but dont show em too much! lolz
When teaching a caterpillar it will someday have wings, what is the most important to remember?
It seems we all at times help others to remember who they are and what they are capable of. This is the constant ripple effect we all have on each-other. So we are always learning & teaching each-other by example. What than is most important to remember by doing so?
That is a beautiful thought. Perhaps just the thought that their mentor believes they will one day be a master is enough.
Teaching Practice: Concept, Stages, Objectives & Suggestions
Introduction
Practice teaching occupies a key position in the programme of teacher education. It is a culminating experience in teacher preparation. It provides opportunity to beginning teachers to become socialized into the profession (Furlong et.al, 1988). Performance during practice teaching provides some basis for predicting the future success of the teacher. Outgoing popularity and centrality of practice teaching is an important contributing factor towards the quality of teacher education programme. During practice teaching working with students in schools provides a high degree of emotional involvement of a mostly positive nature. Student teachers feel themselves grow through experience and they begin to link to a culture of teaching. During practice teaching, they feel engaged, challenged and even empowered (Trowbridge and Bybee, 1994; sharafuddin, and Allison, 1969).
Definitions of Practice Teaching
A number of terms such as the practice teaching, student teaching, teaching practice, field studies, infield experience, school based experience or internship are used to refer to this activity (Taneja, 2000). The term practice teaching embraces all the learning experiences of student teachers in schools (Ashraf, 1999). The term practice teaching has three major connotations: the practicing of teaching skills and acquisition of the role of a teacher; the whole range of experiences that students go through in schools; and the practical aspects of the course as distinct from theoretical studies (Stones and morris, 1977).
Practice teaching is the name of the preparation of student teachers for teaching by practical training. It is the practical use of teaching methods, teaching strategies, teaching principles, teaching techniques and practical training and practice / exercise of different activities of daily school life.
Objectives of Practice Teaching
According to Akbar (2002) Following are the objectives of practice teaching:
- To provide the prospective teachers with an opportunity of establishing an appropriate teacher pupil relationship.
- To provide an opportunity for evaluating the student potential as a teacher and suitability for the teaching profession.
- To develop personal relationship with others: administrators, teachers, parents and students.
- To provide the future teacher with practical experience in school to overcome the problems of discipline and enable him / her to develop method of control.
- To provide with an opportunity to put theories into practice and to develop a deeper understanding of educational principles and their implication for learning.
- To enable the student teachers effectively to plan and prepare lessons.
- To develop skill in the use of fundamental procedures, techniques and methods of teaching.
- To develop desirable professional interests, attitudes and ideas relative to teaching profession.
- To enable student teachers to acquire desirable characteristics / traits of a teacher and to display appropriate behaviour.
- To provide student teachers with an opportunity to have teaching evaluated and to gain from the benefits of constructive criticism.
- To provide an opportunity for self evaluation and to discover own strengths and weaknesses.
- To develop skills in future teachers related to teaching like fluent speaking, meaningful reading, using blackboard and other teaching material.
- To provide an opportunity to liaise with school environment, its functioning and with community and its resources.
- To provide for the exchange of ideas and methods between practicing school and teacher training institution, by teacher training institutions’ staff and students, perceiving new ideas material and equipment in use in practicing schools and introducing new ideas, material and equipments into the school.
Stages in Practice teaching
Following are the stages in practice teaching
Primary Stage
It is necessary to make a trip of student teachers to that particular school, where they are going for practice teaching. The main aim of this tour is to see the concerned head teacher, class teachers and school staff in order to acquire information about school and its environment. Student teachers must observe the teaching methods of school, methods of concerned class teacher, copies or notebooks of the students and their usual routine. On return from the tour student teachers must have the details about scheme of studies, age of the students, strength of the class, abilities and specific problems of the students, timing of the school, textbooks and teaching aids.
Preparation of Lesson
For the preparation of lesson student teachers must know the subject, the relevant books and audio visual aids. Which he / she is going to teach. Because already prepared lessons give confidence to the teacher. Student teachers and supervisor can reform the teaching learning process after its evaluation.
Qualities of a Good Lesson
A good lesson has the following qualities:
i) Lesson planning should be in complete detail.
ii) Lesson should be interesting.
iii) Effective and timely use of teaching methods and teaching aids.
iv) Student should be ready for learning.
v) Students should be involved practically in teaching learning process.
vi) Lesson should be taught in professional and friendly environment.
vii) All students should be given same attention by keeping in view their individual differences.
Teaching in Classroom
The stage of teaching in the classroom is known as practice teaching. Student teachers while teaching in the classroom passes through different steps of his / her teaching (Introduction, presentation, recapitulation) and concerned teacher / supervisor assesses / observes his / her lesson.
Evaluation of Teaching Practice
In order to evaluate the teaching practice supervisor observe the student teacher while teaching in the classroom. Supervisor evaluates / observes the punctuality, lesson planning, teaching methods, use of audio visual aids, adequacy of audio visual aids, pitch of voice, dress, start and end of lesson, interest of the students, discipline of class, use of black / white board, students’ notebooks and objectives of the lesson.
Participation in Other routine Works of School
Teaching in the classroom is not only the objective of teaching practice, but also to provide training in all activities / work which student teachers are going to perform in future during their job. For this purpose they have to spend whole day in school as teacher. They have to participate in all the activities of school e.g preparation of timetable, preparation and maintenance of different registers, evaluation of class work and home work, arrangement of tutorial groups, sports / games, morning assembly, co-curricular activities, duty during recess, duty as day master, duty before and after school timing, decoration of classroom, preparation and maintenance of attendance board, news board, information board, look after and arrangements of A V aids room, home economics room, science laboratories and library.
How to deal with students’ parents, officers of the school, school employees and guests are also the part of teaching practice. Duties as invigilators, preparation of question papers for examinations, evaluation of answer scripts and compilation of results is also part of teaching practice.
Role of Supervisor in Teaching Practice
Supervisor has an important role in practice teaching as:
i) A resource person
ii) An adviser
iii) A general moral booster
iv) An interpreter of feedback
v) An assessor
Supervisor’s duty is not only to evaluate the lessons of teaching practice, but by using his / her all the abilities to make this experience (All the stages of teaching practice) result oriented. He / she should has all the planning before hand. He / she should have meeting and conversion with teacher educators, experienced teachers of the institution, educationists, concerned school head teachers and other teachers.
Introductory lectures should be arranged before the departure of student teachers to the practicing schools in order to aware the student teachers about the preparation of lesson plans and other assigned activities. During teaching practice it is the duty of supervisors to supervise their lessons, other assigned activities, guidance and counseling as well as provide the student teachers with feed back and to enable them so that they can criticize and reform themselves. During the teaching practice student teachers should not be criticized in front of the practicing school staff and students. If there is a need then all the student teachers should be gathered and should be scolded and warned without nominating and asking the name. Supervisors’ role is to prepare teachers for future, therefore he / she should act as a facilitator.
Teaching Practice in Pakistan
Different teacher training programmes are being offered in Pakistan. In all the programmes teaching practice is compulsory component except M.Ed (Master of Education). In true spirit we can produce good teachers through this activity, but the procedure adopted in Pakistan is just to pass / kill the time. Teaching practice duration is very short, it is about 4 to 8 weeks or teaching of 60 to 75 lessons. During teaching practice student teachers are bound to the classrooms for teaching. They are not trained for the other activities performed in schools. Therefore, effective learning could not take place. Student teachers are bound to use easy principles and methods of teaching. They are just being taught how to start the lesson, how to control the class, how to keep an eye over the students while writing on the black / white board.
Teaching practice is doing nothing to teaching other than adhoc basis. The schools where teaching practice is conducted are doing nothing but only bearing it and not taking active part in the preparation of teachers of future. The administration and teachers of practicing schools are not aware with the information and evaluation techniques, which are used during teaching practice. They are not fully aware about the importance of teaching practice for student teachers and future generations.
It is a fact that student teachers are not perfect teachers, practicing schoolteachers can’t give them full authorities but they can trust on them. Practically two ways are being seen here in Pakistan. Firstly these uninvited guests are consider inferiors teachers and criticized without any justification. Secondly some teachers transfer their all burden to them.
In some teacher training institutions selection of lessons is kept up to the choice of student teachers and they select such lessons which are very easy and in which minimum audio visual aids are used.
Suggestions to Improve Teaching Practice in Pakistan
Here are some suggestions to improve the teaching practice in Pakistan.
a) In teacher training institutions teaching methods were not only teach but also practically demonstrated by the teacher educators.
b) The duration of teaching practice should be increased up to 12 weeks at least, so that practical training should be given for a quarter of the year.
c) Teaching practice should not be consisted of classroom teaching only. Other aspects like attendance of students, collection of fee, calculation of fee, preparation of registers, conduct of morning assembly, conduct of co-curricular activities, preparation of question papers, marking of answer scripts, compilation of results, solution of students’ problems and meetings with students’ parents should be included.
d) Microteaching should be adopted in teacher training institutions and model lessons should be given before student teachers by experts as well as by video films.
e) Student teachers are not given marks only for model lessons and all the aspects of teaching practice should be included in evaluation.
f) In order to make the evaluation of teaching practice more effective, appropriateness of lesson, teaching methods, teaching aids, practical organization of lesson, interest of students and teachers and students’ answers should be included in evaluation.
g) It should be encouraged that student teachers make audio visual aids by them selves and student teachers should be given / provided guidance after every lesson.
h) In order to make teaching practice more effective, it is also proposed that student teachers should watch the lessons of experienced teachers for one week and write evaluation report about them and supervisors should provide guidelines to student teachers in the light of this evaluation report.
i) It should be ensured that student teachers keep the sequence of lessons in such a way, so that they can teach all types of lessons and use different teaching methods.
j) Prior to teaching practice student teachers should practice in their fellows in order to build more confidence in them.
k) During teaching practice student teachers should be given projects, which cover all the aspects of teaching practice i.e. (preparation of teaching kit, planning for decoration of classrooms, betterment of environment and provision of facilities).
l) During practice teaching prospective teachers should be made habitual of preparing daily lesson plan.
m) Practice teaching should be more realistic and suited to the actual class room situations.
Conclusion
Teaching practice is an activity, which can play an important role in the preparation of teachers. Its effectiveness is necessary for the nation. It is a milestone for professional adolescence. It is a combination of personality, professional skills, knowledge and training, which is fuel for an endless journey. Now it is the duty / responsibility of teacher educators and teachers of practicing schools to make this fuel / expenditure endless.
Bibliography
Akbar, R.A. (2002).A study of Practice Teaching of Prospective Secondary School
Teachers and Development of a Practice Teaching Model, Arid Agricultural
University, Rawalpindi (Unpublished PhD Thesis).
Ali Murtaza,(2005). Comparative Study of Practice Teaching in Formal and Non formal
Systems and Development of a Model, Arid Agricultural University, Rawalpindi
(Unpublished PhD Thesis).
Brown, P.D. & Brown N.R.(1990). Effective Teaching Practice. Stanley Thornes,
England.
Cohen, a. & Carver, N. (1970). A Students’ guide to Teaching Practice. University of
London Press, London.
Cohen, L.& Manion, L.(1983). A Guide to teaching Practice. Methuen, London.
Furlong, V.J.;P.U. Hirst and K. Pocklington.(1988). Initial Teacher Training and The
Role of the chool. Open University Press, Philadelphia.
Govt. of Pakistan. (1997). Pakistan Vision 2010. report; seminar on education. Planning
and Development Division, Islamabad.
Malik, S.R.(1992). The System of education in Pakistan. National Book Foundation,
Lahore.
Muhammad Ashraf (1990). Dictionary of Primary Education. A.P.H. Publishing
Corporation, New Delhi.
Shah, R.A.(1995). Education and Teacher education in Pakistan. Pakistan study Centre,
University of Sindh, Jamshoro.
Taneja, R.P.(2000). Encyclopedia of Comparative Education, Vol.4. Anmol Publications
Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.
Walkin, L.C.( ). Instructional Techniques Practice. Stanley Thornes, Bargenham.
Aijaz Ahmed Gujjar
http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/teaching-practice-concept-stages-objectives-suggestions-749974.html
Would a masters in teaching or in literatrue be better to teach high school english?
I’m finishing up my BA in english lit and planning on going to grad school before teaching at the high school level. The school I’m at has both a MS in teaching program and a MA in literature program. Which one would be better?
Do you already have teacher certification? If not, you will need to make sure to get that as part of your grad program. Normally the MS in teaching would make you look better when applying for jobs, especially if you didn’t do a lot of education courses as an undergrad.
Since you already have your BA in the field you want to teach, an MA in lit isn’t really necessary. I would only choose that one if I already had the teacher cert but was considering pursuing jobs besides teaching high school in the future.
Would a masters in teaching or in literature be better to teach high school english?
I’m finishing up my BA in english lit and planning on going to grad school before teaching at the high school level. The school I’m at has both a MS in teaching program and a MA in literature program. Which one would be better?
Your BA-English is good enough to teach at High school.
MA literature will take you deep into English language.
If you like to become a good teacher go for MS-teaching.
Best wishes
Preschool Teaching
The Mother Is Crucial In Preschool Teaching
Preschool teaching is as important as a classroom. Any one who teaches is a teacher and anyone who learns is a learner. It is a fact that we learn throughout our life and so it is not just the classroom where we get knowledge. We learn something at office, from special situations in life such as a birth or a death, and even from a tribe’s way of life in an exotic locale. And what we learn has a deep impact on us, and goes a long way to shape our thoughts and our personality. How we react to situations also depends on what we learn in our life.
Mother Is The Most Important Teacher And A Role Model For A Child
The Mother interacts with the child the most and can have an impact on the child’s character from the birth itself. Initially, the child sees the world through his or her mother’s eyes, and perceives dangers and pleasures the way the mother sees them. The bond that the mother establishes right from the first time the baby is breastfed is later translated into a teacher-pupil relationship where the child copies everything the mother does and learns through the process.
The mother can influence the child to question, experience, investigate and to learn. The mother of a Nobel laureate said that she asked her son… “What good question have you asked in school today”, instead of just enquiring what he learned, and this obviously kindled curiosity. This thirst for knowledge will come from the preschool teaching the child experiences at home, and at his or her school. It is not essential that the kid has to go through formal pen-and-paper activities. Just doing day-to-day chores can impart equal knowledge and become an effective preschool teaching activity.
This preschool teaching need not be formalized into lessons and pen-and-paper things. The child can learn a wealth of knowledge just by participating in the day-to-day chores.
Preschool teaching can include many things such as fixing small things, putting toys in the right place, filling water in a glass properly, folding a tissue and others. That is the real life things. All children – each love to “help” their mother around the house. But you will see that mothers are discouraging this because they feel that they have to do it all over again. On the other hand, if mothers are encouraging the children, then this can become an effective preschool teaching. Yes “helping” around the house should be encouraged as much as possible.
Good parents encourage their children to become curious and ask questions to get answers to their queries. They never get irritated even when the kids ask too many. Children learn and conclude quickly and so when their natural curiosity is limited or disciplined, they use this limit in their studies as well. And so they limit their knowledge to class only.
Kids who are more active children who take part in daily chores learn faster, are independent and also become more observant. So this is excellent preschool teaching that also prepares them for the classrooms of the future. Giving birth to a child is just the first step – now you have to give birth to curiosity within him. As the mother, you have this big responsibility in preschool teaching.
Michelle Moglia
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/preschool-teaching-108260.html
The Act of Teaching
teachers can convey their ideas more powerfully if they take time to improve their presentation skills. In The Act of teaching, Nancy Houfek, Head of Voice and Speech for the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard University, leads a workshop that stresses the importance of communication with the whole self in order to reach an audience. Throughout the workshop, she introduces participants to the same techniques that actors use to prepare and deliver a performance, including warm-ups, relaxation, strengthening, and visualizing exercises. In Part I, Theater Techniques for Classroom and Presentation, Houfek focuses on overcoming stage fright, knowing your objectives, and “landing your message.” In Part 2, Physical and Vocal Exercises, she leads teachers through 20 minutes of exercises specifically designed to prepare them for the physical challenges of the classroom, beginning with “Waking Up the Body,” and moving to vocal warm-ups that treat the voice as an instrument requiring care. Together, these techniques and exercises present a new set of resources that greatly broaden the avenues we customarily use in communicating with colleagues and students. For more, visit http://bokcenter.harvard.edu
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Changing Your Career To Teaching – Learn Various Options Available
A career change, even at a late or sometimes seeming inopportune moment, can be beneficial to a worker. A good career to look into is teaching, though it requires specific skills. But after a course or two at a school, the worker is now fit to handle a teaching job, and for a change in location at any time in the future.
The profession of teaching is always in demand. After all, schools, colleges and universities cannot function without teachers. Future teachers can be found anywhere, at the workplace, in a savvy business room, or at the workshop, where trainees are taught to teach in preschools up to universities. A worker need not fear in switching to a teaching career, all the skills and ethics learned at work can be utilized in the classroom. And as they say, experience is the best teacher.
Teaching as a career is advantageous. One advantage is that teaching opens the worker to opportunities to move around in the country, and if lucky enough, even overseas. Switching careers to teach can be gainful for the worker. The change can lead the worker to a field where his/her previous employment has prepared and given him/her skills, ethics, and traits that can boost their chance at getting a good position in a teaching staff.
Experiences and life skills are vital. This becomes even more important once a worker moves to a teaching career, where communication is essential. As a teacher, horizons are widened, jobs become more available, and this can be the step to promotion and job contentment. A teaching skill or experience in one’s resume can be a bonus and can impress prospective employers. Skills and traits learned at the workplace are assets too, especially so as you teach these to other students.
A worker with teaching skills is a step closer to a promotion or a better paying job. Most companies and work environments work in teams and a teaching skill under one’s belt offer beneficial contributions to trainings and team building workshops. A teaching skill improves the chances of getting a better job and promotion. A career change to teaching is advantageous for both employer and employee. Even if the goal was not to really become a teacher, the training involved will make better future career changes, plus it gives the worker the chance to grow and learn new skills.
Effective communication and teaching skills plus the experience and capacity are good clues to look for if a workers plans to switch to a teaching career. The necessary skills offered at the workplace for a teacher such as reliability, initiative, independence, reading and writing skills and team leadership makes the shift from an old career to teaching even easier. This type of career change can broaden a resume and CV, and might be the road to job contentment and a pleasing lifestyle.
Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/changing-your-career-to-teaching-learn-various-options-available-703005.html
Enhance Knowledge Through Teaching and Learning Online
With the advent of modern technologies like the internet, it has become easy to get online teaching and learning facilities. This is because, education is considered as one of the most important investments for every person, a strong educational background leads people to pave their career path towards the highest achievement in career field. Nowadays, one can find study materials and live classes from new form of media that includes Tata Sky and Dish TV. Moreover, there are a number of websites also available to offer online teaching and learning materials.
Evolution of Online Learning and Teaching
The emerging wish of making effective and successful career and the advent of online technology together act as catalysts to transform the whole setting of institutions learning and teaching. In order to accomplish these requirements, online learning and teaching methods have been pioneered. Most of the educational institutes such as school, coaching, college and university offer the facility of online learning that assures easy availability of study material to students.
Advantages of Online Learning and Teaching
The first advantage associated with online learning and teaching is that students can avail study materials irrespective of time and place. Other advantage of this facility is that students can attend classes from any part in India as long as they have the internet connections. Students with physical disabilities can also learn and study through online method as they do not have to travel to attend classes. Apart from these, this method is less expensive as students do not need to pay monthly fees to school resulting in lower expense as well as hurdles.
Students of Online Teaching and Learning
In order to accomplish requirements of students who are studying in 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th, a number of websites have come with the study materials of various subjects that include physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics for Classes 11th & 12th. Students can even ask online questions and get their answer from subject experts within 72 hours.
How to find online Teaching and Learning
If you are looking for online teaching and learning solutions, then go with either DTH platforms such as Tata Sky and Dish TV or various websites. Most of the websites also provide you advanced features to enhance your knowledge such as Tests Online, Study Online, Solved Papers and Ask the Expert. Apart from low cost, this facility claims to offer adequate knowledge to clear any entrance test and/or secure good marks in board exams.
Article Manager
http://www.articlesbase.com/online-education-articles/enhance-knowledge-through-teaching-and-learning-online-705933.html
How secure is teaching jobs in a private school?
How secure is teaching jobs in a private school? Thanks.
The economy drives the train on whether any position is secure or not. I just read where a prominent private school in London is closing its doors after being open for 137 years. There is no fail safe determination on whether you will survive as a teacher in a private school, but certainly the track record of a school should be taken into consideration. The local economic situation, student enrollment, how well you are respected by the school and parents of students, and other factors will all have a bearing on your "security" in a private school as a teacher. Also consider that you likely don’t have credentials, or a teacher certificate (licensure), otherwise you would likely be teaching in a more secure but not totally secure public school. Good luck and I hope this has helped you to make a sound decision on your future and your career.