Reviewing educational videos

Members: JAYA MISHRA,PARUL SETHI, MEENAKSHI , VIJAYA

The videos offer a comprehensive understanding of some of the basic
concepts of English Language. The use of ICT, in providing audio cum
visual aids indeed has a great pedagogical applicability.
The first video offers a very precise and clear way of understanding
‘sentences’ in its three forms:
Direct/Indirect forms
The question forms(the interrogatives)
The negative form
Though devised for grade 6, this video is equally beneficial for
smaller  children beginning to read and write and understand  English
language. It picks up very small everyday instances to explain these
complex concepts so that the learners are at ease while dealing with
them. Interestingly the video is not taken inside a closed setting but
the link between their real life and classroom is ensured through
these videos. What makes these videos really interesting is the large
number of examples and the funny way they are narrated to make sense.
It uses examples that we so often use but are unaware of the very way
we use them. For example in  order to explain Direct/ Indirect speech,
the speaker asks the listener to call the third person to which the
listener goes to the third person and says “ she is calling you”; the
speaker explains then that that is an example of Indirect speech which
we keep on using but do not pay attention to. Further, she goes on to
explain the various rules involved in forming question forms of
sentences  and yes/ no type questions. For example how does the verb
change its form when converted from Direct to Indirect speech and vice
versa. Very nicely the speaker makes sure that the listener(the
learner) speaks/repeats/ frames his own sentences as and when the
former explains them thus, a simultaneous practicing and assessment
follows.

https://youtu.be/_ePNJ8ys1UM
The second  and the third video  provide an entry point into the
world of poetry for the young learners( class 6-7). Through the help
of several caricatures and clay moulds  the teacher explains how poets
express  emotions through words in the poems and how we(the audience)
react to them. After each emotion follows a detailed description of
the characters in the text. It is interesting that this video is in
sync with the age of the learners; the teacher knows that at this age
the learners are unable to grasp the abstract concepts of love,
happiness, confusion, joy, pride etc so she gives a list of words
which convey a similar feeling. For example an explanation of
loneliness follows a couple of sentences from a poem which is about
loneliness  and the teacher makes sure the learners focus on the
words- sad, tears, friendless etc to make the image stable in the
children’s mind.
Also the use of clay to shape the emotions is interesting and the
following session of role-playing and the response to such attitudes.
The video provides an opportunity to the children to think and feel,
to develop effective sensitivity and communication and to be a reader
of poetry. The third video  explains the making of poetry to the
little budding poets.
‘ when we read a book (or read a poem), we read it according to our
minds”; reading is subjective. Different people read a same text in
different ways and are affected differently. The video , with the help
of varied settings and backgrounds , asks the children how they feel
and how would they react. For example the speaker sings the poem ‘ At
the Railway Station’ by Thomas Hardy and explains how the poetry has
so many emotions mixed up in one of waiting. The only problem with
this video is its language which is not clearly understood being set
in an African context.

Presentation on Open Education

Group Members:

Jaya Mishra

Anjali Yadav

Meenakshi

Anshu Gaur

Open Education: Also called ‘distance learning’ is an alternative mode of education to the regular mode which aims at making available, affordable and accessible the necessary educational experiences and resources to all the learners in a non-formal and non-instututionalized space of learning.

Open Education Consortium ( the worldwide community of institutions committed to the cause if open education) states that the real and basic purpose of education is sharing knowledge and thus open education has the goal of making equal educational resources available to all.

What is ‘Open’?

1.Term ‘open’ means resources which are ‘out there’, i.e, accessible without the restrictions imposed by the access barriers, copyright laws, patenting, limited availability of the content, etc.

2. Also ‘open’ connotes that the resources are open to editing, revision, remixing and alterations. Such OERs include materials like presentation slides, podcasts, syllabi, images, lesson plans, lecture videos, maps, worksheets, and even entire textbooks

Why Open Education?

1.Open education offers a democratic alternative to the regular mode of education

2.It goes beyond the barriers of age, social-political differences, high monetary costs, legal mechanisms that prevent collaboration among scholars and educators.

3. Collaborations among the educators and scholars make it possible for them to bring in contextual modifications into the subject matter and resources. For example, based on the level of intellectual capabilities of his students and geographical suitability, a teacher may modify the contents.

4. compared to the former it is much more flexible (it comes as a blessing to students who want to study further while continuing with jobs or who might not be able to attend a full-time course for various reasons).

5. OERs are also open to updations. A teacher can update/add/remove materials and share their contributions with others, keeping content timely, relevant, and accurate. In this way, they needn’t wait for textbook companies to issue entirely new editions.

6. Greater participation and transparency.

Advantages of open education

1. Flexibility

2. Transparency and participation.

3.Self pacing done of the learning process.

4. Greater agency of the teachers and learners.

5. Perennial availability of study materials.

6. Saves time and energy.

7.Goes beyond traditional barriers to education.

Disadvantages of open education

1. Limited courses are available.

2. No direct contact with the faculties, no face to face interaction.

3. Issues relating to quality and authenticity of resources.

4. Over dependence on technology.

5.Open education also proves disadvantageous when it comes to practicals, activity-based topics teaching and applied curriculum

6. Infrastructural limitations.

Important Terms in Open Education.

1.MOOC- Online courses offered under open education program.

2.OER

3.Podcasts

4.edX

References and Citations

1.Open education for a global economy

2.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_education

3.http://openeducationeuropa.eu/

learning experiences with EPC-ICT

Teaching and learning has come a long way in the times that we live in. The former is not limited to the teachers transacting the texts to the children and neither is the latter  a text-centric, one dimensional process. The changing times have been vividly incorporated in education and ICT is playing a wonderful role in breaking the boundaries of traditional learning processes and bringing in newer and interesting ways of understanding and engaging with the subject.
My experience with epc-ICT has been really enriching. Not only we as learners and future teachers got to know how learning experiences could be supplemented by the technological implications of education but also our teacher Mr. Rajendran has been very encouraging and approachable throughout in our endeavours.He introduced us to several aspects of learning and teaching of which working with VUE was really innovative. Teaching could be made so interesting and a joyful journey, even the relatively difficult concepts can be made easy using visual, multidimensional and graphical concept maps which for a teacher becomes a ready resource to begin a class with.
We were divided into groups to review other people’s concept maps. This was a good experience for me as we were a group performing an activity. I liked the way the group members collated their experiences and ideas at reviewing and analysing each other’s concept maps. We came up with several loopholes in the concept maps which we were to revise and rectify. This refined our skills of working with VUE and also the knowledge of the topic as we revisited it to make the required corrections. Also we came across some of the finest concept maps in the class. Though one of the members was never there to collaborate and review the experience was overall enjoyable.

So…here it goes!!!!

To be very honest I never thought I would be doing B.Ed but as it is now I am doing it. Now that I am into it I want to make the best use of the course and the time that I get here. Looking forward to a better and bigger experience than what i have had so far.