Institutional Values & Best Practices

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Institutional Values and Best Practices

Vision
To make quality the defining element of higher education in India through a combination of self and external quality evaluation, promotion and sustenance initiatives.

Institutional Values
To promote the following core values:

  • Contributing to National Development
  • Fostering Global Competencies among Students
  • Inculcating a Value System among Students
  • Promoting the Use of Technology
  • Quest for Excellence
2021-222020-212019-202018-192017-18

Best Practice in Research & Consultancy – CoRE

1. Title of the practice: Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE)

2. The context that required the initiation of the practice: The B.Ed. course grooms the student teacher and teacher educators to be competent at their professional sphere. The academic world goes through unprecedented changes due to advancement in the field of science and technology. As a professional one need to be updated with the changes and adapt to the ever changing world. The teacher should be a practioners researcher to fit oneself to the dynamic world of academia. Hence the best practice in research and consultancy – CoRE is an attempt to inculcate the research culture among all the stakeholders of PCER.

3. Objectives of the practice:
The objectives of this practice are:

  1. To create awareness about the importance of research among student teachers and teacher educators
  2. To provide opportunities to conduct research and networking
  3. To hone research skills and competencies among student teachers and teacher educators
  4. To provide avenues for professional development and networking
  5. To conduct research sessions, workshops, FDP’s and orient in filling research projects.

4. The practice:
The feedback and deliberations from the stakeholders sow the seeds of the Centre of Research Excellence. The centre initiated various activities and programs to inculcate the skills and competencies required for the teaching professionals to upgrade their researcher skills.

The centre organized workshops- research methodology and IPR, expert talks, training programmes guidance and assistance for research publication, research funding etc. The centre organized paper reading sessions for research scholars at the master and doctoral level. CoRE undertook activities for filling patents and also organising an IDEA competition for innovative idea sharing and implementation.

5. Impact of the Practice:
The goal of a research centre is to enable interaction between faculty, scholars, students and industry to enhance research opportunities, academic excellence, real-world problem solving and knowledge creation and dissemination.

  • Prepare for research paper presentation at the national and international level
  • Training programs and workshops on research methodology, IPR, data analysis
  • Research paper publication in peer- reviewed and UGC Care list journals
  • Empower staff and students in research skills
  • Capacity Building among the teacher educators and research scholars
  • Publish articles of student teachers in ISBN books
  • Undertake research projects
  • Apply for research grants and patents with student teachers and research scholars
  • PhD Centre related activities
  • Research policy uploaded on website
  • Research Consultancy Grant

List of activities conducted and organised:
Patent:

  • Patent accepted by Australian Government – Title of invention: Analyzing the Role of SHANTI model of Teaching in fostering Peace among Secondary School Students. Term of Patent – Eight years from 17th August, 2021.
  • Patent accepted by Australian Government – Title of invention: Analyzing the Role of Edu-2030 Model in Developing Competencies with respect to SDGs among Student Teachers. Term of Patent – Eight years from 25th August, 2021
  • Patent accepted by German Government – Title of invention: Effectiveness of STEAM education in fostering Integrative learning through iLEARN Model Patent accepted on 13th January, 2022.
  • Applied Indian Patent Titled: Improved the relations of an International Trading Using AI.
  • Applied Indian Patent Titled: Facial Emotion Recognition using Deep Learning and AI.
  • Applied Indian Patent Titled: Improved your Restaurant’s online food ordering using machine learning

Publication:

  • Perception of Trainee Teachers Towards Internship Programme published in Anvesak – UGC CARE journal Vol 52 No. 3(II). ISSN: 0378-4568. UGC CARE Group – 1. Impact factor:6.20
  • Effectiveness of Holistic Multidisciplinary Approach to Education in Achievement of Educational Objective among Secondary School Students in Sampriti Vol No: VIII Issue I Jan- June 2022.ISSN 2434-3837 UGC CARE.
  • COVID-19 Pandemic -recession in academic engagement – Multicultural Education ISSN 1068-3844 (Scopus).
  • Teaching Learning and Evaluation hampered during Covid-19 pandemic Multicultural Education ISSN 1068-3844 (Scopus).
  • Quality indicators towards Innovative Sustainable Practices Multicultural Education ISSN 1068-3844 (Scopus).
  • Work education towards Nai Talim practices among pre-service teacher education programmes. Multicultural Education ISSN 1068-3844 (Scopus).

Sessions:

  • Conducted a Design your IDEA Competition with Board of Studies in Education, University of Mumbai on 15th October, 2021.
  • IPR Session by Dr. B.K.Sarkar in September, 2021on filling of patent and publication.
  • PRABAL MOOC – LMS launched in September,2021
  • Colloquium on Best Practice in collaboration with Board of Studies in Education, University of Mumbai.
  • Webinar On Enabling A Perfect Research Ecosystem With Scopus, Science Direct And Mendeley
  • Expert Talk on Ethics in Research by Dr. Kaneez Fatema – Professor, Aurangabad on 16th March, 2022.
  • International Virtual conference on Sustainable Practices in Higher Education on 25th and 26th March, 2022.

6. Resources required:
Teacher educator as experts to prepare the skills and competencies, plan for different activities, Library resources, institutional premise as a resource.

7. Feedback mechanism and future plans:
Formal and informal feedback taken from all the stakeholders and timely revision has done to keep the centre active and prudent in its practice.

Best Practice in Student Support and Progression – RISE

1. Title of the practice: RISE
R – Reassuring
I – Impactful
S – Sociable
E – Emancipation

Emancipation is the hallmark of a good counselling programme. Keeping this paradigm in mind, PCER, Chembur initiated its programme – RISE or Re-assuring Impactful Sociable Emancipation. RISE plans to hold a number of sessions through which the youth can be impacted.

2. The context that required the initiation of the practice: The B.Ed. course grooms the student teacher to be competent at school. As teachers play an important role in bringing about change in the society hence the B. Ed course should focus on enriching the competencies essential for teachers to provide awareness about the strategies towards management of social issues.

3. Objectives of the practice:
The objectives of this practice were:
1. To create awareness among the youth about social issues.
2. To provide awareness about the strategies towards the management of societal issues like gender inequality, sexual violence, lack of access to education, etc.
3. To promote sense of responsibilities among the student teachers to deliberate upon the strategies towards alleviation of societal ills.
4. To sensitize student teachers about various measures towards social issues and mental health.

4. The practice:
In view of this best practice three aspects were covered
a) Physical aspect
b) Mental aspect
c) Social aspect

a) Physical aspect
Under this aspect various sessions to create awareness about the importance of diet and nutrition in the holistic well being of the individual were conducted. Following sessions were conducted under this aspect:
1. Expert talk on menstrual Health and Hygiene by Ms. Ankita Sukhwal- 22nd July, 2021
2. Expert talk on Happiness by Tina Roy – The Science behind it – 31st July 2021
3. Expert talk on Diet for Wellness by Ms. Jennifer Dhuri – 20th August 2021

b) Mental aspect
To create awareness about the importance of mental health and wellbeing, enhancing happiness, nurturing relationships, etc were conducted.

Following sessions were conducted under this aspect:
1. Expert talk on Happiness by Tina Roy– The Science behind it – 31st July 2021
2. Expert talk on Mental Health about Healthy Living by Dr. Sheryl Senthilnathan– 24th August 2021

c) Social aspect
To sensitize student teachers about various social issues and mental health sessions on mental health and well being were conducted.

Following sessions were conducted under this aspect:
1. Expert talk on Happiness by Tina Roy– The Science behind it – 31st July 2021
2. Expert talk on Mental Health about Healthy Living by Dr. Sheryl Senthilnathan– 24th August 2021.

5. Impact of the study:
This study will focus on developing the teacher competencies among the student teacher enabling them to deliberate upon the strategies towards alleviation of societal ills.

  • Self-awareness
  • Awareness of Do’s and Don’ts in classroom and workplace
  • Classroom roles
  • Promote sense of responsibilities to deliberate upon the strategies towards alleviation of societal ills.

6. Resources required:
Experts from various field such as psychiatrists, counsellors, professionals from academic and medical background will be invited for delivering the talks with the objective to sensitize student teachers about various measures towards social issues and mental health.

7. Feedback mechanism and future plans:
Comprehensive feedback will be taken by the teacher educator on the sessions conducted.

Sessions conducted under the Best Practice – RISE

1. Expert talk on menstrual Health and Hygiene by Ms. Ankita Sukhwal- 22nd July, 2021
On the 22nd July, 2021, an Expert Talk on the topic ‘Menstrual Health & Hygiene’ by Ms. Ankita Sukhwal, CSR Executive – Unicharm India, was conducted under this initiative. The hour-long online session from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the topic was broadcast live over PCER Chembur’s YouTube channel.

Ms. Sukhwal emphasised the importance of the menstrual cycle and how everyone should be open about this topic. As a background, she divided adolescence into 3 phases, early adolescence, middle adolescence and late adolescence. She then elaborated the role of hormones and the bodily changes which takes places in the human body during the entire lifetime right from pre-menopausal stage right up to menopause.At the end, she answered the queries put by the participants which were addressed to her via the live chat function.This activity was conducted under SDG # 3: Good Health and Well Being and can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-5KCvegTKE&t=2290s

2. Expert talk on Happiness by Tina Roy– The Science behind it – 31st July 2021
On the 31st July, 2021 an online Expert Talk was conducted on the elusive topic ‘Happiness – The Science behind it!’ from 4:00 pm – 5:00 p.m. The talk was delivered by Dr. Tina Roy, an alumna of PCER Chembur from the Batch of 2009-10. Developing happiness modules was a part of Dr. Tina’s doctoral thesis and she has conducted several workshops which help a person enhance their happiness. She spoke to the audience about what happiness is and how one can enhance their level of happiness.

According to her, there are five ways to enhance happiness. They are 1) Actively seeking happiness 2) Giving oneself the permission to be human 3) Nurturing Relationships 4) Giving to others and 5) Expressing gratitude. Dr. Tina encapsulated the major research findings on happiness and also added her experience from conducting Happiness classes and encouraged all participants to try following these steps. This activity was conducted under SDG # 3: Good Health and Well Being and can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JPprLubuV4&t=1901s

3. Expert talk on Diet for Wellness by Ms. Jennifer Dhuri – 20th August 2021
The session on 20th August was on the topic “Diet for Wellness”. The resource person for the session was Ms. Jennifer Dhuri, Consultant Dietician. The session was very smoothly anchored by the General Secretary of the Student Council of PCER. Ms. Dhuri gave a very comprehensive and relevant exposition on the importance of diet and nutrition in the holistic wellbeing of the individual. The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session wherein Ms. Jennifer provided clear and needful information to the participants. The link for the session is given below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKEp__hpV-A

4. Expert talk on Mental Health about Healthy Living by Dr. Sheryl Senthilnathan– 24th August 2021
The topic for the session on 24th August was on Mental Health-“Let’s Talk about Healthy Living”. Dr. Sheryl Senthilnathan, Consultant Psychiatrist was the resource person for the YouTube Live session. Dr. Sheryl gave a very pertinent presentation on the contemporary scenario highlighting the factors that affect the mental health of people and what lifestyle changes and habits one needs to cutivate to address the issue. The session was very confidently anchored by Ms. Beverley DSouza. After the presentation Dr. Sheryl clarified the queries presented to her by the host. The link for the session is given below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtKItTg8RBU

Best Practice in Practice Teaching – VENTEL for Holistic Learning

1. Title of the practice: VENTEL For Holistic Learning

2. The context that required the initiation of the practice:
Education in Mahatma Gandhi’s view encompassed physical, spiritual and intellectual growth of students. It should give not merely the three R’S and some skills to students to earn their livelihood but also help them to become healthy and happy individuals who understand their place and roles in the society, country, nation and the world and contribute to its growth. Gandhi said education is the all round drawing of the best in the child and man in body, mind and spirit. Literacy is not the end of education, not even its beginning. It is only one of the means whereby man and woman come to be educated.

Student teachers are prospective teachers who will be absorbed in various schools and will touch the lives of millions of children. So it is important that they are made aware of Gandhi’s ideas on educational values, basic education, vocational education which has a significant impact on today’s educational context too. Some of the activities conducted as a part of this practice included.

The following sessions were conducted :
NaiTalim Week:

  • Colloquium on Best Practices in VENTEL
  • Online Quiz-Know your Mahatma
  • Video with Mahatma Gandhiji’s thoughts
  • Virtual session on Ozone Protection
  • Books on VENTEL and NaiTalim

3. Objectives of the practice:
The objectives of this practice are as follows:
1. To create awareness of Gandhian Values among student teachers
2. To enhance teamwork and interpersonal skills of student teachers
3. To promote basic skill development among student teachers
4. To develop dignity of labour among student teachers.

4. The practice:

  • NAI TALIM WEEK: A variety of activities that highlighted the basic teachings and values of Mahatma Gandhi was conducted through NaiTalim Week. Through participating in these activities student teachers gained greater insight into the thoughts and beliefs advocated by Gandhiji.
  • Colloquium on Best Practices in VENTEL: The Board of Studies in Education, University of Mumbai in collaboration with MES’s Pillai College of Education and Research, Chembur organised an online Colloquium on Best Practices in VENTEL- MGNCRE Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav for Student Teachers of VENTEL Cell. The Colloquium was conducted on 1st October,2021 from 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm on Zoom platform.
  • Quiz: Know your Mahatma: The student teachers prepared an online quiz on Mahatma Gandhi. The objective of the quiz was to spread awareness about the values and teachings of Gandhiji. The quiz was conducted through google forms.
  • Video with Mahatma Gandhiji’s thoughts: As a part of NaiTalim Week Celebrations PCER Chembur released a video containing inspiring thoughts of Mahatma Gandhiji. The thoughts are selected with a purpose of educating the audience about the life goals one must have and presented in an attractive manner. With the aim of enlightening the new generation with the noble and inspiring thoughts of Mahatma Gandhiji.
  • Ozone Protection: Students of PCER Chembur conducted a virtual session for the students of MES’s Chembur English High school on 1st October, 2021. The online Zoom session provided scientific information on formation of ozone layer, causes and effects of ozone depletion and steps students can take to protect the Ozone layer. The interactive session ‘Small steps towards the protection of Ozone’ was conducted by students of PCER Chembur, Ms. Rasika Bhujabalrao and Ms. Bhakti Sawant as a part of NaiTalim Week Celebrations.
  • Book on NaiTalim: Dr. Sunita Magre,Professor and Chairperson, Board of Studies, University of Mumbai and Dr. Reni Francis,Principal, PCER Chembur, and BOS Member, University of Mumbai, published a book ‘Best Practices in VENTEL’ by Notion Press; 1st edition (27th September 2021), ISBN 1685635245. This book is a compilation of the various best practices presented at the online Colloquium on Best Practices in VENTEL- MGNCRE Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav for student teachers of VENTEL Cell, organised by Board of Studies in Education, University of Mumbai in collaboration with MES’s Pillai College of Education and Research, Chembur on 1st October,2021.The best practices shared in this book is the implementation of VENTEL at the Institution/ Teacher/ Student/ NGO level.
    Dr. Reni Francis, Principal, PCER Chembur and Dr. Jaya Cherian,Asst. Prof. PCER Chembur published a book ‘NaiTalim in Classroom’ by Notion Press; 1st edition (28 September 2021) ,ISBN 1685636209. This book is a compilation of the Lesson Plans based on Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology of NaiTalim. The lesson plans focus on experiential learning, work education, craft centered learning and involving the students in the teaching learning process.

5. Impact of the Best Practice: Through this activity student teachers were oriented towards Gandhian thoughts and values. They learnt new skills and the need to disseminate Gandhian values to society. They learnt the value of dignity of labour, protecting the environment, interacting with school students and developing their creative talents.

6. Resources required:
Experts from various fields to conduct sessions, stationery, digital devices, internet connectivity,institutional premises.

7. Feedback mechanism and future plans:
Comprehensive feedback will be taken by the teacher educator on the different activities and remediation.

Best Practice in Innovative Practices – Edu- 2030

Title of the Practice: Edu- 2030

The context that required the initiation of the practice: The United Nations is 2015 gave the Sustainable Development Goals, a universal call of action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The goals are interconnected – often the key to success. These goals have become the key indicators in schools, colleges, educational institutions etc. Since the B.Ed course caters to the needs of the students in school and colleges we need to align the Course structure to the SDG’s Since the mission and vision of PCER focuses on global challenges, this best practice can be included in Criteria VII as Edu-2030 an attempt to cater to the needs of the global society.

Objectives of the practice:

  1. To create awareness of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
  2. To develop competencies among student teachers on SDG’s.
  3. To develop activities for sustainability of SDG’s

The practice:

The students will be oriented about the need for Sustainable Development Goals to be addressed in meeting our global challenges. This will include a detailed understanding of the 17 SDG’s and their impact on the society. The key competencies for sustainability will be focused through activities which will make each of the student teacher to take decisions judiciously.

Competencies are:

Critical Thinking competency: The ability to question norms, practices and opinions, to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions and to take a position in these situations.

Anticipatory competency: The ability to understand and evaluate multiple, possible and desirable actions and assess the consequences of these actions in dealing with risks.

Normative competency: The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underline one’s actions and to negotiate sustainable values, principles and goals.

Strategic competency: The ability to design and develop social initiative towards SDG’s

Collaborative competency: The ability to learn from others, respect their needs, be sensitive to other’s needs and facilitate collaborative problem solving.

Self-awareness competency: The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community towards SDG’s and witness the global impact.

Problem-solving competency: The ability to apply different problem solving approaches and develop viable solutions to promote sustainable development.

These competencies will be addressed through movies, role play, scenario based learning, drama, field visit, expert talk, case study etc. All the 17 SDG’s will be catered and the student-teachers will be given an in-depth understanding by focusing on the specific learning objectives – cognitive learning objective, socio-emotional learning objective and behavioral learning objective.

Impact of the study:
This study will focus on developing the student teacher competencies about the SDG’s through the various learning objectives

  • Be sensitive about SDG’s
  • Foster SDG’s in their practice teaching lessons
  • Augment the knowledge of SDG’s and its impact in life.

Resources required:

The resources such as the arrangement of movies, role play and other teaching methods that will be needed in fostering the competencies of SDG’s.

Feedback mechanism and future plans:

A comprehensive feedback will be taken on the competencies of SDG’s inculcated by the teacher educator.

Best Practice in Student Support and Progression – TQM

1. Title of the practice: PCER’s TQM – Based on NEP 2020 Perspective
T – Teaching through Interdisciplinary Approach
Q – Quality and Equity in Education
M – Outcome Based Education

2. The context that required the initiation of the practice: The B.Ed. course aims to develop the highest of quality teachers. In order to do this, student teachers who enroll are assessed for the basic competencies and the gaps are filled to equip them with the necessary skills. They are taught through an interdisciplinary approach by focusing on student outcomes as they are expected to do the same in their subsequent roles as educators. This best practice in student support and progression – TQM is a structured plan to cater to the various baselines of student teacher competency differences while ensuring an experiential learning environment.

3. Objectives of the practice: The objectives of this practice were:
1. To assess students on basic competencies to check for those who may require additional support.
2. To provide mentoring and support for those students who may be functioning at a sub par level at the start of the course.
3. To orient students to STEAM education.
4. To develop the teacher competencies for STEAM education.
5. To model outcome based education

4. The practice:
T – Teaching through Interdisciplinary Approach

  • Orientation to STEAM: The interdisciplinary approach to steam education begins with an orientation to STEAM. The foundations of STEAM are discussed while asking students to draw on their own subject method they have come with.
  • Lesson Plan: Once students have developed an understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of STEAM subjects, they are supported to include this approach in the lesson plans they write. This helps them to put into practice what they learn about correlation during the course of the B.Ed program.
  • Learning Resource for Steam: The students are expected to create appropriate and effective learning resources for their lessons. They attempt to bring the interdisciplinary nature of their lessons to their learning resources to develop the topics more effectively.

Q – Quality and Equity in Education

  • Identification of Learner: Incoming students are assessed on basic competencies that are required for the successful completion of the B.Ed. course. Those who are found to have sub par levels of competencies on account of any reason (low language proficiency, poor exposure due to limiting socio-economic background) are identified. Apart from basic teaching and learning competencies, the pandemic has made it imperative that everyone has a level of digital competence in order to be able to fully participate in the online mode of education. This category is also checked and students who need support are identified.
  • Student Support: The students who need support in the identified areas were provided with the same through extra classes, simplified notes(where applicable), digital assistance, tutoring and mentoring.

M – Outcome Based Education

  • Program, Course Outcomes and College objectives : All teaching and learning is conducted in accordance with the program and course outcomes against the backdrop of the college objectives. Feedback is gathered from all stakeholders; principal, teachers, students and alumni.

4. Impact of the study:
This practice aims to ensure equitable teaching learning practices that emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of STEAM while focussing on the programme and course objective.

  • Developing an in depth understanding of STEAM education
  • Improving interdisciplinary nature of lesson plans
  • Developing STEAM related learning resources
  • Evaluating for a baseline of student abilities and competencies
  • Student support in the identifies areas for improvement
  • Modeling outcome based education
  • Using feedback from various stakeholders

5. Resources required:
Teacher educators to prepare the assessment tools, plan for intervention activities and materials, Library resources, institutional premise as a resource.

6. Feedback mechanism and future plans:
Comprehensive feedback collected from the various stakeholders involved to check progress and effectiveness of the practices.

Best Practice in Practice Teaching – VENTEL for Holistic Learning

  1. Title of the practice: VENTEL Towards Holistic Learning
  2. The context that required the initiation of the practice:

    Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy and ideals had a great impact on our freedom movement. His ideals and values were with respect to education was focused on the whole development of a child and not just the mind. Mahatma Gandhi believed in the physical, spiritual, and intellectual growth of students. According to him education should inculcate skills in the students to earn their livelihood as well as help them to become healthy and happy individuals who understand their place and roles in the society, countryand the world and contribute to its growth. Gandhi said education is an all-round drawing of the best in the child and man in body, mind, and spirit. Literacy is not the end of education, not even its beginning. It is only one of the means whereby man and woman come to be educated.

    Student teachers are prospective teachers who will be absorbed in various schools and will touch the lives of millions of children. So, it is important that they are made aware of Gandhi’s ideas on educational values, basic education, vocational education which has a significant impact on today’s educational context too.
    Due to Covid -19 lockdown all the activities were planned on a virtual platform.

    The following sessions were conducted :

    • VENTEL Workshop
    • NaiTalim Week
  3. Objectives of the practice:
    The objectives of this practice are as follows:

    1. To create awareness of Gandhian Values among student teachers
    2. To enhance communication skills of student teachers
    3. To have sessions on Gandhian educational values
    4. To have a review and give feedback to student teachers
  4. The practice:
    Workshop on VENTEL (Vocational Education NaiTalim Experiential Learning).
    “The Indian youth needs to be empowered, and it can be done through good education and vocational training.”
    M. M. Pallam Raju

    Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education, Dept of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Govt of India and University of Mumbai – BOS in Education in association with MES’s Pillai College of Education & Research organized a Workshop on VENTEL (Vocational Education NaiTalim Experiential Learning) on 27th September, 2020 from 3.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.. The program began with a formal welcome to all to the Workshop on VENTEL followed by the University Song.

    Dr. Sunita Magre, Chairperson- BOS in Education, University of Mumbai welcomed all the participants and thanked the patrons of MGNCRE, University of Mumbai and PCER, Chembur for collaborating and making this workshop possible for all the participants. Dr. Reni Francis, Principal, PCER, Chembur also stressed upon the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi which is so relevant in today’s times. She spoke on the coordination of Head, Heart and Hand for being self-reliant in life.

    Ms. Manisha Karape, Organiser MGNCRE, MoE, GOI emphasized the various initiatives under VENTEL and highlighted the objectives of the workshop.

    The resource persons for the workshop were:

    Dr. Ketki Satpute, Assistant Professor, Sree Narayana Guru College of Education
    Dr. Dnyaneshwar Magar, Principal, Navjeevan Education Society, College of Education
    Dr. Rajeshri Joshi, Assistant Professor, Seva Sadan College of Education

    The workshop was highly appreciated by all the participants and it laid the foundation and gave direction for VENTEL activities to be adopted and practiced by each institution.
    There were 80-90 registered participants who had filled the form mentioned below for their confirmation: https://forms.gle/AK2qw4KjUWjjGCaQA

    The participants had joined the program in Google Meet Link with the following details:
    meet.google.com/mwy-ktwd-aqh

    NAI TALIM WEEK

    University of Mumbai, Thane Sub Campus, Thane in collaboration with MES’s Pillai College of Education & Research, Chembur organised NaiTalim Week from 1st October – 7th October, 2020. There were a variety of sessions conducted for students of Chembur English High School.

    Day 1: 1st October, 2020

    Knowing our Mahatma (Online Quiz)
    This quiz focused on Mahatma Gandhi,Father of the Nation whose values, ideals and leadership provided direction to the Indian Freedom Movement. The objective of this quiz is to create awareness about Mahatma Gandhi. Each question carries one mark. There were 15 questions in all.

    Day 2: 2nd October, 2020
    Session on Swachhata Diwas

    The objective of this initiative was to highlight the Life of Mahatma Gandhi and the philosophy that our young students need to imbibe in their lives. The students were oriented on Waste segregation through a detailed activity and gave them an understanding of dry and wet waste. The 10 Golden rules of maintaining and practising Swachh Bharat were also shared. Slogan writing competition and Knowing our Mahatma Quiz was also done with the students.

    Ms. Annamma Paul – Principal, Chembur English High school congratulated the efforts of the Student teachers of PCER, Chembur and emphasized the importance of Clean City Green City. She also said that cleanliness begins from us and we need to take the right steps in keeping our city and country clean. Dr. Reni Francis quoted the words of Gandhiji ‘the future depends on what you do today’ and told the students that our actions today will lead to a bright and beautiful future tomorrow. Be wise in using our natural resources and careful in protecting our resources for the well-being of mankind. She thanked Dr. Sunita Magre, I/C Director Thane Sub Campus- University of Mumbai and the Management of Mahatma Education Society for their support and encouragement. The programme ended with a motivational song and vote of thanks. The teachers of both the institutions and student teachers had conducted the programme effectively. The participants enjoyed the event and gave positive feedback of the programme.

    The session can be viewed by clicking the below link:
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_c–0SUUE6KpVFKYeBcjbCKewML5VKXu/view?usp=sharing

    Day 3: Late Principal Mathews Chacko Online Elocution Competition

    Elocution Competition

    The Late Principal Mathews Chacko Online Elocution Competition was conducted as part of the activities held during the NaiTalim Week on 3rd October at 11.00 a.m.. The elocution competition was conducted by the student council of PCER, live online via Google Meet and the participants comprised of Second Year B.Ed students. The theme for the elocution competition was ‘Role of a Teacher with respect to Gandhian Values’. The competition was judged by Ms. Suma Lerin and Ms. Sivaranjini Ganeshan. The winners received e-certificates. The winners of the competition were :

    First Prize: Ms. Shivani Mayekar
    Second Prize: Ms. Benazeer Jamadar

    The anchors for the programme were student council members Ms. Jeni James and Ms. Alisha Memon who ensured the smooth flow of the event. The judges appreciated the efforts of the participants, the smooth conduct of the programme and also encouraged the audience to take up such opportunities as good communication skills were an important aspect of a teacher’s competencies. Principal Dr. Reni Francis motivated the students to keep learning and take part in such events which would enable the holistic development of their personalities. The activity was in alignment with SDG 4 Quality Education. The Google Meet Link for the competition:

    https://meet.google.com/grp-sbbt-zcg

    Day 4: 4th October, 2020
    Sessions on Yoga

    The yoga practitioners, Ms. Hansa Mamtora and Mr. Anup Thomas had pre- recorded warm up sessions and basic yoga sessions. These videos were sent to 5th-9th standard students who benefited a lot. Due to the COVID_ 19 pandemic, people across the world are in a lockdown stage. So this was a big opportunity for the students to understand and practice yoga staying back home and relate it with Gandhiji’s principles.

    The following links were shared with the students:
    Session 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_WoVRlJEL4
    Session 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4apW88bmKQ
    Session 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMMu754zedY

    Day 5: 5th October, 2020
    Session on Health Guide and Post Covid-19 Sanitization

    The session included games, quiz, videos on precautionary measures against Covid-19, importance of precautionary measures on Covid-19 and managing mental health. The various activities to foster physical and mental health were also provided during the session. Posters related to Post Covid health Practices were also shown to students. Ms. Rimita who recovered from Covid-19, shared her story which was very useful to the participants as it gave insight to various things to be taken care of during this pandemic.

    The session can be viewed by clicking the below link:
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JAuySkYtROnW04ChLPYeKFg4MX2fcppL/view?usp=sharing

    Day 6: 6th October, 2020
    Story Telling Competition

    Story Telling Competition was organised for 5th-7th standard students of Chembur English High School on 6th October, 2020. The theme of the competition was ‘Gandhian Values’. There were 21 participants in total. Each participant was given a platform to showcase their story telling skills. The stories were narrated with a lot of confidence. The judges were Ms. Sherry Jose, Ms. Benazeer Jamadar and Ms. Rashmi Shinde. The judges shared their expertise after the participation from the students. The winners of the competition were:

    7th Grade, First position : Miss Bhargavi Sonawane
    7th Grade, Second position : Master Anurag Gaikwad
    6th Grade, First Position: Miss Azeen Hashmi
    6th Grade, Second Position : Miss DrushtiKarkar
    5th Grade, First Position: Miss Arya Shinde
    Dr. Reni Francis, congratulated all the participants, winners and the organisers of the programme.

    The session can be viewed by clicking the below link:
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zzzMeAYnsMVAz0tw1z4cO6efAnbHU9xq/view?usp=sharing

    Day 7: 7th October, 2020
    Mask Making Session

    Students from the tutorial group of Dr. Swasti Dhar conducted a session on Mask Making with the Ninth standard students of Chembur English High School. After welcoming everyone, the students threw light about the importance of masks with a talk on General Awareness about Masks which answered questions such as why one should wear a mask, where the mask is worn, who should not wear masks and general do’s and don’ts about mask-wearing. This was followed by a talk on the different types of masks and who should wear them.

    Students of CEHS were then taught how to make a simple unstitched mask from a piece of cloth at home. Instructions were given and the students followed the instructions and made the mask side by side. A video on how to make a cloth mask was shown and shared with the students.

    Students were also told about the correct way to maintain and/ or dispose of a mask after its use. A quick recap test was taken via Google Form.

    The session ended with a vote of thanks to all the patrons, Principals, teachers and students.

    The session can be viewed at:
    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OwjtKVMHOjOsLL-Lpv4hR6T3bb0KiA-Q/view?usp=sharing

  5. Obstacles faced if any and strategies adopted to overcome them:
    • Internet connectivity
    • Experiential learning through virtual meet
    • Keeping learners motivated

    The responsibilities of conducting Nai- Talim experiential learning were shared among the student teachers. So if any one student teacher faced any connectivity issue then her peer took over the task. The sessions included various activities, videos, pictures and learners were constantly encouraged to share their views and their creative work.

  6. Impact of the Best Practice :

    Through this activity student teachers were oriented towards the importance and necessity of acquiring new knowledge and skills that were productive. They learnt new skills that would enable them to be self-reliant, as it had economic value and that would also develop their creative talents, and were environment friendly.

  7. Resources required:
    • Digital tools
    • Videos
    • Craft materials
  8. Feedback mechanism and future plans:

    Formative Feedback was given on a regular basis to the student teachers as and when they conducted the session. Moreover feedback was also sought from the Principal and teachers of Chembur English High School . These holistic feedback gave an impetus to the students to face the camera and conduct meaningful activities with confidence and precision.

    Since we were in a period of COVID-19 lockdown, all the activities were carried out in virtual mode. Our future plans are to have more number of activities spread to more schools on a physical platform. This will give more exposure to our student teachers as well as the impact of Gandhian week will be to a larger audience.

Best Practice in Innovative Practices – Edu- 2030

Title of the Practice: Edu- 2030

The context that required the initiation of the practice: The United Nations is 2015 gave the Sustainable Development Goals, a universal call of action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The goals are interconnected – often the key to success. These goals have become the key indicators in schools, colleges, educational institutions etc. Since the B.Ed course caters to the needs of the students in school and colleges we need to align the Course structure to the SDG’s Since the mission and vision of PCER focuses on global challenges, this best practice can be included in Criteria VII as Edu-2030 an attempt to cater to the needs of the global society.

Objectives of the practice:

  1. To create awareness of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
  2. To develop competencies among student teachers on SDG’s.
  3. To develop activities for sustainability of SDG’s

The practice:

The students will be oriented about the need for Sustainable Development Goals to be addressed in meeting our global challenges. This will include a detailed understanding of the 17 SDG’s and their impact on the society. The key competencies for sustainability will be focused through activities which will make each of the student teacher to take decisions judiciously.

Competencies are:

Critical Thinking competency: The ability to question norms, practices and opinions, to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions and to take a position in these situations.

Anticipatory competency: The ability to understand and evaluate multiple, possible and desirable actions and assess the consequences of these actions in dealing with risks.

Normative competency: The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underline one’s actions and to negotiate sustainable values, principles and goals.

Strategic competency: The ability to design and develop social initiative towards SDG’s

Collaborative competency: The ability to learn from others, respect their needs, be sensitive to other’s needs and facilitate collaborative problem solving.

Self-awareness competency: The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community towards SDG’s and witness the global impact.

Problem-solving competency: The ability to apply different problem solving approaches and develop viable solutions to promote sustainable development.

These competencies will be addressed through movies, role play, scenario based learning, drama, field visit, expert talk, case study etc. All the 17 SDG’s will be catered and the student-teachers will be given an in-depth understanding by focusing on the specific learning objectives – cognitive learning objective, socio-emotional learning objective and behavioral learning objective.

Impact of the study:
This study will focus on developing the student teacher competencies about the SDG’s through the various learning objectives

  • Be sensitive about SDG’s
  • Foster SDG’s in their practice teaching lessons
  • Augment the knowledge of SDG’s and its impact in life.

Resources required:

The resources such as the arrangement of movies, role play and other teaching methods that will be needed in fostering the competencies of SDG’s.

Feedback mechanism and future plans:

A comprehensive feedback will be taken on the competencies of SDG’s inculcated by the teacher educator.

Best Practice in Practice Teaching – VENTEL for Holistic Learning

  1. Title of the practice: VENTEL For Holistic Learning
  2. The context that required the initiation of the practice:

    Education in Mahatma Gandhi’s view encompassed physical, spiritual and intellectual growth of students. It should give not merely the three R’S and some skills to students to earn their livelihood but also help them to become healthy and happy individuals who understand their place and roles in the society, country, nation and the world and contribute to its growth. Gandhi said education is the all round drawing of the best in the child and man in body, mind and spirit. Literacy is not the end of education, not even its beginning. It is only one of the means whereby man and woman come to be educated.

    Student teachers are prospective teachers who will be absorbed in various schools and will touch the lives of millions of children. So it is important that they are made aware of Gandhi’s ideas on educational values, basic education, vocational education which has a significant impact on today’s educational context too. Some of the activities conducted as a part of this practice included

    The following sessions were conducted :

    • FDP
    • NaiTalim Week
    • Swach Abhiyan
  3. Objectives of the practice:
    The objectives of this practice are as follows:

    1. To create awareness of Gandhian Values among student teachers
    2. To enhance teamwork and interpersonal skills of student teachers
    3. To promote basic skill development among student teachers
    4. To develop dignity of labour among student teachers
  4. The practice:
    • FDP-Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education in collaboration with MES’s Pillai College of Education and Research, Chembur organised the Faculty Development Programme for 5 days from 19th to 23rd August, 2019 for transacting curriculum on Community Engagement, NaiTalim and Work education through community engagement in Higher education institutions under the flagship programme of Mahatma Gandhi NaiTalim Abhiyan. This programme is based on Gandhian Philosophy. This programme aimed at familiarising the academicians towards rural community and enhancing skills related to the rural community engagement. It is in this context faculty development programme has been proposed to include both classroom training and field exposure. In our humble pursuit to revive the Gandhian principles of education in the modern era, the Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education and Mahatma Education Society’s Pillai College of Education and Research organized the Faculty Development Programme on NaiTalim and Experiential learning.
    • Swachh Abhiyaan- In alignment with Gandhiji’s belief in keeping one’s environment clean a cleanliness activity – ‘Swach Abhiyan’ was carried out by the student teachers. The student teachers were divided into groups and they were given various areas for cleaning. They were provided with gloves, masks and the required cleaning tools. Some of the groups focused on dusting the walls, ceilings and classroom furniture. Few other students swept the floors and picked up the litter. The student teachers focused on all areas in their surroundings with their cleanliness efforts. They were very enthusiastically participating in the activity and were working together in getting their classrooms clean. They showed a lot of eagerness in doing this manual work and cooperated to get their surroundings clean in the given time period. Through this activity the students were made aware of the values practiced by Mahatma Gandhi that of cleanliness and dignity of labour.
    • NAI TALIM WEEK- A variety of activities that highlighted the basic teachings and values of Mahatma Gandhi was conducted through NaiTalim Week. Through participating in these activities student teachers gained greater insight into the thoughts and beliefs advocated by Gandhiji.
      1. The week began with a session on Basic Home Skills. The resource person was Mr. Shashitharan Pillai, who provided useful tips to repair leakages at home. Hands on experience were given on Basic Plumbing skills. It’s not essential to be depended on plumbers and carpenters for every minute thing at home. Students were made aware the importance of being little more aware and conscious so we can mend things without depending on others.
      2. The importance of financial planning was highlighted by Ms. Premila D’Souza, Senior Manager, Citizen Credit Bank. During this session the students were oriented about the importance of financial planning and making saving a habit. The students were informed about the various ways in which they could save a part of their income when they started earning. They were advised to begin the saving habit with a small amount which they can easily keep aside and later on increase the amount with up gradation in their income. The session also highlighted the aspect about taking loans and payment of EMIs and of having a healthy payment track record.
      3. A session on mental well- being was taken by Ms. Swati Thoda (Clinical Dietician – Pregnancy and Lactation Wellness, heartfulness meditation trainer). This program was done with association of Soroptimist International Bombay Chembur. Ms. Swati Ma’am, discussed the importance of mental wellbeing to remain calm and composed in our life. She further highlighted the importance of balanced diet in our daily life. Connecting with Gandhiji’s principles, she spoke the relevance of nonviolence and self-resilience to remain peaceful as well as successful in life. The session ended with practicing five minutes silence and concentration to develop mindfulness among us.
      4. Felicitation of local worker. In order to instil in the students the importance of all types of work and dignity of labour, a session was conducted to felicitate Mr. Ramkumar Yadav who works as a security personnel for the Chembur Campus of Mahatma Education Society and is the first person whom the students meet when they enter the Chembur campus.
      5. Cloth Bag Making Competition: A Cloth Bag Making Competition was organized with the objective to encourage self-reliance, basic stitching skills, wealth from waste. The students formed groups and prepared cloth bags. Each group had a unique idea of preparing and presenting the cloth bags.
      6. Collage competition: A collage competition was organized with the theme ‘Values’.The students participated in large numbers, the students formed groups and a group collage was created. Five groups created beautiful and meaningful collage depicting secularism, helping attitude, cleanliness, values of Gandhiji – simplicity, equality etc., inter religious bonding. The class encouraged their classmates and creativity was displayed at its best as the student proudly posed for a photograph with their creation. It was indeed a day well spent remembering the Mahatma and his values through art. The winners of the collage competition were-
        1st Prize – Tamanna, Anaam, Shivani, Varsha and Angel
        Runner Up – Neha, Divya, Mamta and Pallavi.
      7. Salad dressing competition-To encourage skill development, to bring out creative skills and motivate student teachers to understand dignity of work and labour a Salad Dressing Competition was organised. The student-teachers showcased their salad dressing skills innovatively through beautiful designs of vegetable carvings and presenting the salads in an attractive way. The student-teachers participated whole heartedly displaying their creative skills in salad dressing
  5. Impact of the Best Practice:
    Through this activity student teachers were oriented towards Gandhian values. They learnt new skills that would enable them to be self- reliant and self-sufficient. They learnt the value of dignity of labour and also got the opportunity to develop their creative talents.
  6. Resources Required:
    • Experts from various fields to conduct sessions, stationery, craft materials, cleaning materials,institutional premises.
  7. Feedback Mechanism and Future Plans:
    Comprehensive feedback will be taken by the teacher educator on the different activities and remediation.

Best Practice in Innovative Practices – Edu- 2030

Title of the Practice: Edu- 2030

The context that required the initiation of the practice: The United Nations is 2015 gave the Sustainable Development Goals, a universal call of action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The goals are interconnected – often the key to success. These goals have become the key indicators in schools, colleges, educational institutions etc. Since the B.Ed course caters to the needs of the students in school and colleges we need to align the Course structure to the SDG’s Since the mission and vision of PCER focuses on global challenges, this best practice can be included in Criteria VII as Edu-2030 an attempt to cater to the needs of the global society.

Objectives of the practice:

  1. To create awareness of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
  2. To develop competencies among student teachers on SDG’s.
  3. To develop activities for sustainability of SDG’s

The practice:

The students will be oriented about the need for Sustainable Development Goals to be addressed in meeting our global challenges. This will include a detailed understanding of the 17 SDG’s and their impact on the society. The key competencies for sustainability will be focused through activities which will make each of the student teacher to take decisions judiciously.

Competencies are:

Critical Thinking competency: The ability to question norms, practices and opinions, to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions and to take a position in these situations.

Anticipatory competency: The ability to understand and evaluate multiple, possible and desirable actions and assess the consequences of these actions in dealing with risks.

Normative competency: The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underline one’s actions and to negotiate sustainable values, principles and goals.

Strategic competency: The ability to design and develop social initiative towards SDG’s

Collaborative competency: The ability to learn from others, respect their needs, be sensitive to other’s needs and facilitate collaborative problem solving.

Self-awareness competency: The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community towards SDG’s and witness the global impact.

Problem-solving competency: The ability to apply different problem solving approaches and develop viable solutions to promote sustainable development.

These competencies will be addressed through movies, role play, scenario based learning, drama, field visit, expert talk, case study etc. All the 17 SDG’s will be catered and the student-teachers will be given an in-depth understanding by focusing on the specific learning objectives – cognitive learning objective, socio-emotional learning objective and behavioral learning objective.

Impact of the study:
This study will focus on developing the student teacher competencies about the SDG’s through the various learning objectives

  • Be sensitive about SDG’s
  • Foster SDG’s in their practice teaching lessons
  • Augment the knowledge of SDG’s and its impact in life.

Resources required:

The resources such as the arrangement of movies, role play and other teaching methods that will be needed in fostering the competencies of SDG’s.

Feedback mechanism and future plans:

A comprehensive feedback will be taken on the competencies of SDG’s inculcated by the teacher educator.

Best Practice in Teaching, Learning and Evaluation – iLEARN

1. Title of the practice: iLEARN.

i : Identifying the learning styles among students.
L : Leveraging innovations in teaching- learning.
E : Engage learning through constructivism
A : Assessing the learning process.
R : Remediation through peer tutoring/mentoring.
N : Norming new standards/ benchmarks of learning.

2. The context that required the initiation of the practice: The B.Ed course grooms the student teacher to be competent at school. Today teachers’ face a lot of challenges in schools hence the B.Ed course should model innovative practices to keep the teachers abreast with the current learning needs. The best practice in teaching, learning and evaluation – iLEARN is an attempt to cater to the different teaching, learning and assessment in schools.

3. Objectives of the practice:

The objectives of this practice was:
1. To understand the learner profile and diverse learning styles among the student teachers.
2. To cater to the diverse needs of the learner.
3. To focus on different Teaching Learning process.
4. To focus on improving the Teacher quality
5. To implement different Evaluation process

4. The practice:

i : Identifying the learning styles among students.

  • This was identified through VARK Learning style checklist.
  • VARK Learning styles helped us to identify our students learning inclination to Visual, Auditory, Read and Write, Kinesthetic mode of learning. This enabled us to plan our teaching-learning process to meet the learning styles among our students.

L : Leveraging innovations in teaching- learning.

  • Planning and creating modules incorporating innovative teaching learning. We prepared the year plan and our teaching-learning process based on the learning styles, content and time.

E : Engage learning through constructivism
We used different teaching methodology to engage our students in the learning process.
Using innovative teaching learning strategies such as

  • Symposium/ Workshop on the topic – Curriculum,
  • Round Robin on the topic – Meaning and Characteristics of Education,
  • Gallery walk on the topic – Educational Thinkers,
  • Seminar on the topic – Educational Thinkers
  • Co-operative learning, Think- Pair- Share on the topic – Role of Education National Development
  • EDMODO on the topic – NCF 2005, NPE 1986,NCFTE 2009
  • Concept Map on the topic – Role of Education towards Individual
  • Brainstorming Sessions on the topic – Values
  • Workshop on the topic – RTE
  • Movie/ Video Clippings on the topic – Professional Ethics

A : Assessing the learning through RBT.

  • Achieving the educational objectives at different levels of Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy, this will also cater to the different learning styles. The assessment was done in various ways:
  • Open Book assignment on the topic – Meaning and characteristics of Education
  • Closed book assignment on the topic – Principles of Professional Ethics
  • MCQ on the topic Educational Thinkers
  • Seminar on the topic Educational Thinkers and Isms – Idealism, Naturalism, Pragmatism
  • Presentations done by students on the topic – Values
  • Preparing an outline of different types of curriculum on the topic – Curriculum.

R : Remediation through peer tutoring/ mentoring.

  • Mentor – mentee approach in the tutorial groups,
  • Peer tutoring
  • Group work
  • Library Hours

N : Norming new standards/ benchmarks of learning.
Was done in the form of extended remediation and tutorials to understand the student need and support for further achievements in learning.

  • Face to face interaction,
  • Tutorials,
  • Mobile(device) learning,
  • Circle time/ Study circle

5. Obstacles faced if any and strategies adopted to overcome them:
The obstacle faced during the practice teaching programme was time. To arrange the venue and plan for all the student teachers to participate together at a fixed time was difficult, however efforts were taken to undertake these activities on Saturday and arrange it in the multi-purpose area.

6. Impact of the study:
This helped to remain abreast with the latest technology used in schools. It was a great opportunity for our student teachers in getting acquainted with the use of innovative, creative methods of teaching in class. It highlighted the importance of peer mentors. The positive feedback boosted the morale of our student teachers towards iLearn approach.

7. Resources required:
Teacher educator as a resource to prepare the checklist, plan for different teaching methods, Library resources, institutional premise as a resource.

8. Feedback mechanism and future plans:
A comprehensive feedback was taken by the teacher educator, with respect to methodology adopted, learning styles, teaching styles, assessment methods and resources adopted.

Activities conducted through iLEARN

Symposium: Curriculum is the core of an educational system. The interior decoration and the artefacts that constitute it reflect the philosophy of life and the personality of the designer to a great extent. Similarly the subjects included in the curriculum in general and the units of the syllabi reflect the characteristics traits not only of the designer of the curriculum but gives a global picture of a notion

Objective of the symposium:
Traditionally the curriculum refers to some amount of knowledge and some skills taught to the child.
The modern concept is more child centered and activity oriented.

  • what each curriculum offers
  • methodology of the different curriculum,
  • assessment methods

Seminar: The B.Ed course grooms the student teacher to be effective citizens of their country. Every citizen has rights and duties, hence it becomes important for teachers to take responsibility in acquainting our young children on Democracy, Effective Citizenship, Human Rights and Secularism. Bridging Education and Society assists in enabling people to make their own decisions and to take responsibility for their own lives and their communities.

  • aware of their rights and responsibilities as citizens;
  • informed about the social and political world;
  • concerned about the welfare of others;
  • articulate in their opinions and arguments;
  • capable of having an influence on the world;
  • active in their communities;
  • responsible in how they act as citizens
  • respectful towards all religions

Gallery Walk was a major highlight for Course I – on the topic Educational Thinkers. The topic were assigned to the student group which dealt with Indian and Western philosophers. The topics were sub divided into – Philosophy of Life, Aims of Education, Curriculum, Methods of teaching, Textbook, Role of teacher, contributions, achievements. The student teachers group presented skits on the life of each philosopher, their contributions and events that highlighted their philosophy of life, their unique charismatic school of thought. Charts were made on each philosopher highlighting on the sub topics. Creative ideas of exhibiting the charts and write up was witnessed. Each student of the group were assigned tasks and they took individual responsibility and assumed the role of social cohesiveness by the group activity. The student teachers prepared power point presentation on the topic assigned to them and also provided the class with study material of the concerned topic. An assessment consisting of MCQ was done at the end to review the understanding gained by the student teachers on the different thinkers.

Mind mapping is a beneficial learning tool to help students brainstorm any topic and think creatively. Mind mapping is a visual form of note taking that offers an overview of a topic and its complex information, allowing students to comprehend, create new ideas and build connections. This methodology was used to teach the topic ‘Role of Education towards Individual Development’ in Course I – Philosophical Foundations of Education. The various aspects of Individual development and how education caters to Individual development was mind mapped for easy reference. The students were arranged as per their Tutorial groups. they were asked to imagine themselves as an identity or any personality and that individual is groomed through Education. Students were aptly prepared the charts of the same.

Blended Learning was a right blend of Online and Offline mode of learning. In the unit II – Professional Ethics of Course I – Philosophical Foundations of Education Blended Learning was very meaningful. The students were shown YouTube clippings, movie clipping and short stories of different teachers and how they impact in a student life. the positive and detrimental effects of student- teacher relationship was highlighted. this made them think positively and effectively on code of conduct and professionalism in teaching was emphasised. The students came their thoughts and experiences of different teachers in the life.

Best Practice in Career Cell – Job Perfect

1. Title of the practice: JOB PERFECT
P: Identify Potential of each student through SWOT Analysis
E: Expand content knowledge
R: Create Readiness to face interview
F: Focus on personality development
E: Enhance Communication Skills
C: Career Counseling
T: Test Yourself

2. The context that required the initiation of the practice:
B.Ed. is a professional course which trains the students to be adopted in various schools. The course provides both theory and practical knowledge to students. But still when it comes to choose their desired jobs and how to groom themselves for it sometimes become a challenge for student teachers. So the initiative of the best practice ‘JOB PERFECT’ will give them opportunity to explore the real working world and accordingly train themselves.

3. Objectives of the practice: The objectives of this practice are as follows:
1. To identify the strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats in choosing a job
2. To cater to the diverse needs of the student teachers based on the above analysis
3. To create readiness to face interview
4. To focus on personality development
5. To enhance communication skills
6. To have sessions on career counselling
7. To have a review and give feedback to student teachers

4. The practice:
P: Identify Potential of each student through SWOT analysis. B.Ed. is a two year program. This best practice will be practiced in their second year when many placement schools and colleges are invited for campus recruitment. So it is important that each student is trained first to understand their individual potential and accordingly groomed to give their best in interviews and their demonstration lessons. SWOT analysis will help in self analysis and will help the teacher educator too to plan activities according to the need felt.

E: Expand content knowledge. We have content enrichment program throughout our B.Ed. programme. To strengthen the idea of rich and updated content, sessions will betaken on more reading practice, relevant content discussion from newspaper, magazines etc. which will help in up gradation on current topics relevant to their subjects.

R: Create Readiness to face interview. Facing an interview is a nightmare for few student teachers. So lot of emphasis will be given to have mock interviews involving and engaging the student teachers. It will give practical experience of what to do and what not to while facing any interview.

F: Focus on personality development.Personality Development is very important aspect of an effective teacher. Workshop will be taken to enhance their personality so that they develop confidence within themselves.

E: Enhance Communication Skills. Effective verbal and non verbal communication helps in healthy interaction with people. Sessions will be taken to ensure that student teachers communicate with clear, concise, complete, and correct language.

C: Career Counseling. Career counseling will help student teachers to be aware of wider scope of pursuing B.Ed. Course.

T: Test Yourself At the end of all the sessions’ student teachers will once again do the SWOT analysis to find out the improvement in each one.

5. Impact of the study: This practice will boost the morale of our student teachers and they will develop into more promising and confident applicants for any job.

6. Resources required: Teacher educator as are source to analyze the SWOT analysis, plan different activities, check student teacher’s progress, give regular feedback, invite resource person for interactive sessions etc.

7. Feedback mechanism and future plans: A comprehensive feedback will be taken by the teacher educator, with respect to effectiveness of each activity conducted.

Best Practice in Innovative Practices – Edu- 2030

Title of the Practice: Edu- 2030

The context that required the initiation of the practice: The United Nations is 2015 gave the Sustainable Development Goals, a universal call of action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The goals are interconnected – often the key to success. These goals have become the key indicators in schools, colleges, educational institutions etc. Since the B.Ed course caters to the needs of the students in school and colleges we need to align the Course structure to the SDG’s Since the mission and vision of PCER focuses on global challenges, this best practice can be included in Criteria VII as Edu-2030 an attempt to cater to the needs of the global society.

Objectives of the practice:

  1. To create awareness of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
  2. To develop competencies among student teachers on SDG’s.
  3. To develop activities for sustainability of SDG’s

The practice:

The students will be oriented about the need for Sustainable Development Goals to be addressed in meeting our global challenges. This will include a detailed understanding of the 17 SDG’s and their impact on the society. The key competencies for sustainability will be focused through activities which will make each of the student teacher to take decisions judiciously.

Competencies are:

Critical Thinking competency: The ability to question norms, practices and opinions, to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions and to take a position in these situations.

Anticipatory competency: The ability to understand and evaluate multiple, possible and desirable actions and assess the consequences of these actions in dealing with risks.

Normative competency: The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underline one’s actions and to negotiate sustainable values, principles and goals.

Strategic competency: The ability to design and develop social initiative towards SDG’s

Collaborative competency: The ability to learn from others, respect their needs, be sensitive to other’s needs and facilitate collaborative problem solving.

Self-awareness competency: The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community towards SDG’s and witness the global impact.

Problem-solving competency: The ability to apply different problem solving approaches and develop viable solutions to promote sustainable development.

These competencies will be addressed through movies, role play, scenario based learning, drama, field visit, expert talk, case study etc. All the 17 SDG’s will be catered and the student-teachers will be given an in-depth understanding by focusing on the specific learning objectives – cognitive learning objective, socio-emotional learning objective and behavioral learning objective.

Impact of the study:
This study will focus on developing the student teacher competencies about the SDG’s through the various learning objectives

  • Be sensitive about SDG’s
  • Foster SDG’s in their practice teaching lessons
  • Augment the knowledge of SDG’s and its impact in life.

Resources required:

The resources such as the arrangement of movies, role play and other teaching methods that will be needed in fostering the competencies of SDG’s.

Feedback mechanism and future plans:

A comprehensive feedback will be taken on the competencies of SDG’s inculcated by the teacher educator.

Best Practice in Innovative Practices – Edu- 2030

Title of the Practice: Edu- 2030

The context that required the initiation of the practice: The United Nations is 2015 gave the Sustainable Development Goals, a universal call of action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The goals are interconnected – often the key to success. These goals have become the key indicators in schools, colleges, educational institutions etc. Since the B.Ed course caters to the needs of the students in school and colleges we need to align the Course structure to the SDG’s Since the mission and vision of PCER focuses on global challenges, this best practice can be included in Criteria VII as Edu-2030 an attempt to cater to the needs of the global society.

Objectives of the practice:

  1. To create awareness of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
  2. To develop competencies among student teachers on SDG’s.
  3. To develop activities for sustainability of SDG’s

The practice:

The students will be oriented about the need for Sustainable Development Goals to be addressed in meeting our global challenges. This will include a detailed understanding of the 17 SDG’s and their impact on the society. The key competencies for sustainability will be focused through activities which will make each of the student teacher to take decisions judiciously.

Competencies are:

Critical Thinking competency: The ability to question norms, practices and opinions, to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions and to take a position in these situations.

Anticipatory competency: The ability to understand and evaluate multiple, possible and desirable actions and assess the consequences of these actions in dealing with risks.

Normative competency: The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underline one’s actions and to negotiate sustainable values, principles and goals.

Strategic competency: The ability to design and develop social initiative towards SDG’s

Collaborative competency: The ability to learn from others, respect their needs, be sensitive to other’s needs and facilitate collaborative problem solving.

Self-awareness competency: The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community towards SDG’s and witness the global impact.

Problem-solving competency: The ability to apply different problem solving approaches and develop viable solutions to promote sustainable development.

These competencies will be addressed through movies, role play, scenario based learning, drama, field visit, expert talk, case study etc. All the 17 SDG’s will be catered and the student-teachers will be given an in-depth understanding by focusing on the specific learning objectives – cognitive learning objective, socio-emotional learning objective and behavioral learning objective.

Impact of the study:
This study will focus on developing the student teacher competencies about the SDG’s through the various learning objectives

  • Be sensitive about SDG’s
  • Foster SDG’s in their practice teaching lessons
  • Augment the knowledge of SDG’s and its impact in life.

Resources required:

The resources such as the arrangement of movies, role play and other teaching methods that will be needed in fostering the competencies of SDG’s.

Feedback mechanism and future plans:

A comprehensive feedback will be taken on the competencies of SDG’s inculcated by the teacher educator.

Implementation by
Dr. Reni Francis

Best Practice in Innovative Practices – IDEAL

  1. Title of the practice: IDEAL
    I – Identify roles and responsibilities of a Teacher.
    D – Define qualities and competencies of a Teacher.
    E – Experiential activities to cater different competencies.
    A – Assessing the competencies.
    L – Learning remediation and Peer Tutoring.
  2. The context that required the initiation of the Practice:

    The B.Ed. course grooms the student teacher to be competent at school. Today teachers face a lot of challenges in schools hence the B. Ed course should focus on enriching the competencies – Professional and Core Competencies. The best practice in student support and progression – IDEAL is an attempt to cater to the competencies for a teacher.

  3. Objectives of the Practice:
    1. To create awareness of the various teacher competencies among the student teachers.
    2. To develop the professional competencies (teacher) among the student teachers.
    3. To develop the core competencies (teacher) among the student teachers.
    4. To develop the teacher competencies among the student teachers through various activities.
    5. To implement different Evaluation process.
  4. The practice:
    • I – Identify roles and responsibilities of a Teacher.
      Take feedback from the student – teacher based on the qualities as perceived by student teachers on the attributes – personal, social, moral, ethical, emotional, culture fit.
    • D – Define qualities and competencies of a Teacher.
      The responses received by the Student Teachers will be checked and the apt statements would be selected. The rating scale would comprise of Core Competence and Professional Competence. A set of statements are made, and pre-test is conducted for the same. The results are analysed.
      Core Competence: A set of standards that are required irrespective of the teaching role
      Professional Competence: A set of standards relevant for the teacher as a professional in the school environment
      This would be framed into statements based on a 4-point rating scale
      E.g.: A teacher should always be polite.
    • E- Experiential activities to cater different competencies.
      Case studies/ Scenario based Learning
      Movie / Video Clipping
      Role play on student needs
      Personality development/ Grooming and Etiquettes
      New methods in teaching and learning:
      Gallery Walk
      Process Drama
      Learning Stations
      Blended Learning
      Inquiry Based Learning
      Circle Time
      TfU (Teach for Understanding)
      Success Stories
    • A – Assessing the competencies.
      Post – test would be conducted after all the activities are catered throughout the year. The Post- test is the same rating scale used as Pre-test to see the difference (if any) has occurred to the Student- teacher during the B. Ed course by incorporating the various activities.
    • Learning remediation and Peer Tutoring.
      The post-test results will be analysed. The student teachers who need attention and direction in the areas of teacher competence will be identified. Remediation in the form of Coaching and Peer Tutoring will be done:
      Coaching by the Teacher Educator Peer
      Tutoring by the student teacher (among the peers)
  5. Impact of the study:
    This study will focus on developing the teacher competencies among the student teacher which will enable them to be more accomplished at their workplace.

    • Being prepared for an interview
    • Personal grooming and Self awareness
    • Awareness of Do’s and Don’ts in classroom and workplace
    • Teacher empowerment
    • Celebrating Professional development
    • Classroom roles
    • Language proficiency
    • Walking the path towards an IDEAL teacher.
  6. Resources required:
    Teacher educator as a resource to prepare the competency rating scale, plan for different activities, Library resources, institutional premise as a resource.
  7. Feedback mechanism and future plans:
    Comprehensive feedback will be taken by the teacher educator on the competency scale prepared, different activities and remediation.