NCF 2005 and Teaching –Learning at Elementary Level Sujata B. Hanchinalkar Regional Institute of Education(NCERT) Mysore

NCF –NCERT NCF Focus group Reports 1. Perspectives 2. Learning and Knowledge 3. Curriculum Areas, School stage and Assessment 4. School and Classroom Environment 5. Systemic Reforms

Guiding Principles of NCF Connecting knowledge to life outside the school. -Ensuring the learning is shifted away from rote methods. -Enriching the curriculum to provide for overall development of children rather than remain textbook centric. -Making examination more flexible and integrated into classroom life. -Nurturing an over-riding identity informed by caring concerns with the democratic polity of the country.

The period of elementary school-Class I to VIII Formal introduction-reading, writing and arithmetic cognitive development, shaping reason, intellect and social skills. Plurality and flexibility Child's language competence: issues related to articulation and literacy, and the ability to use language to create, to think and to communicate with others. Opportunities to study in their mother tongue. Diagnosing learning difficulties and addressing remedial work in language and mathematics. Process oriented-approach to curriculum

School and classroom environment Children feel safe, happy and wanted Teacher a facilitator (learner centeredness) Cooperative learning/ collaborative learning Learning experience of learner-importance Interlinking the knowledge of learner with school knowledge Going beyond the textbook Learner autonomy Create knowledge-constructivist classroom

School environment Classroom space- windows, doors in learning Mathematics Outer space-trees helping in understanding seasons, Water conservation concept-gardening, Water harvesting Importance to child’s work- art, painting, poem on wall Ratio 1:30 Learner friendly classroom*(6hrs/day and 1000hrs/yr) Questions/talk/discuss/noise-self-confidence, self-esteem Opportunities for learner to construct knowledge

Maximised use of A-V materials Decompartmentalising the subject boundaries Interdisciplinary approach Community participation-belongingness Plurality of textbooks but not at the cost of quality……………….(authentic source of knowledge?)accontability. Flexibility Textbooks are child friendly- ARE WE?

School subjects Languages - Multilingualism a resource? Studies-bilingual proficiency raises the levels of cognitive growth, social tolerance, divergent thinking and scholastic achievement. Article 350A of our Constitution- instruction in the mother-tongue at the primary stage of education to children belonging to linguistic minority groups. Emphasise on reading (with understanding?) Primary stage, child‘s languages must be accepted as they are, with no attempt to correct them. Class IV, if rich and interesting exposure is made available, the child will acquire standard

Errors are a necessary part of the process of learning. Provide comprehensible, interesting and challenging inputs. Speech and listening, reading and writing- children's mastery over them becomes the key factor affecting success at school. MATHEMATICS the child's resources to think and reason mathematically, logical conclusion and to handle abstraction. Values inbuilt in examples. Teachers engage every child in class with the conviction that everyone can learn mathematics. Visualisation and representatio Skill (at home). Interdisciplinary

SCIENCE Curiosity Observe Hypothesise Verify-experiment Conclude Universal truth- sunrises in the east- DOES HE? Cognitive validity requires that the content, process, language and pedagogical practices of the curriculum are age appropriate, and within the cognitive reach of the child. Content validity requires that the curriculum must convey significant and correct scientific information. Simplification of content, which is necessary for adapting the curriculum to the cognitive level of the learner, must not be so trivialised as to convey something basically flawed and/or meaningless.

Process validity requires that the curriculum should engage the learner in acquiring the methods and processes that lead to the generation and validation of scientific knowledge and nurture the natural curiosity and creativity of the child in science.”LEARNING TO LEARN SCIENCE” Historical validity requires that the science curriculum be informed by a historical perspective, enabling the learner to appreciate how the concepts of science evolve over time. Environmental validity requires that science beplaced in the wider context of the learner's environment, local and global Ethical validity requires that the curriculum promote the values of honesty, objectivity, cooperation, and freedom from fear and prejudice, and inculcate in the learner a concern for life and preservation of the environment

Social Science Sensitivity towards issues Non-utility subject- Provide the social, cultural, and analytical skills to adjust to an increasingly interdependent world Contextualization of content in the diversity/plurality Environmental Studies- sustainable development Reflect the day-to-day experiences ART EDUCATION-'useful hobbies Theatre, Music, Dance, Visual Arts in Education Role play,theatre exercises, body and voice control and movement, and group and spontaneous enactments. debate and discussion

Interactive approach HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION basic needs like food, safe drinking water supply, housing, sanitation and health services influences the health status of a population, and these are reflected through mortality and nutritional indicator Physical education and yoga contribute to the physical, social, emotional and mental development of a child. WORK AND EDUCATION Work -an arena for learning for children Transform knowledge into experience EDUCATION FOR PEACE Intolerance, violence living in harmony with oneself and with others, including nature

Teaching –learning strategies Constructivist approach Cooperative learning Concept mapping Experiential learning Creative writing- Poster making, story board, story telling

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