Changes

Every profession has its own professional association for learning and sharing – like doctors, lawyers, accountants, IAS officers and so on.  These associations are a method of continuous interactions with fellow practitioners (peers) and allow methods of learning beyond the college or university. You have also learnt earlier about social constructivism and how we learn from each other and how conceptual learning and contextual understanding are equally important.  

Every profession has its own professional association for learning and sharing – like doctors, lawyers, accountants, IAS officers and so on.  These associations are a method of continuous interactions with fellow practitioners (peers) and allow methods of learning beyond the college or university. You have also learnt earlier about social constructivism and how we learn from each other and how conceptual learning and contextual understanding are equally important.  

Teachers, as professionals too need to connect regularly to their peers, for sharing their experiences, practices as well as insights and learnings. They also need to be able to contact peers as well as mentors for seeking support. However, in the large school system in India, we find that teachers are often isolated in their practice and they have no way of sharing their experiences, reflecting and sharing understanding or seeking solutions for their specific challenges.  In the traditional in-service teacher training programmes, the learning is usually at a point in time; teachers learn in workshops, and there is limited opportunity for interactions after that.  They largely do not have any formal, organized methods of being in touch with their trainers or with each other to extend the learning after the workshop. Hence field-level problems are difficult to solve and also teachers are not able to share their experiences, ideas and resources with one another. After the training workshops, teacher interactions is very limited and physical meetings at the cluster, block or district levels are often not enough to meet these needs.   

Teachers, as professionals too need to connect regularly to their peers, for sharing their experiences, practices as well as insights and learnings. They also need to be able to contact peers as well as mentors for seeking support. However, in the large school system in India, we find that teachers are often isolated in their practice and they have no way of sharing their experiences, reflecting and sharing understanding or seeking solutions for their specific challenges.  In the traditional in-service teacher training programmes, the learning is usually at a point in time; teachers learn in workshops, and there is limited opportunity for interactions after that.  They largely do not have any formal, organized methods of being in touch with their trainers or with each other to extend the learning after the workshop. Hence, field-level problems are difficult to solve and also teachers are not able to share their experiences, ideas and resources with one another. After the training workshops, teacher interactions is very limited and physical meetings at the cluster, block or district levels are often not enough to meet these needs.   

 

 

While professional communities and associations have been there for a long time, ICTs have made possible ways of connecting and communicating with each other simpler and more accessible.  Online communities are often a good way of continuing interactions beyond the restrictions of meetings of physical time and space.  Online communities can be mailing forums or discussion groups and can be accessed either through your phone or the computer.   

While professional communities and associations have been there for a long time, ICTs have made possible ways of connecting and communicating with each other simpler and more accessible.  Online communities are often a good way of continuing interactions beyond the restrictions of meetings of physical time and space.  Online communities can be mailing forums or discussion groups and can be accessed either through your phone or the computer.