INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING

Teaching techniques have undergone radical changes in the ast !e" #ears $ee ing in vie" the changing require%ents and changing attitudes to"ards learning o! the students& The !ollo"ing techniques "hich have stood the test o! ti%e during late '(th centur# have )een success!ull# ado ted in our College* na%el# National Institute o! Science and Technolog#* +erha% ur have the standards !or all ti%es to co%e& ,& Facilitating rather than Teaching '& -ulti%edia over +oo$s and Notes .& Students versus Students /& Acce tance over 0e1ection 2& 3ateral Techniques o! Teaching ro%ise o! )eco%ing teaching

1. Facilitating rather than Teaching

4r& S& Sadasivan in his )oo$ Teaching and Beyond 5'((67 gives riorit# to the %odern 8androgogic %odel9 over the traditional 8 edagogic %odel9 o! teaching in the class roo%& In the 8 edagogic %odel9 o! teaching* the classroo%s are teacher:centric& Follo"ing the ver# et#%ological %eaning o! the ; edagogic*< the teacher ta$es the role o! ;agogos< 5= the leader7 over the ; aidos< 5=the children7 o! the class roo%&, The teacher has a strong ro ensit# !or leading and controlling the students as er the edagogic standards& +ut* toda#*

lecturing is dis%issed )ecause o! the shi!t in the %ethod o! teaching in the %odern class roo%s& -orti%er Adler* the A%erican Aristotelian hiloso her rightl# o)serves> ;3ecturing is the trans!er o! in!or%ation !ro% the notes o! the lecturer to the notes o! the student "ithout assing through the %inds o! either 5e% hasis %ine7<&' No "onder* the alternative %odel o! teaching* na%el# the 8androgogic9 %odel !ocuses on the un!urling o! the students9 %inds !ro% the thralldo% o! conventional thin$ing rocess& 3inda Con"a# is ver# %uch

conscious o! the de)ilitating e!!ect o! the traditional %ethods o! teaching* "hich e% hasi?e the cra%%ing o! the ideas into the students9 %inds& In her "ords* ;It is not "hat is oured into a student that counts* )ut "hat is

lanted&<. For 8 lanting9 ideas into the #oungsters9 %inds* certain reconditions li$e thin$ing !reel# and deciding intuitivel# are inevita)le& The teacher* on his art* %ust %a$e e!!orts so as to trigger the i%agination o! the students* not )# !ollo"ing the )eaten trac$s o! handling the classes* )ut )# creating ne" situations !or the students& Anatole France rightl# sa#s* ;The "hole art o! teaching is onl# the art o! a"a$ening the natural curiosit# o! #oung %inds !or the ur ose o! satis!#ing it a!ter"ards&< / Initiall#* it %a# not )e that interesting* )ut* su)sequentl#* as the u ils !it into the structure o! learning* it "ould )e a)solute !un and learning together& 3etting the students $no" and learn through the%selves "or$s "onders "ith the students& resent:da#

2. Multimedia over Books and Notes

It is not enough to change the %inds o! the taught )# %a$ing the% thin$ !reel# and creativel#& All the ideas that are generated in the class:roo% o! no use* i! the# are not ro erl# i% lanted into the %inds o! the #oung& Con!ucious could antici ate the ga )et"een the state o! thought!ulness and the art o! learning on the art o! the students* and sa#s* ;3earning "ithout thought is la)or lost* thought "ithout learning is erilous 5e% hasis %ine7&<2 3earning %ust ta$e lace and in the right %anner& Here co%es the role o! the %odern %ulti%edia "hich !ocuses on sho"ing rather than telling& +ringing the technolog# inside the
class roo% not onl# %a$es the students !eel interested* )ut also gra)s their attention to "hat is dis la#ed& 4oing things )# the%selves and si%ultaneousl# e@ osing the%selves to the visual and audio aids dou)l# )ene!it the students in their learning& E@tra in!or%ation through various %ethods o! co%%unication hel s hastening the rocess o! learning& Aeo le )elieve and re%e%)er "hat the# see rather than "hat the# hear& And "hen )oth the sources are resent* it can )e "ell construed that the a%ount o! learning "ould de!initel# )e intensive& As a %atter o! !act* the class:roo% teaching )eco%es ine!!ective "hen the teacher teaches directl# !ro% the te@t )oo$s& In the resent:da# situation* the students have o!ten roved to )e s%arter than the teachers* as the# never su!!er !ro% the dearth o! resources to learn the su)1ects& Aroviding notes to the students can onl# %a$e the class roo% %ess# rather than serve the ur ose o! learning& As against these old teaching ractices* sho"ing relevant and related videos and docu%entaries in the class roo% "ould surel# increase the students9 artici ation and understanding to a great e@tent& Internet "ould )e another "onder!ul tool o! e@ osing the students to the varieties o! ideas and vast ool o! resources& Also* on: line tests* e@ercises* qui??es and ractices "ould )e o! great hel & -oreover* the

eccentricit# o! the

resent tech:savv# generation can )e catered through their

e@ osure to the recent %ulti%edia %aterials "hich are !ound all around& Thus* )# letting the students discover things !or the%selves !ro% the vast resources availa)le* the teachers not onl# "ould ose a challenge )e!ore the% )ut also "ould increase the curiosit# and inquisitiveness a%ong the students* "hich itsel! is a re"arding e@ erience !or the students&

3. Students versus Students

-an# a ti%e* the class:roo% situations end u "ith tussles )et"een the

students and the teachers& The students9 discussion o!ten veers round the dissatis!action over the teachers9 ans"ers& It )eco%es a ro)le% on the art o! the teachers to satis!# the %ost activel# diversi!ied #oung )rains& In order to a# the students in their o"n coin* the teacher should allo" and su ort the%*

to la# the ga%e in their o"n "a#s& Instead o! the teachers indulging in class roo% "rangles* it "ill )e sa!e to ass on the )aton to the students* as$ing the% to engage the%selves in )rain stor%ing and !ind out the ans"ers )# the%selves& Through %utual de)ates* discussions and altercations*

acco% anied )# the teachers9 guidance* the students "ould naturall# )ring out the )est in the%& Sel!:learning is tre%endous& A art !ro% reaching the solutions* the students also develo colla)orating* understanding grou so%e o! the required s$ills li$e )ehavior* ti%e %anage%ent* con!lict

%anage%ent* negotiating* )eing ada ta)le and %an# others "hich %a$e the% )etter hu%an )eings in !uture&

4. Acceptance over e!ection

In the changing scenario* the teacher:taught relationshi has ta$en a ne"

di%ension& The %anage%ent rinci les have )een governing toda#9s class roo% attern& In the resent age o! Custo%er 0elationshi -ar$eting 5C0-7* one is re%inded o! "hat -ahat%a Gandhi said a)out the custo%ers in a s eech in South A!rica in ,B6(> A custo%er is the %ost i% ortant visitor on our re%ises& He is not de endent on us& Ce are de endent on hi%& He is not an interru tion o! our "or$& He is the ur ose o! it& He is not an outsider o! our )usiness& He is art o! it& Ce are not doing hi% a !avor )# serving hi%& He is doing us a !avor )# giving us the opportunit" to do so.# Greater than this is the ethics o! our Guru$ul Ashra% "hich )elieves in the teachers9 un!linching love and su ort !or the taught* a thing "hich has )een

success!ull# a ro riated )# the resent:da# teachers& In $ee ing "ith the ethics* the student is encouraged to !loat an idea* no %atter ho" trivial it is& The question o! right or "rong is )eside the oint& The student9s idea is al"a#s ta$en "ith a ositive attitude* and* as !ar as ossi)le* is given a sha e in ter%s o! its contri)ution to the su)1ect under discussion& As re1ection o! their ideas a%ounts to under%ining their osition* it is seldo% done inside the class roo%& These ne" ideas* "hich are usuall# unconventional* )eco%e the har)inger o! a ne" and ro%ising !uture& Hence* it is o)ligator# on the art o! the teacher to

"elco%e the%* encourage the%* and su

ort the%&

Thus* acce tance o! the students9 sli u s and alternative ideas o ens ne" vistas and gives a sco e to see the "orld through a $aleidosco ic ris%& In !act* the "hole leasure lies in discovering to the e@tent the students are e@ eri%ental and creative&

$. %ateral Techni&ues o' Teaching

Ed"ard de +ono* the high: riest o! lateral thin$ing rein!orces the idea o! not con!or%ing to the esta)lish%ent* and not !ollo"ing the so:called conventional rules and regulations "hich are )eing er etuated )# the lo#al and a)iding eo le& The students have to unlearn the rules o! con!or%it#* and )egin thin$ing a!resh "ithout entertaining an# )arriers o! traditions and conventions& It is here the resent:da# teacher has a role to la#* )# allo"ing the students to thin$ contraril#* to den# "hat has )een handed over to the% !or generations& The Associations !or Su ervision and Curriculu% 4evelo %ent 5ASC47* ,6D' Eear)oo$ Co%%ittee* accordingl#* uts !orth the %illion:dollar idea that

creativit# is ;a %atter o! )eing di!!erent* o! daring to change* o! venturing !orth&<F In order to cater to their tastes* the teacher is required to shed the old ha)its o! declaring the targets o! his teaching at the )eginning o! his class* and i% le%enting the% in the %ost %echanical "a#& The students could )e dra"n into an arra# o! ne" ha)its o! thin$ing di!!erentl#* re%oving all hindrances on their "a#& The# should )e allo"ed to e@ lore and discover ne" things& The

students should )e encouraged through the e@ercise o! )rain:stor%ing to contradict the status quo and go against the clichGd 8grain o! truth&9 Teaching thus should )e equi ed to generate counter:culture a%ongst the students& The teacher equall# should s"erve a"a# !ro% the hac$ne#ed %ethods o! teaching& He should ada t hi%sel! to the ne" "a#s o! teaching* and )ring in su)1ects that are laterall# connected to the teaching o! language and gra%%ar& Instead o! teaching language onl# through the )and"agon o! language* it could )e done so through diverse do%ains o! literature* %athe%atics* histor#* s#cholog#* la" etc& -oreover* through %ovies* ne"s a er readings* novel revie"s* oetr# a reciations* live co%%entaries on cric$et or !oot)all* stories and narratives* the students can )e taught the tough and dr# gra%%ar ite%s li$e tense* articles* re ositions* sentence structures* voca)ular# etc& Instead o! teaching the contents in the dra) %anner* the teacher can al"a#s conte@tuali?e the% through the re ertoire o! su)1ects outlined a)ove& At our Institute* "e have introduced a ne" test:oriented course"are* "hich has )een na%ed as 8English 0eading 0evolution&9 Criting e@ercises is seldo% done in vacuu%& The "riting s$ills o! the students are honed through the reading o! ne"s a ers involving the%selves in the current issues& Cord o"er o! the students is cultivated through a series o! assages "hich rovide the conte@t to the "ords& Aresentation s$ills* si%ilarl#* are develo ed through the anal#sis o! a stor# or a novel "hich the students read to their hearts9 content&

Hence* I conclude that it is al%ost %andator# on the art o! the resent:da# teachers consciousl# to %ove a"a# !ro% the older ractices o! teaching and ado t* as !ar as ossi)le* the ne" %ethods o! teaching through a ne"

environ%ent and !ree s irit in the class:roo%* so as to a"a$en the students to ne" "a#s o! li!e& e'erences(
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France* Anatole. The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard. Trans& L Ed& -oore& Ne" Eor$> -ondial* '((F&
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Quoted !ro% Ned A& Flanders& Analyzing Teaching Behavior& -assachusetts> Addison:Cesle# Au)lishing Co&* ,6F(> &,2&