Showing papers in "Contemporary Education Dialogue in 2008"
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TL;DR: The Early Literacy Project (ELP) as mentioned in this paper is an intervention to support Hindi learners, which aimed to build strong foundations in phonological and orthographic knowledge and skills of meaning constructions in keeping with natural pre- dispositions and the out-of-school languages and experiences of learners.
Abstract: The Early Literacy Project is an intervention to support Hindi learners. In the first part of this paper, the theoretical concerns were discussed. In this second part, the experiences of working within classrooms of a few government schools is presented. These included linguistically controlled interventions for beginners, which aimed to build strong foundations in phonological awar eness, orthographic knowledge and skills of meaning constructions in keeping with natural pre- dispositions and the out-of-school languages and experiences of learners. The experiences of setting up 'active print rich classrooms' is also discussed. Although the responses from the classrooms have been encouraging, systemic mechanisms are required for sustaining these interventions.
7 citations
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TL;DR: The Early Literacy Project (ELP) as mentioned in this paper is an exploratory intervention which seeks to find suitable ways to strengthen the foundations for reading and writing in early literacy, and is based on the idea that children learn the social rules of meaning at home and then extend these social rules to the texts encountered in school.
Abstract: Recent literature on Early Literacy has highlighted a profound correlation between social background and literacy levels and the consequent implication of learners from some social contexts, in having greater difficulty in learning to read and write than others. Children are viewed as active participants in the process of learning. They learn the social rules of meaning at home and then extend these social rules to the texts encountered in school. It matters therefore whether the norms in the classroom discussion and transactions privilege single versus diverse and multiple interpretations, and whether they provide equal access to children from diverse social, cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The Early Literacy Project (ELP) interventions are reported in two parts. This first part introduces ELP and discusses the theoretical concerns on the basis of which the project has been designed, as an exploratory intervention which seeks to find suitable ways to strengthen the foundations for reading and writin...
5 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors look at the discourse surrounding Indian children and childhood, in terms of development-related beliefs and understanding of childhood as a social group using qualitative methodology, on the lines of Grounded Theory, clinical interviews supplemented with picture cards were conducted on seven teachers in Lucknow.
Abstract: India is today part of the global debate on childhood. Taking a social constructionist perspective, this exploratory study looks at the discourse surrounding Indian children and childhood, in terms of development-related beliefs and understanding of childhood as a social group. Using qualitative methodology, on the lines of Grounded Theory, clinical interviews supplemented with picture cards were conducted on seven teachers in Lucknow. Teachers’ discourse showed an active-passive paradox in the role of children in their learning and development and childhood was seen as comprising broadly three developmental stages: early childhood, adolescence and late childhood. As a social group, an ideology of incompetence and dependency was seen as underlying various marginalizing practices in adult-child relations.
4 citations
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2 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the author discusses how the author learnt to read herself and how the first six years of childhood form a sensitive period in child development and the understanding of the fact that the tribal children displayed lesser aggression, violence and its indirect but pertinent link with restricted school spaces creating aggression among children.
Abstract: The book’s simplicity and easy readability is one of the strengths despite the disjointed chapters. A few portions of the book may well inform a lot of pedagogic practice about young children. Some intuitive insights shared with the reader are how the author learnt to read herself and how the first six years of childhood form a sensitive period in child development. The understanding of the fact that the tribal children displayed lesser aggression, violence and its indirect but pertinent link with restricted school spaces creating aggression among children is appreciable. Till the time that all children in our country feel happy about coming to school, perhaps we need to be reminded time and again that no child is unteachable or untouchable.
2 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, Gramsci's perspective on the role of consciousness in social and historical transformation and its implications in the sphere of education is discussed, and the implications of this perspective on education are analyzed.
Abstract: This paper discusses Gramsci’s perspective on the role of consciousness in social and historical transformation and more specifically its implications in the sphere of education. It analyses Gramsc...
1 citations
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TL;DR: An interpretation of Gramsci's perspective on Consciousness and Structure and its implications for education is explored in a paper presented in two parts as discussed by the authors, which reflects on the conceptual framework of the development of consciousness in the process of historical changes as the basis to understand his views on knowledge in society and education.
Abstract: An interpretation of Gramsci’s perspective on Consciousness and Structure and its implications for education is explored in a paper presented in two parts. This first part reflects on the conceptual framework of the development of consciousness in the process of historical changes as the basis to understanding his views on knowledge in society and education. It analyses Gramsci’s theoretical insights as well as his criticism of the positions of the positivistes and the ‘mechanical materialists’ who in his view neglect the dialectical relationship between conscious critical activity and material and social reality. The paper highlights his conception of the unity of theory and practice, his understanding of the social system with its relations between structure and superstructures, and his views on the state and the conflicting social hegemonies.
1 citations
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TL;DR: Teacher's Journey as discussed by the authors explores the social world of a teacher and explores the possibilities of exploring academic discourses in a distinct manner, using illustrations, cartoons, and images of teachers.
Abstract: 2 finds imaginative use of illustrations, cartoons and images . In higher education, just as in academic discussions of every journal, we rely on the written word or assume that it alone can create ripples of academic discourses. It is an even rarer event to have a film being made with academics in mind. The film under review (ironically through the written word) Teacher’s Journey opens up and demands us to visualise the possibilities of exploring academic discourses in a distinct manner. It combines the documentation of a teacher’s practice and an enabling tool for the teacher educators to interact with their students. The film fills in what often educationists explore: classroom practices and the social world of a teacher.
1 citations
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TL;DR: Pedagogue's Romance: Reflections on Schooling as discussed by the authors is a book on education, which illuminates the Indian Aeducational scenario and its socio-historical and political background. And, it does this with "lightness," a term used by Prof. Krishna Kumar while referring to Mahatma Gandhi.
Abstract: Pedagogue's Romance: Reflections on Schooling is a book on education, which illuminates the Indian Aeducational scenario and its socio-historical and political background. And, it does this with ‘lightness,' a term used by Prof. Krishna Kumar while referring to Mahatma Gandhi. The origin of the term is explained as being the first of the Six Memos for the Next Millennium written by Italo Calvino with reference to the values that define Literature. Lightness is not triviality but involves rising above gravity and is opposed to stodginess. This characteristic of good writing is amply demonstrated by Prof. Krishna Kumar in the twenty different essays that form the three sections of the book.
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TL;DR: In this paper, Amita Gupta's book is described as "a dense read that would theorise through empirical evidence and investigations of texts, the nature of the connection and the reconciliation of Vygotsky as representative of current western paradigm of learning and education with the Veda as representing the Indian intellectual genius".
Abstract: postponed getting started on Amita Gupta's book in I of a dense read that would theorise through empirical evidence and investigations of texts, the nature of the connection and the reconciliation of Vygotsky as representative of current western paradigm of learning and education with the Veda as representative of the Indian intellectual genius. The well produced, heavily endorsed and recommended book, with an ambitious and long academic title and, based on an award winning PhD thesis, signalled as much. When I finally did find a gap of a week in my life to devote to study and absorb its arguments, I found myself quickly immersed and moving fairly smoothly through it. This is a book written in an appealing style, and moves easily between ‘big ideas' of Indian philosophy and culture, to practice and thinking of teachers and western research on early childhood education. Perhaps, too easily.
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TL;DR: In this article, a holistic approach adopted by DD to the education of adolescents for participatory development is commendable, focusing on decentralized autonomy, self-help, and community ownership which are expected to provide sustainability as compared to relatively external interventions that are necessarily short-lived.
Abstract: shared benefits and linking education with livelihood, thus contextualizing education within the political ecology of survival in a rural context. Another very significant aspect of the work is a focus on decentralized autonomy, self-help, and community ownership which are expected to provide sustainability as compared to relatively external interventions that are necessarily short-lived. The holistic approach adopted by DD to the education of adolescents for participatory development is commendable.
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TL;DR: The main focus of as mentioned in this paper is to address definitional issues of Learning Disabilities: assessment, identification and intervention possibilities, which is a result of the proceedings of the International Conference on Learning Dis disabilities and Young at Risk, organised by the University Grants Commission Centre of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Allahabad.
Abstract: The book is a result of the proceedings of The International Conference on Learning Disabilities and Young at Risk, organised by the University Grants Commission Centre of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Allahabad. This is an important book, as not much scholarly work has been done in the area of Learning Disabilities (LD) in India. More so, since Disability Studies has not yet evolved as a discipline in its own right. As the editors themselves indicate, “It is evident that the entire area of learning disabilities in India is confronting fundamental and basic issues pertaining to assessment and interventions. Some beginnings have been sporadic, a-theoretical and at times ad hoc”. The book's major focus then is to address definitional issues of Learning Disabilities: assessment, identification and intervention possibilities.
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a study of the acquisition of numbers concepts, with a focus on their representation in a formal language, and argue that the inconsistencies in the naming and writing of numbers in Hindi is an important reason for the difficulties faced by children and their consequent poor achievement of basic number competencies and fear of mathematics in primary school years.
Abstract: The paper presents a study of the acquisition of numbers concepts, with a focus on their representation in a formal language. Taking the approach that concept acquisition is a cultural activity, the paper analyses the linguistic features of the number naming system in Hindi, as well as observations of teachers’ classroom practices, difficulties faced by children and the errors they make. The paper argues that the inconsistencies in the naming and writing of numbers in Hindi is an important reason for the difficulties faced by children and their consequent poor achievement of basic number competencies and fear of mathematics in the primary school years.