‘Broadstreaming, not Mainstreaming’ – An Approach towards Solutions for Inclusive Development was delivered at XLRI, Jamshedpur as inaugural address in the conference on ‘Solutions to Inclusive Development’ on January 29, 2010.
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Broadstreaming, Not Mainstreaming
There has been wide divergence among psychologists about the nature of role of intelligence in learning processes. Earlier intelligence quotient was taken be the real measure of one’s intelligence. But, now there is another development in the field of learning, which has far reaching implication for educational field. In 1983, Dr. Howard Gardner1, a psychologist and professor of education at Harvard University, suggested in his book, “Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences”, that there are several kinds of intelligences or multiple intelligences, which help people communicate, problem-solve and create. Multiple intelligences are different ways to demonstrate intellectual ability. These intelligences form the base for identification of the nature of learning process of a person.
Multiple intelligence and learning Styles
One of the important conclusions of the multiple intelligence theory is that every child has a unique learning style. Learning style means the method by which a person acquires and communicates knowledge.2 Once learning style is identified, it would be easier for us to select learning methods and materials child will enjoy using because it `fits’ with his or her way of learning. Continue reading A short note on the Theory of Multiple Intelligence
This paper was presented in a programme of Training of teachers in Department of History, Patna University organised by Academic Staff College, Patna in 2005.
It is often said that we learn Historians and not History. We learn their observations, their findings and their conclusion. It reflects author’s perceptions, ideology and his/her method of analysis. It is highly subjective. That is why different historians present the same facts in divergent ways. Their conclusions are generally different and at times contradictory. All this has been a major cause of serious controversies in the academic world. Thus there is an urgent need to look into the methodologies of teaching and learning history. The real question is how can we develop the science of learning history free from biases and prejudices. In this paper we shall analyse how we can make the teaching and learning of history more scientific keeping in view the requirement of changing times.
Education in new socio-economic order
21st century has brought with it a new socio-economic order in the world. Explosion of information technology has reduced the world into a global village. Distances have become immaterial. The demolition of WTC tower at New York, USA was shown throughout the world almost instantaneously. Today the needs of one part of the world can be met by the people of the other part. So the development in one part immediately affects the other part of the globe. Last century saw Quality and Management as important factors for the growth of any community or group. Today situation is changing very fast. Every three months we have something new in a computer. A new computer design can immediately reach to all corners of the world. So unless we are able to make new designs at a very fast rate, we shall be out of market. In the emerging socio-economic scenario it is creativity that will empower a society to take lead in the growth pattern. Continue reading Learning History Creatively
This paper was presented in the national conference organized by Disability Commissioner, Govt. of India at Patna in April 2006.
Go to the people.
Live with them.
Learn from them.
Love them.
Start with what they know.
Build with what they have.
But with the best leaders,
When the work is done,
The task accomplished,
The people will say
‘We have done this ourselves’.
-Lao-tse in 7th century B.C.
‘Folk’ means ‘related to common mass’. Folk practices refer to those practices which have been in use amongst common mass for a long period of time. These practices evolved through ages on the basis of experiences are repository of people’s wisdom. They have been instrumental in shaping the behaviour of the people and as such have the ability to play a key role in social development. These methods have greater social acceptability and have been tried and tested for a long period. There is a need to study them closely so that we can verify the efficacy of these practices and techniques in light of modern scientific findings and wherever they are found to be compatible with them, they should be recommended for wider use for greater benefits with or without modification.
We should also study the methods of communication of these practices, which has helped them in their acceptability on such a wide scale. Couplets of Ghagha and Bhaddari and other similar poets have been of great help in dissemination of knowledge about environment and agriculture in society. Folk methods of dissemination and transmission of knowledge are relevant even today for transmission of modern scientific knowledge. Thus there is a need to study them also and use them in learning of children with disability. If folk methods are synthesized harmoniously with the modern requirements of learning it would be easier to disseminate on large scale and they can easily gain wide acceptability. Continue reading Lessons for Prevention and Management of Disability
Despite several alluring programmes and incentives in the form of cash and kinds, majority of underprivileged and poor children prefer not to go to school. Even if they do, they don’t continue there. Is it because they don’t understand the value of education or the interventions are not attractive enough to retain them in school? So far we thought that poor people being deprived of physical amenities may be lured by physical benefits only. But, this has not proved correct. Physical allurement have not been able to retain poorer children within four walls of schools. Our approach has been grossly misdirected. The main malaise seems to lie somewhere else. Education today is highly dominated by middle class considerations and concerns with no room for lower class aspirations and talent to be nurtured properly to fully blossom. Unless education system takes care of the peculiar nature of the psychology of the underprivileged, their needs and aspirations and the special circumstances in which a underprivileged child is born and brought up, we cannot expect to make a dent in the existing scenario.
Scientific studies have established that maximum development of brain in a child takes place before the age of 5 years. So the learning of the child would largely depend on the foundation laid during these early years. It has been found that if a child is born with good eyes but his eyes are covered for 3-4 years, then he may not be able to see all through his life even though his eyes may be physically well. This happens because the connections of neurons in respect of vision matures by the age of 3-4 years. If proper care is not taken to develop them, then these neuron connections may not develop in future. Continue reading Educating Underprivileged – Some critical concerns