Developing Skills and Movement through Bamboo Dance

One Physical Education (PE) class is mandatory for all classes in the primary level. Each grade gets a class for PE in a week.The Bamboo Dance was one of the activities I carried out for Class VI and V together.

The activity was basically carried out to facilitate and promote children's movement, skills and rhythm. It also was targeted at improving their coordination and creative skills.The materials used were bamboo poles, wooden poles and music set.

As one can see in the pictures, children thoroughly enjoyed the dance and they were also creative in making their own steps depending on the rhythm of the music. I just had to demonstrate and instruct them once or twice. When it came to hand-eye-legs coordination, some hesitations and laid backs now and then but they were able to observe and catch up. After the first five minutes, children were able to perform on their own.

As a teacher, knowing that your children are enjoying what you are trying to teach, there is no greater satisfaction and happiness than this. It makes one feel proud of what one is doing.

Teaching the names of the Days of the Week

Here, I was playing the song"Days of the Week" to my Pre-Primary (PP) class. I had finished introducing the names of the days of the week but children were facing difficulties in saying the names in sequence.
So, what I did was play the song two three times. At first, they were not able to follow but then the second time, they were able to hum along. And the third time, they were able to sing along together!!!

So, simple ICT integration in our lessons such as this, facilitates learning in children. It also improves retention and understanding power. And sometimes the experiences are lifelong.

Teaching the names of Domestic Animals

These visuals are also from my classroom in PP. Here, I was introducing my children to the names of domestic animals.

The clip has a song along with the pictures of animals in actions. The sounds made by each animal is also given. The clip is realistic and fun as well.

Using this clip, I was able to fulfill my objectives of teaching the names of domestic animals. Not only did the children learn the names of the domestic animals, they were also able to learn the sound that each animal makes. Children were also able to learn many new words such as "farm, down,can, you, see, says, on, goes...". When I asked them what words they could learn, these were the words that they mentioned.

So, in a way, I nailed three objectives with one video clip i.e. 
1. Names of Domestic Animals
2. Sound made by each animal
3. Vocabulary (around 8)
In my opinion, most teachers feel that integrating ICT in our classrooms and lessons is time consuming and not feasible. Well, I vouch that it doesn't take away our time , rather it facilitates our teaching aids us in our delivery of lessons and fulfilling of objectives in more ways than one can express.

A Video Lesson on Work and Energy

If my memory serves me right, I think I mentioned that I teach all primary grades i.e PP till VI. So, this photos are from my Science teaching in grade VI. Here, I used a projector (finally, my school got a projector this year) to teach my students the topic, "Work and Energy" in Science to the sixth graders. The video I used is not a new video. Its a video lesson I had developed as an assignment during my third year of the Distance Education (DE) of which I must proudly say that I scored good grades.

The video lesson had all the necessary requirements I needed to teach my current students. It was full lesson from introduction till the closing of the lesson. Clear instructions of what is to be done in each part of the lesson was also documented. So, I played the video on the projector with clear instruction to my students that I would be asking questions at the end of it. After the instructions, they were left on their own, watching the video. I attended to some other urgent matters.

This is the follow-up part in the video lesson
.


 This section shows the closure part 
of the lesson in the video

At the end of the video, I randomly asked them questions, and seriously, they were able to answer all. Students

Following the correct formation of Letters/Alphabets

In PP again, I used the video I had prepared as an assignment for EDN 419 ICT as a partial fulfillment of the Distance Education (DE). The video was about how to form the alphabets correctly. It shows exacts movements of how to start each alphabet and when to start as well i.e. which alphabet to introduce first and subsequently.

The video was quite useful again. Children were able to follow the instructions and form the alphabets correctly. When they were not able to, I played the video again and again . It helped a lot in the correct formation of the alphabets. Usually, some PP children come to school already knowing to say the alphabets and write as well. However, the problem occurs when it becomes difficult to correct the wrong formation of the alphabets taught by older sibling at home before coming to school. it takes ages to correct the wrong formation and sometimes, it fails!!! 

In this, an earlier assignment helped in the completion of another assignment. It serves as a resource as well.

Introducing Alphabets through the alphabet song

Teaching Pre-Primary (PP) is the most challenging task of a teacher, and tougher than this is teaching PP in remote schools where we have to start from the scratch because of illiterate parents. However, times have changed and things have much improved because of the technology and abundance of resources in the internet. At the touch of a button, teaching resources are at our finger tips if a teacher is willing to walk some extra miles for the benefit of the students.
 

Here, I played to my PP kids the alphabet song which had bright and colorful illustrations. Through this video, I was able to address three objectives i.e. 
1. Names of the alphabets
2. Small alphabets
3. Capital letters
 Children were able to sing along and also identify the alphabets when I paused the video and asked them questions. The tune was also easy to follow and children hummed along and enjoyed the song. In a way, it was having fun while learning. Such activities boosts learning achievements as the visual attractions make learning enriching and worthwhile.

Brain Break during Science

I teach all grades from Pre-Primary  to VI. As of this year, I am teaching all subjects of PP and Science to Grade VI students. Since I taught them Science in the 5th grade, they wanted me to continue teaching them in the 6th grade too, a choice that reflected my success in teaching. As a teacher, there is nothing more rewarding and satisfying than to know that a set of students prefer you to teach them !!! Of course, I graciously and happily accepted that. In fact, I have no unwillingness or restrictions to teach any subject or grade. I am comfortable teaching all primary subjects and grades, owing to my passion for teaching and of course, the plus 16 years of experience that adds to the competency.

This year, I have only ten students in my Science class and that makes a lot of my job easier: from activity designing to assignments and corrections. Except foe one low achiever, all of them are bright and high achievers which again lightens my job. So science teaching is fun, realistic and enjoyable. The students agree on this note too.

However, even the brightest of the bright students have their time of the day: diverting attention from the task or staying inactive and lethargic in the class. So to address this issues, I carry out "Brain Breaks" i.e. 

take five minutes break from teaching-learning and do some brain exercises like singing, concentration games etc that will rejuvenate the burdened brain. In doing so, children are more active and attentive in carrying out the rest of the task.

In the pictures shown, we sang a karaoke!!! Of course, they were thoroughly into it .....

Engaging a Combined Class

When the weather is hot and humid; when fans are a far fetch cry; when you are repeatedly in the same class for five periods, talking and shouting and moving non stop at the same time; and when your throat starts to hurt and your voice start to cackle, that's when you know you have had enough of the day.

So, sometimes when things get too hard to continue, my colleague (in the next class teaching grade I) and I get our students together in one class and play them songs, rhymes or any educative cartoon . This keep the children engaged and they also learn new words too. They are also exposed to language usage , which in turn improves and facilitates their listening and speaking skills.

As for my colleague and I, we sit together 
and plan for the next day, prepare
 learning materials, make corrections etc.
 Or sometimes, we just sit and relax and 
watch with the kids. We deserve a break too !!!

Class Engagement using ICT

I am pretty sure most teachers (especially primary teachers serving in remote schools) are bogged down with too many works and responsibilities. I, for instance teach seven periods a day without even a single off period. If my job is only to teach, that doesn't give me much problem but when one has to shoulder other responsibilities as well, that's when the workload hits you hard and rack your nerves!!

Like any other body or office, we do have to sit for reviews and meetings, and that's another time when the issue of shortage of teachers booms in and disrupts the normalcy of the school routine. That's because when all the teachers sit for a meeting, the classes and children are left on their own, creating chaos and uproar. Unlike in the high and secondary schools where only the H OD's meet to discuss issues or anything, its a different scenario in the primary schools, especially in the remote schools. E.g. we are seven teachers in the schools including the principal, so for any kind of meeting or review, all of us have to sit together. And what do we do with our classes? Of course!!! We keep them engaged !!!

I am the class teacher of Pre-Primary (PP). So when we had our first meeting of the year on 26th March, 2016, I screened them an educative movie, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" with clear instructions that I will be in the office and that I am going to check on them from time to time. 

When I did check, it was to find that all were engrossed in the movie, no fights and quarrels which usually happens when kids are left on their in the class. 

Reflction on ICT Module EDN 419

       
 Everything in life is a choice, and I know I have made a right one in opting for the module EDN 419 i.e. ICT in Teaching and Learning.

The module on ICT in Teaching and Learning was an added bonus to my 15 years experience of teaching  primary children. As a teacher working with an aim to bring positive changes in my students, I always strive to try out new strategies, approaches and varied instructions to make teaching learning more meaningful and enriching for the students as well as for myself. Thus, the  module EDN 419 on ICT in Teaching and Learning landed on my lap with a perfect timing when the mode of instructions for education is revolving around technologies,  ushering us into the digitized 21st century world.

Its hard to decide which topics were more helpful and informative, and harder still to recollect which topics were redundant and not necessary. For a teacher like me, who has been working in the remote corners of the country for the last fifteen years, and who has minimum exposure to the digitized world,there wasn't  a topic I could name that wasn't helpful and informative to me , personally as well as professionally. All the topics under this module was relevant and informative to me. I know it will go a long way in aiding me in catering to the different needs of my children in the classroom.

From the definitions of ICT integration to creating a simple blog and using it, all the sessions were enriching and worthwhile.