Our “Teachers Community of Learning” (TCOL) is an intensive program focusing on developing classroom strategies and teacher development programs through ICT integration at the class, school and block levels, that can result in meaningful and empowering educational experiences for teachers and students.
In the third phase of the program, ITfC is working with Government Aided High Schools in Bengaluru South 3 block. The program is adopting a 'communities of practice' approach to teacher development and support, along with classroom-based support for innovative pedagogies. The program is being designed and implemented in collaboration with Vijaya Teachers College and with support from Cognizant Foundation. ITfC is already working with Vijaya Teachers College, to support the college in the 'ICT integrated education' course for their student teachers and faculty. The faculty and students of the College will also participate in the TCOL program, thus bringing together pre-service and in-service teacher education in the integration of ICT.
As per the plan, the teachers in the aided schools will interact with one other in physical workshops and through mobile and email communities. This will be in subject-wise groups and will cover Mathematics and Kannada teachers during the first year (2018-19). Subsequently, based on the experience and learning, the program will expand to incorporate other priorities of the schools and teachers.
In addition, the program will also work with the HMs of the aided schools to develop a professional learning community around 'school leadership and development'
Teachers will learn to use ICT for building professional learning communities ('connecting and learning') and also for creating open educational resources ('creating and learning') for use in their own TPD and in subject teaching.
ITfC team will also work with select schools to support ICT integration in subject teaching at the classroom / ICT Lab level. During 2018-19, ITfC team worked with the BHS School, which is part of the BHS Education Society, in Mathematics, to support ICT integration in Class 8, and in St Euphrasias High School in Class 9. The program worked in Kannada language teaching in the Gangamma Hombe Gowda Girls High School and Hombe Gowda Boys High School. Digital literacy program supported subject integration as well in these schools and in MES High School,
During 2019-20, the program continued with the same cohort in these schools and also support the teachers to work with the subsequent cohorts. In Euphrasias High School, we worked with the Class 10 students, which is a 'first' for our program. Subsequently, we have also conducted demo classes for Class 10 students in a few of the other schools, to help students visualize and explore complex theorems in Geometry.
Kannada work was extended to Kamala Nehru Boys High School. Schools are also being encouraged and supported to use the Voice message broadcast system to communicate regularly with parents.
Thanks to the support of the Block Education Officer (BEO), the block level workshops now include the Government High School teachers (these schools were part of the earlier TCOL - Phase 2), along with those from the Government aided schools, thereby extending the community of learning.
