The document describes new models of teacher education and curriculum development in Karnataka called the Subject Teacher Forum (STF) and Karnataka Open Educational Resources (KOER). The STF model uses online forums and workshops to create communities of teachers who can continuously learn from and support each other. The KOER program allows teachers to collaboratively create open educational resources using a wiki platform and various free software tools. Both programs aim to empower teachers, make resources and training more contextual and decentralized, and integrate technology into the teaching and learning process in meaningful ways. However, both programs still have limited coverage and face challenges related to infrastructure, capacity, and institutionalization within the education system.

1. Pioneering new models
of Teacher Education (STF)
and
Curriculum development (KOER)
in Karnataka
RMSA, DSERT and IT for Change
August 2014

2. Indian Education Context
●
National Curricular Framework 2005 / National Curricular
Framework for Teacher 2005 / Right to Education, 2009

National Policies pushing for universal education of an
equitable quality
National Policy on ICTs in School Education, 2012 / 12 five year
plan for Teacher Education, 2012

Teacher Education seen as a critical lever for quality education

Integration of ICTs in Teacher Professional Development ­
moving from technology centred models to learning centred
models

Open Educational Resources a national priority

3. Subject Teacher Forum
– a new model
of in­service teacher education

4. Current Teacher Education Models

Hub and spoke model
– Centralised design
– 'Content transmission' based
– One size fits all

Point in time workshops
– Limited follow up or support
– Limited participation / interactions within workshop

Huge investments in this area but limited impact on teacher learning

5. NCF TE 2010 – A new model of teacher education
“It is necessary to conceive ways in which teachers can opt for different
kinds of trainings, on interest and requirement
For this, training schedules need to be announced well in advance and
teachers need to be able to register for trainings they wish to undergo
Allocation of funds, training dates, duration and other logistics would
need to be more decentralized and based on individual preferences”
­ National Curricular Framework for Teacher Education
Such a new paradigm of teacher education is possible with the
meaningful integration of ICTs
An attempt to establish this through the 'Subject Teacher Forum' and
Karnataka Open Educational Resources programmes

6. Teacher education model
– Subject Teacher Forum programme

7. Subject Teacher Forum programme (STF)

Established by DSERT / RMSA TE programme from 2011­12

On­site, hands­on workshops combined with resource support on an
email list as well as a web portal

In workshops, teachers learn variety of digital methods: public
educational software tools, web tools (maps, albums, translation)
and access web resources

Subject Teacher Forums (mailing groups) set­up in Mathematics,
Science, Social Science and English

Head Teachers Forum on School Leadership and administration

Share idea/resources and seek support on mailing lists

Accessing Internet and web resources
IT for Change is the resource institution under a MOU with RMSA and DSERT

8. STF – A TE model based on 'Professional Learning Communities'

Peer learning and support is a powerful teacher education method

Physical meetings difficult/expensive to organise often

Virtual forums can provide continuous mentoring as well as self­
directed learning

Teachers, Resource Persons and DIETs are continuously in touch
over email and resources are shared

Programme is fully integrated into the RMSA/DSERT in­service teacher
education programme

Budgetary support from RMSA as per norms

ICT integrated subject training integrated and delivered in­house by
CTE/ DIETs hence institutionalised within the TE institutions
Communities of Practice a cutting edge TE model

9. STF ­ a new model of Teacher Education

Reclaiming the role and identity of the teacher

Integrating technology tools for teaching learning

Educational needs determine technology

ICTs are transformatory and not merely instrumental

Collaborative networks for learning and sharing

Peer learning for teacher professional development

Enabling socio­constructivist models for learning

Continuous learning models

Creation of multiple learning spaces and paths

5 days inservice training every year, supported by online forums

STF ­ a self­paced, self­directed, continuous learning, peer learning
based, systemic TE model

10. By Subject – Maths,
Science, Social
Science, English
By Geography –
State, District,
Taluka
By profile -
HPS teachers, HS
teachers, teacher
educators,
curriculum design
Special lists –
KOER, Volunteers
Over 30
mailing groups
(virtual
forums) have
been created
in Karnataka
Education

11. STF Outcomes (so far)
●
850 + resource persons from all 34 districts have in cascade model
trained over 6,000 teachers from 2,000 schools
●
Over 1,000 teachers have purchased personal laptops

District cascade programme in regular contact with state team and
one another, sharing reports, feedback etc (see http://tinyurl.com/pgyh4rz)

30,000 emails crossed across mailing lists in 3 years
– Sharing / Seeking / Feed­backing / Conversing

https://groups.google.com/d/forum/mathssciencestf

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/socialsciencestf

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/stfenglish

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/htfkarnataka
Forums setup for Kannada and Urdu teachers also

12. STF – long way to go
●
Coverage still limited
●
2,000 of 6,000 high schools covered
●
All subjects yet to be covered, only 6,000 out of 40,000
teachers covered so far
●
Institutionalisation – work in progress
●
programme management at state, district and block levels
●
ICT infrastructure availability at schools
●
Comfort with ICTs across the system – understanding and
practice

13. Karnataka Open Educational Resources
– a new model
of curricular resource design and
development

14. Current learning resource creation models

Text based

One time creation process – publishing

Modification annual basis

Expensive

Limited participation of teachers (top/down)

'Expert' based creation / limited feedback from teachers /
classroom

External resources mostly non­digital, expensive, cannot be
adapted

OER (Open Educational Resources) an emerging resource
creation and sharing model
– 4 Rs (re­use, revise, re­mix and re­distribute)

15. KOER ­ Karnataka Open Educational Resources programme
Wiki based OER portal in English and Kannada – of, for and
by Karnataka Government High School teachers

16. KOER ­ Karnataka Open Educational Resources programme

Digital resource creation

Creation by practising teachers, collaboratively

Built on a wiki platform

Multiplicity of resources – audio visual, simulations, animations,
web applications, textual, using a variety of free and open source
educational applications (see next 2 slides)

Dynamic and collaborative creation

Contextual learning resources (reflect local culture, hence meaningful)

Peer review and comments by other teachers / Teacher feedback
capture

DIET / CTE faculty part of the process

KOER embedded in the STF programme

17. Lunar
eclipse with
Stellarium
Geography
with
Marble
Kalzium-
Chemistry
Maths with
Geogebra
Teachers learn to use
Free and Open educational
software applications
to create resources in various
subjects

18. Image editing -
GIMP
Video
recording
-record
My
Desktop
<-----
audio editing
-audacity
Concept
mapping -
Freemind
Teachers learn a variety of free
and open source editors, to
create and edit resources
– text image, audio,animation,
mind maps, video etc.

19. KOER – A purpose for the STF as well as an outcome

“Professional learning community” of teachers (STF and HTF members)
create, share and review resources
– Email forums for sharing experiences and ideas
– Wiki for resource sharing and access
– Community collaboratively, continuously learning, creating, sharing and
evaluating resources
– When a teacher creates a resource, she learns
– When she reviews a resource, she learns
– When she adapts / curates a resource she learns
– Teacher feels empowered with respect to material adoption / adaptation
in the teaching learning processes
– Collaborative resource creation as a method of teacher education and
agency
KOER – Also a Teacher development model, provides a purpose for the
community of teachers, as well as an outcome of their interactions

20. KOER Outcomes
Over 5,000 web pages created
in mathematics, science, social
science and ICT education
in English and Kannada
Over 700,000 views by teachers in
around 10 months
Over 300 teacher creators and more
contributors

21. IT for Change approach
1. Systemic change is necessary
●
Engage with the government system
●
Work across the entire state (scale)
●
Sustainable approach, only working with a bouquet of schools approach is not
sustainable or scalable
2. Work on the critical lever of teacher education
●
Working directly with students is neither scalable nor sustainable
●
Teachers are the main pillar of the education system and empowering and
strengthening them is essential
3. Engages with policy advocacy
●
Continuous engagement with state and central governments
4. Integrate ICTs in powerful ways into education
●
Domain expertise (Education) based, not merely inserting technology
IT for Change works with RMSA and DSERT as the resource institution for the
STF and KOER programmes