Contemporary Classroom Workshop Series in Bangalore

The academic year is in full swing and we are around the time when the country comes together to celebrate its teachers! In that line of thought, we at The Teacher Foundation proudly present 'Contemporary Classroom Workshop Series' (CCWS), kick-starting in the same week as Teachers' Day! A package of highly engaging and interesting workshops, this series promises to empower teachers to re-innovate and subsequently transform the teaching – learning process in their classrooms.

As the name suggests, this workshop series encapsulates a wide range of content from Story telling, computer skills in teaching, effective questioning techniques to art appreciation, all geared to make teachers the best they can be in their respective classroom set ups!

Why these workshops work:

• Each workshop in the CCWS series stands to offer new ideas and possibilities for teaching empowering participants to create magic in every single class they conduct!
• The structure of the workshops lend themselves to having plenty of group work and focussed group discussions on very specific areas of teaching. This way there is a tremendous practical relevance of learnings from these workshop in modern day classrooms.
• The workshops are conveniently scheduled after school hours (between 2:30pm and 5:30 pm)
• Schools can train as many teachers in its staff on a variety of topics in a span of just 2 months!
• The workshops are held at a centrally located school to make it accessible for teachers travelling across the city!.

Workshop 1
Creating A Character
Grades : English Teachers (Middle and High School)
Facilitator: Rima Sinha is a Drama Educator with a Post Graduate Diploma, (Drama in Education) from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. She brings in rich and varied experience ofworking with children, NGOs, Advertising professionals etc. She has also conducted Drama workshops for teachers in such diverse subjects as, “Creative dramatics for Non- Drama Teachers” and “Addressing Intolerance in Schools”.
Synopsis : The workshop will seek to provide support to those amongst us, who time and time again, have to address that familiar cry, “Can we please have a fun class today?”! This is a workshop for English teachers to explore how designing a character, can provide an opportunity for creative writing and spoken English. This will include a series of writing, verbal, kinaesthetic and art activities.
Date: Thursday, September 2nd, 2010
Time : 2.30 PM to 5.30 PM

Workshop 2
Storytelling
Grades : Open to All
Facilitator : Padmavathi Rao has spearheaded the Sarsayee Foundation for Theatre and Education which trains teachers to facilitate learning among both children and adults. She has authored a textbook on life skills through theatre. Padmavathi is a well known TV and film personality. She has worked both in front and behind the camera in various capacities ranging from dialogue writer, scriptwriter, assistant director, director and actress. She has directed a film for children last year titled 'I Can Do It' , on the fear of exams which was shown to school students across the country.
Synopsis : Stories have a timeless fascination for children. Stories imaginatively integrated with curriculum can make for a memorable experience. More often than not subjects are taught in the conventional way with an emphasis on written work that encourage children to learn by rote. In this workshop, stories will be told and recreated to leverage classroom learning.
Date: Thursday, September 7th, 2010
Time: 2.30 PM to 5.30 PM

Workshop 3
Answers and Questions!
Grades : Open to All
Facilitator : Jothi Sarath holds a doctorate from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. She has worked as a market researcher, in human resources and as a school teacher. In this workshop she uses her background in psychology to share about answers and types of questions.
Synopsis : Can a teacher teach only by asking questions or by only teaching content, hoping that this will stimulate thought and will lead to more questions and answers? What is the best way to teach? To provide “content”? To start with questions or with answers? Egyptians felt that children learn a lot through the answers that one gets. In this workshop one will learn about types of questions that children ask and how best to
answer them.
Date :Thursday, September 16th, 2010
Time: 2.30 PM to 5.30 PM

Workshop 4
Values- Can they be Taught?
Grades : Middle and High School Teachers
Facilitator : Jyoti Kumta is a trained teacher, counsellor, assessor and trainer with a wide variety of experience. She has taught in various Army and Air Force schools and has also been a counsellor. She is currently a freelance trainer working with a renowned US based company as an assessor. She has prepared the Life Skills Program which is a value education program. It aims at inculcating thinking skills which will
help students make choices that are ethical and balanced.
Synopsis: How can we help students be responsible, caring and ethical? Can values be taught or are they caught? This workshop explores how teachers can integrate values into routine classroom subjects - Science, English, Maths, Social Studies and even during play time.
Date: Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
Time: 2.30 PM to 5.30 PM

Workshop 5
Net Vantage – Catching Up With Computers
Grades : Open to All teachers NOT conversant with computers
Facilitator : Chandran Mohan is a freelancer established in the field of Digital Art. He is trained in Computer Hardware, Networking as well as Advanced Computer Applications. He has experience in training NTPC as well as DGBR officials in the use of computers. Chandran brings his expertise to the uninitiated novice and brings the world wide web to life.
Synopsis : Net-Vantage is a compact, hands-on session (with one computer per participant) on how to use computers to your advantage as a teacher. Enjoy the experience for yourself - Searching for information on the net, looking for great project ideas and lesson plans, downloading text and pictures and modifying them to meet the teaching needs of teachers teaching any subject.
Date: Thursday, October 21st, 2010
Time: 2.30 PM to 5.30 PM

Workshop 6
Great Expectations - For newly qualified Teachers
Grades : Open to All teachers, beginning their career
Facilitator: Lalitha Chacko has enjoyed a fulfilling career in two diverse fields - in the world of hospitality as well as a teacher and teacher trainer. A prolific reader and a booming personality, she brings in a sense of humour and vivacity to any situation. She has contributed to the emotional well-being of both students and colleagues.
Synopsis : Building relationships, especially with young children is never an easy task! Today, in the 21st century classroom, things are a lot tougher for teachers. Keeping a finger on the pulse of your students, connecting with them and their parents require communication skills of the best kind. This workshop will throw light on some routine situations in contemporary classrooms that call for innovative solutions. Teachers will take away some concrete tips to facilitate themselves in the classroom.
Date: Tuesday, October 26th, 2010
Time : 2.30 PM to 5.30 PM

Workshop 7
Connecting With Art
Grades : Middle School Teachers of all subjects.
Facilitator: Tejshvi Jain is a Post Graduate in Art History and certified by the UGC for teaching art at the college level. She has taught Art History and Creative Visual Thinking for Undergraduates and Master's level students. She conducts workshops on art appreciation for adults. Her articles have been published in reputed art magazines. Presently she is working at the prestigious National Gallery of Modern Art, Bangalore.
Synopsis : Teachers will be provided a stimulating learning experience to understand the importance of why and how to integrate visual art with other subjects (language arts, social studies, science, and math). This workshop will not only expose Teachers (and later students) to the wonderful collection of art in the National Gallery of Modern Art but also give the teachers enough confidence to begin integrating Art more effectively in their own subjects. If you're a teacher who believes in bringing in creativity and wants to incorporate Art into your everyday lessons, this workshop is for you !
Date: Thursday, October 28th, 2010
Time: 2.00 PM to 5.00 PM

Workshops 1 to 6 Venue:
Army Public School
K. Kamaraj Road, Bangalore 560 042
Tel No. 080- 25581238

Workshop 7 Venue :
National Gallery for Modern Art (NGMA)
Manekyavelu Mansion, 49, Palace Road, Bangalore 560 052
Tel. No. 080 – 22342338 / 22201027
Suggested Clothing : Comfortably dressed, to allow for movement.

For more details, please contact,
RITIWIKA DWIVEDI
9611130906