British Council teacher workshop on Core Skills

The teachers from The Indian School attended a workshop conducted by the British Council on the core skills needed for successful classrooms. This was held on 21 July, 2017 at the Le Meridian Hotel. The teachers who attended it were Ms. Chanda Sharma and Ms. Smriti Singh.

The workshop began with a brief welcome and a shuffling of all the teachers present, to form new groups. We then had a discussion on what deep learning actually is. Each of us was asked to express an opinion on the topic. Further, we were told about how Blooms taxonomy defines deep learning. During this introductory session, we were also made to do some activities like studying our palms and drawing a tree.

Thereon, our facilitator, Ms. Chandeep, started talking about the 6 core skills and discussed them with the help of videos and games. She even explained how and why each is important.

The first skill we discussed was CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING. Here we were told the meaning of both terms, followed by a video and a discussion. We had to choose a hypothetical situation and play roles showing the pitfalls in the teaching process.

Critical thinking encourages thinking out of the box and being able to produce new innovative ideas. Problem solving is to be able to achieve ones goals despite hurdles on the way. We learnt about questioning strategies and different types of questions that we must pose to students and how those must be directed.

The second skill was CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION. Here we were told to interpret a video in our own ways. We were asked to introduce ourselves simply using our names and prefixing an adjective of the same alphabet as the initials of our first names. We were shown a bag and then asked to prepare questions. We were also told to draw a scenery. All these activities were done to teach us what creativity means and how every persons thought process is distinct and different. These activities taught us that we must respect diverse views.

The third skill was COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION. Here we discussed the importance of working together at different levels as well as the need for effective communication. We realised that communication is not necessarily verbal. Non verbal or written communication also plays a vital role. We did a picture story to prove this point. We also played games like arranging ourselves in the order of the months of births but without speaking or even using any signs! We were asked to compose a rhythm with whatever object was on the table. In another activity, we were asked to craft something useful with the help of a pen and demonstrate the action to enable others to guess. All these activities effectively helped us understand how communication and collaboration works to help us function.

The fourth skill was CITIZENSHIP. This has to do much with the relation between us and our country. It talked about the values we must have and the connection we must share as citizens of a country. It referred to being globally aware of happenings around us. We were asked to name one threat that we regard as severe for our planet and discuss the Why and How of it in our groups.

The fifth skill was DIGITAL LITERACY. In this we were first asked about what we thought it meant. Then our views were discussed. Digital literacy is far beyond just knowing and understanding computers. It deals with using technology as a tool to reinforce, strengthen and deepen learning through international collaboration as well. Here we were told about the importance of video conferencing, skype sessions etc. and how it leads to multi cultural learning. We watched two videos: one of children who are technologically advanced and the second, of mystery skype. We then differentiated between the learning the students received in both ways.

The sixth skill was STUDENT LEADERSHIP AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT. As the name suggests it had to do with the importance of self growth as well as of defining the importance and role of a good leader. We did a think-pair-share activity where discussed the same with our partners. We learnt the importance of leadership even at the student-level.

The entire day was an amazing learning experience. We not only left the place with a great deal of knowledge but also a deeper understanding of a whole lot of things. We hope to implement what we have learnt in our classrooms and look forward to the next in-depth part of the workshop.

Ms. Smriti Singh.