Capacity building workshop for Physics teachers

A two-day capacity building workshop was conducted by CBSE for teachers of class 12 Physics on 29 and 30 August, 2018 at Ahlcon International School, Mayur Vihar. Our senior teacher, Ms. Archana Raichandani attended the workshop with forty other teachers from various schools across Delhi-NCR.

The workshop aimed at updating pedagogical skills amongst teachers to optimise performance. The resource persons at the session were Mr. Pramod Kumar T K (Joint Secretary, CBSE) and Mr G. K Mishra (Principal, Nutan Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School). Participants were introduced to the programme and handed-out on methodology material at the registration desk.

Principal of the host school, Mr. Ashok Pandey, extended a warm welcome to all participants. He pointed out the need for teachers to update themselves with the latest strategies of teaching. He stressed the importance of conducting hands-on activities in the class in order to promote and develop logical and critical thinking in students.

Mr. Promod Kumar began the session with an ice-breaking activity. He asked the teachers to sit in groups according to the date of birth. He discussed challenges in the course ofteaching physics, like maintaining a balance between competitive exams and CBSE exams, deficient mathematical and application skills, inability to address diverse learners, to name a few.

This was followed by a brainstorming to look for solutions to the challenges named. Some of the suggested measures were the need to lay stress on peer learning, to connect the concepts with examples from daily life, time-management and adoption of the constructivist approach, etc.

Next, the focus shifted to the framing of lesson plans, keeping in mind the development of the concept, the learning outcome sought and activities to be undertaken during classroom teaching. Participants were provided baskets containing material like pencils, balloons, erasers, scissors, stones of different sizes, thread, syringe, etc. They were then asked to prepare improvised teaching aids for the purpose of demonstration.

On the second day, the teachers were asked to frame a question paper of 15 marks, and present a blueprint. Each group was given a topic from the syllabi of classes XI and XII. After half an hour, the groups discussed the question papers on the basis of Blooms Taxonomy- knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

Post-lunch, the session continued in the Physics Lab where each group was assigned a practical to perform. Our group had to prove that the terminal velocity of a body falling through a viscous medium is independent of its mass. We were given about 30 minutes to complete the practical. Thereafter, the groups discussed and analysed the results obtained. This practical demonstrated the hurdles faced which in turn affect the accuracy of readings obtained.

The workshop was very interactive and lent new perspectives on teaching the subject.

Ms. Archana Raichandani.