understanding discipline

I sincerely thank Dr. Manoj Pavin, Asso. Professor, Farook Training college for his sumptuous support to prepare an introductory note on the paper  Understanding Discipline and Subjects.

UNDERSTANDING DISCIPLINES AND LANGUAGE: A note on BEd paper of Calicut University

Sankaranaraynanan Paleeri.

Ast. Professor

NSS Training College, Ottapalam, Kerala.

Ph: 9447843559. Email: paleeri@gmail.com.  Blog: www.paleeri.blogspot.com

Search in ‘google’ or ‘youtube’ with full name : sankaranarayanan paleeri

EDU 04. UNDERSTANDING DISCIPLINES AND SUBJECTS

(B Ed Curriculum of Calicut University, 2015)

The term academic (scientific) discipline can be defined as the academic studies that focus on a self-imposed limited field of knowledge.

What one teach and research as part of higher education is the academic discipline of that person (Lexica’ meaning)

Academic discipline is vast accumulation of knowledge in a specific area. For eg: History is discipline. It can also consider Medieval Indian History a discipline. Physics is a discipline. Astro- physics is a discipline. Robotics is a discipline.

A discipline incorporates experts, people, projects, communities, students, inquiries, researches and etc that are strongly associated with the given discipline. For Eg: Micro economics. Or Bio Informatics, or Educational Psychology, Human value education.

Individuals associated with academic discipline are referred to as experts or specialists.

Educational institutions originally use the term discipline to list and record the new and expanding bodies of knowledge and informative procedure by the society or community.

In 1980s there have an explosion of academic disciplines such as media studies, journalism, women studies, gender studies, black studies, pollution, oceanic pollution, hospitality management, hotel management and etc.

There have hundreds of disciplines.

Other than references suggested, available certain information from:

Search for “Eli . S Cohen and Scott J Lloyd: Dsciplinary Revolution and the Rise of the Transdiscipline

http://eprints.ncrm.ac.uk/783/1/what_are_academic_disciplines.pdf

1.      Why university/NCTE/NCF suggested a subject like this?

A subject like this is proposed for teacher education curriculum with broad outlook. A subject or subject teacher is not a water tight compartment. No subject can completely abstain from other subject. This paper assures sharing of subject and teacher capacities between teachers.

All subjects/academic disciplines have a philosophy of its origin and development. A teacher should get a minimum knowledge of all subjects other than his or her school subjects.

Reciprocity among school subjects and subject teachers is a must in this era of fusion and integration.

A teacher must understand that all school subjects have relevance in one or other way, equal or more than her/his own subject of teaching.

A teacher must have minimum knowledge of philosophy of teaching and philosophical scaffolding of methodology of all subjects.

            A teacher may not be or need not be an expert in a discipline. But she/he should keep unending quest to be an expert in her/his discipline. Teaching is a mean to this end. This paper assures the sharing of this world wide academic interest.

            In the drastic period of changes, disciplines are emerging like mushrooms. Transdiscpline and most specific disciplines are organizing knowledge in deviated ways. Teacher must be aware of these factors.

            Scope of teachers in this modern era is the reason for implementing this subject.

Unit	Content	scope	Reference
1	School subjects and academic disciplines-Meaning, definitions and differences. Relationship between school subjects and academic disciplines Content of school subjects, Why studying school subjects?	School Subjects and Academic Disciplines: Three Juxtapositions –continuous, discontinuous, related. Knowing the Content of a School Subject Why studying school subjects? New directions for studying school subjects.	Deng, Z (2013), School subjects and academic disciplines. In A Luke, A woods & K weir (Eds.), Curriculum, Syllabus design and equity: A primer and model Routledge. Ivor F. Goodson and Colin J. Marsh, Studying school subjects, A guide (1996), Routledge.
2	School subjects as historical and cultural phenomena. Schooling for university. Schooling for everyday life.	Same topics as given in the text book Studying school subjects	Ivor F. Goodson and Colin J. Marsh, Studying school subjects, A guide (1996), Routledge.
3	School subjects and their evolution as a Curricular Area at school. Evolution of school subjects before and after independence. Gurukulam, Kutippallikoodam, Patasala and formal schools. Subject nature and Subject history of Languages. Subject nature and Subject history ofMathematics-Mathematical Reasoning Structure ofMathematics: Axioms, Definitions, Theorems, Subject nature and Subject history of Sciences. Subject nature and Subject history of Social Science Subject matter in sciences and social sciences Inquiry in different domains of knowledge -its difference	Same topics as given in the text book Studying school subjects A historical and analytical reading of the pre and post independence schooling in India Subject specific philosophies of Languages, Maths, Science, social science The process of adding new knowledge into the curriculum	Ivor F. Goodson and Colin J. Marsh, Studying school subjects, A guide (1996), Routledge. teacher and education in emerging indian society - NCERT Ivor F. Goodson and Colin J. Marsh, Studying school subjects, A guide (1996), Routledge. NCF chapter 3 – Curricular areas, school stages and assessment.  KCF on appropriate school subjects No reference books ( Should evolve from discussion between students and the teacher of the concerned discipline)
4	Curriculum change as socio- political process. Inclusion of work related subject areas. Inter disciplinary approach, Inclusion of near subject areas such as Sex education, Horticulture, Hospitality, Life skills, Health care. Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection.	Socio- political Factors affecting Curriculum. Importance of inter disciplinary approach. Emerging areas that form part of the curriculum at school level.	Any book on Curriculum Appropriate websites or text books highlighting the importance of these subjects.

Disciplinary Evolution and the Rise of the Transdiscipline Eli B. Cohen Informing Science Institute Santa Rosa, CA, USA and Scott J. Lloyd University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI, USA – some explanations from their book.

“In science …, novelty emerges only with difficulty, manifested by resistance, against a background provided by expectations.”—Thomas Kuhn (2012) Abstract This paper challenges readers to reflect on academic disciplines in a new way, through the lens of the theory of evolution. Indeed, how disciplines came into being has been largely left unexplored. This paper shows how the concepts of evolution can be productively applied to describe the development, creation, and diminishment of disciplines. These concepts include natural selection, speciation, parallel evolution, extinction, and heterosis, among others. The paper concludes that these forces lead to a prediction that a new form of organization, the transdiscipline, is evolving to become perhaps predominant. Keywords: Informing Science, transdiscipline, academic disciplines, evolution Introduction What is an Academic Discipline: Something Old, Something New The term academic (or scientific) discipline can be defined as academic studies that focus on a self-imposed limited field of knowledge. The idea of scientific disciplines is both old and new. Dirks (1996) traces the origins of academic disciplines back to the ancient Greeks, around 500 BCE, but writes that university departments were first seen in the US only around 1825. Stichweh (2001) also sees scientific disciplines as a relatively new phenomenon, writing “The scientific discipline as the primary unit of internal differentiation of science is an invention of nineteenth century society." How do academic disciplines differ? Disciplines differ from one another in at least three primary ways: the area of their investigations (which we call context), their research methods, and their epistemologies (Schommer-Aikins, Duell, & Barker, 2003). The contexts of Material published as part of this publication, either on-line or in print, is copyrighted by the Informing Science Institute. Permission to make digital or paper copy of part or all of these works for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that the copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage AND that copies 1) bear this notice in full and 2) give the full citation on the first page. It is permissible to abstract these works so long as credit is given. To copy in all other cases or to republish or to post on a server or to redistribute to lists requires specific permission and payment of a fee. Contact Publisher@InformingScience.org to request redistribution permission. Disciplinary Evolution and the Rise of the Transdiscipline 190 disciplines are often rendered and compared using a system created by Biglan (1973a, 1973b) that posits a classification of academic disciplines on three orthogonal dimensions (hard vs. soft disciplines, pure vs. applied disciplines, life vs. non-life context).

Sankaranaraynanan Paleeri. Ast. Professor, NSS Training College, Ottapalam, Kerala.

Ph: 9447843559. Email: paleeri@gmail.com.  Blog: www.paleeri.blogspot.com

Search in ‘google’ or ‘youtube’ with full name : sankaranarayanan paleeri

www.nssce.org

Sankaranaraynanan Paleeri.

Ast. Professor

NSS Training College, Ottapalam, Kerala.

Ph: 9447843559. Email: paleeri@gmail.com.  Blog: www.paleeri.blogspot.com

Search in ‘google’ or ‘youtube’ with full name : sankaranarayanan paleeri

EDU 03 – LANGUAGE ACROSS CURRICULUM

            It is a fat that the language that determine the culture and culture that envisages language. They are reciprocal. Humanity is globalized and language accomplish with very many dimensions. All languages are on a tip of drastic changes. Changes are occurring not by ears, but within days or even within hours.

            The techno languages hijack the system of human communication. It has both adverse effects and advantages. A fact is that we must changes. This paper in our curriculum intends to implement conceptual awareness to student teachers on vast and wide possibilities of language and communication. 

             English language opens high opportunities. Importance of the English language must be understood by student teachers. the need of teachers never ends by the limits of Kerala state. We want teacher not for PSC appearance, but to knock for worldwide opportunities.

What we can do other than the usual transaction modes?

Declare language weeks and ask student teacher s to observe it: Eg: English Language week

Must read newspapers from different languages.

Show movies from any language with English transcripts (also Malayalam movies with English transcripts)

Must provide opportunities to student teachers to watch movies like Not One Less. Life is Beautiful (Italian), Good bye Lenin, Children of Heaven, Rabbit Fence, Color of Paradise, MR. and Mrs. Iyyer, Gandi.. etc.

Give soap stories and comprehensive storie and ask to compere. (Eg Chetan Bagath for soap stories and Poulo Coeloh)

Education Theatre

Education theater - Session at KPPMCTE, Anakayam, Manjeri 15-01-15

About Rishi Valley School

The Rishi Valley School is one of the leading residential schools of India. It follows the philosophy of Jidhu Krishnamurthy

Rishi Valley :
In 1926, when the philosopher J.Krishnamurti decided to set up his first school, he chose a remote valley in the interior of rural Andhra Pradesh, in Chittoor District at the edge of the Karnataka Plateau, about 135 km northeast of Bangalore. Rishi Valley is at an altitude of 800 metres. The climate is dry and temperate, the water drawn from deep borewells is fresh and potable; and, in the absence of any industries, the atmosphere is remarkably clean and clear. Shepherds with their flocks of sheep and goats have traversed this area since neolithic times, and still claim their ancient right of access to the hills; and the farmers of the valley have grown rain-fed crops like bajra, ragi and, more recently, peanuts. Their small hamlets — clusters of thatched, round mud huts with pens for animals — are dotted all over the valleys of the region. The largest settlement in the valley, Thettu village, probably dates back several hundred years.
The Campus :

         Rishi Valley School, Rural Health Centre, the Krishnamurti Study Centre at Rishi Valley, a small hospital with a resident doctor, a dairy with about 60 hybrid cows, a farm, an organic vegetable garden, a herb garden and fruit orchards are part of this wellshaded campus. A wilderness area, consisting of 150 acres of once-barren hillside now covered with scrub and a thin layer of trees, borders the built-in area of campus. The valley was officially declared a Bird Preserve in July 1991, and was cited by the International Council For Bird Preservation. Educational Philosophy : Krishnamurti's philosophy of education, reflected in the activities of Rishi Valley Education Centre, is best expressed in his own words : The purpose, the aim and drive of these schools, is to equip the child with the most excellent technological proficiency so that the student may function with clarity and efficiency in the modern world.

INTRODUCTION

A far more important purpose than this is to create the right climate and environment so that the child may develop fully as a complete human being. This means giving the child the opportunity to flower in goodness so that he or she is rightly related to people, things and ideas, to the whole of life. To live is to be related. There is no right relationship to anything if there is not the right feeling for beauty, a
response to nature, to music and art — a highly developed aesthetic sense. I think it is fairly clear that competitive education and the development of the student in that process.... is very, very destructive.
We must be very clear in ourselves what we want – clear that a human being must be the total human being, not just a technological human being. If we concentrate very much on examinations, on  technological information, on making the child clever, proficient in acquiring knowledge while we neglect the other side, then the child will grow up into a one-sided human being. When we talk about a total human being, we mean not only a human being with inward understanding, with a capacity to explore, to examine his or her inward state and the capacity of going beyond it, but also someone who is good in what he does outwardly. The two must go together. That is the issue in education:
to see that when the child leaves the school, he is well-established in goodness, both outwardly and inwardly. (Krishnamurti On Education)

  The intention of the schools run by KFI is to awaken the intelligence of the student so that he or she may 'flower in goodness'. The cultivation of a global outlook and a concern for our fellow human beings are all part of this scheme of education. Some further goals of the educational philosophy of

Rishi Valley Education Centre are:
• To educate students so that they are able to explore both the natural world and the world of feeling.
• To inculcate a love for nature and respect for all forms of life.
• To create an atmosphere of affection, order and freedom without either fear or licence.

• Not to condition students in any particular belief, either religious, political or social, so that their minds may remain free to ask fundamental questions, enquire and learn.

      Based on this philosophy, teachers attempt to create an atmosphere of freedom, care and security in which students are helped to enlarge their horizons and grow. The school is concerned with developing the individual talent and intelligence of each child. We feel that it is equally important for parents to be aware of their children’s talents as well as limitations, and allow them to develop in their own way, and not on the basis of predetermined expectations. Our experience shows that not all children flourish in this system. In particular, those children who tend to be dependent and who need constant prodding do not adjust to the absence of pressure at the school.

RISHI VALLEY SCHOOL
Student Profile:

There are 360 boarding students in the school, aged 8 to 17, studying in classes 4 to 12. Students are drawn from all over India and several countries abroad. Admission is highly selective, and only about 12% of the applicants are accepted. Students are chosen for character and talent, in addition to academic promise.

Educational Programme and Facilities :
The twelve years of schooling are divided into the Junior School which includes preparatory classes for campus children and classes 4 and 5, the Middle School which includes classes 6 to 8, and Senior School which includes classes 9 to 12. Classroom spaces and other facilities in each section of the school are suited to the needs of the students and staff at that level. The Senior School facilities include an excellent library (with audio listening stations), well equipped science laboratories, audiovisual rooms with an extensive collection of video tapes, Internet facilities and an actively used computer centre. The Junior and Middle Schools occupy a separate complex with an open assembly
space, an audio-visual room, a science laboratory and dedicated language rooms. There is also a well- stocked library for the Junior and Middle Schools, and computer facilities are available for Middle School students. In nonacademic areas, the facilities include provisions for all major sports; an arts

and crafts department with a range of activities such as carpentry, pottery, weaving, batik and fine art; and special interest clubs for topics such as mathematics, electronics, current affairs, birdwatching, cookery and dramatics.

The Junior and Middle Schools :
At the Junior and Middle School levels, Rishi Valley teachers have a high degree of autonomy in deciding curriculum, teaching methods and evaluation systems. Emphasis is given to developing basic concepts in subject areas, skills of various types, and wider perspectives that incorporate the educational values of the school. A flexible curriculum, periodically reviewed and updated by the staff, has been developed keeping in mind current trends in education and the development level of children at each age group. In the Junior School classes, a rich learning environment is provided.
Painting, craft, music and drama are an integral part of the curriculum. Students are encouraged to pursue their interests beyond curricular learning. There is an ongoing programme to create learning materials that enhance the concrete experiences which are the basis of concept formation and skill development in languages and mathematics. The immediate natural and human environment of Rishi Valley provides the starting point for curricular themes of environmental studies. Field trips,  discussions and project work help to enhance children’s awareness and understanding of the world. Evaluation is based on ongoing teacher observations and classwork. Minimal home work is
assigned at this stage.

In the Middle School — that is, from class 6 onwards — the curriculum is broadened to match the growing abilities of students in assimilating information and grasping abstract ideas. Specialized subjects and greater academic rigour are progressively introduced. In classes 6 and 7, students learn General Science, History and Geography, in addition to Languages and Mathematics. Subject matter and concepts are presented using audiovisual media, teacher-designed worksheets, visits to the laboratory and to the mathematics room, project work in the library, and field trips and excursions

to surrounding areas. Students are encouraged to participate in classroom discussions, think for themselves, and develop an enquiring attitude. Written assignments, oral presentations and homework exercises are a regular part of the learning and evaluation process at this stage. In class 8 — which is a transition class into the Senior School — the specialized science disciplines of Physics, Chemistry and Biology are introduced and a beginning is made towards teaching the class 10 examination syllabus. Periodic tests, conducted at the discretion of the subject teachers, are a regular part of the evaluation process as are self-assessment exercises, self-study worksheets and group projects.

The medium of instruction is English. In addition, all students study Hindi and Telugu until class 8. One among these two is the second language, and the other, the third language. (The second language is studied in greater depth.) The study of the second language is continued up to class 10. The Senior School :

At the Senior School level, instruction is offered in the Sciences, the Humanities, Art, Commerce, Accounting, and Hindi and Telugu literature. Environmental Studies, physical education, music and computer science are also offered. The educational programme is oriented towards preparing the

students for the ICSE (class 10) and ISC (class 12) examinations. At the end of class 9, students take final examinations for the first time. The academic curriculum is balanced by dramatics, sports and work experience which includes participation in the other activities of the Centre, such as, rural education and reforestation.

The last two years at Rishi Valley School form a separate programme for
which admissions are open and students of class 10 are screened anew as
candidates. Each student in the ‘Plus-2’ course chooses four subjects in
addition to English, which are then studied intensively for two years.
Academic courses include Maths, Science, Literature in English, Hindi
and Telugu, Commerce, Accounts, Economics, History, Geography, Art, Music
and Computer Science.
Students of class 11 take a programme of courses in General Studies
(outside the ISC syllabus) aimed primarily at broadening the students’ concerns
for the human condition and for the natural environment, and bringing them
into contact with contemporary issues. Visiting villages, stints at the Rural
Education Centre and at the Rural Health Clinic are part of the programme.
For all classes, one period a week is designated as a ‘culture class’ where
any topic of interest may be taken up for extended discussion. The aim of
these classes is to enlarge students’ intellectual and emotional horizons.
Between one and three periods a week are reserved for the class teacher
to discuss and help solve specific problems, and to facilitate interaction
between students.
Student Residences :
There are about 20 small hostels, each of which accommodates a number
ranging from 12 to 22 of students.
7
Members of the teaching staff, who live in staff quarters within a house,
act as house parents. Life in the hostel is meant to instill the values of cooperation,
self-restraint, and sharing. The interaction between teachers and
students outside the classroom is considered a very important part of living
and learning at Rishi Valley. The school does not have a system of house
prefects; no student has authority over another.
THE SCHOOL FACULTY
The school has a highly qualified and dedicated staff from all parts of
India, engaged in giving instruction in both academic and non-academic
subjects. Most have done postgraduate work, many have doctorates and a
few have engineering degrees. The student teacher ratio is about 7:1.
There is a regular teacher exchange programme with the Krishnamurti
Foundation Schools — Brockwood Park in England and Oak Grove School in
the United States.
We welcome as teaching faculty pe

Sankaranrayanan paleeri - Educational contributions, publications..

RESEARCH PAPERS/ARTICLES/BOOKS PUBLISHED

1          Cooperative learning strategies in Classrooms: The effective Accomplishment of MITA                                 Edutracks, Vol. 9 No. 1, September, 2010      ISSN: 0972-9844

2              Educational Programmes for Children with Cerebral Palsy: Parents’ and Teachers’ Dilemma.

   Journal of Education and Practice – by International Institute for Science, Technology           and Education Vol 1, No. 3, 2010       On line - - www.iiste.org, ISSN 2222-288X

3.   Rudiments of Education: Sociology and Philosophy (Book) published by: Neelkamal Publications,Hyderabad. (2010). ISBN-978-81-8316-176-3

3              Chomskyan Cognitivism and Linguistic: Irreproachable Ideals for Educational Psychology and           Designing Learning

   i-manager’s Journal on educational psychology. Vol. 4, No. 3, November 2010- January                     2011      ISSN-0973-8827

4       Teacher Role in Identifying and Educating Students with Non-verbal Learning Disorders (NVLD Some Specific Steps.

           Innovations and Research in Education.  Vol. 1, Issue 1. January 2011     ISSN – 2231-       4148

5              Educational Needs of Children with Cerebral Palsy and Other Nonverbal Learning                                      Disorders         Edutracks, Vol.10 No.7, March 2011             ISSN: 0972-9844

6         Attitude of High School Teachers towards Implementing Sex Education.  (Research paper)                      Edutracks, Vol. 11 No. 3 November 2011    ISSN: 0972-9844

7.            Attitude and Suggestive Measures of Regular School Teachers on Inclusive Education of Disabled children.(Research Paper)           National Seminar proceedings  ISBN 978-81-924412-0-7

7      Construction and Validation of Individualized Audio Instruction Material for Enhancing Teaching of Physics (Research paper)            

Edutracks, Vol.13 No.5 January 2014       ISSN: 0972-9844 

Definitions of Social Science or Social Studies. How to define Social Science?

DEFINITIONS OF SOCIAL STUDIES

The definitions of social studies are as follows:

·        John.U.Michaelis:-  He has tried to define the term social studies in two different ways as follows:

“The social studies defined as the study of man and his program is interaction with his social and physical environment in the past, present and emerging future”[1956]

“The social studies program includes those aspects of human relationship and social values, conditions and changes believed to be of greatest importance for the general education of the students”[1976]

·       J. F.Forrester:- states, “The social studies are, as the name suggests, studies of society and their chief aim is to help people to understand world in which they have to live and how it came to be, so that they may become responsible citizens. They aim at promoting critical thinking and readiness for social change, at creating disposition for acting on behalf of general welfare, at an appreciation of other cultures and the realization of interdependence of man and man and of nation and nation.”  

·       M.P.Moffatt:- defined[1950] “The social studies field is that area which aids youth through sound knowledge, information and experiences which are essential to the building of basic values, desirable habits, accepted attitudes and worthwhile skills basic to effective citizenship”

·       E.B .Wesley:-[1952] States, “The term social studies is used to designate  school subjects which deals with human relationships”

·       Arthur.C.Bining and David.H.Bining[1952] states, “social studies are adapted from the social sciences in order to play a part –and a very important one-in achieving the purpose or subjective or education ….The material of the social studies provide the basis for making the world of today intelligible to the pupils for training them in certain skills and habits and for inculcating attitudes and ideals that will enable boys and girls to take their places as efficient and effective members of a democratic society”

·      Chester.W.Harris[1960]defined, “The social studies are those studies that provide understanding of man’s way of living of the basic needs of man, of the activities in which he engages to meet his needs and of the institutions he has developed”

·       Morris.R.Lewenstein[1963]defined, “The social studies are that part of curriculum of both the elementary and secondary schools which deals with man’s way of living with his fellow men in the past, the present and the future. They are the study of human behaviour  and human institutions, which aim to help students understand the culture and society in which they live in its physical settings.”

·       E.B.Wesley and S.P.Wronski[1958]defined, “The term social studies indicates materials whose content as well as aim are predominantly social. The social studies are the social sciences simplified for pedagogical purposes.”

·      Committee on the social studies of the National Education Associations[1916]USA defined, “The social studies are understood to be those whose subject matter relates directly to the organization and development of human society ,and to man as a member of social groups”

·      National Council For The social Studies USA[1992]

“Social studies is the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence”