UNIT
9: EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS: SOME NEW DIMENSIONS
STRUCTURE
9.0 Introduction
9.1 Learning Objectives
9.2 Materials essential for education
9.3 Why educational materials?
9.4 Teaching-learning materials or teaching
aid
9.5 Models and objects for display
9.6 How TLM helps?
9.7 What is good education material?
9.8 What once can be done with just one
material?
9.9 Use of cards in teaching language
9.10 Materials in language teaching in the
context of what learning means
9.11 Possible materials for a language
classroom
9.12 Availability of materials
9.13 How to use materials?
9.14 How to choose materials? Unit-end
Exercises
9.15 Let Us Sum Up
9.16 Suggested Readings and References
9.17 Unit-End Exercises
9.0
INTRODUCTION
If
you think carefully, almost anything round us can be used as an education
material. In one sense, school, classrooms, ground etc. are as much education
materials as stones, leaves, dust and pebbles etc are. In recent times, some
education materials have started becoming complex and unusually technical. The illusion
is that whatever is electronic or expensive will be better teaching mate-rial.
With the emphasis on IT, computer, internet, website, network etc. there are
new kinds of materials and terms floating around us. There was a time when
radio, television, tape-recorder etc. were considered to be the best
educational materials. Even before that small objects, posters, flash cards
etc., were talked about as education materials. In recent times their
importance and the emphasis on such materials has gone down. It is a different
matter that even now these materials are not reaching schools in appropriate
and sufficient quality and number.
In
recent years, the understanding about the process of teaching and learning, the
capability and interest of the child etc. has undergone a radical change. In
the context of this new understanding, the need to re-examine the meaning of educational
materials, their use and types has/have also acquired new dimensions.
It
is easily seen that there can be many ways to classify education materials. One
classification could be in terms of the material for the teacher and materials
for children. Another category could be visual and oral/ aural etc. The purpose
of these categories and method of using are very different. In considering the
issue of materials, it is important to keep in mind that material by itself
cannot determine the appropriateness of the teaching methods. The main question
is what is the plan for the use of the materials? What is the way in which any
material will appear in the classrooms and what objectives its appearance and
use would ful¬fill? We will discuss the above questions in this unit.
9.1
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After
reading the unit you would be able to:
• Clearly
state the types of learning materials.
• Identify
the essential teaching materials.
• Express
your opinion on what is good learning material.
• Distinguish
between TLM and teaching aid.
• Analyse
the use of learning material in language teaching.
• Develop
an understanding of when and how to use learning materials.
9.2
MATERIALS ESSENTIAL FOR EDUCATION
It
is important to recognise that in any class there would be the need for some essential
educational materials to be available. Similarly, for the school also there are
some essential requirements that should be available in the school. Often we do
not pay attention to the fact that some materials have to be available for the
school for good education to be possible. Some of these essential materials
come immediately to the mind but there are some that are not so evident. For
example, each child needs a bench, table or chair to sit, a light source for
adequate illumination is necessary; we also need to have arrangements for clean
drinking water, toilets and many other things. The new education policy
document 1986 was an important step to improve education in the schools across
the country. An important aspect of this was the recognition of the need to
make available essential materials in each school. This included minimum number
of classrooms, seating arrangement, some sports materials, library books etc.
It would be useful for you to think about your school and ask yourself what
materials should be necessarily available in the school for its proper
functioning. You can try to remember what was available in your school and what
you felt was lacking.
Apart
from these essential materials in the school, there are some other educational
materials required for teaching.
Check
Your Progress-1
1. Are
these essential materials? Give reasons for your answer.
(a) Chart
(b) Model (c) Bench (d) Language cards
2. What
should be the essential materials available in a school?
3. What
kind of materials you felt were missing in your school?
9.3
WHY EDUCATION MATERIAL?
The
first important question about materials is who would be their principal user?
The answer to this question depends on our visualisation of teaching-learning.
One possible approach is to emphasise their use for teacher to explain his/ her
point of view, and present a concrete representation or a model. This means
that the teacher provides proper explanation to the children. The child is expected
to be generally silent and only listen carefully; (s)he should take in the
words of the teacher and note them in the notebook or use the material if at
all as (s)he is directed to by his/her teacher. Under this principle, materials
like charts, slides, models etc. are ways to represent things that children need
to know. This is a teacher-centered method. It was till recently generally
accepted and very popular. Even now many believe in it. In this the teaching
materials are largely only used by the teacher. Children can only look at the
materials. They cannot use or take materials in their hands. Teachers are
afraid that the materials would be spoiled if children touch them. As you have
read in the other units this approach to teaching is not considered appropriate
for elementary classes now. The belief now is that each child constructs
his/her own knowledge through her own thought process. The teacher can only
help in this endeavour. It is more important for the child to construct and use
his/her own logical systems than to understand the logical formulations constructed
by someone else. Now the most recommended method the materials are for the use
is the child to use. Materials are to help his/her, make his/her own logical
formulations for different concepts. For this, the child must get an
opportunity to interact with the materials, examine them, use them to construct
or deconstruct parts of material and explore it in various ways. For this
process of teaching, the materials are for the child who is learning and
therefore materials must be with his/her and always be within his/ her reach.
The
use of materials in the language class is distinct from their use for the other
subjects. In the next sections we will look at the kind of materials that can
be needed in the language classrooms and how they can be used in the context of
the two different understanding of teaching.
We
will also consider some popular terms and try and examine them also in the
context of the two perspectives to teaching. We will subsequently also examine
them in the context of language teaching.
In
educational discourse the term TLM is very popular. Similarly the term teaching
aid is also frequently used. These two terms are considered by most to be
synonymous. However, these terms indicate different kinds of materials and different
kinds of views for their use.
Check
Your Progress-2
(1) The
expanded form for TLM is:
(a)
Total Listening Matter (b) Total Learning Matter
(c)
Teaching-Learning Material (d)Teaching Learning Module
(2) Why
is it essential and important that the teaching-learning material reach the
children?
(3) What
is the meaning of TLM?
(4) Which
perspective of teaching is not considered appropriate for elementary classes
now?
9.4 TEACHING LEARNING MATERIAL VS. TEACHING
AIDS
TLM
is offered as a universal solution for all problems, in all classes and in all
subjects independent of the context. The belief is that the use of TLM would
produce a magic that will change everything. There are workshops to produce
TLM. In these thermocol, chart paper, colours and all kinds of materials are
available. Teachers make a big effort to display their artistry, imagination
and come up with beautiful and elegant models.
9.5 MODELS AND OBJECTS OF DISPLAY
If
we consider these models and analyse their qualities in the context of their
use then we come up with the following three main questions:
(1) Do
these models help the child to think? Can she use these as a basis to build
his/her imagination, independent ideas and express them?
OR
They only present some
information, everyone has to understand the same thing from them and express
them in the same way only.
(2) Can
children do something with these? Can they touch them, change them and alter
them in some way?
OR
Children are to stay away
from these because if they use it or even touch it, it can break or get spoilt.
(3) Children
can have access to these materials and have them with them and child can use
them.
OR
It is very difficult to
make even one copy of the model. Each copy takes so much time and/or resources
that it is not possible for each child to have a copy with his/her.
Actually, if the material
is of a type that is best described by terms ‘OR’ then this is not a teaching
learning material or TLM. TLM can be translated simply as material for learning
and teaching. In fact, materials that come in the category described by
statements after OR, have negligible role for the learner. These materials are
to aid teaching, i.e. is, they are teaching aids.
TLM
and a teaching aid can both be useful but it is important to consider con-texts
they can be useful in and in what way. We must recognise that availability of
materials in the classroom is not necessarily a confirmation of a good teaching
process.
What is often
presented as examples of good TLM and teaching aids are differ¬ent kinds of
charts, models including those made from thermocol, plastic etc. These can be
some examples that support teaching but they are simply examples of what
teachers can produce for children. They may not help much in the teach¬ing
learning process. Generally, teachers take many days to make these and they are
for display in the TLM rooms for years but in the classroom children cannot
touch them or even see them carefully for reasonable periods. This is because
of the fear that the model will be spoilt. The model is also considered as a
work of art and has taken long time to make. It would be
difficult to make it again if damaged
The
same kind of examples of teaching aids in the same form are seen in almost all
the schools and DIETS. The only differences that are seen among these are
slight differences in the materials used, colours employed and skill in making
it. Making these models is a challenging task and requires skilled handiwork by
the teachers but they are hardly of any use to children. They see them once,
may be with some degree of awe, and then forget about them. No learning takes
place.
9.6
HOW DOES TLM HELP?
Before
we address this we have to ask ourselves what do we want to teach children and
how they learn. If we actually recognise that children have to be active during
the learning process, then it is necessary for us to provide children such
opportunities. Materials can help in this process. For example, if children
have to engage with the idea of categories then it would help her to form
categories based on concrete properties. This property could be colour, shape,
weight or something else. In the process of categorisation (s)he has to think
of the property and find an appropriate word for it. While a part of the
environmental studies also is an element of language development, and any
material can be used to give the child practice of categorisation and different
kinds of tasks can be made using these materials; it is, however, necessary for
taking learning forward to keep modifying the nature of the tasks, their level
and choose the material appropriately.
We
can make exercises of this kind at many levels. We can get children to sort
objects based on a given property. Or we can ask children to examine the
objects, think about their properties and form categories. Slowly we can give
them exercises that involve combining properties and sorting out objects. For
example, asking children to find out round objects or cuboid shapes. This
process sharpens the ability of children to categories needs. As this
capability develops, the ability to categorise at different levels improves.
This improves not only the language ability but also helps the ability to help
us place words in different language categories.
We
see that it is to use the available materials in many different ways and help
children use them in an organised manner in each subject, use all different
kinds of materials in each subject helps children learn.
Check Your Progress-3
(1) In which of these is the role of learner negligible?
(a)
TLM (b) Teaching Aid (c) Learning (d) Models
(2) ‘TLM
is no magic’, what this statement imply?
(3) What
is the difference between TLM and teaching aid?
(4) Why
is it necessary to have TLM reach children?
(5) In
what way does TLM help in teaching and how should this help be provided?
9.7
WHAT IS GOOD EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL?
When
we say that a good educational material is not for the teacher to merely
explain her point of view or merely give information, then a question arises.
Is it necessary to have any extra material to help in teaching? Should there be
any-thing like even a blackboard, chalk or textbook in the class? If our
current way of understanding education materials and their use is not
appropriate, how should we use the material in the class? Can it be more than
an appropriate alternate use of the blackboard? To examine this we need to
consider whatever we know about how children learn and what we believe about
their learning process.
While thinking about this we have to also keep in mind the current
understanding about teaching learning. One of the main aspects of this
understanding is that human beings including children relate the
new experience or ideas to their previous knowledge. New knowledge is acquired
in the context of our earlier knowledge. It is also clear that concrete and
immediate experiences help the child to understand and help children struggle
with abstract ideas and internalize them. In fact each child does it, in her
own way. We also now believe that the learner has the most important role and
his/her participation is absolutely essential in learning and teaching. (S)he
should never be a silent spectator and a mere listener at any point in his/her
school. In order to do this the material should be such that interprets the
concrete experiences of the child and help his/her learn.
This
implies that materials should be such that helps children to manipulate and
experiment with it in the process of acquiring new knowledge. They must be able
to use the material and perform activities with them without fear of its
get-ting spoilt or broken. TLM can give children opportunities in which they
can build their own knowledge. They can be playing with the material, exploring
it, analysing it and being able to repeat those learning activities that the
material offers an opportunity for. For example, to understand abstract
notions, it is use-ful to look at their concrete representations (one form of
TLM), also confront the concepts in different contexts and in challenging
situations. All this helps in building and enriching conceptual understanding.
It
is necessary to point out that children should eventually be able to use and
understand concepts without necessarily needing concrete representations. This
implies that the use of materials is a means to developing understanding and is
not the object of the teaching learning process. Unless the objective of the
class¬room is clear, use of materials cannot help. It would also be appropriate
to say that for children at different age and stage of learning as well as for
different disciplines, the meaning of TLM cannot be the same. It cannot be the
same for all aspects of a subject or even within a topic either. The nature and
mechanism of using TLM can be very different.
It
is clear that the present education materials are made to display to the
visitors the creativity and artistic capability of teachers. The TLM created is
used to beautify the TLM room or the Principal’s office. While discussing TLM
it is important to think about its use for the child and how (s)he would work
with it. If it is necessary to observe, examine, pick up, throw around and
explore materi¬als in different ways then their form should be very different.
If children have to use materials and do activities with them, the nature of
materials cannot be the same as of the materials for display. The materials
must be such that they are not very expensive and are not damaged easily.
The
classrooms where children participate in teaching-learning activities,
pro-viding opportunities to develop their understanding, have to be attractive.
But this attractiveness would not arise from how the rooms look. It is not
necessary for the room to appear beautiful and be like that always but be for
the use of children. The classrooms should be such that it appears to welcome
children and give them a feeling of ownership. It should not give the feeling
that they will dirty or damage things, if they touch something, play there or
even just stay there. The beauty of the primary school is in having children
who are alive, happy and pleased. It is not in having coloured walls, pretty
charts or other ma-terials hanging on the walls or placed in the room. If we
have to make a primary school classroom beautiful and attractive, we need
materials and processes that will make children active and where they feel free
and capable. They must feel that the space and the material is their own and it
has the potential to develop their experiences and their concepts.
Check
Your Progress-4
(1) What
is the indicator of the beauty of a primary school classroom?
(a) Colourful walls (b) Coloured charts (c)
Cheerful and engaged children
(d) Other attractive materials.
(2) What
should be the qualities of good educational materials?
(3) Why
is the role of learner essential in the learning teaching process?
(4) What
should the room for educational materials look like?
9.8 WHAT CAN WE DO WITH JUST ONE MATERIAL?
We
do not need a lot of material to help in learning. It is not necessary that for
each task there is need for a new type of material. If the objectives are clear
and we think carefully, just one kind of material can have a lot of uses. This
use can be for not just one subject but for many subjects. For example, if we
have a cubical dice, what can we have children do with it. We can mark dots on
the cube and use as a dice? We can then ask children to collect pebbles and
play the game of picking up as many pebbles as the number on the dice. Subsequent,
we can change it to finding out the total number of pebbles in 2-3 or even more
throws. If the game is being played in groups, we can see which child got more
pebbles and how many more. We can similarly see which child gets least pebbles
and what was the number of pebbles (s)he got. We can think of more such games.
We can also throw the dice and record the number we get. We can note the number
of times we got a particular number and what was the order of its occurrence.
We
can place the cube on the paper repeatedly and see how many cubes are required
to cover the paper. This will give us an idea of the area of the paper.
Children can do a lot more with the cubes. They can make many kinds of shapes
with them. They can also be asked to guess what the created shape look like. Yo
u can also ask them to describe the shape made. If you have alphabet, word or
picture cards then any of them can be used for many interesting activities for
learning.
9.9
USE OF CARDS FOR LANGUAGE TEACHING
One
purpose of the cards in the context of language teaching is to help children
learn to decode. We can give them picture cards to match with word cards. We
can also ask them to take a word card and find a word card which is similar to
this one. They can put together word cards and make a story. Similarly,
pictures and picture cards can be used for conversations, discussions,
extending imagination, opportunities for creating descriptions and thinking of
stories. These exercises can be initially oral and then can also be written.
The cards can be used for any class through activities at different levels with
different objectives. For example, think about the use of word cards for
class-1 and then for class – 3.
It
is clear that one material can be used for many purposes and their use is
in-formed by the objectives and understanding of learning and teaching. If we
con¬sider all this then we can see that TLM is only useful when the person
using it understands what the children have to learn, the steps for it and
activities that can be used for it. Obviously children have to be able to
engage with these activi¬ties. Once this happens then it is not difficult to
find materials for it around us.
Check
Your Progress-5
(1) The
purpose of a card for language teaching is:
(a) Helping in learning to decode while learning to read. (b) Seeing
pictures.
(c) Making pictures. (d) Writing letters/alphabet
(2) In
how many different ways can we use a ball for in the classroom?
(3) How
can we use ‘word cards’ and ‘picture cards’ for language teaching?
9.10
UNDERSTANDING MATERIALS AND THE MEANING TO LEARN IN LANGUAGE TEACHING
Differences
in the perspective of learning and teaching language make significant changes
to the nature of materials and the way they will be used. If the objective is
only to explain specific poems and prose to the learner, the process of
teaching and the materials would be of one kind. In contrast, if the objective
is to make the learner an independent thinker, a reflective person, a scholar
or a person who takes interest in literature and other subjects, the
expectations will be very different. If we expect that the learner will be able
to express her ideas and explain her thoughts clearly, then, the type of
materials and their use would be very different.
We
need to be clear whether we only want the child to be able to recite poems in
the book with correct pronunciation and prescribed intonation or we want that (s)he
should be able to recite and sing new poems and songs. Should we ask her to
write rote memorised essays or answers to memorised questions or expect him/her
to share his/her experiences and ideas? We may also want to see that (s)he has
confidence to use language in new contexts. If the objectives are the second
set i.e. to make the child an independent efficient user of language, it is
necessary that our classroom gives the child regular opportunities and space to
express his/her thoughts and articulate his/her imagination.
For
this, pictures which appear new, attractive, exciting and triggering imagination
are needed. Children also need opportunities to work with each other to create
stories. We need to formulate processes where there is freedom and need for an
organisation of ideas. There could be some other materials that can also act as
catalysts. They can help children in thinking, discussing and organising their
thoughts and open their minds to new vistas.
Telling
and reading aloud are teaching processes that would keep children to a limited
knowledge and prevent the development of the human mind. It restricts his/her
ability to grow and grasp new ideas. The free use of language requires a
teaching process and materials that give the learner opportunities to think
freely and allow him/her imagination to flow. Some examples for this have been
given above but we can do many other things as well. A picture depicting a
variety of events, a collage of pictures or a serial set of pictures can be
used to give children opportunities to make stories. In such a picture it is
not that children merely understand the picture but they go beyond the
limitation of the picture, blend their thoughts through it and express them in
their language.
Check
Your Progress-6
(1) What can we do to make children use
language confidently in newer contexts:
a. Give
the children an opportunity to articulate their ideas freely and express their
imagination.
b. Ask
children recite memorised answers to questions.
c. Have
children recite the poem given in the picture.
d. Explain
specific kind of prose and poems to children.
(2) What materials can you easily obtain to
teach language in a class? What all can be done by children using these
materials?
(3) How
does the opportunity of telling and creating stories help in develop-ing the
language of children?
9.11
WHAT MATERIALS FOR A LANGUAGE CLASSROOM?
The
purpose of materials in the language class is not to merely acquaint the child
with different language texts. The purpose is to develop his/her language capabilities.
This means that we need to provide resources through which (s)he can develop
his/her language capability and imagination. This material can be written or
oral. Apart from this, we also need material for the teacher and children to
write upon. Writing is an important part of language teaching. Young children
also need materials in the classrooms that help them use new words and engage
them in conversations. It is important for them to listen to different kind of language
usages and to be able to catch intonations and pauses. This is a part of their
language ability. If we try to make a list of materials that is necessary for
language classrooms, we can broadly divide them into two categories. One is of
written materials and the other of oral. In written materials we include
textbooks and workbooks as a significant component. Besides this, we can have
charts or posters, poems, songs or only words. Apart from this, word, alphabet,
word pic¬ture or other kinds of cards made of card board or some other
material, library (magazines books, newspapers, periodicals) etc. can be useful
materials.
Oral
materials include texts that can reach children through radio, tape recorder,
CD player, film projector etc. This not only gives children the opportunity to
listen to poems, plays etc but also gives her experience of how to use body movement,
proper intonation and gives knowledge of rhythm and beat. These materials also
help develop the ability to listen with comprehension and an opportunity to
appreciate the rich pronunciations and varied forms of expression. It is obvious
that the oral materials (soft-ware) whether on tape or CD must be of good
quality. Merely having good equipment (hardware) does not help.
Computer
and internet can also help in many things provided they are available for use
of children. They cannot only give children opportunities for personal
expression but also give them the possibilities of engaging with different
types of pictures and scenes. They can be used for projecting a film to the
class. Audio-visual materials can have tremendous importance for the
development of language. Since every teacher cannot recite poems or sing songs
effectively, it is important to make available well recited poems and nicely
sung songs and/or stories for children to listen to. All this can be done
through internet and computers. This will, however, be possible only if the
teachers know how to choose good and appropriate programmes and use them at
appropriate times.
Language
classroom also helps in the development of other concepts. As we have said
before sorting objects into groups, studying their properties, reading
instructions to do experiments or activities, analysing observations and developing
generalisations, building logical arguments based on statements or
observa¬tions etc. are all part of language teaching. The materials for these,
however, are better discussed under the discipline where they occur. It is
important to under-stand that books of science, mathematics and social studies
also are materials for language development. The projects of activities or
instructions given to chil-dren are also appropriate materials for helping them
learn language:
Check
Your Progress-7
(1) Which of this is not a part of oral
material:
(a) Radio (b) Textbooks (c)
C.D. Player (d) Film projector
(2) What material would you like to use as
oral language teaching materials and why?
(3) How will you use a library for language
teaching?
(4) When thinking of a good material for
language teaching, what all should be kept in mind?
9.12 ACCESSIBILITY OF
MATERIALS
There
is a lot of material naturally available around us. Some material that is not
easily available has to be sought and obtained. Some may have to be purchased.
It is necessary that the materials chosen for the classroom are not expensive
and available from the market nearby. Some materials can also be such that they
are bought for a large number of schools and then distributed. If teacher has
to buy the materials, the accessibility of material and financial resources
required have to be made available to the teacher. There needs to be an
organised system for this.
In
the last two decades there has been an effort to create systems to make materials
available in schools. After a lot of effort, it has now become possible in the
system for the school and each elementary teacher to have some money to buy
materials. The principle being that the teacher buys materials according to her
choice and uses it. The accounting rules have been simplified making more use
of materials possible. In many places there is pressure to ensure that the
schools and teachers use this money well. However, even though it is possible
for the teacher to get materials it does not guarantee the appropriate use of
materials in the classroom. It would need an effective effort to ensure proper
use of materials.
Generally
school and teachers use this material to buy beautiful exhibits or raw
materials to make such exhibits. It is also felt teachers and Headmasters
hesitate to put the purchased material in the school. Teachers who want to buy useful
materials cannot access proper sources. There is no place with a variety of
useful materials to choose and purchase from. The markets near schools do not
have good cassettes or charts that would be useful for immersing children in
language and increase their exposure.
Currently
every State Education Department is thinking of choosing some schools in the
district and developing a room of attractive materials that is open to children.
There are many aspects to consider about the usefulness or otherwise of this
idea. We need to think about the purposes of this room and its usefulness. We
also have to keep in mind the present context and think about the implications
of such rooms for school and education. We have to consider the expenses
required per room and estimate if it can be made available to a large number of
schools. There is a need to estimate the cost per child and the cost in
proportion to its usefulness. We need to think if these rooms are for display
and whether children can be allowed the use of the materials. If the situation
is that children cannot use it, it cannot be done on a wider scale; and if the
cost per child is large then this kind of material cannot serve any purpose.
Check
Your Progress-8
(1) Which
one out of these is not correct as a principle for choosing materiials:
(a) Material
should be very expensive. (b) Should be available in the nearby
market.
(c) Materials
should not be expensive. (d) Materials can be purchased and given to
the schools.
(2) How
will you solve the problem of inaccessibility of materials?
(3) What
preparation will you make to properly use the chosen material to teach language
in classroom?
(4) What
would you keep in mind while choosing materials for the classroom?
9.13
HOW TO USE MATERIALS
It
would be useful to revise some key principles that we have learnt in this unit
about materials and their use for teaching. These principles can help the
teacher use materials appropriately in the classrooms.
1. Material
should be easy to reach. Even if only the teacher has to use the material, the
preparations must be made in advance. It is upsetting for children to wait
while the teacher searches for the appropriate material to begin. The
continuity and interest in learning gets broken.
2. It
is important to remember that the materials must be used for learning and not
just for display. Materials will not teach on their own; teachers must know
which material is useful in which situation. TLM is only a tool for making
lessons meaningful. The work of choosing teaching materials has to be done by
the teacher keeping the interest and abilities of children in mind.
3. If
we have to use a lot of material then it is better to use them one by one. Only
when there is a need to show a relationship between different materials or show
the reaction between them that we can use them together.
4. It
is certainly important to store the materials properly but it is equally
im-portant to ensure that it can be quickly distributed to children. If
children have to get materials and return them then the system of distribution
and collection must involve children. They must feel responsible and help. Such
a participation would also ensure that the total time taken for distribution
and collecting back is not too much.
5. Breakage
of materials is possible during use, it is necessary that there is an
acceptance of damage and writing off and replacement of materials in the
system. When children read books handle charts, use chalks or colours these
materials will get torn, broken or consumed. Any system that does not al¬low
for such processes cannot encourage the use of materials.
Check
Your Progress-9
(1) Which
out of these is not possible while children are using materials:
(a) There is breakage of the material (b) Consumption
of material
(c) Depreciation of material (d) It remains as it is.
(2) What
principle should be taken into account by the system in the use of education
materials?
(3) Why
is it important to store materials properly in the class?
9.14
THE BASIS OF CHOOSING MATERIALS
Each
teacher has to think about what materials (s)he needs to procure, what (s)he
should buy and what should (s)he emphasise on. We have to also think about the
basis for choosing appropriate materials. The principles can be the following:
1. The
first principle can be material should be such that they fulfill the
edu-cational objectives. That means they make possible the work that we want to
do and the opportunity we want to provide children. For example, if we want
children to develop imagination and express their ideas in an organised manner,
we need to pick up a picture that can give them this opportunity.
2. The
second principle– Material should be usable for diverse purposes. We should
procure such materials and prepare teachers so that they can use materials in a
flexible way.
3. The
third is that materials should be easily available and require no extra effort.
It is also necessary that they should be available in sufficient quantity and
not be expensive. Children should be able to use it. Models of thermocol that
get damaged and break on touching are not good materials. We must remember that
most of the materials should be for use of children.
4. The
fourth: The material that children have to use must be such that it does not
require very elaborate precautions. They should not be security hazard.
5. The
fifth principle– It is necessary that both teachers and children be participants
in the process of choosing and developing materials. It is not ap-propriate to
pre-decide, choose and then send materials to the school and teachers. The
teachers and children must have a role in all this. Their participation in
selecting materials is essential.
6. They
must also have opportunity to learn to and think about ways of using the
materials in classrooms.
We
are all aware of the general views in the education system about teacher
participation in the making and selection of materials for children. In
choosing, procurement, writing off and other related aspects of materials,
teachers and children have no role to play. The experience teachers gain while
using materials with children would become rich input into creating new and
innovative materials. It is the general view that teachers cannot be trusted
and materials must be chosen by someone else. Even now the common system is to
decide the materials and make them available to teachers. In spite of the fact
that there are many not so good experiences of providing materials to the
schools through centralised systems, yet the view does not change. It is still
believed that it is not appropriate to allow teachers the opportunities to
choose and procure their own materials.
Check
Your Progress-10
(1) How
many principles of choosing materials are discussed above:
(a)
2 (b) 4 (c) 5 (d)
8
Which of these you consider the most
important and why?
(2) Why
is it necessary to have teachers participate in choice of materials, their
development and their use?
(3) Mention
two important principles of choosing materials.
9.15
LET UP SUM UP
It
is necessary to have some materials available in schools for children to learn.
These include mats, benches, chairs, toilets, clean drinking water, etc. We
call these the essential basic materials. There are other kinds of materials
required that are called educational materials. These include charts, models,
language cards etc. Education material is a tool that helps the teacher in
teaching and children in learning. It is because of this that it is called
teaching-learning mate-rial or TLM. In the new perspective of using educational
materials they must reach children. This means that children must be able to
touch, explore, examine and do activities with materials. There must be no
fears of breaking or damaging materials. Good educational materials help in
concretizing experience of chil-dren and helping them learn. It is not
necessary to have a material for every task and every activity. If we think
carefully one material can be used for many pur-poses. The purpose of using
materials in a language class is not to merely expose children to different
language texts, but is to develop their ability to use lan-guage. Apart from
this we also learnt that not only teachers but also children must be
participants in the process of choosing, developing and thinking of ways of
using materials.
9.16
SUGESSTED READINGS ANDREFERENCES:
·
Dewan, H.K. 2008. TLM vs. Teaching Aids.
Buniyadi Shiksha 18: 7-11. (Pub-lished by Vidya Bhawan Society and Azim Premji
University)
·
http://jtmadhavan.wordpress.com/2010/07/08/teaching-learning-materials-english/
·
http://www.teachercreated.com/books/language-arts
9.17
UNIT-END EXERCISES
(1) What
is the difference between essential basic materials and education materials?
Explain giving examples.
(2) What
is the new perspective on educational materials?
(3) What
are the most basic features of good education material. Give examples.
(4) What
should be the basis of choosing materials?
(5) What
are the principles of using materials?
(6) What
is meant by the statement that there must be allowance for damage to materials
in the educational system?
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