In this edition we deal with some of the concerns many of us have when we try to put CCE into practice.
CONTENTS
CCE: Concerns and Dealing With Them
CCE: CONCERNS AND DEALING WITH THEM
The Concerns 
Nothing is permanent in life except change! And thank God for that!
Teachers are faced with the paradigm shift that CCE offers —
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From examination to education
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From teaching to learning
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From testing to assessment
They receive CCE with mixed feelings. The idea is great, but . . . Children are participating, but . . . Students are learning, but . . . Students are stress free, but . . .
There is a genuine appreciation of the rationale behind CCE, and in the battle between CCE and the ‘buts’ the BUTS rule! Some of the questions raised are —
How can we cope with the record-keeping and paperwork?
How can we avoid pen and paper tests apart from the SAs?
How do we know that students are studying?
How can it be that students do not commit anything to memory? Don’t they have to learn content?
How can students not practise content writing?
Some other serious concerns —
Students are not serious, they take things easy . . .
Students lack discipline, they don’t fear us any more . . .
Students are not studying, they know they have no exams . . .
On the Other Hand
Some of the more positive comments that teachers have shared when asked to look at CCE with a positive and open mind —
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Students enjoy learning
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They learn better
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Dull students are now bright
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They demonstrate a lot of confidence
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They are happy to participate in activities
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Their abilities are recognized and honed
Questioning Fear
Questions that teachers need to ask themselves to allay some of their fears
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Dealing with Concerns
When change brings in new practices, the pendulum generally swings from one extreme to the other. Time, learning by making mistakes, and taking corrective steps and action, generally balances and corrects the swing of the pendulum. A willingness, and a positive attitude always helps teachers find a solution.
1. Facilitating learning
For a start, teachers must have the courage to let go of the old and be open to trying out new ideas. In reality, most schools have been facilitating learning rather than teaching, and follow the activity-based approach to learning. Most schools have employed all the tools suggested by the CCE. Further, schools offer a wide range of co-scholastic activities that nurture the multiple intelligences of students. Many creative schools have recognized the role of a teacher as a facilitator, guide and mentor. CCE merely legitimizes the practice and includes all the activities — scholastic and co-scholastic in the process of assessment.
2. Not just marks
There are students who study for marks and there are students who study to learn. Not all can commit the entire year’s learning to memory and reproduce them in 3 hrs under an extremely hostile setting. It seems an unfair practice. When they learn for the sole purpose of learning and through various activities, they will also score high marks. You have their total participation and involvement.
3. Taking students into confidence
The teacher must be convinced that CCE is good for the growth and development of the student. She should then infect the students with her enthusiasm. She should have an honest discussion with them about how they can either use or abuse the practice. Presuming that only older children are ‘afflicted’ with an attitude, she can appeal to their better sense.
4. Record Keeping
Schools are finding ways to cope with record keeping. Paperwork will gradually reduce, once schools understand the requirements. Outside agencies that offer educational services are developing support material and software to help teachers not only maintain records, but also help with proper understanding and implementation of CCE.
5. Rote Learning
Every subject has some content that students need to learn by rote. These could be tables, formulae, definitions, poems, points, dates. These are non-negotiable. CCE does not ban rote learning! It merely prevents its sole use as a tool to measure learning.
6. Content Writing
Content writing is as important as creative writing. Today’s world offers so many primary sources from where material can be accessed. Students must be trained in all forms of writing and must also be assessed in it.
7. Information Gathering
It is crucial for teachers to train students in various ways of information gathering and data collection. The purpose of a school is not really to cram information in the mind of the student but train him in acquiring information. The tools and techniques that CCE offers serve in this regard.
8. Deductive teaching techniques
CCE lays emphasis on the different areas of learning —
knowledge, understanding/comprehension, application, skill, analysis, synthesis, evaluation. As teachers, we learnt the pyramid. Through deductive teaching techniques teachers can move through the learning process as illustrated by the following set of questions —
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What does a plant require to grow?
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Why does a plant require sunlight to grow?
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Where will you plant a sapling in your house? Why?
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Why do you need to know that plants require sunlight?
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A plant has died in your backyard. Assess why?
QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
Please email us your questions about CCE, any suggestions for future topics and any feedback about this newsletter to cce4u@ratnasagar.com
ENABLING CCE
We, at Ratna Sagar, have come out with CCE editions of our English, Science and Social Science textbooks. Apart from the other unique features, they include activities that can be used for formative and summative assesment, life skills, multiple-choice questions, and more. To know more please click on the banner given below or contact any of our representatives or email us at cce4u@ratnasagar.com
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