BHUBANESWAR: The State Government plans to start capacity building of teachers, Cluster Resource Centre Coordinators (CRCCs), Block Resource Centre Coordinator (BRCCs) and Block Education Officers (BEOs) through school-based support in five districts.
While the teachers in Khurda, Kandhamal, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj and Rayagada districts will be provided on-site academic support, there will be capacity building of teaching staff and educational monitors on use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) and key resources to ensure child-centered classroom processes.
“A joint plan of action has been prepared by Teacher Education through School-based Support (TESS) - India and Directorate of Teacher Education (TE) and State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). It would be implemented in all schools in Dhenkanal district and one each block in rest four districts from this session,” said an official.
TESS-India is an initiative of Open University, UK and Union Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) that aims at building and improving classroom practices of teachers through a cost-effective and scalable approach by providing student-centered pedagogical and activity-based approaches. TESS-India has partnered with Save The Children, India and Directorate of TE and SCERT is implementing it as nodal agency in the State.
Under the project, while State Resource Group (SRG) comprising teacher educators and key officials involved in teachers training on development and use of OERs has been formed and trained, 125 Teacher Development Units (TDUs) in Odia and English have been prepared for subject teachers in Mathematics, Science, Language and School Leadership and available through various platforms including online.
“We are also planning for capacity building of cluster coordinators on academic supervision besides orientation of BEOs on administrative procedures on priority basis so that the monitoring of such activities can be strengthened,” the officer added.
Meanwhile, TESS-India, which has collaborated with Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) to create a SRG to develop Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in Odia for secondary teachers, has proposed to collaborate with Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) in designing a special module on the use of OERs and other online materials for teachers.
It has also proposed for a joint partnership of Gopabandhu Academy of Administration with School and Mass Education Department to train education administrators on regular basis on academic supervision and leadership using the materials as well as organising training programmes for Head Teachers by SSA and RMSA.