The IIMT College of Education organized a two-day national workshop on "Modalities of Lesson Planning under Constructivist Pedagogy" in a hybrid mode on January 10th and 11th, 2024. After lighting the lamp before the goddess Maa Saraswati, Dr. Deepa Sharma, the Vice Chancellor IIMT University delivered an inaugural speech. The purpose of the workshop was to explain various types of lesson plans following the constructivist pedagogy. Pedagogy has been given greater focus in the NEP 2020.
The workshop's invited resource person was Dr. Danny Saxena Head of the Education Department and a researcher at Maa Shakumberi Devi University's College of Teacher Education in Saharanpur. They have extensive experience in this area and have also authored books on the constructivist approach.
In the inaugural session, Prof. Suraksha Pal presented her keynote address in which she elaborated on the theory of the constructivist approach to lesson planning and shed light on its role in knowledge construction and conceptual understanding.
During the first day of the workshop, an interactive session was held to discuss the various existing approaches to lesson planning that have been prevalent in almost all departments of teacher education. During this discussion, participants pointed out various kinds of problems they have been facing while preparing lesson plans.
In 2005, the curriculum framework brought out by NCERT emphasized the use of the constructivist approach in lesson planning. NEP 2020 also strongly advocates for the use of the constructivist approach in teaching for meaningful learning and acquisition. On the second day, the concept and process of constructivist approaches for knowledge construction by the students were discussed in a group work mode, illustrating the role of a teacher as a facilitator and not as the communicator of information. Five Es as engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluation which create the basic pillars and characteristic features of the constructivist approach, were explained.
The participants collectively prepared the lesson planning format according to this approach. Groups were formed among the participants based on their respective subjects, and practice sessions were organized to provide them with the opportunity to prepare their own lesson plans.
The techniques were explored to facilitate the application of these 5'Es for example, for the 1st 'E' that is "engage," demonstrations were discussed. Likewise, for all the "Es, illustrations were given on how the various techniques may be used to create an environment of learning. An interactive classroom environment can be promoted while preparing lesson plans. Student initiation and active engagement in the learning process can help students become inquisitive, persuasive, critical, and creative thinkers. Participants could then understand the difference between traditional approaches and the constructivist approach to lesson planning.
In the valedictory session, participants presented the lesson plans that they had prepared. They were also asked to express their difficulties, which were resolved through illustrations by the expert.
The workshop concluded with a vote of thanks from Dr. Sarita Goswami, the Dean of IIMT College of Education to the experts and participants who showed their interest through their participation and enriched their understanding of the constructivist approach.
The workshop was attended by 200 students and teachers. Dr. Shelly (an assistant professor at CoE) anchored the event, while the staff of IIMT College of Education contributed to the success of this workshop.
12-Jan-2024
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