Coursera_Introductory Physics I with Laboratory

The course 'Introductory Physics I with Laboratory' by Michael F. Schatz from Georgia Institute of Technology will be offered free of charge to everyone on the Coursera platform.

Its aim to understand and to predict motion in the real world using a small set of powerful fundamental principles. The laboratories are the backbone of this course, providing opportunities (1) to observe and to analyze motion in our own surroundings, (2) to apply fundamental principles to build explanations of the motion, and (3) to evaluate, in a constructively critical way, our own measurements and models, as well as the measurements and models of our course peers. Other course elements (lecture videos with “clicker” questions, homework) support and extend the physics explored in the laboratories.

Participants who satisfactorily complete the course will be eligible for six (6) Continuing Education Units from the American Association of Physics Teachers. 

This is also a good opportunity to teachers to learn new methods of teaching 'Physics', I joined...

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TED winner "Mitra" warns teachers to be ready for change

I am happy to read this article today in LinkedIn post.

Professor Mitra, is a Physicist and teaches Educational Technology at Newcastle University.

Change in system only brings 

entire scenario of education system.

Excerpt  from the article:

“I do not know, I don’t know if there’s a teacher inside us but there’s a learner inside us and that learner, anyway learns all the time. It’s just that he decides what he wants to learn, what is important and what is not important. So if we don’t turn the learner on properly then (it) they doesn’t learn. And I think what some of my Workshops show is that the learner can get  that done by curiosity and by mystery not so much by threat. You can’t say to a learner: now you must learn, he can’t control it if the little learner inside says: “sorry”, then that’s it.”

Well as I’ve said we need some changes in teachers’ training programmes pretty several changes… but most importantly we need a change in the examination system, otherwise my work would appear to be against teachers. It is not against teachers, it is against the kind of teaching the teachers have to do, because of the examination system.”

Readfull article:

Teach as they Learn.

i like to bring few articles from new papers and get attention and suggestions.

“Private coaching poachesmainstream education” TOI dated June 25 2013.

and

“Private tuitions now amulti-billion rupee industry: Survey” Indian express dated june 26^th 2013.

and “Geek tragedy: Plot weakens"  TOI dated: 4th August 2013  

Few highlights of these articles:

“A majority of the middle-class parents have been spending one third of their monthly income on private tuitions for their wards to do better in their examinations and prepare them for competitive entrance exams for professional courses,” the survey stated.

“The current size of the private coaching industry in India is about $23.7 billion (Rs 1,41,416.33 crore) and is likely to touch $40 billion  (Rs 2,38,677.36 crore) by 2015,” the survey added.

 “Private tutors charge Rs 1,000 to Rs 4,000 per hour per student on a one-to-one basis, while group tuition costs  Rs 1,000 to Rs 6,000 per month, it said.” 

“Reports of vacant seats (80,000 in Tamil Nadu; 70,000 in MP; 50,000 in Maharashtra; and 7,800 in Gujarat), and colleges applying for closure are being seen as signs of interest in the field waning." on engineering education.

Schools are becoming only authorised centers for enrolling to  get the certificates as per rules and for learning the students are depending on some other source.

Why teachers in a tuition centres are teaching well and not in the school????

Are the tuition centres are well equipped with teaching methodology and education technology applications than the schools???????

What is the case of students who are not in a position to pay both school and extra fees for tuition centres?

Why to elaborate, what are your suggestions to transform the school education a real and meaningful within the school system? 

Is it possible to make a change by any methods for a real impact in the students and middle class parents  day to day routines???