CONCEPTS, PERSPECTIVES AND APPROACHES

1. Critical Stage- reinforced Development Pathway:

Critical Stage-reinforced Development Pathway is a curriculum cum methodological frame-work for the holistic and mile-stone-anchored development of the young learner. Learning is essentially biology-driven. But it undergoes continuous ‘socio-physical’ influences and manipulations in human settings. These socio-physical influences sometimes shadow or underestimate the biological determinants of human behavior and development. This happens more in the consciously-created environments of formal education. However, developmentally critical and significant nodal-stages or milestones in the maturation pathway of a child, are well-established. Some of them follow the ‘all-or-none’ principle. “All or none” in this context means that these critical stages and the behavior centered on them are difficult to be reactivated once the opportunity is missed – may not be in absolute terms, though!

The concept of ‘Critical Stages’ and learning readiness in the development of the human child, has had a profound influence on shaping this approach. It is meant to develop relational capabilities, emotional intelligence, problem-solving ability, ‘application-skills’ and much more, in a homely, nurturing and challenging environment with an informed, conscious focus on biology as a developmental influence and necessity. The approach believes in the endless potentials and possibilities of the human child in a biology-aligned socio-educational context. Curriculum development and transaction should be driven by the understanding of the critical relevance of context in the biologically-programmed development of the child. This will necessarily reflect in the choice and integration of activities and subjects – both vertically and horizontally. The approach is integral to ‘NEELS’ Neo-Pristine Environment Endowed Learning System (NEELS) touched upon elsewhere.

2. Bio-social and Psycho-neural Programming:

BPP is a methodology and training intervention system that makes learning productive and enriched. It incorporates ‘Meditative Visualization’ and other techniques of behavior-modification and is influenced by findings in psychology, neuro-physiology and the concept of “Bio-social Intelligence” proposed at the Annual Conference of Kerala Manasastra Parishad hosted by Calicut University in 1989.

3. Centrally Enriched Multi-frontal Nursery Network:

Mooted decades ago, this concept adds economic viability to starting school projects. It ensures the availability of relevant learning inputs by pooling of facilities and programmatic contents. This strengthens the program but reduces cost. It incorporates the concept of “neighborhood school” to addresses the psychological, developmental and moral dimensions of childhood. The model appeals to managements and investors as it optimizes the intake of students from a defined catchment and provides facilities and learning environments that are usually prohibitive in terms of cost in a regular neighborhood setting. While the model fits well into any economic segment, lower segments can derive the benefits of high-end institutions at affordable costs. The idea was mooted in the late nineties.

4. Neo-Pristine Environment Endowed Learning System (NEELS)

(The Habitat Concept) : Man is inseparable from his environment. Natural surroundings and basic endowment have a profound influence on his ability to discover, probe, assimilate and grow. School systems that recognize this truth would open up the endless possibilities of education as a transforming and refining tool, in a “back-to-nature” setting. This can inspire modernity and technological innovation in a non-threatening way. Schools then, should be able to appreciate, with relative ease and clarity, the new concepts of “multiple intelligences”, “learning styles”, process-based learning and the like and make better use of them. In keeping up with these and the bio-social and psycho-neural processes, NEELS has been devised. NEELS lends itself to amendments and customization based on the realities existing in the specific context of an institution. Technology and modernity integrate into NEELS with minimal denaturing of the natural learning context ensuring that technology is for man rather than man is for technology.

5. Skill Ladder Compensation Scheme:

The ‘Skill- ladder System’ seeks to manage human resource in an educational environment using a creative, motivating and inspiring approach to reward-structuring. It offers a customized professional development pathway to teachers and others, provides diagnostic insights into professional skills, competencies and behavior and suggests constructive solutions to upgrade one’s professional capability. It is meant to benefit teachers and the other stake-holders of an educational setting through the professional and personal growth of teachers. Skill Ladder Scheme maps Core, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Skill-sets of educators and organizes them into different roles which form the focus of teacher training. Customization is possible. The outcome of training along with the achievement of agreed upon KPIs (Performance Indicators) will determine one component of the upwardly-oriented reward structure of the institution. Rewards begin extrinsically and ibecome intrinsic over period.

6. Competency Profiling:

Competency Profiling is done through a set of assessment tools carefully put together. These allow for the mapping of skills and competencies of both students and professionals. The profile is useful not only in gaining a deeper self-understanding, but also in planning strategic growth towards a desirable future goal. It can provide substantial insight into the learning approach one should adopt for optimum results, the career goals one could set or as to how to improve interpersonal relations. A personal growth program can be developed out of the “Competency Profile” to benefit BEd / MEd Students, practicing teachers, employees and students of schools or professional colleges. When correlated with the Educational Competency Matrix (indicated under “Skill Ladder Compensation Scheme”), the profile can suggest effective development pathways and strategies for teachers and teacher-leaders. An understanding of one’s basic personal inclinations and characteristics is expected to strengthen and multiply the functional-worth of the individual several-fold. It may bring in other strategic benefits as well. A work-shop or training to design a personal growth program is usually incorporated into the ‘Profiling Exercise’. More elaborate programs, workshops and courses can be added for greater and customized benefits.

The profile can equip teachers to develop an informed approach on how to deal with different types of learners using the teacher’s own personal qualities and limitations. At the same time, it informs the student how to learn most effectively utilizing his strengths and accepting the teachers’ individual characteristics as they are. It can thus bring the teacher and student together to support each other for optimum outcomes. Arriving at a professional or career development pathway matching with individual qualities and traits is easier with the profile properly mapped. It can make the students happier with themselves and their lives more harmonious and fulfilling.

7. Creative Class-board Designs :

These simple board designs offer long-term solutions to many an academic problem school students face today. These problems include poor handwriting, weak ‘place value concept’, over-restricted use of class-boards etc. While the designs are simple, the impact can be worth an effort. It can be the return of the green/ black board in a new costume.

8. Weightless School Bag Cum Creative Learning System

“Lighter school bags” has been a felt need for several decades now. Much has been talked about but very little has happened by way of constructive solutions. ‘Feather Light Note Book cum Creative Learning System’ offers all what can be imagined and much more in this direction in an extremely simple way. These note-books themselves provide the learner an exceptionally effective learning strategy that facilitates planning and revision of lessons in a scientific manner. It would be great to collaborate with institutions in taking the wonderful benefits of this practical solution to the young people who deserve a more enjoyable childhood. (Original name: Feather-light Notebook cum Creative Learning System). A digital (online or offline) note-taking system has also been conceptualized ever since. This can be a complete and efficient learning support system.

9. Integrated Special Care Outcome Optimizer Planning (iSCOOP)

iSCOOP is a strategic planning idea supported by prioritized scientific tools to optimize academic and general output. This is especially useful to raise performance standards of senior students readying themselves for terminal public examinations. iSCOOP incorporates the dynamic possibilities of a concept called “Potential Score” and develops collaborative learning approaches between the teacher, the student and the peer group. It treats the child as an integrated whole and takes into account his or her social, emotional, medical, mental, cultural and other aspects while proposing a personalized yet shared learning approach. The early form of this program customized for the schools in a foreign land in 1999 resulted in exceptional student-gains, honors and national level recognition.

10. Instant Recognition Token

Instant Recognition Token, as the name implies, is a reward token given to reinforce a positive behavior as it occurs. However, it is much more than a regular reward, a motivational card or token. A complete behavior modification system backs it up. IRT is organized around the proven principles of “Learning” and “Reinforcement”. It relies on the “Schedules of Reinforcement” insightfully built on response patterns occurring naturally or elicited consciously. Theories of “Classical Conditioning”, “Second or Third order Conditioning”, “Oparent Conditioning”, “Insight Learning” etc have been judiciously used to strengthen behavior through extrinsic motivation. Later extrinsic motivation will be replaced with intrinsic motivation in a practical way. The system has been found to generate measurable changes in students in a short span of time, though intrinsic motivation takes more time. The system is built on the assumption that any social behavior comes to stay as a result of the reward-punishment system acting on the individual and can be changed with a reversal of the approach in the case of negative traits.