Introduction The NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training, New Delhi, India) is a unique organization.

Perhaps no other country has such an agency that keeps all areas of school education and experts in different school subjects and in disciplines of higher learning under one umbrella. The NCERT functions as an advisory body to the Ministry of Human Resource Development in matters of school education at all levels. The basic role envisaged for NCERT by the first Prime Minister was an organization that would provide a scientific basis for thinking about education. Through its pre-service and in-service courses, NCERT is committed to improve the quality of teacher education in India. It also carries out, implements educational policies of the Centre, and promotes educational research. Children's education should be an exercise of reasoning to enable them to reflect on it. The NCERT 's role as a facilitating body was to be a clearinghouse of ideas in education. It could bring people together, collaborate and cooperate with other institutions for the betterment of education and empowerment of teachers and teacher educators. This brief indicates that NCERT has a broad mandate and a wide area for functioning. Change? The core educational system of a country needs redirection from time to time in accordance with social, cultural, economic and / or technological changes to make the teacher and the classroom powerful instruments for social change. Literacy is important in the development and democratization of societies. National Focus Groups In the drafting of the National Curriculum Framework 2005, twenty one national focus groups were formed in all subjects, including those which had till recently been relegated to the background. Some of them were: Art and music, Heritage crafts, Educational technology, Systemic reforms, Environment education, Peace education, and Rural education. It is worth emphasizing that schoolteachers were members in all committees. NCF 2005 reflects a commitment to preserve the secular character of education. National Curriculum Framework 2005 A curriculum is never static; a curriculum has to be an enabling document. A curriculum is a vision. Therefore, National Curriculum Framework 2005, having passed through various bodies including the CABE, is an official document laying down the needs of the school system of India envisioning the Constitution of India upholding all its tenets. Curriculum debates of 1968, 1986, and 2000 provided a forum to interact with people and the documents were prepared after much interaction. The 2005 document was drafted after an analysis of inputs and deliberation with a large number of organizations including NGOs and institutions of higher learning. The main purpose of this exercise was to reduce the curriculum load, remove the anomalies in the system and to create a consensus with the help of new syllabi

in the form of a thematically organized body of knowledge. The new syllabi mark a sharp departure from existing practices in our country and others. The Five Basic Tenets of the National Curriculum Framework 2005 The Five Basic Tenets of the National Curriculum Framework 2005 are: 1. 2. 3. 4. Connecting knowledge to life outside the school Ensuring that learning shifts away from rote methods Enriching the curriculum so that it goes beyond textbooks Making examinations more flexible and integrating them with classroom life, and 5. Murturing an overriding identity informed by caring concerns within the democratic polity of the country. Recommendations In order that education may be relevant to the present and future needs, NCF 2005 recommends that: 1. Subject boundaries be softened leading to integrated knowledge and understanding 2. Textbooks and other material should incorporate local knowledge and traditional skills 3. School should provide a stimulating environment that responds to the child's home and community environment Textbooks While textbooks continue to be produced, NCERT's concern was to provide affordable books reflecting the change in thought, policy and social aspirations. The Preamble to the Constitution of India was its mainstay. Students in different classrooms require constant readjustment of methods and activities since every teaching episode is a new and valuable experience. We have to integrate theory and practice by making teaching a pleasurable experience for teachers and students alike. The challenge to produce child friendly books required a new mindset, within both the NCERT and outside. The educational visions of Gandhi and Tagore point towards the linking of schools with work and nature. In the light of suggested curricular changes and the societal reactions the NCERT launched a project to produce a new generation of textbooks that would be free from biases of all kinds caste, creed, sex, gender, deprived. It also required bringing into them recent educational thinking, the policy of a democratic nation, its concern for the rural, the challenged, and the marginalized. As NCERT Director Prof. Krishna Kumar says, we have to ask why India can meet global standards in civil aviation, software and defence but not in its provision for rural children.

Re-orientation of Teachers Research in all aspects of children's education was NCERT's primary mandate. The modernization of teacher training was its other given. Teachers should see the child's talk as a resource rather than as a nuisance, the vicious cycle of resistance and control would have a chance to be turned into a cycle of expression and response. Opportunities for individualized reading need to be built at all stages in order to promote a culture of reading, and teachers must set the example of being members of such a culture. Just as the prematurely imposed discipline of pronunciation stifles the child's motivation to talk freely, in her own dialect, for instance, the demand for writing in mechanically correct ways blocks the urge to use writing to express or to convey one's ideas. Teacher training had remained moribund and commercialization is the only change it is going through. Orissa is the first state that has made provision for up linking with EDUSAT for teleconferencing, ICT, and bringing technology in the classroom. Starting with four schools in Koraput, sitting in their classrooms, students and teachers can access satellite education facilities like curriculum based teaching and training for teachers. Teacher education has to be on going and on site. Master Trainers Keeping teacher training as high priority for the advocacy of NCF 2005, NCERT started conducing 3 day training programmes in NCF for Master Trainers who were senior teachers of Central School, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and other prominent schools in the country. Teachers were exposed to the new inputs and curricular changes and how to go about handling the new textbooks. Besides face to face interaction we also screened CDs - video and audio, to highlight the issues. Teleconferencing In yet another move geared towards empowerment of teachers NCERT introduced a one-day programme through the teleconferencing mode. This made available the highest functionaries of the NCERT on the screen and was successful when the teachers were convinced of the remarks made by them. Further, writers of textbooks interacted directly with the teachers and were able to reply to most of their queries, with relevant suggestions for teaching. Teleconferencing made NCERT reachable from all corners of the country, from where any one could ask a question to which a reply was assured. In Bhubaneswar itself, three such centers are operational simultaneously at present. With the Master Trainers and the teachers thus trained, it is expected that they will organize similar camps for others in their areas to spread the message of the NCF 2005, to carry forward India to a brighter dawn of the next century. Both these programmes have been continuing on a regular basis since June 2006.

The training design will not be thrust on the states. It will be evolved through consultation among stakeholders based on local specific needs. There is a need for identification of performance indicators for teacher educators at different levels. Syllabus and Curriculum For a long time the system of education has functioned in a state of confusion over the relationship between the curriculum, the syllabus and textbooks. This linkage has been taken seriously, and established on sound academic ground in NCF 2005 and in a democratic atmosphere since the NCERT showed all its cards on its website where stakeholders in education freely commented and suggested changes: people and parents, activists and professionals, students and teachers, from all walks of life. Then and Now Teachers have to be mentally prepared for running activity centred classrooms. The mode of transaction of curricular materials is also important. Not only should new knowledge be useful, it is noteworthy how it is transacted so that it reaches the learners in the easiest and best way possible. Earlier children had rarely any opportunity to spare for hands-on experience The Constructivist approach to learning has made its foray in 2005, after many years of waiting into becoming a reality. Every child is the creator of his own universe, his own learning. In this context, the NCF 2005 and its textbooks offer new transactional strategies, requiring greater student involvement. This collective involvement of students, teachers, textbooks, mode of transaction and related material will help us build a school for future generations who can proudly enroll their children in government schools. Centrality of Language The importance of language in the life of any human being needs no emphasis. Language plays a very important role in the all round development of a child. It shapes the child's world, gives him / her means of expressing himself / herself, contributes to his / her emotional growth, besides academic and all other aspects of life. India - A Linguistic Giant Our language scenario has tempted researchers to call India variously as a "sociolinguistic area" "a linguistic giant" and a "language laboratory". The multilingual and pluricultural nature of our society makes it clear that we need more than one language for 'national cohesion', 'cultural integration' and 'social area mobility'. Different languages have different roles to play; they are complementary. The imagery of 'salad bowl' is appropriate: each language has its characteristic features and contributes to the richness of the overall pattern. India is a country in which the Indo European family of languages is spoken mostly in north and central India. Of this group, 54 languages constitute 3/4 of the Indian population. About 1/4 of languages i.e. 20 belong to South India of Dravidian family. In Assam 20 languages are spoken. In northeast India 98 languages are spoken, even though its population density is much less than

that of other states of the country. In total therefore, in the NE 118 languages are spoken. In this context, the role of Hindi and English becomes very important. In spite of all this diversity, it is to be acknowledged that Indian languages have been gaining through tourists, media, print and electronic, and other sources. Therefore, what should a language teacher or a teacher of any other subject know about the language he/she is teaching in? Obviously, that the teacher has to be fluent in the language being used and can handle it with ease. The teacher has to be effective and economical given our limited time and facilities. NCF 2005 Gives a Fresh Impetus to Language Education: 1. A renewed attempt should be made to implement the three language formula. 2. Children's mother tongues, including tribal languages should be considered as the best medium of instruction. 3. Proficiency in multiple languages including English should be encouraged in children. 4. Reading should be emphasized throughout the primary classes. Culture and language are intermingled. NCF 2005 advocates an interdisciplinary approach. However, teachers of different subjects do not discuss these matters. Language can relate all the subjects, as it is the heart of education so is the heart of children. Centrality of language, and achieving it would be a great milestone. The three-language formula is an attempt to address the challenges and opportunities of the linguistic situation in India. The primary aim of the formula is to promote multilingualism and national harmony. Home Language/ First Language/ Regional Language / Mother Tongue Primary school education must be covered through the home language(s). It is imperative that we honour the child's home language(s). According to Article 350A of our Constitution, 'It shall be the endeavour of every State and of every local authority within the State to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage of education to children belonging to linguistic minority groups." In the non-Hindi speaking states, children learn Hindi. In the case of Hindi speaking states, children learn a language not spoken in their area. Sanskrit may also be studied as a modern Indian language in addition to these languages. Care must be taken to honour and respect the child's home languages / mother tongues. At the primary stage, child's language(s) must be accepted as they are, with no attempt to correct them. It is known that errors are a necessary part of the process of learning and that children will correct themselves only when they are ready to. We have to spend time by providing children comprehensible, interesting and challenging inputs.

While children come to school equipped with basic interpersonal communicative skills, they need to acquire cognitively advanced levels of language proficiency. In addition, higher-level proficiency skills easily transfer from one language to another. It is thus imperative that we do everything we can to strengthen the sustained learning of Indian languages at school. Second Language - English The goals for second language curriculum are two fold: attainment of a basic proficiency such as is acquired in natural language learning and the development of language into an instrument for abstract thought and knowledge acquisition through literacy Improving linguistic skills in one language improves it in others, while reading failure in one's own languages adversely affects second language reading. Other Indian languages need to be valorized to reduce the perceived hegemony of English. Home Language and School / Standard Language A child acquires his / her home language, naturally through larger kinship groups, street and neighbourhood and societal environment. Children are born with an innate language facility, and research has shown that Indians have a flair for languages. (domestic help, multilingual beggars, tsunami spoilers, spelling bees, scrabble)They internalize an extremely complex system of language before they come to school. They come armed with 2/3 languages of which we do not make use, we do not exploit them. Languages provide a bank of memories and symbols inherited from fellow speakers and created in their own lifetime. It is a medium through which knowledge is constructed. Language is identity. Let us first recognize this inbuilt language potential of our children as well as remember that languages get socio culturally constructed and change our daily lives. There is a difference between dialect and language. Similarly, the language spoken at home is different from the one spoken in the school, which is usually the standard language, though there is much give and take between the two. For instance, standard Hindi has been derived from Khari Boli. Sometimes, the converse is also true, Avadhi, Brij, Maithili, Bhojpuri were fully developed languages once, now they are dialects. Whenever the child enters the school in his / her locality it is assumed that his/her first language, or mother tongue is the one spoken in the school, which may not always be true. Therefore, the child is educated in the standard form of the language. In such a situation the child is placed in a dilemma as to which language is to be used or which one is correct. At home, e.g., the student may use Brij, but in the school he / she learns standard Hindi, which is different. Other subjects taught through the medium of Hindi also use its standard form. Multilingualism - A Resource A creative language teacher must use multilingualism, a typical feature of the Indian linguistic landscape, as a classroom strategy and a goal. This is also a way of ensuring that every child feels secure and accepted, and that no one is left behind on account of his / her linguistic background. Language subsumes multilingualism / bilingualism. Multilingualism - where each

language is assigned its own distinctive societal functions - may be the wave of the future. The Constitution of India perceives multilingualism as a resource. We should talk about medium of education instead of medium of instruction. The need is to explore the role of language in education and the role of language in a child's life, since language is not content, but language gives life to content. Studies have shown that bilingual or multilingual people are capable of greater cognitive flexibility and creativity, and perform better academically than monolinguals. Polyglots may be polymaths as well. Perhaps it is the ability to switch codes that comes from knowing more than one language. Bilingualism / multilingualism confer definite cognitive advantages. Braille, Sign language Languages would ideally build on this resource, and would strive it through the development of literacy scripts including Braille for the acquisition of academic knowledge. Children with language-related impairments might be introduced to standard sign languages, which can support their continued growth and development to the fullest. Studying sign language and Braille could be included as options for learners without disabilities. Language and the Arts Stories, poems, songs and drama link children to their cultural heritage and give them an opportunity to understand their own experiences and to develop sensitivity to others. Fantasy and mystery play an important role in a child's development. As a sector of language learning, listening also needs to be enriched with the help of music, which includes folk, classical and popular compositions. Folklore and music deserve a place in the language textbook as discourses capable of being developed with the help of exercises and activities unique to them. Language across the curriculum English in India is a global language in a multilingual country (22 languages recognized by the Constitution, 1652 mother tongues, over 3000 dialects.) multilingual context. (no monolingual state, diglossic situations, language continuity, language preservation, language protectionism, etc.) Language education is not confined to the language classroom. A science, social science or mathematics class is ipso facto a language class. Such a policy of languages across the curriculum will foster genuine multilingualism in the school. It is important to view language education as everybody's concern at school and not as a responsibility of the language teacher alone. Many students who have to switch over to English, having had their earlier education through their mother tongues face barriers of language.. Teachers would be doing them a service by being bilingual to some extent for the first few weeks.

Teachers should make themselves aware of their students' first language or mother tongue so that in times of difficulty they can explain to the students in a simple and comprehensible language, may be mother tongue. Teachers of other subjects such as History, Economics, Physics, Botany, etc. should also have knowledge of the dialect spoken around their area. Students may be corrected in an unobtrusive manner, not authoritatively. A proper atmosphere in the classroom should be created even for teaching the mother tongue or the first language. By talking to students outside the classroom on topics other than the text or the school, students will take to the standard language and understand the subtle difference between home language and school / standard language. Language thus learnt will go a long way in helping the students not only with the language but also with other subjects as well. They will also be able to use the language outside the classroom, in the society with confidence without the teacher, thus fulfilling the basic purpose of language. Therefore, a language across the curriculum approach is required. This brings down the barriers between English and other subjects, and other Indian languages. All learning, it must be emphasized occurs through language. English does not stand-alone. The aim of English teaching is the creation of multilinguals who can enrich all our languages which has been an abiding national vision. Language in the Classroom Input rich communicational environments are a prerequisite for language learning, whether first or second. Inputs include textbooks, learner chosen texts and class libraries allowing for a variety of genres. The language environment of disadvantaged learners needs to be enriched by developing schools into community learning centres. All teachers who teach English should have basic proficiency in English. Evaluation in Languages Language evaluation need not be tied to achievement with respect to particular syllabi, but must be reoriented to the measurement of language proficiency. Ongoing assessment could document a learner's progress through the portfolio mode National benchmarks for English language proficiency would help greatly in achieving certain basic standards. English is perceived to open up opportunities. A student may be allowed to 'pass without English' if an alternative route for English certification (and therefore instruction) can be provided outside the regular school curriculum. The transfer of skills could be achieved from one language to another. In this context the objective of teaching languages is not simply to make the students learn language skills but to enable them to play their communicative roles effectively and select languages from their linguistic repertoire and within those chosen, select registers and styles, befitting the roles they are playing. Reviving Sanskrit, Ol-Chiki, Urdu The revival of Sanskrit is a kind of reverse sanskritisation - an attempt to hold people back in cultural ghettoes while Indians aspire to globalise themelves. This hardly makes economic sense.

Indian teachers are being recruited for jobs abroad. Hence learning Japanese, German, Chinese, French, Spanish would be as fruitful, productive and revenue oriented, as was the learning of English earlier. In the state of Orissa of late there has been a demand for the introduction of tribal languages. Since the inclusion of Santhali in the 8th Schedule, now Ol-Chiki is the language many tribals want included in the curriculum, along with its script, particularly in the districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore and Sundargarh. There is also a demand for the setting up a Santhali Academy on the lines of the Urdu Academy. Agreed, that languages have to be life sustaining. However, pulls of a different kind also exist. In severe contrast, we have compelling authority, mobility, power, and exploitation. The fate of Urdu is much the same. Urdu has to be kept alive in the schools. However, the conditions of Urdu medium schools and Urdu textbooks are abysmally low; textbooks are available only late in the school session. The ever falling results of Indian Urdu schools shows the teachers', parents' and students' confusion. The low results in Urdu schools are indicative of the incoherence and lack of coordination among the managing bodies and stakeholders. Spoken throughout the country in pockets, Urdu does not belong to any particular region, though it is a second language in some states, and as is well known keeps its diglossic function. Its falling standards need urgent attention. A language does not prosper through TV channels alone but by the people who use it. Teachers for Generation Next Therefore, in the context of languages and the changes taking place in society and education, every teacher would do well to introspect and reflect on his / her teaching, with particular attention to languages being used. Who am I as a teacher? Who are my students? How do they experience my teaching? Do they easily understand my language? Do I use too many technical words? Do I follow known conventions of language? What are the consequences of my language abilities on the students? How is my tone in the language? Do I maintain the rhythm of the language? What sort of change do I see as fit for my own teaching? The teacher has to reason with himself / herself about their teaching which they have been constantly improving through reflection. The answer lies in the ultimate question: Will my teaching improve with better fluency and appropriate use of language? Conclusion

The right to choose any language is fundamental for searching for and earning the right to livelihood. More so in a globalised world, whose opportunities are to be availed of with the skills one possesses, may be, as language teachers. For instance, the culture of the English speaking may be dominant but English is no longer a political instrument of the downtrodden. Today proficiency in the language is a skill, liquid assets and financial gains for educators in India and abroad. Language as a constellation of skills, thought encoders and markers of identity cuts across school subjects and disciplines. Language has to be maintained as a marketable skill. And therefore, he / she who can will talk his / her way in a world of global opportunities. National Curriculam Framework for school education2005 Backgrounder

Curriculum designing has a special place among the diverse responsibilities envisaged in the charter of NCERT. As an apex national agency of education reform, NCERT is expected to review the school curriculum as a routine activity, ensuring the highest standards of rigour and deliberative openness in the process. The NPE, 1986 and the PoA 1992 assign a special role to NCERT in preparing and promoting a National Curriculum Framework. The present exercise of reviewing the NCF was initiated following the statement made by the Honble Minister for Human Resource Development in the Lok Sabha that NCERT should take up such a revision. This was followed by a decision in the Executive Committee in its meeting in July 2004 to revise the national Curriculum Framework Subsequent to this meeting a letter from Education Secretary to the Director NCERT reiterated the necessity to review the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2000 in the light of Learning without Burden (1993). Accordingly, NCERT set up the National Steering Committee under the chairpersonship of Prof. Yashpal. The National Steering Committee has 35 members, including scholars from different discipline, principals and teachers, CBSE Chairman, representatives of well known NGOs and members of the NCERT faculty. The National Steering Committee was responsible for preparing the revised National Curriculum Framework document. The National Steering Committee had the benefit of the position papers prepared by the 21 National Focus Groups. The 21 National Focus Groups, also chaired by renowned scholars and practitioners, covered the following major areas: a) Areas of Curricular Concern

Teaching of Sciences Teaching Mathematics Teaching of Indian Languages Teaching of English Teaching of Social Sciences Learning and Habitat Art, Dance, Theatre and Music b) Areas for systemic reform

Aims of Education Systemic Reform for Curricular Change Curriculum, syllabus and Textbooks Teacher education for Curriculum Renewal Examination reforms Early childhood education

Work and education Educational technology Heritage crafts Health and physical education c) National Concerns

Problems of SC/ST children Gender issues in the curriculum Education for groups with special needs Each National Focus Group has had several consultations in which they have interacted with other scholars and classroom practioners in different parts of the country. In addition to the above NCERT has had consultations with (a) Rural Teachers, (b) Education Secretaries and Directors of NCERTs, (c) principals of Delhi-based private schools and KVS Schools. Regional Seminars were also held at NCERTs Regional Institutes of Education in Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhuvaneshwar, Mysore and Shillong. Advertisements were placed in 28 national and regional dailies to invite suggestions from parents and other concerned members of the public. More than 1500 responses were received. The draft National Curriculum Document (NCF) has emerged from the wide ranging deliberations of the above groups. The salient features of the revised NCF are as follows: Chapter 1: Perspective It provides the historical backdrop and the rationale for undertaking the revision of the National Curriculum Framework. It discusses curricular reform efforts since Independence drawing from Gandhijis vision of education as a means of raising the nation s conscience towards injustice, violence and inequality entrenched in the social order. It refers to the recommendations of the National Commission on Secondary Education, 1952-53 (Mudaliar Commission) and the Education commission, 1964-66 (Kothari Commission) and traces and development of Curriculum Framework, 1975 as also the formulation of the National Curriculum Framework, 1988, following the adoption of the National Policy on Education in 1986. It refers to the report entitled Learning without Burden (1993), which highlighted the problems of curriculum overload which made learning a source of stress for children during their formative years. It refers to the National Curriculum Framework for School Education introduced in 2000. Chapter 1 reaffirms faith in the Constitutional vision of India as a secular egalitarian and pluralistic society founded on values of social justice and equality. It proposes four guiding principles for curriculum development, namely (a) connecting knowledge to life outside the school, (b) ensuring that learning shifts away from rote methods, 9c) enriching th curriculum so that it goes beyond textbooks, (d) making examinations more flexible. It addresses the challenge of quality in a system that seeks to reach every child the exclusive triangle of equality, quality and quantity. This chapter looks at the social context of education and the hierarchies of caste, economic status and gender relations, cultural diversity as well as uneven development that characterize Indian Society, and deeply influence access to education and participation of children in schools. It cautions against the pressures to commodify schools and the

application of market related concepts to schools and schools quality. Finally, it discusses educational aims as deriving from the Guiding Principles. Education should aim to build a commitment to democratic values of equality, justice, freedom, concern for others well being, secularism, respect for human dignity and rights. It should also aim at fostering independence of thought and action, sensitivity to others well being and feelings, learning to learn and unlearn, ability to work for developing a social temper and inculate aesthetic appreciation. Chapter 2: Learning and Knowledge The Chapter focuses on the primacy of the learner. Child centred pedagogy means giving primacy to childrens experiences, their voices and their active participation. It discusses the nature of knowledge and the need for adults to change their perceptions of the child as a passive receiver of knowledge; rather the child can be an active participant in the construction of knowledge by encouraging children to ask questions, relate what they are learning in school to things happening outside, encouraging them to answer form their own experiences and in their own words rather than by memorizing. It recognizes the need for developing an enabling and non-threatening environment, since an environment of fear, discipline and stress is detrimental to learning. Healthy physical growth is the pre-condition for development and this requires that they benefit from nutrition, physical exercise and freedom from physical discomfort. Development of self identity through the adolescent years, particularly in the case of girls who are constrained by social conventions, is an important component. This chapter emphasizes that gender, caste, class, religion and minority status or disability should not constrain participation in the experiences provided in school. It pints out that the diagnostic criteria of earning disabilities is not well established. It is, therefore, entirely possible that learning disabilities may arise from inadequate and insufficient instruction. This chapter also highlights the value of interactionwith the environment, nature, things, peopleto enhance learning. Learning in school regretfully continues to be teacher-dominated and the teacher is seen as transmitting knowledge-knowledge of ten being confused with information. It points out that interaction with peers, teachers and older and younger people can open up many rich learning possibilities. Learning tasks and experiences, therefore, need to be designed to ensure that children seek out knowledge from sites other than the textbooks from their own experiences, from experiences at home, community, from the library. Heritage sites, therefore, assume great significance as sites of learning. The approach to planning lessons must therefore move away from the Herbartian lesson plan to preparing plans, activities that challenge children to think and try out what they are learning. Chapter 3: Curricular Areas, School Stages and Assessment It recommends significant changes in Language, Maths, Natural Science and Social Sciences with a view to reducing stress and making education more relevant to the present day and future needs of children. In Language, it makes a renewed attempt to implement the three-language formula with emphasis on mother tongue as the medium of instruction. India is a multi-lingual country and curriculum should promote multilingual proficiency in every child, including proficiency in English, which will become possible only if learning builds on a sound language pedagogy of the mother tongue. It focuses on language as an integral part of every subject, since reading, writing, listening and speech contribute to a childs progress in all curricular areas and therefore constitute the basic of learning. This chapter also focuses on Mathematics and enhancing the childs ability to think and reason, visualize and handle abstractions and formulate and solve problems. It recommends that the teaching of Science should be recast to enable children to examine and analyze everybody experiences. Environment Education should become part of every subject. In Social Sciences it recognizes disciplinary markers with emphasis on integration of significant themes, such as water. It also recommends a paradigm shift to study social sciences from the perspective of marginalized groups. It recommends that gender justice and sensitivity to tribal and dalit issues and minority sensibilities should inform all sectors of social science. The document draws attention to four other areas, namely Art education, Health and

Physical Education, Work and Education and Education for Peace. Work should be recognized as a creator of new forms of knowledge and promote the values necessary for democratic order. Work education must link up with heritage crafts, especially in craft zones which need to be mapped, so that this important source of cultural and economic wealth can be properly harnessed through linkage with education. Chapter 4 : School and Classroom Environment The Chapter talks about the need for nurturing an enabling environment by bringing about suitable changes in the school and classroom environment. It revisits traditional notions of discipline and discusses the need for providing space for parents and community. It also discusses curriculum sites and learning resources, including texts and books, libraries, education technology, tools and laboratories, etc. This chapter addresses the need for plurality of material, as also the need for teacher autonomy and professional independence. Chapter 5: Systemic Reforms It covers issues of quality and the need for academic planning for monitoring of quality. It reaffirms faith in Panchayati Raj and suggests the strengthening of Panchayati Raj Institutions through systematic activity mapping of functions appropriate at relevant levels of panchayats, while simultaneously ensuring appropriate financial autonomy on the basis of the funds-must-follow-functions principle. This chapter also looks at issues of academic planning and leadership at school level to improve quality. Teacher education for curriculum renewal focuses on developing the professional identity of the teacher as also in-service education and training of teachers. Examination Reforms is an important component of this chapter to reduce psychological pressure, particularly on children in class X and XII. The NCF, therefore, recommends changing the typology of questions so that reasoning and creative abilities replace rote learning as the basis of evaluation. Finally, it encourages innovation in ideas and practice through plurality of textbooks and use of technology and recommends partnerships between the school system and other civil society groups. The revised National Curriculum Framework is being placed before the Executive Committee and the General Council of the NCERT today and it will be placed before the CABE tomorrow for discussion and approval. Suggestions derived from deliberations will be presented to the National Steering Committee for incorporation. SK:SPS:NC

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The National Curriculum Framework 2005 (NCF) and Integral Education

Introduction I believe we can conclude that the principles of education reform first articulated by Sri Aurobindo 100 years ago in his essays on A System of National Education have culminated in the methodology formulated by the National Council of Educational Research and Training, adopted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and now being implemented nationally, known as NCF. This document and the principles of education that it expounds embody the most progressive, child-centered educational ideas and strategies practiced today in

many schools of the world, and illustrate the pervasive nature of the insights expressed by Sri Aurobindo in the early decades, and by the Mother in the 40s and 50s, of the 20th Century. Their seminal ideas have become the norms of progressive education reform. The purpose of this brief essay is to demonstrate the concreteness of this remarkable achievement, and thereby to draw a direct connection between NCF and Auroville Education. Constructivism In the introduction to NCF, Prof. Yash Pal writes on the first page; The document frequently revolves around the question of curriculum load on children. In this regard we seem to have fallen into a pit. We have bartered away understanding for memory-based, short-term information accumulation. This must be reversed, particularly now that the mass of what could be memorized has begun to explode. We need to give our children some taste of understanding, following which they would be able to learn and create their own versions of knowledge as they go out to meet the world of bits, images and transactions of life. Here Yash Pal has indicated the problem formulated long ago by Sri Aurobindo in these words: The argument against national education proceeds in the first place upon the lifeless academic notion that the subject, the acquiring of this or that kind of information is the whole or the central matter. But the acquiring of various kinds of information is only one and not the chief of the means and necessities of education: its central aim is the building of the powers of the human mind and spirit, it is the formation or, as I would prefer to view it, the evoking of knowledge and will and of the power to use knowledge, character, culture that at least if no more (SA/M p.9). It is especially important to note here one of the most meaningful concepts in education reform, which is indicated by the phrases create their own versions of knowledge and the building of the powers of the human mind for this is the notion of constructivism. When the Mother expressed these ideas, she used the notion in a very explicit way: The growth of the understanding much more than that of memory should be insisted upon. One knows only what one understands. Indeed, as the child progresses in his studies and grows in age, his mind too ripens and is more and more capable of general ideasfor a knowledge stable enough to be made the basis of a mental construction which will permit all diverse and scattered and often contradictory ideas accumulated in the brain to be organized and put in order (SA/M p. 116-117). But learning is only one aspect of mental activity; the other, at least as important, is the constructive faculty, the capacity to give form and therefore prepare for action (SA/M p.118). The underlying insight in all of these expressions is now commonly known as constructivist, activity based education, and it has become the formal methodology of NCF as well as of the Harvard Graduate School of Educations teacher training program. It is also the basic methodology that has been practiced consciously in most Auroville schools for at least the past ten years. In the body of NCF, after an elaborate description of the problems of a memory and examination based system of education, the constructivist approach is stated explicitly: Child-centered pedagogy means giving primacy to childrens experiences, their voices, and their active participation (p. 13). Learners actively construct their own knowledge by connecting new ideas to existing ideas on the basis of materials/activities presented to them through experience (p. 17). Active engagement involves enquiry, exploration, questioning, debates, application and reflection, leading to theory building and the creation of ideas (p.18). In Sri Aurobindos writings, the first principles of a child-centered pedagogy were stated succinctly, very early in the process of educational development which, we may perhaps say, is now in its completion phase, and these are the most oft-quoted of his statements on the subject:

The first principle of true teaching is that nothing can be taught. The teacher is not an instructor or task-master, he is a helper and a guide. The second principle is that the mind has to be consulted in its own growth. The idea of hammering the child into the shape desired by the parent or teacher is a barbarous and ignorant superstition. It is he himself who must be induced to expand in accordance with his own nature. The third principle of education is to work from the near to the far, from that which is to that which shall be. The basis of a mans nature is almost always (in addition to his souls past), his heredity, his surroundings, his nationality, his country, the soil from which he draws sustenance, the air which he breathes, the sights, sounds, habits to which he is accustomed and from that then we must begin. The past is our foundation, the present our material, the future our aim and summit (SA/M p. 20-22). In his introduction to NCF, Yash Pal said that the NCERT document was the product of research to focus attention on what should be taught to our children and how. The what and the how are generally known, respectively, as the content and the method. The NCF document, however, like the writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on education, focuses almost exclusively on the how, the methodology. And that is the aspect of what is generally known as child-centered education reform suggested above by Sri Aurobindos three principles. But how does NCF deal with these principles, either in theory or practice? The document says, for example, The childs community and local environment form the primary context in which learning takes place, and in which knowledge acquires its significance. In this document we emphasize the significance of contextualizing education: of situating learning in the context of the childs world, and of making the boundary between the school and its natural and social environment porous. If we want to examine how learning relates to future visions of community life, it is crucial to encourage reflection on what it means to know something, and how to use what we have learnt (NCF p. 30). The way that Sri Aurobindo put this idea was this: there are three things that have to be taken into account in a true and living education: the individual in his commonness and in his uniqueness, the nation or people, and universal humanity. It follows that that alone will be a true and living education which helps to bring out to full advantage, makes ready for the full purpose and scope of human life all that is in the individual, and which at the same time helps him to enter into his right relation with the life, mind, and soul of the people to which he belongs and with the great total life, mind and soul of humanity (SA/M p.13). This is the shift from teacher centered education to learner centered education, for the development of both individual and society. And to encourage the application of this principle, the syllabus/texts frequently suggest activities to be done, in or out of school, such as, in social geography for example, construct a population pyramid of your school to assess gender distribution or visit your neighborhood retailers or selfhelp groups to find out about gender, education and migration patterns in your village, etc. In our school (NESS) students have conducted detailed surveys in the community to learn about water distribution and sanitation in our local villages, and to analyze local food production and consumption patterns. Living in a rural area is an ideal situation for studying todays radically changing socio-economic patterns, in order to put a relevant what to the how of the three first principles. We can compare these activities with some that are documented annually in the SAIIER reports on Auroville education, (which I happen to have edited for three years 2006-2009), where we find elaborate descriptions of similar activities undertaken by students in their schools, from explorations in the bioregion, to dramas, research projects on the environment, art projects, visits to Auroville farms, etc. And we find frequent reference to the fact that the students choose an

activity, explore their interests, make oral presentations, debate their positions on topics, etc. In all of these activities, the teacher is a support and guide to the students learning process, students are being consulted with respect to their interests and skills level, and the subject matter is generally relevant to todays reality in relation to the past and the future. Because of our small school size in Auroville, and our relaxed environment, it is undoubtedly easier for us to implement the NCF reforms here, in a school like NESS, than it is for large public schools which have thousands of students, and there is therefore a closer relationship between our CBSE program and Auroville education in general than there is between our CBSE program and what we would find at the JIPMER Central School. But the point of this essay is to illustrate the former closeness, in principle and practice, between NCF and Auroville education. That closeness is what makes NCF relevant for us. Integralism In her short but very influential essay on education, around 1950, the Mother wrote: Education, to be complete, must have five principal aspects relating to the five principal activities of the human being: the physical, the vital, the mental, the psychic, and the spiritual. Usually, these phases of education succeed each other in a chronological order following the growth of the individual; this, however, does not mean that the one should replace the other but that all must continue, completing each other, till the end of life. (SA/M p. 96). This is undoubtedly the basis of the ideal that she assigned to us in the Charter of Auroville: to be the place of an unending education. And in this essay she especially emphasized the importance of the education of the vital. Of all education, the education of the vital is perhaps the most important and the most indispensable. This is what we normally refer to as character development, or as she put it to become conscious and gradually master of ones character. The child must be taught to observe himself, to note his reactions and impulses and their causes, to become a clear-sighted witness of his desires, his movements of violence and passion, his instincts of possession and appropriation and domination Evidently, the process would be useful only when along with the growth of the power of observation there grows also the will towards progress and perfection (SA/M p. 107-112). In this context, one of the most remarkable aspects of the NCF education reforms is the introduction of what is called Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) which is a system for observing, annotating, and supporting the development of the whole child: mental, emotional, social, physical in addition to the normal exclusive preoccupation of schools with academic development. And again, NCF has added a very substantial how to the what by creating a system that sensitizes teachers to the aspects of child-development which should now be emphasized in place of the old, one dimensional system of ranking students according to examination results. This idea of assessment as an on-going part of the teaching/learning process, rather than an endof-the-road ranking, has been one of the main focuses of progressive education, especially at Harvards Project Zero, under the direction of Howard Gardner, who is perhaps the most influential education reformer in the world today. And why is on-going evaluation important? The answer is simple: If we dont state our desired goals clearly and measure our progress toward achieving them, no one will know where we are headed or how far we have to go. As an example of what this aspect of education reform means and how it works, a few short examples may be taken from the Position Paper on Aims of Education - NCF 2005, NCERT: Need: The School Based Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation system should be established to:

Reduce stress on children Make evaluation comprehensive and regular Provide space for the teacher for creative teaching Provide a tool of diagnosis and remedial action Produce learners with greater skills The objectives are: To help develop cognitive, psychomotor and affective skills To lay emphasis on thought process and de- emphasise memorization To make evaluation an integral part of teaching- learning process To use evaluation for improvement of students achievement and teaching-learning strategies on the basis of regular diagnosis followed by remedial instructions To use evaluation as a quality control device to maintain desired standard of performance To determine social utility, desirability or effectiveness of a programme and take appropriate decisions about the learner, the process of learning and the learning environment To make the process of teaching and learning a learner-centered activity Life skills to be evaluated: 1 Self Awareness 2 Problem Solving 3 Decision Making 4 Critical Thinking 5 Creative Thinking 6 Interpersonal Relationships 7 Effective Communication 8 Empathy 9 Managing Emotions 10 Dealing with stress For teachers to be required to observe students and themselves with respect to these qualitative aspects of learning is just a step away from the recognition of those ideal psychological qualities that the Mother pointed to in her guidelines for vital education, which she said should be inculcated in both teachers and students: sincerity, honesty, straightforwardness, courage, disinterestedness, unselfishness, patience, endurance, perseverance, peace, calm, self-control. There are many other examples of the NCF reforms, from the original 125 page document, as well as from numerous other publications of NCERT and CBSE during the past five years, which indicate the quite remarkable results of an intensive and thorough process that is underway in India to revolutionize public education, and which can be linked directly to the early teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on education. It is also well-known that many students of their teachings, and followers of their example, have been involved in this process at the national level for several decades. It should also be recognized that the Auroville Foundation portfolio sits in the Ministry of Human Resource Development alongside the CBSE/NCERT portfolio, and the UNESCO portfolio, and that we are natural collaborators in bringing about this revolution, for

India and for Human Unity, along with all those who have adopted non-traditional, studentcentered educational practices. Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation and Integral Education Philosophy It will be instructive to examine more closely some of the specific guidelines published by the CBSE to help teachers implement the principles of continuous assessment. In its CCE Manual for Teachers we read, for example: Education aims at making children capable of becoming responsible, productive and useful members of a society. Knowledge, skills and attitudes are built through learning experiences and opportunities created for learners in school. It is in the classroom that learners can analyse and evaluate their experiences, learn to doubt, to question, to investigate and to think independently. The aim of education simultaneously reflects the current needs and aspirations of a society as well as its lasting values and human ideals. At any given time and place it can be called the contemporary and contextual articulations of broad and lasting human aspirations and values. Conceptual development is thus a continuous process of deepening and enriching connections and acquiring new layers of meaning. Simultaneously theories that children have about the natural and social world develop, including about themselves in relation to others, which provide them with explanations for why things are the way they are and the relationship between cause and effect. (CCE Teacher Manual, p. 1) This definition of the aims of constructivist education, sometimes known also as discovery or enquiry based learning, assumes that students are in the end responsible for their own learning. This was the idea behind that early first principle formulated by Sri Aurobindo, that nothing can be taught. The constructivist assumption is that learning is a process that takes place in the individual consciousness; it is not something that is imposed from outside by a teacher. But for Sri Aurobindo, writing his philosophy of social development in the early 20th Century, there was more to this psychological discovery than educational theory: it was the basis of a new and radical conception of the right of all individuals as members of the society to the full life and the full development of which they are individually capable. social development and well being mean the development and well being of all the individuals in the society and not merely a flourishing of the community in the mass which resolves itself into the splendour and power of one or two classes. It was the dawning of the democratic ideal in Indian political theory, and of the values of individualism. Sri Aurobindo was in the vanguard of that movement and was acutely aware that it was only the full development of each individual that could result eventually in a successful renewal of the collective life. For, this new spirit of individualism contained in it a deeper insight: ..only by admitting and realizing our unity with others can we entirely fulfill our true self-being. Education, conceived as a tool of the society and culture, must therefore offer students opportunities to experience connections, - between language and meaning, symbols and reality, ideas and values, - in order to truly understand themselves and their relationships with the natural and social world around them, of which they are an integral part. The early trend toward such a progressive and integral educational development of the inner and outer being, of self and society, and of a balanced development of mind, life, body, and soul was noted by Sri Aurobindo as early as 1918: there was a glimmering of the realization that each human being is a selfdeveloping soul and that the business of both parent and teacher is to enable and to help the child to educate himself, to develop his own intellectual, moral, aesthetic and practical capacities and to grow freely as an organic being, not to be kneaded and pressured into form like an inert plastic material.

Assessment for learning Teacher-guided, activity-based learning experiences and exposures, intended to enhance the development of academic skills and knowledge, are generally what we mean today, in a progressive educational context, by schooling. In this context there is a variety of formative and summative assessments whereby such skills and knowledge acquisition are assessed, and we can measure students progress. But how do we determine whether the students are also acquiring self-knowledge, a sense of who they are in relation to the world around them, and a value system that will enable them to live healthy, productive, creative and responsible lives beyond school? It is this more profound psychological aspect of schooling that the CCE system is attempting to bring into focus, for both teachers and students. And the pedagogical approach that it has adopted is sometimes known as assessment for learning and assessment as learning. It is an approach that has been extensively researched by the Harvard Graduate School of Education in America and it is being applied in many progressive educational systems around the globe. And, like all good, enquiry based methodology, it asks the question! It is when we ask the question, when we enquire, that we inform ourselves and others about the things we want to know. And this enquiry, in turn, also conveys our values: What we want to know, is what we believe is most important. The CCE system, therefore, creates checklists made up of the kinds of information-questions that we want to assess. These checklists may be considered rubrics or codes, which set forth the value-criteria by which we expect students to achieve and demonstrate individual selfdevelopment. Below, we find three sets of value rubrics for thinking, social and emotional skills, derived from a longer CCE list, which indicate the skills that we want students to develop. The lists have been shortened and modified slightly from the original text (CCE Teacher Manual, p. 50-52) for the sake of simplicity and convenience. This shortened list will provide ample material to illustrate the principles. (i) Thinking Skills 1. Recognizes and analyzes a problem 2. Collects relevant information from reliable sources 3. Evaluates alternative decisions for advantageous and adverse consequences 4. Demonstrates divergent (out-of-the-box) thinking 5. Demonstrates flexibility and openness to modification of opinions (ii) Social Skills

1. Helps classmates in case of difficulties in academic and personal issues 2. Actively listens and pays attention to others 3. Explains and articulates a concept differently so that others can understand in simple language 4. Demonstrates leadership skills, like responsibility, initiative etc. 5. Helps others develop independence and avoid dependency. (iii) Emotional Skills 1. Is optimistic 2. Believes in self and shows self confidence 3. If unsuccessful, gracefully tries the task again 4. Maintains decency under stressful interpersonal situations 5. Does the student recognize her strengths and weaknesses? This list of fifteen character traits might easily be considered a good beginning of a profile for the ideal student, although there are certainly many more traits that we could add. The CCE manual also includes descriptors for physical health, artistic expression, creativity, moral values, and so on. But let us consider some of these fifteen descriptors briefly. How shall we assess them? First we must ask corresponding questions: Does the student recognize and analyze problems? Does the student demonstrate divergent thinking? Does the student actively listen and pay attention to others? Does the student demonstrate leadership skills? Does the student show self-confidence? If she is unsuccessful, does she gracefully try the task again? Does she recognize her strengths and weaknesses? In order to answer these questions, the teacher must develop a much greater degree of sensitivity to the student than is normally required for teaching a unit or grading a quiz. In fact, the teacher must set aside the academic subject altogether, and tune in to the psychology of the student. These questions are not even verbally presented to the student; they are formulated and held in the consciousness of the teacher/evaluator who must try to perceive the answers! Does the student recognize her strengths and weaknesses? can only be

answered by the penetrating observation of an aspect of the student which cannot be seen at all! It is an aspect of personality that is normally hidden to all but the student herself, and perhaps it is also hidden even to herself. And so it is with most of the other criteria that have been listed. And yet these behaviors and values can be demonstrated and observed more and more clearly and objectively as we make them the object of our attention, and as we discuss them with our students. As with the development of any skill, frequent opportunity for practice and awareness of the behaviors must be given, and their occurrence must be recognized and rewarded. And yet they are not things that we teach; in fact they have little to do with us, as teachers. They are qualities and actions that belong strictly to the student, for which the student alone is responsible. We are merely observers and monitors, seeking to learn more about our students. And we know that what is valuable to us will also be valued by them. In order to systematize the assessment of personality traits such as these, it is helpful to maintain a schedule of observations. Circumstances and settings must be arranged which lend themselves to the types of behavior that should be expressed. Therefore, the CCE manual recommends certain tools and techniques which can be utilized for this purpose. For example, debates and project presentations, which are a regular feature of an activity-based classroom, offer ample opportunity for listening actively to others, for helping others to be independent learners, for leadership, for modifying ones opinions, and even for dealing with stressful interpersonal relationships. The teachers art is to utilize such opportunities for noticing and documenting the presence or absence of these traits on a regular basis, and then to give the students constructive feedback on what has been observed. In this way, a culture of subjective knowledge and behavior can be created, parallel to the usual activities and content for developing academic skills and knowledge but which now will provide the context for enhancing the students integral development. The next challenge is to document and assign credit to these traits. In any learning process there is a curve of change and growth which must be monitored and documented in order to ascertain whether learning is actually taking place. This can generally be measured either quantitatively or qualitatively. And one of the best tools to use is an assessment rubric which clearly defines the range of skills to be measured. The checklist of descriptors may be considered a holistic rubric against which the presence or absence of the traits described can be evaluated. For example, five observations for the first five descriptors may be made for a particular student over the course of a few days or weeks and recorded as follows: Recognizes and analyzes a problem xxooo2 Collects relevant, reliable information Evaluates alternative decisions wisely xxxoo3 oooxo1

Demonstrates divergent (out-of-the-box) thinking o o o o o 0 Demonstrates flexibility and openness xxxxx5 This student has scored 11 out of a possible 25 points on this assessment. For future reference we may add a space for anecdotal evidence below the form to record particular instances of the presence or absence of the trait which we discuss with student. After collecting similar observations in a variety of circumstances throughout a semester, it will be possible to ascertain, reflect upon, and discuss the pattern of behavior that emerges. The frequency of observations is an important factor in eliminating personal bias on the part of the evaluator. The marks given will remain subjective, no doubt, but if they are based on a clear understanding of the nature of the behavior to be observed, then similar patterns should be observed by other teachers, thus

establishing a reasonable degree of objectivity. And there is ample opportunity for the teacher to further verify her observations in discussions with the student. Self-assessments and peer assessments may also be added to the picture to further validate the observations made. In addition to the holistic rubric, which relies primarily on quantitative analysis, a vertical, analytical scale of qualities for each descriptor may be added. Such a scale can then be used to evaluate each observation with respect to the quality of the behavior observed. For example: Needs In progress or Proficient or Basic or Advanced or Descriptors improvement or sometimes most of the often (3) always (5) never (1) (2) time (4) Recognizes a During class problem discussions Collects relevant information Evaluates decisions for/against Out-of-thebox thinking During class discussions Duringclass discussions From three sources During class discussions From more than three sources During class discussions From more than three sources

Using the text or Using text or computer computer resources resources In a written paper During class discussions In a written paper During class discussions

In discussions, In discussions, In discussions debates and debates and and writing writing writing In discussions, In discussions, In discussions debates and debates and and writing writing writing

Shows In discussions, In discussions, During During In discussions flexibility in debates and debates and discussions discussions and writing opinions writing writing Analytical rubrics are especially useful for assessing projects and academic skills development. They require a much greater degree of specificity but they provide a much better guideline for both the teacher and the student to understand the expectations or goals of the activity and its assessment. If the analytical rubric is created in the context of class discussion with students, then there can be little doubt or misunderstanding about what is expected.

Appendix 1- Sample rubrics for both academic and non-academic assessments for learning
CCE Co-scholatic Skills Assessment Rubric New Era Secondary School, Auroville Obs Obs Obs Obs Obs Thinking Skills Descriptors 1 2 3 4 5 Recognizes and analyzes a problem Comment: Collects relevant, reliable information Comment: Evaluates alternative decisions wisely Comment: Demonstrates divergent (out-of-the-box) thinking Comment: Demonstrates flexibility and openness Comment: Score

New Era Secondary School 2011-12

Part 2 D Attitudes Towards School Programmes and Environment Name of the student_____________ Class _______ Teacher_________________

S.N. Descriptors 1 2 3 4 5 Attaches a lot of importance to school activities and programmes Participates in school activities relating to improvement of environment Shoulders responsibility happily Insists on parents to participate/witness school programmes Takes care of school property

Score (Out Observations Comments of 5)

Total Average Grade

Grading Scale

A - 5 - Always B - 4 - Most of the time C - 3 - Often D-2Sometimes E - 1 - Never

Persuasive Essay Rubric Heidi Goodrich Andrade, Project Zero Criteria The claim 4 3 2 1 I don't say what my argument or claim is. I do not give convincing reasons in support of my claim.

I make a claim and I make a claim but My claim is explain why it is don't explain why it buried, confused controversial. is controversial. and/or unclear. I give reasons in support of my claim but I may overlook important reasons. I discuss the reasons against my claim but leave some reasons out and/or don't explain why the claim still stands. My writing has a beginning, middle I give 1 or 2 weak reasons that don't support my claim and/or irrelevant or confusing reasons. I say that there are reasons against the claim but I don't discuss them. My writing is organized but

I give clear and Reasons in accurate reasons in support of the support of my claim claim. I discuss the reasons against my claim and explain why it is valid anyway. My writing has a compelling

Reasons against the claim

I do not acknowledge or discuss the reasons against the claim. My writing is aimless and

Organization

opening, an and end. It marches informative middle along but doesn't and a satisfying dance. conclusion. It sounds like I care about my argument. I show how I think and feel about it. My tone is OK but my paper could have been written by anyone. I need to tell more about how I think and feel.

sometimes gets off topic.

disorganized.

Voice and tone

My writing is bland or pretentious. There is either no hint of a real person in it or it sounds like I'm a fake.

My writing is too formal or too informal. It sounds like I don't like the topic of the essay. I use the same words over and over and over and over. Some words may be confusing to a reader. Many run-ons, fragments and awkward phrasings make my essay hard to read.

Word choice

The words I use The words I use are often dull or are striking but I make routine word uninspired or natural, varied and choices. sound like I am vivid. trying too hard to impress. My sentences are clear, complete, and of varying lengths. I have wellconstructed sentences. My sentences are sometimes awkward, and/or contain run-ons and fragments.

Sentence fluency

Conventions

I generally use I use correct correct conventions. grammar, spelling, I have a couple of and punctuation. errors I should fix.

I have enough Numerous errors errors in my essay make my paper to distract a hard to read. reader.

SCIENCE PROJECT RUBRIC PROJECT ZERO by Heidi Goodrich Andrade ATTRIBUTES Organization of written work LEVEL 1 (ADVANCED) Well-organized, complete and factual, correctly formatted LEVEL 2 (PROFICIENT) Fairly well-organized, mostly complete and factual, a few errors in format Reflects some understanding of ecosystem functioning; contains adequate specific facts about prairie organisms and abiotic factors; includes at least one aesthetic LEVEL 3 (BASIC) Poorly organized, lacking significant factual information, several errors in format Reflects a basic or no understnding of ecosystem functioning; contains minimal or incorrect specific facts about prairie organisms and abiotic factors; does not include

Reflects a deep understanding of Prairie and basic ecosystem functioning; ecology contains abundant information in specific facts about reports and prairie organisms and presentation abiotic factors; includes at least two aesthetic

values of the prairie habitat Quality of oral group presentation Well-organized, logical sequence, clear evidence of planning, use of two or more high quality visual aids All members actively involved in research, planning, organization, and presentation Decision is clear and well-supported by three or more factual arguments

value of the prairie habitat Fairly well-organized, sequence not always logical, some evidence of planning, use of one high quality visual aid All members usually involved in most group activities

aesthetic values of the prairie Poorly organized, sequence not logical, little evidence of planning, low quality or no visual aids Inconsistent effort by group members

Group involvement

Final decision statement

Decision is unclear Decision is clear but is and/or is unsupported supported poorly or by 1or is supported mostly 2 factual arguments by opinions Some creativity, meets all requirements, generally reasonable, and economically possible Counter viewpoints presented without adequate rebuttal Little or no creativity, meets most requirements, problems with feasibility Counter viewpoints ignored or discounted

Creative, well-designed, Quality of overall meets all requirements, proposal reasonable, and economically possible Evidence of Counter viewpoints varied viewpoints presented with well considered constructed rebuttals

Appendix 2 Supplementary Essay for Higher Secondary Level Assessment

Performativity Criteria and Integral Assessment Introduction By performativity criteria we generally mean technological efficiency, standards of excellence, marketability and profitability of products. Work performance is good if it meets these criteria, whether in academia or business. In technologically advanced countries, for example, people expect more efficient cars each year, better roads, faster and cleaner health services, state of the art schools and teachers, etc. If they dont get these things they are unhappy. They are conditioned to expect certain standards of technological excellence. In India we can easily see that such standards and expectations are becoming more necessary and more feasible. In the developing world, traditional values no longer provide the standards needed to evaluate our life systems. Doing things the way our parents did them no longer works. And at the same time, while conventional expectations are breaking down, many standards of technological excellence may be too costly to achieve, there may not be a sufficiently high level of expertise, and such expectations may be unrealistic. In fact, environmental and economic crises may prevent India from ever achieving the performativity standards of advanced technological societies. Under these circumstances, we may also recognize that information based systems and norms of performance alone are not enough to take us forward towards a desirable future. The ability to adapt to a complex reality, to make relevant and ethical choices, to think and act

creatively and with an inclusive discrimination are also skills that the educational system needs to cultivate in students if they are to achieve a viable future. These skills will require a higher set of performativity criteria, a more integral approach to learning, and a more complex and authentic means of assessment. Information Based Values - A Critical Perspective The reason for posing the question of educational values in this way is to create a critical perspective in which to assess our theories and practices. Performativity criteria are based on standards determined largely by the market place and by corporate finance. Schools in the world of advanced technological values and corporate control are supposed to further the values of these domains; preparing students to be consumers as well as purveyors of such values is what will make life meaningful, people happy, and civilization a success. Sociologists and philosophers in the developed societies have recognized these patterns since the 70s, and they are now replicating themselves with renewed vigour in the developing world; a very large percentage of the information conveyed by information based systems, whether educational, scientific, political or economic, is shaped by the values and forces of finance and technology. And such values are often not respectful of our higher human selves and capacities, nor of our connectedness with each other and all of life. The problematic that I wish to raise is therefore twofold: 1) the worlds of technology and finance must not be allowed to disconnect the minds and lives of students from the five-fold reality of body, life, mind, inner self and spirit, by displacing it with another, flat-screen, virtual reality; and 2) our educational practices must enable students to develop all their capacities, and especially the powers of critical thinking and creative imagination. And I will attempt a unified solution to these problems that employs another rather suspicious activity and terminology: assessment. Well, the bottom line is, if we arent going to simply and blindly accept what our elders, teachers and employers tell us to do, think, believe, feel, then we are going to have to evaluate these things and determine whether they are true, beneficial and meaningful, or not. And to do this we must have criteria with which to judge them. An educational program that aims to encourage and develop learning for the sake of understanding and knowledge, and individuals who are creative, imaginative, ethical, practical, and respectful of a complex and integral reality, must be able to assess and verify these outcomes. And in order to have these outcomes to evaluate, the initial unit or project design must deliberately create opportunities for such outcomes. In other words, the assessment criteria that we propose at the end also provide us with design criteria going into the design of learning modules. We do not want to simply teach the textual content or access the information, nor do we want to simply pass on outworn formulas; we want to develop creativity, imagination, critical thinking, persuasive speaking and writing, and a strong sense that what is being learned is relevant and meaningful. A 33% pass on a standardized exam isnt going to tell us anything about what we really want students to know. The Integral Assessment Rubric Now I want to move beyond the critical and theoretical issues, - about which I suppose many of us will agree - and to show you and explain a practical tool that you can use to shape integral educational outcomes in your school. The first step entails a basic attitude of questioning and discovery. We simply ask the student to reflect on the unit we are teaching or on the project being done, by asking: Is it of any practical use or personal benefit? Is it socially or economically relevant? Is it inclusive of different points of view or values? Is it beautiful or

inspiring? Does it bring us a sense of peace and joy? Is it meaningful? This is a kind of heuristic approach to prime the student to take interest. If the lessons and activities dont answer such questions positively, we are probably wasting valuable educational time. So then, how do we build these values into the learning process? First we must be ready to consult the student in the planning of an assignment and try to formulate an enquiry based approach: What can you do to make this project meaningful? How will you show whether this project is relevant either locally or globally to our lives? What skills do you need to develop to make this project worthwhile? What kind of an outcome do you think would show that different values, different approaches to learning, different levels of human potential have been included artistic, economic, psychological, political? Then, an assessment rubric is created, also in consultation with the student if possible, that incorporates specific criteria for measuring these goals and outcomes of the activity. Example: Writing, Speaking and Research Project - Integral Assessment Rubric Knowledge and skills assessment criteria COMMUNICATION Conventions: grammar, punct, etc. PRESENTATION logical, sequential, relevant, etc. visual illustration VOICE clear point of view, enthusiasm, confidence, etc. CONTENT factual, theoretical, contextual relevance, accuracy, scope, etc. SOURCES attribution credibility sufficiency, etc. UNDERSTANDING scope, depth, etc. evidence Unsatisfactory In Progress Basic Proficient Advanced

originality social/moral relevance MEANING In relation to previous achievement, present goals, local/global values, personal growth OTHER Adding the measurements Knowledge and skills assessment criteria COMMUNICATION Conventions: grammar, punct, etc. PRESENTATION logical, sequential, relevant, etc. visual illustration VOICE clear point of view, enthusiasm, confidence, etc. CONTENT factual, real, theoretical validity, contextual relevance, interviews, surveys SOURCES attribution credibility sufficiency, etc. UNDERSTANDING scope, depth, etc. originality social/moral relevance No light no interest copied others irrelevant mostly borrowed light Good some light No research Weak evidence Sound Thorough evidence Shining & clear Dazzling insight bright Pulitzer Prize evidenc accurate rudimentary narrow irrelevant impact elementary mature compresimplistic low level &sound thought hensive & solid important Exhaustive Absent Partially present Mostly Consistently Overpresent present powering Unconvincing Partially Mostly Totally cing cing World changing convincing convin- convinMostly incorrect Partially correct Mostly Completely correct correct Excellent &elegant Unsatisfactory In Progress Basic Proficient Advanced irrelevant light

MEANING In relation to previous Signs of achievement, present goals, Lost in On the Breaking Moon awakenlocal/global values, personal dreamland path new ground walking ing growth Conclusion Here is where performativity criteria and integrality in the educational process come together on a higher level than either can attain by itself. When we ask of the learning process and outcome, Is it good?, we mean also Is the outcome meaningful to the student?, Has there been observable progress in relation to previous attainment?, Is the student stimulated to change the world, or at least to understand it better? If we can see evidence that the student can express clearly the intention of the lesson or project, and finds that it is something interesting, relevant and meaningful If we can see evidence of an inclusiveness of different approaches, levels, and values If we can see evidence that the skills, procedures, outcomes, content of the students performance have applicability and relevance in the local or global context If the skills, interest level, understanding, and personal values of the student have been enhanced and enriched by the lesson or project in a clearly perceptible, measurable way Then it is likely that the information obtained and used, the technology involved or implied, the students learning, and the time spent in carefully assessing these most worthwhile outcomes will bear fruit in the lives of our students and in the world that they will create.