Date and Time : 19-07-2020, 11:00 – 12:30 am
Facilitator: Dr. Satyawati Rawool & Dr. Narendra Deshmukh
As the title suggests the webinar was conducted to read the research reading. Primary focus of the research reading is how a teacher can handle different approaches of students for solving mathematical problems, and how teachers should/can be sensitive about the socio-economic status of students. Also this reading describes the thought process of a teacher while teaching and dealing with different approaches of students. Webinar was conducted by Mr. Sushant Pawar who has been working in Department of Mathematics Education HBCSE since 2 years. PDF copy of research reading was shared with participants on whatsapp group so they can go through it prior to the webinar. The resource person prepared the presentation in such a way that part of the research reading was displayed on the slides. The resource person used to read those slides and then used to give 2 minutes to participants to note down the key points from the slides. After some slides there used to be discussion about what participants have noted down and what they feel about it. Experts from HBCSE and outside and teachers shared their experiences too while the discussion part.
This webinar was the second part of the research reading webinar. Here the participants have read the first part of reading in the first webinar and here they read the second part of the reading and they discussed that. Some notable discussion points are mentioned below:
- Resource person started the webinar by revising the points from the 1st webinar and then he also described how the scenario in the reading took place.
- Then one of the teacher participants Purna Patil ma’am also revised the points from the previous session. Which included points like problems given to students to solve and the social background of the students in the reading.
- Then Purna ma’am also added how the teacher in the reading knows the social background of the students and that’s why she is giving opportunities to the students accordingly.
- Then Shweta Naik ma’am extended Purna ma’am’s point that the teacher knows the social background of the students and how she uses it explicitly in her teaching.
- Then Aaloka Kanhere ma’am also added how the teacher in the reading addresses the social background of students and uses it explicitly in her teaching also how she is sensitive about these issues but also at the same time her focus from mathematics is not diverted. She is thinking about how to proceed further and what mathematical concepts of students are clear.
- Then Mayuri Pawar added her point about how peer to peer discussion described in this reading is important for the classroom environment. And how some answers from particular students are accepted quickly and from some other students is not accepted quickly. Satyawati ma’am also agreed to this point.
- Then the point of classroom culture was discussed.
- Shweta Naik ma’am added the meaning of justiceful access to mathematics to every student. How every student should get equal opportunity to understand mathematics.
- Then there was a diagram which explained the reply of one student. That involved how the students have splitted the number while dividing by 2. And how he reached the answer.
- Then Purna Ma’am brought the topic of some students who are talented and this classroom from reading also has some that type of students.
- This point gave rise to the interesting topic of “whom to call a talented student”. Then Satyawati ma’am addressed the gender issues in the classroom. How in her classroom male students used to dominate the female students. And also the reasons for that. How girls used to work at home and how they used to be tired in the classroom.
- Then Aaloka Kanhere ma’am added how the background of students affects the performance of students.
- Then Shweta Naik ma’am added how this kind of “labeling” of students can impact students’ life in the long term. And one needs to think and understand how this kind of labelling is not good
- Then Satyawati ma’am added her experience when she was a student and how she used to be quiet in the classroom even being the first ranker of the classroom.
- Then Narendra Deshmukh sir added how usually the students which are vocal in classrooms are encouraged to speak and how this is not a good practice in long terms.
- Then Harshada Ma’am added how this kind of “talented” and “Not talented” labels can affect students deeply.
- Narendra Deshmukh sir also added how this issue is deeply rooted and how one needs to tackle that issue.
- Then the issue about gender and mathematics was discussed in the session.
Then since the reading was not completed all agreed for one more session. And then this session ended.
Report Prepared by: Sushant Pawar