Monday, 16 June 2014

British Council brings its annual All India teacher training programme, ‘Enriching Education’ for the first time to Coimbatore!

The programme will be a 3 days residential workshop from 16-18 June 2014, hosted in partnership with the Chinmaya International Residential School, Coimbatore in their serene and spiritual campus at the foothills of Nilgiris!

Schools interested in enhancing their teaching and learning practices are invited to register for the programme here

This Enriching Education workshop with a team of Indian and UK trainers will provide cross-curricular learning opportunities through the following courses which will help the professional development of teachers and eventually help the pupils to develop life skills such as team working, creative thinking, communication skills, etc.

The following are the different courses that will be offered along with a short profile of trainers offering those courses.

1. FUN-damental Research: science experiments to get you thinking
Using simple fun experiments, mostly with things available at every home, to get school teachers to go a step beyond the standard curriculum and ask questions which provoke   thinking rather than mere knowledge of facts or information.

Delivered by Arnab Bhattacharya:
Prof. Arnab Bhattacharya is a scientist at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai, with research interests in semiconductor optoelectronics especially MOVPE growth and nitride semiconductors. A passionate science communicator, Arnab pioneered “Chai-and-Why?” Mumbai’s popular science café and presently chairs the Science Popularization and Public Outreach at TIFR.

2. Cross-Cultural Communication for Global Citizens:
How can we equip global citizens for confident participation in cross-cultural dialogue? This workshop will raise awareness of challenges which global communication may involve.  Discussion topics will include effective interaction strategies, fostering a culture of respect, global online etiquette and safety in cyberspace.  We hope you will 'take away' useful new ideas for maintaining positive relationships across cultures.

Delivered by Bryan Beaton:
For over 35 years, Mr Beaton has taught at all levels (Corporate, university, secondary, primary) and across a range of cultures in Asia (India, China including Hong Kong), Africa (Nigeria) and North America (Canada). He has broad experience in online teaching and learning.

3. Learning through story - English and beyond
Using stories to open up and extend discussion and learning in the classroom.

Delivered by Rebecca Gould:
Rebecca is a theatre director, producer and teacher and she has directed the Schools Young Writing Festival in Kolkata for 4 years for the British Council. As a Lead Practitioner in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Education Department, she has led much of their CPD for teachers. She is currently Creative Producer at Soho Theatre in London.

4. Enriching Education through School Enterprise
The Commonwealth School Enterprise Challenge is a fantastic opportunity for schools and young people across the globe to set up and run their very own social enterprise. It is a free-to-enter two stage, global competition for schools along with their students to:
1. Develop a business plan for a social enterprise
2. Launch a social enterprise
The Commonwealth School Enterprise Challenge supports students to set up profitmaking businesses at their schools, enabling them to learn a huge range of new and exciting skills. With its focus on financial, social and environmental sustainability, the competition is cultivating a global community of socially responsible young social entrepreneurs, empowered to change the world for the better.

Delivered by Sally Walker:
Sally is a Programme Manager at Teach A Man To Fish; a charity which encourages and supports education projects that generate sustainable livelihoods for young people around the world. She specifically leads on school engagement initiatives, training workshops and curriculum design for the competition, supporting more than 1000 schools across 80 countries.

5. The 1914 Christmas Truce - Football Remembers
Commemorate the centenary of the First World War by using historical sources and activities to explore themes related to the 1914 Christmas truce. Engage students with the remarkable events that took place during the truce including the football played in No Man's Land. Consider the role football played during the truce and throughout the conflict.

Delivered by Emma Till:
Emma is passionate about the power of storytelling and education to make a difference in young people's lives and has worked with the BBC since 2005. She is currently working with CBBC - the BBC's TV channel for 7-11 year olds.

6. Deeper Understanding of Global Citizenship
This course will support teachers in further developing their understanding of global citizenship and its practice and explore:
1. The relevance of global citizenship for young people in their schools compared with the views of teachers from around the world
2. Themes and ideas for global citizenship and international practice
3. Best practise teaching techniques which support the development of global citizenship through international practice.

Delivered by Jaspal Gill and Rajni Gopal:
Hony Director of Eduone School Systems, Jaspal is a versatile, performance-driven individual with over 25 years of multifunctional experience in all aspects of education, soft skills and behavioural training, organisational consulting, program development and project management. As Head Teacher and Principal she has promoted schools of the future, nurturing global citizens in an endeavour to promote understanding and peace. Rajni is an accomplished education professional who handled multiple roles and responsibilities of Global Partnerships, Innovation, Environment and Sustainability, Teacher Training and Professional Development. A Masters in English Literature with an Advanced Diploma in Behavioural Training from Oscar Murphy International and a Diploma holder in Customer Service Strategies from The Scottsdale Community College, Arizona U.S.A, Rajni has mentored many a schools in developing and embedding internationalism into their system.

Notes to Editor

Connecting Classrooms is British Council’s flagship global school programme co-funded by UKaid from the Department of International Development. Connecting Classrooms is the overarching programme that supports schools through its work in areas, namely school-to-school partnerships, professional development of teachers with face-to-face and online courses, leadership, International School Award and policy engagement. By working directly with policy level officials, school leaders and teachers, the programme will reach 5000 schools across India by 2015 creating enriching teaching-learning experiences in schools and ultimately developing global citizenship and 21st century skills among the young people in schools.

About the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and build trust between them worldwide.

We are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter. We work in more than 100 countries and our 7,000 staff – including 2,000 teachers – work with thousands of professionals and policy makers and millions of young people every year by teaching English, sharing the arts and delivering education and society programmes. The British Council was established in India in 1948. The British Council is recognised across India for its network of 9 libraries and cultural centres. We offer a range of specialised projects in arts, education, exams, English language and society to audiences across India and more than 100,000 members. We also provide access to English language training and learning for both students and teachers, offer UK qualifications in India and enable opportunities to study in the UK.