The call here is to reintroduce meaning, interpretation and
creativity, the hallmarks of teaching and learning during Vedic and post- Vedic
period. Teaching and learning in classrooms must nurture and develop higher
order thinking. Higher order thinking is characterized by skills such as
reasoning, analysis, synthesis and problem solving; and to initiate, sustain
and develop such thinking.
In K 12 school franchise, most important to development of higher order thinking is
the interaction, both verbal and non-verbal, between teachers and students. ‘Teachers’
interaction with students must demonstrate their role as helper of students attempts
to understand their own learning, by allowing students to explore their
rationale and interpretation, however incomplete and incoherent those teachers
also must be ‘responders’ by challenging generally held beliefs and ideas of
the students.
This requires two major attributes in International school franchise teachers, one they
must encourage and have divergent thinking and two their communication skills
must be improved. This can happen when:
a) They must learn and teach how facts are handled,
opinions, biases, prejudices are expressed by addition and deletions made on
information on the same issue or problem.
b) They must learn and teach how and when to
question, and what open ended questions be asked to focus attention.
The horizons of knowledge are ever increasing due to the
knowledge explosion and the same is available at the click of a mouse. Teachers
need to help students to manage the rapid changes around them. For this the
teacher herself needs to be equipped to manage and lead change. Teacher
education must aim at empowering teachers to remain updated in the new
knowledge
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