Thursday, December 31, 2009

PHILOSOPHY AND VALUES IN SCHOOL EDUCATION OF INDIA

ABSTRACT

In this paper an attempt is made to draw out the contemporary relevance of philosophy in school education of India. It includes some studies done in this field and also reports on philosophy by such agencies like UNESCO & NCERT. Many European countries emphasises on the above said theme. There are lots of work and research done by many philosophers on philosophy for children. Indian values system is different from the West and more important than others. Education has become a tool to achieve efficiency in all walks of human life whether social, political, religious or philosophical. Every nation started developing its own specific set of educational values. For India it is very necessary to increase philosophical thinking study and research. Philosophy could make significant contribution, particularly in relation to children’s moral development because the Indian curriculum currently neglects this aim. A teacher can play an important role in promoting this discussion because a teacher has the capacity to influence students with their thoughts and personality and engages them in these activities. Philosophy needs to be included in the curriculum and have demonstrated cognitive and social gains in children who were explored to philosophy in their schooling.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

The Importance of Effective Communication Skills

-Desh Raj Sirswal

Introduction:
Communication skills are the ability to use language and express information. It is a process of transforming information from one entity to another. Communication is commonly defined as “the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs”. While interviewing candidates, most interviewers judge them on the basis of the way they communicate. They believe that skills can be improvised on the job; but ability to communicate well is important, as every employee becomes the representing face of the company. While defining communication skills we can say, “Communication skills are the set of skills that enables a person to convey information so that it is received and understood. Communication skills refer to the repertoire of behaviors that serve to convey information for the individual.”
Positive Attitude:
Identification is one of the key ingredients of effective communication. In fact, unless your listeners can identify with what you are saying and with the way you are saying it, they are not likely to receive and understand your message.
Communication does not depend on syntax, or eloquence, or rhetoric, or articulation; but on the emotional context in which the message is being heard. People can only hear you when they are moving toward you, and they are not likely to when your words are pursuing them. Even the choicest words lose their power when they are used to overpower. Attitudes are the real figures of speech. Here are proverbs for worth consideration:
Many feel that this skill does not need any training, as every individual is able to communicate. Yes, every individual can communicate, but the problem is that every individual cannot effectively communicate.
“When we speak (or listen), our attention is focused on words rather than body language. But our judgement includes both. An audience is simultaneously processing both verbal and nonverbal cues. Body movements are not usually positive or negative in and of themselves; rather, the situation and the message will determine the appraisal.”
Those who do not have appropriate communication skills are usually ignored or simply kept at bay. Where are those with good communication skills are looked upon and well respected. After all a good listener and a good orator are popular in their groups - professional and personal.
It is basically two-way street, which entails the relation between the sender and the sender and the receiver. In this process, a cycle of communicating messages is formed between the sender and receiver. There are some barriers that occur while listening, speaking to avoid these barriers. One needs to overcome all language related barriers by first seeking how to learn English speaking. This is essential, because most people find it difficult to convey their thoughts, because of a strong influence of their national language, regional language and mother tongue.
Effective Communication Techniques:
I found a very interesting article on the effective communication skill techniques; I am using this article as a whole to introduce the reader. The link is given below in the suggested reading section. Read and follow the following tips:
Listen Actively
Be attentive - concentrate on what is being said.
Be impartial – don’t form an opinion, just listen.
Reflect back - restating what has been said helps the speaker know that you understand.
Summarize - pull together the important messages so that you and the speaker recognize what was important during the conversation.
Nonverbal Message
Posture - let your body show that you are interested by sitting up and leaning toward the speaker.
Equal positioning - if the speaker is standing, you stand. If the speaker is sitting, you sit as well.
Facial expression - remember that feelings are reflected in facial expressions.
Gestures - your body language reveals a lot about how you interpret a message, so be aware of when you send signals that might cause the speaker to believe that you are angry, in a hurry, bored, etc.
Express Thoughts and Feelings
Be open and honest - collaboration between parents and professionals begins with the understanding that you trust each other with all information.
Speak clearly - don't mumble and don't talk too quietly. If you don't know the word for something, describe what you mean so that you and the speaker can have a shared understanding of your concern or question.
Communicate Without Being Adversarial
Express concerns non-judgmentally - talk about your questions or concerns without blaming other people. For example, you might be angry that your child is not receiving enough speech therapy. Rather than talk about the speech therapist not doing his/her job, discuss your idea of how often your child should receive this service.
Use “I” messages. Rather than say, “You didn't explain that very well”, say, “I didn't understand what you just said. Please explain it again.”
Conclusion:
Now we are going to end up this discussion by summing up every individual needs to be well equipped with the tools to communicate effectively, whether it is on the personal; front, or at work. One can refer to the various English speaking books that will help them improve and also to overcome one can attend English speaking classes. Effective skills in communication calls for awareness and attentive listening.
Suggested Books:
Throughout the internet you can find so many courses or links on effective communication skills, except this there are some print books also available, the selected list is given below:

1. J.Sethi, K. Sadananda & D.V. Jindal: A Practical Course in English Pronunciation.

2. A.C. Gimson : An Introduction to the Pronunciation of English.

3. T.Balasubraminaian: A Textbook of English Phonetics for Indian Students.

4. Leela Sen: Communication Skills.

5. Sethi & Jindal : Handbook of Standard English and Indian Usages: A Vocabulary and Grammar.

6. Sethi & Dhamija: Spoken English.

7. “Effective Communication Techniques” from the Resource Manual for Families of Children with Special Needs, West Virginia University, cited on 10-08-2009. http://okvoices.org/communication.html

8. English as a Second Language: http://www.rong-chang.com/

9. Earthling Communication: http://www.earthlingcommunication.com/

10. Mind Tools: http://www.mindtools.com/

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Discussing Social Change

The conception of Social change is a very interesting concept becuase of its relevance in Social progress and human development .here is some collected articles in which we can find the meaning and thories of Social change and also an introductory essay on Marxism and Ambedkar views.

The Definition of Social Change
Social Change
Foundations of Marxism

DR. AMBEDKAR’S VIEWS ON HUMANISM AND BUDDHISM
Desh Raj Sirswal

Notification

Friends, we discussed a lot in the previous issues of the Journal of Positive Philosophy. From today , I am here going to notify that this page will updated through new posts with new topicsbut not with the name of Journal, the previous posts updated today. Kindly give suggestions to improvement of this page and help to develop this conception।
D.R.SIRSWAL

Monday, March 30, 2009

Journal of Positive Philosophy,Year 2nd, Issue 4th, April 2009

Title of the Issue: On Social Problems, Date:01-04-2009
Table of Content:

Preface for the 4th Issue
1.
Defining Social Problems Dr. John S. Mahoney
2.
Corruption in Education system in India – A UNESCO Report
3.
Domestic Violence Against Women
4.
Corruption is a Violation of Human Rights Justice K .G. Balakrishnan
You can send your articles with your complete address on the following e-mails:
niyamak.drs@gmail.com

dr.sirswal@gmail.com
You can also get previous issues in PDF/MS Word Copy Form through above said emails.
Main Page Link:
http://niyamakphilosophy.blogspot.com/

By DESH RAJ SIRSWAL http://drsirswal.webs.com

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Journal of Positive Philosophy,Year 2nd,Issue 3rd,January 2009

Title of the Issue: Problems of Students and its Solusions Date:01-01-2009
Table of Content:
Editorial of 3rd Issue
1. Teacher-Student Relationship by Desh Raj Sirswal
2. Is Moral Philosophy Any Use? By Eric Matthews
३.Values By Monica Thapar
4. ACADEMIC PROBLEMS

The Title of the next issue is "On Social Problems" and will appear in April, २००. You can send your articles with your complete address on the following e-mails:
niyamak.drs@gmail.com
dr.sirswal@gmail.com
You can also get previous issues in PDF/MS Word Copy Form through above said emails.Main Page Link: http://niyamakphilosophy.blogspot.com/
By DESH RAJ SIRSWALhttp://drsirswal.webs.com/