A massive online Integrated Multidisciplinary Professional Advancement Course for Teachers (IMPACT) training programme commenced here today under Samagra Shiksha, with its formal e-inauguration by Principal Secretary School Education, Dr. Asgar Samoon.Based on need assessment, the short course entitled IMPACT has been designed with comprehensive features to be conducted in three phases including Face to Face mode (for five days), Field work (Twenty one days) and Reflection and Assessment (three days).The course module has been developed by faculty members of NCERT New Delhi and 16 experts from the UT of J&K which will focus on providing knowledge to teachers, understanding and skills on the generic concerns such as understanding of learners, school based assessment, pre-school and foundational literacy and numeracy and teaching-learning in multi-grade situations and also on subject specific pedagogy in the area of Environmental Studies, Languages, Mathematics, Social Sciences and Science. Special care has been taken to focus on enhancement of teaching skills and sensitivity for integrating social concerns, values and social –personal qualities in the classroom processes by these teachers.Principal Secretary, while elaborately explaining the broad contours of the program, told that it aims for the training of Grade 2nd and 3rd teachers (erstwhile RReTs) through a course designed to address the gaps in the teaching /pedagogical skills of these teachers. He added that a separate guideline for the conduct of the IMPACT in phase wise manner has also been developed, which will help UT level course experts and mentors to conduct the course for more than 30,000 teachers in the UT with adequate assessment for certification. This collaborative effort of NCERT and the UT of Jammu and Kashmir will raise the competencies of these teachers to address the needs of diverse students in their classroom and improve their learning outcomes.
Dr Samoon further revealed that NCERT in collaboration with Samagra Shiksha J&K conducted a five day Capacity Building Workshop for 216 Union Territory Resource Persons (UTRPs), 16 Course Education Mentors (CEMs) and 10 Pratham Facilitator (PFs) at University of Jammu. These trained Resource Persons will further impart the training to targeted teachers in a phased manner through existing digital platform- J&K Knowledge Network following all SOPs of Covid-19.Prof. Ranjana Arora, Director CIET NCERT, briefed about the training and stressed that continuous training of teachers is significantly important especially during the Covid-19 crisis when schools are closed across the country. New pedagogical skills must be inculcated among educators in a routine manner, she added saying that under New Education Policy 2020, more focus has been laid on professional development of teachers especially those dealing with elementary levels.Director School Education Jammu, Anuradha Gupta assured the participants and mentors all support during the entire period of this training programme. Director School Education Kashmir, Younis Malik also appreciated the efforts of Resource Persons from School Education Department and NCERT for designing the course modules for these teachers. He added that IMPACT training shall inculcate requisite skills amongst target trainees.Later, Dr. Arun Manhas, Project Director Samagra Shiksha told that training is starting from Doda District of J&K in which about four hundred Grade 2nd and 3rd teachers of two zones Ghat and Doda are participating. The training is being conducted through DIET using JKKN platform and is being provided by ten Resource Persons supported by five Course Education Mentors (CEMs) and Pratham Facilitators (PFs).The IMPACT course coordinator from NCERT, New Delhi Dr.Ram Babu pareek along with his team shall also be available for providing support.Dr. Manhas also thanked UNICEF team who is providing technical support through "UNILearn" - an online national learning platform that hosts dynamic education, skills and other content. He also thanked Resource Persons from Pratham team.
Among others who were present during the programme were Prof. A. K. Rajput- Chairperson NISHTHA, Peerzada Mushtaq-Field Officer Samagra Shiksha and Ghulam Rasool Mir who is the Coordinator for this Programme at Samagra Shiksha.