ADOLESENCE

ADOLESENCE

    The developmental stage of infancy and childhood are followed by the stage of adolescence. Etymologically, speaking word ‘adolescence’ come from the Latin verb ‘adolescence’ which means’ to grow’. So the essence of the word adolescence is growth and it is in this sense that adolescence represents a period of intensive growth and change in nearly all aspects of child’s physical. Mental, social, and emotional life.  It is very crucial period of one’s life. The growth achieved, the experiences grained, responsibilities felt and the relationships developed at this stage destine the complete future of an individual. As a result the adolescents need a very careful attention from their parents, teacher and other members of the society for their proper development and welfare. They need to be understood well in terms of the pattern of their growth and development, their age linked specific interests, attitudes self concepts, need and aspirations etc. Moreover, the difficulties and problems faced by the adolescents (in general and particular) should be well identified and attempts should be made to provide them proper guidance and education for the removal of their difficulties and providing due help in the process of their adequate nurturing and development.

            A child is describe as an adolescents when he achieves puberty, that is when he has become sexually mature to the point, where he is able to reproduce his kind. He ceases to be an adolescent when he has acquired maturity to play the role of an adult in his society or culture. In general, girls become sexually as well as socially mature at an early age. In general, girls become sexually as well as socially mature at an early age.  The standard of living. Early or late marriage, health and climate, the cultural traditions and environment, attitude towards sex, the role expected from the child at different ages are some of the other factors which control the dawn of puberty and attainment of maturity by children.

Significance of Adolescence

·        You will be knowing that adolescence is a period of intensive growth and development with respect to children’s physical, cognitive, social, emotional and sexual aspects of their personality.

·        Adolescence is said to be a stage of great stresses and strains. The children of this age are quite perplexed and worried about their somatic variations and sudden changes in their total appearance, behavior and attitude of the other appearance, behavior and attitude of the others towards them. They are worried about the sudden changes in their sex behavior, sex related physiological and physiological and psychological problems.

·        Adolescents are said to be quite touchy mood and sensitive are very conscious about their self-respect.

·        Adolescence is the age of action having varied interest tastes. It is the age of poets writers, Scientists, creative artists athletics and martyrs.

Patterns of growth and development during Adolescence.

      As said earlier, the human growth and development takes a spiral form and not linear. The old adult are often found to behave like children. In adolescence also we find a sort of repetition and recapitulation of what has been done during infancy.

·        Physical growth and development

·        Emotional development

·        Social development

·        Intellectual development

·        Moral and Religious development

·        Sexual development

Special characteristics with regard to the attitudes of Adolescents

·        Attitude towards their somatic structure and physical appearance

·        Attitude regarding independence

·        Attitude towards sex

·        Attitude related to idealism

·        Attitude related to hero worship

·        Attitude regarding group locality

·        Attitude towards religion and morality

Reference

 Psychology of learning and Development- A.R. Rather, Discovery Publishing house Newdelhi.

RABINDRANATHTAGORE

 RABINDRANATHTAGORE (1861-1941)

    Tagore was born on May 6, 1861 at Calcutta. He was the youngest son of (Maharishi) Devendranath and grandson of Dwarkanath Tagore. His father was a prominent leader of the Brahmosamaj. He studied Sanskrit, Astronomy and the Upanishads from his father. After private education in India, he was sent to England in 1877 to study law for becoming a barrister but he soon returned to India. In 1901, he established his school with 5 students at Bolpur, about 150km from Calcutta. This school, later on developed into the famous- “Shantiniketan”-a world University called “Visbabharathi”.  Tagore becomes a world figure when his book “Githanjali” won him the Nobel Prize in 1913. On December 22, 1921, Tagore founded the Visbabharati an international university to being about understanding between eastern and western educationist, a Patriot, a Philosopher and Social reformer.

TAGORE’S PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE

Tagore’s Humanism:

          Tagore’s observed, He (God) is there where the tiller is tilling the hard ground and where the path maker is breaking stone.

Tagore’s Naturalism:

          He Said, “He lives in a prison house whose walls are alien to him”. Tagore loved nature immensely.

Tagore’s Spiritualism:

          Tagore said, “I believe in the spiritual unity of man and therefore I ask you to accept this task from me”

Tagore’s Individualism:

        Tagore believed that every being has the right to shape his life in his own way.

Tagore’s Internationalism:

        Tagore advocated synthesis between the east and west. The Visvabharathi at Shantiniketan is an embodiment of his international outlook.

TAGORE’S VIEWS ON DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF EDUCATION

      I.            Aims of Education

Following were the aims of education according to Tagore.

                               i.            Education should be developing a creative mind.

                             ii.            Education should aim at developing aesthetic sense.

                          iii.            Education should develop values of simple living.

                          iv.            Education should prepare an individual for a vacation.

                             v.            Education should develop international understanding.

                          vi.            Education should develop freedom of mind.

   II.            Curriculum

Tagore recommended a curriculum for the full man satisfying the Spiritual, the creative, the aesthetic and the vocational aims of education. Now a day’s educationists talk so much about the educational values of crafts, Projects, Music, dancing, finearts etc.

III.            Method of teaching

Tagore strongly criticized the bookish and examination oriented teaching. He stressed movement of the whole body in various learning activities. He followed the principle, and advocated constructive and creative activities.

IV.            Children as children

It is a mistake to judge children by the standards of grown-ups. Adults ignore the natural gifts of children and insist that children must learn through the same process as themselves. This is man’s most cruel and most wasteful mistake. Children’s have their subconscious mind which is more active than their conscious intelligence

  V.            Discipline and  Freedom

Living ideals cannot be set into clockwork arrangement. Tagore wrote, “I never said to them. Don’t do this, or don’t do that…I never punished them”.

VI.            An Ideal School

An Ideal school is an Ashram where men gather for the highest and of life. Tagore attempted to make his school at Bolpur as an Ideal institution. According to him an ideal school should have the following characteristics.

v The school should cultivate love of nature among the students.

v It should provide spiritual training to students.

v It should educate children by providing an environment of freedom.

v It should impart education in the mother tongue of the students.

v  It should have a well-equipped library.

v It should provide for manual labour.

v It should include drawing, art, and music as an integral part of the curriculum.

VISVABHARATI (World University)

          The Word Visvabharati consists of two Sanskrit words. “Visva” means world and “Bharati” means culture. Thus Visvabharati would mean world culture. The motto of this university is” Yatra visvambharatai ekamidam” i.e.where the world meets at one place.

Main features of Visvabharati:

1.    It wants to hold before the world the ideal of the universality of man

2.    The greatest distinction is the direct and immediate emotional contact of pupils with their teachers and with external nature.

3.    A specialty of our institution is that it wants to bring up our pupils in inseparable association with nature.

4.    It is intended not only to be the intellectual centre of the intellectual life of India but also the centre of her economic life.

In 1863, Rabindranath Tagore’s father founded the Ashram at Bholpur. It was called Shantiniketan (Abode of peace). It was meant for the seekers of truth. In 1901, Tagore started the experimental school. In 1921, It became the Visvabharati

               

CONTRIBUTION OF TAGORE TO EDUCATION

·       Tagore established a number of educational institutions at Shantiniketan.

·       Tagore founded the Visvabharati.

·       Tagore was a great practitioner. He worked out his ideas and ideals in a constructive way.

·       He drew attention to the listless environment of the traditional school.

·       He tried to synthesize the ancient Indian Ideals of education and the western arts and science.

·       Tagore pointed out the significance of providing an environment of freedom in the school.

REFERENCE

·      Theoretical Base of Education-Prof.Dr.A. Antony

(Published by Herbert Publishing Company)

·      Philosophical and sociological perspectives on Education (Published by Shira Publication. Delhi)

CONCEPTUAL BACKGOUND OF SOCIAL SCIENCE, MEANING AND SCOPE, NEED AND SIGNIFICANCE

CONCEPTUAL BACKGOUND OF SOCIAL SCIENCE, MEANING AND SCOPE, NEED AND SIGNIFICANCE

INTRODUCTION

Social science is difined as any scientifiic field that investigates human society. It deals with detailed and systematic study of human relationships. They are written adults. However, social science provide a lot of konwledge and a social scientist is ever willing to add a little more of human knowledge through his reasearch and enquiry.

 Social studies is a school subject that deals with the human relationship.  In social studies we deal with man and his interaction with his fellow beings and with his surroundings and environment.

Social science consists  the theoretical part of  human affairs whereas the social studies deals with the partical part of human relationships.

CONCEPTIONAL BACK GROUND OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

         

                   It has been amply made clear in the previous section that social studies is not a combination of history, Geography, Civics etc and that it is an independent field of study.  It delas with the study of relation ship and interrelations historical geographical and social and it provides the young mind the basic of publlic knowledge and orientation to llife.  The main aim is to give better understaing of present problems.  We try to give our future citizens some true undersataing of the development of mankind.  We attempt to trace with the children and fascinating story of how man has developed through the ages of how man has studied to use and control his evironment and how his life has been influenced by this, how our instituions have grown out of the past and should, therefore be respected and how they have undergone many changes to meet changing needs and must undergo many more from time to time.

MEANING AND SCOPE AND SOCIAL SCIENCE

          The words “Social” and “studies” are quite important in terms of “Social studies”.  It emphasis that the study must be “social” ie. a study of society and through society.  It is a study of society both in time and space.  It delas with the study of the development vwrious social instituions such as family, caste system, marriage, governace etc.  It is a study for the improvement of society.  In social studies we expect thst the present generation of the pupils will become better individuals and more effective members of the various groups in which they function.

The scope of a subject defines the parameters of study of the subject such as the depth, comprehensiveness variety etc.

(1)Vastness of Scope

          The scope of the social stuides is very vast.  It is as wide as the world and as long as the history of man.  It is a study of human relationships and include sof the following areas of relationships.  Relationship between:

(1)             People and people

(2)             People and instituons

(3)             People and earth

(4)             People and goods

          To understand these relationships it is essential that the student is provided with a basic knowledge of history, geography, economics, civics etc.  Moreover all these subjects commonloy reffered to as social science should be synthesized into a compact whole by blending them together.  It helps to remove limitations of each subject. 

(2)Functional study of Natural Sciences and Fine Arts.

The Social Science and natural Sciences are different areas of study but they are quite inerdependent on eachother.  The knowledge of physics , chemistry, botony, zoology, Physiology etc. all are required in the study socila studies.

Then the functional study of fine arts such as drwing, constructing, painting, music, dance, dramatization is also included in the curriculum of social studies.  These art provide the content that is needed for a better understanding of people and the world.  Social studes should mean something happening to pupils and teachers and not merely something studied by them.

(3) A study of Current Affairs

          Current affairs are those events that delad with our present problems and issues.  Every current affairs finds its background in the past.  So it provides a great source of both historical and geographical learning.

(4)Internation understanding

          One of the objectives of any educational programmes is the promotion of international understanding.  The Indian children must learn”Brotherhood of mankind” and for this he should be made familiar with his personal needs, the needs of society as also the various problems that arise in modern day society by living together.

(5)Practical study of defferent resources

        In social science curriculum we must include such new elements like character eduction, civil rights, cooperatives, social behaviour inter cultural relations and planning etc.  It would be better to undertake excursions and visits to differnet towns and places of historical, economical, cultural, geographical, scientific and educational importance.  The studentsd of scocial studies should be given a good exposure to library and community resources, social service activities etc.

        Above discussion make it abudantly clear that the scope of socoial science is limitless and that it derives its subject matter from all social science and relasted disciplines as also from literature, finearts, physical science, religion etc.

Need and Significance of social science

Needs:

·       To know our society

·       To admire our heriditory /culture through the prosperitive sense.

·       In the olden days the child learnt about interpersonal relationship of his group at his home and his environments.

·       Comparison between World Civilizaions.

·       To get the right view for family, community, state, and nation.

Significance:

·       Self sufficiency

·       Making  positive attitudes about Patriotism, Co-operation, Soverignity and tolerance etc.

·       Awareness of our society.

REFERENCE

·       Teaching of Social Studies – A.S.Kohli (Anmol Publication Pvt. Ltd., Ansari Road, Daryadang, Delhi)

·       Social Studies in the class room Trends and Method – P.K. Susheesh Kumar, P.P. Npushad (Scorpio Publications, Calicut University, Kerala.)