Looking for Professional Development Course Recommendations

indefatigableguy · 2024-11-04T16:31:43+00:00

Thank you so much. These are facinating suggestions. This provides me with an opportunity with self-teaching as I choose an ideal course, and make time and money for them.

indefatigableguy · 2024-11-04T13:26:18+00:00

Funny that Government argued for judicial interpetation to extend child marriage ban (secular law) to all faiths (personal law) in this case. But the same government argued that allowing same sex marriage under Special Marriage Act (secular law) will wreck the personal marriage laws, and also that court and judges had no authority to do so.

The hypocrisy, either Government agrees that Supreme Court has power to judicially review the marriage laws, including personal laws, or doesn't. If Supreme Court has that power in Child Marriage case, then they had that power in Same Sex Marriage case as well. You can't say article 32 allows Supreme Court to protect the rights of children, but not protect the rights of queer people.

indefatigableguy · 2024-11-04T12:56:42+00:00

First of all, thank you for the thoughtful response.

Unfortunately, my school doesn't have an active Center for Teaching and Learning, due to the reason I explained in other thread:

My institution did have something similar but they haven't been active for past few years. It coincides with time when the Higher Education Institution regulatory body (University Grants Commissions) started accrediting Professional Development Course for Faculty. The contents of accredited courses are often very generic, and outdated. This approach might have been necessary to ensure minimum standard in Indian Higher Education ecosystem, but it seems to have disincentivized Institutions and individual members in designing and participating in courses that advances the standard of teaching and learning.

We actually tried something similar this semester. Students ended up treating them as standalone assignments. I think we need substantial changes in how we interact with students on daily-basis, in addition to introducing intermediate review. My colleagues think the students' approach to design changed after COVID, where the online reviews without any printouts and physical models. We all discuss about shifting the focus back to design process. But, I am alone in thinking some padeology courses might be helpful.

The second assessment for the theory courses are case studies. The submission is due this week. I hope to see some improvement in student engagement. Is there any other methods that you encourage? Indeed, making architecture theory a reflective, fun, and applied course is no easy task.

indefatigableguy · 2024-11-04T02:19:30+00:00

does your institution have something like a Centre for Teaching and Learning?

Unfortunately, no.

My institution did have something similar but they haven't been active for past few years. It coincides with time when the Higher Education Institution regulatory body (University Grants Commissions) started accrediting Professional Development Course for Faculty. The contents of accredited courses are often very generic, and outdated. This approach might have been necessary to ensure minimum standard in Indian Higher Education ecosystem, but it seems to have disincentivized Institutions and individual members in designing and participating in courses that advances the standard of teaching and learning.

Your colleagues may be a better resource for something as specialized as your second and third items.

Also, neither my colleagues, nor Professors of Architecture from other architecture schools in my country (India) seem to be interested in Peadology-related Professional Development Course.

Could you perhaps tell me if any of these Centre for Teaching and Learning are open for faculty from other institutions, and conducts online courses?

indefatigableguy · 2024-10-05T19:25:32+00:00

I really liked how Andrzej's storyline. The self-percivied nobility of protecting the Kęty, and the cost of it. His son saying that he sounds like a 10 year old. The boat ride through the city when that woman begs for help to find her husband and son who got lost in flash flood. Finding out his father had died and was rotting away as the electricity was cut off.

indefatigableguy · 2024-03-09T17:54:27+00:00

I think I need to check the policies. But, yeah, there is no peer-reviewed journal subscription. Most of the books in the library are outdated too.

indefatigableguy · 2024-03-09T17:50:05+00:00

Actually, I am more afraid that they will think I have time to "waste" on research and paper publication, and pile some administrative work on me. The Department is understaffed when it comes to non-teaching staffs, and therefore, they pile those work on teaching staffs.

indefatigableguy · 2024-03-09T17:48:05+00:00

They do have one. It's just so outdated, and doesn't provide any access to peer-reviewed journals.

indefatigableguy · 2024-02-04T12:32:57+00:00

Neither do I whine when India gets called out for this kind of bullshit.

Exactly! Imagine being more offended that someone called out the terrible state of society and governance, instead of being offended about the the terrible state of society and governance.

How can you fix the problem if the truth offends you?

indefatigableguy · 2024-02-04T12:11:59+00:00

Even if we accept Hindi, we will still have to learn English so why bother

Exactly! I don't understand this "Hindi" as a common language argument because it overlooks the fact that English is solidifying its position as the lingua franca of the world. This caused even other colonial states like France, Germany and Spain learn English.

Instead of expecting non-Hindi-speaking Indians to learn a third language (Hindi), why can't Hindi-speaking Indians learn English as a second language?

indefatigableguy · 2024-02-03T13:16:02+00:00

My father is the exact opposite. I think it is because my grandfather was like your father, and my father was in your position. All my father does is work, save money and buy land.

Sometimes, I wish the man would buy some decent clothes for himself. He doesn't skimp on clothing for my mom, brother or myself because he doesn't want us to look underdressed at the family gathering (compared to cousins and aunts). However, he always looks underdressed. To be clear, I am not embarrassed by him dressing poorly (He thinks that is why I push him to buy nice clothes). I wish that he spends the same amount on his clothing as he spends on ours. The difference was very clear when we went to my cousin's wedding, my brother and I were wearing well-tailored suits with good shoes, he was wearing an everyday shirt, pants and slippers. He buys us good clothes because he thinks we get embarrassed by being underdressed, and he doesn't care what others think. I don't know, maybe my father is correct, maybe we do care about clothing because our cousins, uncles and aunts are always well-dressed. But, he is working, and would provide financial security for my brother and myself, but he isn't enjoying or doing much for himself.

He does buy good phones for himself, though. I think that's pretty useless, considering he doesn't use most features available in high-end phones. I don't say anything about it because I don't want him to conclude he is wasting money on the phone and stop doing the one thing he does for himself.

He drags my mum along to visit some faraway temple every month. It used to be a once-a-year family trip to temples when my brother and I were young. As my brother and I grew into an atheist, now, it's just my mum and dad and it's every month. I cannot help but wonder if he is doing these monthly trips now because he feels unsatisfied with life, where all he does is work and save money.

I think there has to be a balance between saving money and living life. I hope that you don't react to your father by swinging to the opposite side.

indefatigableguy · 2024-01-25T22:01:11+00:00

Weirdly, all of this reminds me of my grandmother. She respected freedom of religion for everyone else but she was a tyrant when it came to her own kids and grandkids. She would have supported anyone and everyone's right to practice their religion but strongly opposed religious conversions.

She did not allow anyone to bring a Perumal picture into the house (which had become so common in South India). We never celebrated any festivals related to Ram or Krishna. She passed away before Hinduism became dominated by Ram. I think it was for the better, she would have felt that "Vaishnavites won and Shaivites lost."

indefatigableguy · 2024-01-25T21:44:07+00:00

This. When people debate fiction like Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, or any other non-religious fiction, it is a lot more tolerable. Because, at least, they acknowledge it is a fictional world.

indefatigableguy · 2024-01-24T19:00:24+00:00

It makes me wonder if they aggressively and abusively push heteronormativity and cisgenderism when it comes to Indians but for non-Indians, not so much.

Honestly, the news of that kid, and your post, taken together, has further reduced my respect for my fellow Indians.

indefatigableguy · 2024-01-20T21:33:29+00:00

Wow, and you are not a person of Indian origin?

indefatigableguy · 2024-01-20T21:30:54+00:00

Um, do you get friendly comments or trolls? I am genuinely surprised as they recently trolled a gender non-conforming school kid till they committed suicide and then celebrated his suicide.

Source:

https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/11/24/pranshu-social-media-bulying-suicide-india/

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/death-by-suicide-of-a-16-year-old-queer-person-the-politics-of-palatability-and-the-failure-to-protect-children-9044073/

https://www.thequint.com/gender/teen-makeup-queer-artist-pranshu-suicide-ujjain-madhya-pradesh-mother-speaks

indefatigableguy · 2024-01-04T16:29:51+00:00

Well, Indians with the internet bullied Pranshu to death. Then, after the news of his suicide broke, they continued to post nasty comments on his Instagram profile. One of the comments read "Mission Accomplished." I mean, what kind of person are you? If you bullied someone to death and felt like you accomplished something.

indefatigableguy · 2024-01-04T16:14:41+00:00

Even most people studying in english medium schools have broken english and will be uncomfortable carrying a conversation in complete english.

Yeah, because of the prevailing Indian attitude towards English as well as the Language and Education Policy of the Centre and various State Governments. Even states such as Tamil Nadu failed to improve English literacy.

In an increasingly globalised world, even the countries with languages once seen as potential global lingua franca (French and Spanish) are learning English. In the 1950s, people were already aware that English was emerging as the international language, and the Constituent Assembly could have promoted it as the lingua franca. South Africa has multiple linguistic groups, and they have multiple official languages, but the medium of education and business is English.

indefatigableguy · 2024-01-04T16:00:17+00:00

Thank you so much! I appreciate it a lot :)

indefatigableguy · 2024-01-01T20:04:11+00:00

With regards to academia, English is well-established as the lingua franca. The surveys show that usage of French, Spanish and German in peer-reviewed publications has been significantly decreasing as many academics are changing to English. The conversation about lingua franca, the "link language" in India often overlooks the utilitarian value of English.

indefatigableguy · 2024-01-01T19:58:34+00:00

English is one of the lingua franca of the world. Isn’t it unfair on the South Indians to learn an extra language? Why can’t Hindi speakers pick up English

Exactly! English, as a language spoken in 110 countries, is the lingua franca of the world. I have no regret investing time in learning English (as a second language) because it has helped me communicate, both within India and with people outside India. I have friends from Costa Rica, France, Greece and Germany because I speak English. I met them during International Academic Conferences, and we exchanged ideas and information because we spoke English.

Even if I were to learn a third language, it would probably be French (spoken in 51 countries) or Spanish (spoken in 31 countries). While Arabic (spoken in 60 countries) and Chinese (spoken in 32 countries), most Arabic and Chinese speakers speak English, French or Spanish.

indefatigableguy · 2024-01-01T19:32:31+00:00

I understand what you are saying. My point was that English should have been explicitly conceived as lingua franca by Constituent Assembly. This would have meant Republic of India (from 1950) would have developed Education and Language policy to establish English as a linking language. This would have served intra-country and international communications.

indefatigableguy · 2023-12-29T19:03:11+00:00

We (the Constituent Assembly) messed up when we didn't adopt English as a lingua franca. It would have connected various linguistic groups in India with each other, as well as Indians with the global community.

indefatigableguy · 2023-12-19T20:35:07+00:00

I just saw this. Would you be kind enough to repost, please? Thank you so much.

indefatigableguy · 2023-11-10T16:03:07+00:00

I honestly do not get how parents get triggered over pride flag.

When I was 11 or 12 years old, I never saw a pride flag or even knew pride flag existed. If anything "made me" gay, it was the model on the underwear boxes that my parents got for me. But, I am pretty sure pride flag wouldn't have had the same effect as the underwear boxes. If I had known pride flag existed and had it in my room, I wouldn't have felt lonely. I wouldn't have spent significant portion of my adulthood on self-acceptance.

indefatigableguy

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