Democracy Day

Media club members of Paro College of Education observed the 5^th International Democracy day on the 15^th of September, 2012 at the Learning Centre.

The significance of the day was marked with the screening of a short documentary film entitled “Councilors Election", which reflected the councillor’s election process. It was filmed by Mr. Tashi Penjor, one of the club members. The film was screened to more than 300 student teachers including the Director and lecturers of Paro College of Education.

After lunch more than 30 media club members gathered in the learning centre and brainstormed on the concept of democracy.  They discussed their understanding of democracy through words, images, and poems.  Each group presented their ideas and explained what democracy was for them. Afterward, they developed group definitions of democracy and then compared them.

The media club was formed after the recommendation of the Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy (BCMD) early this year. It works collaboratively with the literary committee of the College.

Dawa

Sherig Century – The Open College Quiz Competition

On 15th September, an Open College Quiz Competion was organised to commemorate Sherig Century at Paro College of Education. The twelve participants ran through an enthralling quiz after they passed the preliminary round, in which approximately fifty student teachers partook. The open quiz encompassed the knowledge about 'National affairs , International affairs, Sports, Audio and Visual, and Acronyms'.  

QUIZ, an acronym in itself,  means quick understanding of intellegence zeal. From the educational perspective, a teacher can use it as a tool for assessment and also to bring in fun and competition in the teaching learning process.  

The quizzing program was collaboratively orgainsed by Literary Committee and Media Club. On the same day Media Club screened a short video clip to mark the International Day of Democracy. The video clip showed a democratizing affair, the Councillors‘ Election 2012 of  Paro College.

The absorbing and mind racking quizzing program was attended by the Director, lecturers  and more than 300 student-teachers.

Tandin Wangdi

Paro College of Education

Workshop on Foundation Course in Human Values & Professional Ethics

The introductory workshop on foundation in human values and professional ethics was conducted at Paro College of Education from 8^th to 10^th September, 2012 by group of volunteers from India who is working on universal human values.

This workshop is designed to help develop a conducive environment for “Human Values and Professional Ethics (HVPE)” in institution and communities. It is to help familiarise participants with HVPE and to generate interest in value based living.

The group leader Mr. Ganesh Prashad Bagaria said “the basic ideas of the workshop is to make sure that each person can live with right understanding, right feeling and right physical facilities that ensure happiness for ourselves and other people.”

 He added “the relevance of all 3 – right understanding, relationship and physical facilities – are the priority in the improvement of the quality of life at the individual, family and workplace levels.”

He further said, “if we look at the problems facing all over the society today, it is largely to do with inhuman behavior. The ideas behind the workshop are essentially for the most necessary things to do with the human beings and to make them behave like humans and achieve mutual happiness and prosperity.”

During the three days orientation the participants were familiarised with the need, guidelines, content and process of Value Education. They discussed on holistic development and the role of education in holistic development. Further the presentation facilitated a process of self-exploration in participants and key proposals about universal human values for them to reflect on basic human aspiration and the programme for its fulfillment.

They also shared the role of education in understanding the human relationship in the nature of coexistence and how the education plays vital role in shaping the live of individual through involvement of parents, teacher and policy maker.

More than 60 participants including the Directors of Paro and Gaedu College, lecturers of Royal Institute of Health Science and Paro College, principals and teachers from Paro valley, and student teachers of Paro College took part in three days workshop. The Vice Chancellor of Royal University of Bhutan Dasho Dr. Pema Thinlay also attended on the 2^nd day of the workshop.

The same workshop is going to take place at Gaedu College of Business Studies for 8 days starting from 12^th of September, 2012.

Dawa

Sherig Century—Extempore Competition

A Dzongkha extempore speech competition, dedicated to Sherig Century (hundred years of Bhutanese education), was organized at Nangkha Lecture Theatre (Paro College of Education) on 18^th August, 2012 by the Literary Committee.

The first autumn literary activity begins to spark the glorious festivity, and to celebrate the transformation education has brought to our lives. Also, through this festivity, we pay homage to all those great personalities who have contributed immensely to the growth of education.    

Sherig, which means ‘education,’ being the theme, the topics for the speeches revolved around education and its system—the history, teachers, students, founders of education, modern education, quality and discipline. The two hours of successive impromptu by the participants was a reflection and consideration of education that embraces many Bhutanese lives.

25 participants from different classes partook in the competition, out of which 5 were women. The top five winners were awarded with certificates and cash prizes.

More than 150 student teachers, Director, faculty members and other enthusiasts took part in the event. 

Talk on Origin of Dzongkha Language

The talk on the origin of Dzongkha language in Bhutan was delivered by Professor George van Driem, the Director of the Linguistic Institute of Bern University Switzerland on August 11^th, 2012 at Paro College of Education.

During the talk Dr. George pointed out that “Dzongkha language has its foundation from one of the two greatest language families of the world, the Trans-Himalayan Linguistic phylum or Tibetan-Burman language family”. He added that “Bhutanese language is at the heart of trans-Himalayan language”. The talk also covered the hidden significant, structural beauty, and sophisticated aspect of the Dzongkha language from the linguistic point of view. 

The Dzongkha is literally the language of Fortress where military and ecclesiastic strongly hold language spoken in the Dzong as the official language. It is spoken already in western Bhutan long before the Zhabdrung’s arrival in 1616. According to the Professor, there are nineteen languages in different locations of Bhutan which are all intricate, special and unique.  

The professor was accompanied by the Secretary of Dzongkha Development Commission, Dasho Sherab Gyeltshen. More than 150 student teachers including the Director and faculty members of Paro College of Education attended the talk.

The talk was organized by Mr. Rinchen Dorji, the Dean of Research and Industrial Linkage, Paro College of Education. 

Peer Mentorship Formally Launched

The Peer Mentoring Programme was launched in the Learning Centre at Paro College of Education on 14^th August, 2012 by Dean of Academic Affairs, Dean of Research and Industrial Linkage, Officiating Dean of Student Affairs and the four Heads of School as an important learning activity in the College.

For active functioning, the centre adopted the peer mentoring programme to help create a stronger learning community on campus. This establishes more avenues for students to interact academically with their peers, gives senior students an opportunity to apply their knowledge in academic skills, creates more resources in the centre, and allows the centre to be open and lively. It will also engage peer mentors in directing and guiding the needy students.

     The Dean of Academic Affairs, Mr. Som Gurung said,“It is like dream come true, where the initiative began as a small bit and now grown.”

     The peer mentoring is a form of mentorship that takes place in the learning ambience like learning centre, usually between an older, more experienced students and a new student as a way of learning through interaction, discussion and sharing the academic skills.

     The program came into existence after training seven students by Dr. Gretchen and Mrs. Lhazom Dema during the spring semester 2012.

     More than 18 members including two coordinators of the centre, the trained mentors and the mentees took part in the launching ceremony.

    The program was organized by Mr. Karma Dorji, Mrs. Lhazom Dema and the mentors.

Citizenship Journalism Workshop

Citizenship journalism workshop was conducted at Paro college of Education on 8^th of August, 2012 by Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy for Media Club Members in the College.

The day long workshop was aimed at “deepening students’ understanding of journalism and its role in democracy, to guide students in the principle of newspaper design, and to train students in the basics of news writing” said Manny Fassi, the representative of BCMD.

There was also the presence of Professor Cherian George, Mr. Samuel, and Mr. Kayting from Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Dr. Cherian said that journalism is about “telling stories on current events, using investigation, observation, and analysis, and to help the people make sense of changes and take part in the public life”. He added that “journalism is not about writing propaganda for government, business and other powerful institution but serving public without being slaves”.

The participants also learned on journalist ethics, basic rules on writing news and designing newspapers. Later in the evening, the participants met with the journalism students from Singapore where they shared their ideas on journalism, issues, and cultures. 

The workshop was attended by more than 40 students from Paro College of Education, Taktse College and Youth Go Youth.