Title : Adopt a School to Teach Visually World class Physics/Maths in Tamil
Description :
ADOPT A SCHOOL OR COLLEGE PROJECT SUMMARY
project name The Mechanical Universe and Beyond’
– PHYSICS TEACHING SERIES IN TAMIL
what:
This project will offer a dubbed version in Tamil of the famous Physics educational program series called ‘MECHANICAL UNIVERSE & BEYOND’. This consists of 52 video lessons (DVD) of half hour each created by US based Annenberg Foundation in association with Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). California Institute of Technology (CIT) and Consortium of Community colleges and a 3 volume set of Physics text to accompany the DVDs. These texts translated into Tamil by us totaling 1700 pages were created by Cambridge University. The dubbed version and accompanying texts will be given at nominal cost to Tamil students in the Tamil medium schools and colleges in the state of Tamilnadu and elsewhere world wide in all Tamil speaking countries.
why:
This Physics educational series to students was conceived and completed by Annenberg Foundation in 1987 with multi million dollars funding to enhance basic science education in USA. These lessons were actually video taped live in the California Institute of Technology classrooms as taught by Prof. David L. Goodstein, the project director for this series commissioned by Annenberg Foundation the sponsor. Later this was well received not only within USA but also throughout the world.
This excellent series on classical mechanics and quantum physics has been in distribution for a number of years and as such has been sold and translated into other languages. In the last two years Mainland China has bought this series, dubbed into Chinese and adopted this series to teach Physics in their schools and 25 universities within China nationwide. This series has been sold in many countries including USA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, South America, and U.K.
In Canada this series has been sold to most provincial departments of education, and many universities and colleges. The departments of education as key curriculum resources for physics instruction have recommended the series. This series is the ultimate teaching tool for what can be a very difficult subject to comprehend. The Mechanical Universe has brought a clear understanding of physics and its underpinning mathematics to millions of students around the world.
If this series can be replicated with a Tamil version, the quality of science teaching in Tamilnadu schools and colleges can be improved significantly. This is equivalent to bringing all the Tamil students in Tamilnadu to learn physics at California institute of technology. Physics is an important component of the basic sciences. This physics series not only teach classical physics but also quantum mechanics with all its mathematical underpinnings through calculus and vector algebra. It is like teaching mathematics along with physics. By implementing this project the Physics teaching standards of Tamilnadu schools and colleges can be instantly raised to international standards at the least cost.
Jet propulsion laboratory of California is the graphics provider for this series and Cambridge University is the text provider. This series comes with text and solutions to back the instructional video set. This series has been conceived, designed, and created by experts in physics teaching, distance education experts, and field tested extensively with great success. Physics never gets outdated and plays an important role for any nation to reach its heights.
This project was started in the year 2005 which has been recognized world over as the Physics year in honor of Albert Einstein’s centenary. What better time to have started this project than this year!
HOW:
The copyrighted content of the Mechanical Universe has been licensed, on a five-year renewable basis, for a fee from Annenberg Foundation for use in Tamilnadu schools and colleges and elsewhere. The sound track of the video content has been dubbed into Tamil by professionals in Chennai after careful translation to synchronize with the lip of the teacher/narrator. The accompanying printed materials have been translated into Tamil. These will be offered to all Tamil schools and colleges in Tamilnadu at a nominal cost. These will be introduced as compliment to their prescribed curriculum only as an audiovisual learning tool with the help of TV set and DVD player.
The cost to fund this project is estimated to be SUS 200, 000. At the request of the International Tamil Language Foundation, Hon. President of India Dr. Abdul Kalam has formally inaugurated the start of this project at the FETNA (Federation of Tamils of North America) convention held at New Jersey on July 4, 2003.
Interested private sponsors have funded the project cost. International Tamil Language Foundation, tax exempt US based charitable organization under the leadership of its director Thiru Alagappa Rammohan has completed this project as of May 1, 2007 as planned within three years time period from the start.
WHO:
It is the responsibility of International Tamil Language Foundation to conceive, design, execute, and deliver this project to conclusion. Thiru Alagappa Rammohan, Director of International Tamil Language Foundation will be the Project Director for this project. When released, sponsorship credit for all private and public sponsors will be appropriately credited on the video screen prior to the commencement of program.
WHEN:
The project has been completed and implemented effective May 1st 2007 in one publicly listed company and ten Tamil medium schools in Tamilnadu, India awaiting further public support through adoption of Tamil medium schools, colleges and industrial training institutes in Tamilnadu, India and overseas.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Dr. Alagappa Rammohan Director
International Tamil Language Foundation
8417 Autumn Dr. Woodridge, Illinois, USA 60517
[email protected] www.kural.org Ph: 630 985 3141 Fax: 630 985 3199
Dr. Alagappa Rammohan
Indian Coordinator
23/T85B – 29th cross st, Besant nagar, Chennai 600090 India
Ph: 9444386621
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU:
1. We want you to volunteer as the goodwill ambassador of this project (be our eyes, ears, and legs) spreading the news of this project goals and its benefits to the schools, colleges, business houses, politicians, governmental institutions in Tamilnadu. If you agree please communicate with me through email what you have accomplished by informing me with such details as whom you saw and what further needs to be done. We strongly believe this project when implemented will cause a paradigm shift in the quality of Physics teaching in Tamilnadu. This in effect will raise the current Physics teaching standards in Tamilnadu instantly and uniformly to world class standards by effectively putting to use the power of the cinema/motion picture medium in a repeatable audio visual and a graphical way with the least cost.
- We want you to adopt one or more schools or colleges to implement the free Physics video and text course materials. You will need to donate RS. 25000 or its dollar equivalent per school or college to cover the distribution cost of implementation for each school or college that includes the following: reproducing cost of 52 DVDs and 3 texts totaling 1900 pages and shipping. If you can not afford to own the cost then please convince some one or some institution or assemble a group to donate Rs. 25000. If the school or college in question already does not have a 32 inch TV set, a voltage stabilizer and a DVD player then the donor has to cover the additional cost for the infrastructure needed which will be approximately around Rs.25000 per institution. If need be, at the instruction of the donor we will assist in the procurement and installation of the infrastructure.
- We want you to volunteer to monitor the post implementation progress and results in each school. This will include on site verification of the usage of course material and the collection of feedback.
CONCLUSION:
We again thank you for your concern to help the Tamilnadu school and college children through us. Kindly choose your role to participate with us in this monumental journey. Remember it is better to teach one as to how to fish rather than giving a fish to eat one time. God does not need our praise. People’s work is Gods work. Education is birth right of every one. As Bharathy said helping to educate one individual is better than all charities put together for seven lives to come and it is our duty to bring quality western science works to Tamil. Ours is a serious attempt to fulfill these prophetic words and make a difference through collective self-help.
History is in the making. Won’t you join?
Nanri.
Anputan.
Alagappa Rammohan Director