My First exposure to school..:)

My First exposure to school..:)

Other senior colleagues and me went to near by school who had organized block level sports competition on 10/8/2012. Many other schools coming under that block participated in the competition.

The program began with a grand welcome to the guests. The guests came in a procession kind were there was school band, traditional way of welcoming with flowers. As the guests came, hoisted the flag and the flag had the name of the school which organized this sports competition. As the flag was hoisted the children did the march-past and after that there was a formal stage function were the formal welcoming of the guests with a flower was done and memento given to the guests. Later there was speech by some guests, the sports T-shirts were given to the physical trainers of different schools and cycle distribution of this year was formally inaugurated. The formal function ended with vote of thanks by one of the school teachers.

After the formal function there was 100, 200, 300 mtr race competition were students of different schools took part. After the race competition there was also many other competition took place simultaneously like high jump, kho-kho, kabaddi, throw ball, discs throw, shuttle, long jump.

The program ended with a formal function where the prizes were distributed to the students who won the competition.

It was nice to see the setting the school made for the competition for the block level. The inauguration, the arrangements were really interesting to see. The participation and the enthusiasm of the children to take part, compete, support the participant was amazing. I also observed the way teachers supporting their students and felt such support and motivation would take the child to achieve many things in life, associate felt that the support should not limit only to sports but also be there in studies and other good things. It was the first time I was introduced to the government school environment. So learning was great. 

TREES WOW!

We all had this fascinating session on tree involving various tasks to complete. we all know that trees are studied as a part of either EVS or specific to botany. But i never realised how a simple plan of conducting the session, with certain objective would help us come up with so many things to learn and share with this.

The activity involved so many varieties of tasks that we all enjoyed and also learnt. Unknowingly it involved Maths, EVS, Language Development and art, craft and as well creativity.

Who can think of learning so many things from trees?

Well one thing that i need to reflect in this is how Peer Group learning can facilitate a good environment. Also teaches interdependence, excludes the classroom boredom. i realised how such activities serve as a platform to incorporate all the disciplines learnt, I mean how to utilize the knowledge? When?

This also sharpens the pupils understanding of how one discipline is dependent on other.

It also showed how Pedagogical changes can bring a difference in learning experience.

LANGUAGE, LANGUAGE & LANGUAGE!!

Have you ever wondered, how you can read my blogs, make sense of what u just read?

Well, then I must admit this was a great session of understanding of language. I learnt the universality of language in following certain rules. The deeper we went that much it helped me to get fascinated about how innate language development happens without much effort. I only knew that language is an innate part of development but I had never personally given attention to dig up to look languages in same frame.

My understanding has enhanced in terms of the single frame work of language, it helps me to overlook the barrier of language that would hamper any sort of learning. It, many a times happens that due to lack of knowledge how to read a certain dialect many pupils fail to understand concept. But now, having learnt that script  can be interchanged this should reduce the nuances of this problem.

It made realise that Language should never be a barrier for learning. In fact it should b a useful tool to develop learning and knowledge.

As we looked in to deeper it should me how language itself can have a problem, more than a child.

Now after so much of learning, understanding and contemplating…. My major questions that are left unanswered are how paralinguistic features helps in enrichment of it? I would also want to know how can culture influence the acquisition of language? What makes Thoughts is language or inborn?

CONTENT!

Hyperbolic, parabolic Geometry. OMG! I had never heard these words till we had a task to prove that sum of all triangles is equal to 180 deg. In my own very limited and handicapped understanding I always believed it to be true until my friends challenged it with those terms. Whatever that meant however that proved was going above my head. But, these notions were challenged were given a base to prove it, and how they arrived at it.

This for many of us actually challenged the existence of whole subject matter of Math! Said my Friend. But this was not the case with math alone almost all subjects; that includes social science, science, aesthetics, ethics and history were also included. Initially I considered it to be a fruitless layer of understanding but finally when the truth unfolded itself in the form of giving it a meaning in terms of: Concept/content, truth validation, investigative methodology, criterion precision. It seemed as if education is titanic in nature.

Well, my major learning out of this whole exercise was about the pedagogical issues and distribution of knowledge and skills. And, it helped me understand the nuances of each subject better and the characteristics that it carried with self.

I learnt Why Science is the way it is and why maths is maths. I have an vague idea of the nature.

But, am not very sure of how I can apply this to help teachers?? 

Nature Vs Nurture Debate on Intelligence........................?

The most fascinating about this debate is half the people have vague or just little understanding about it! Not that I am expertise at it, but I would like if people understand it in the right notion; before getting in to who is right or wrong or even trying to prove my understanding, I want all to know as to what is intelligence? From a modern perspective to put forth my understanding I choose Howard Garderns Multiple intelligence concept.

Gardner (1999) defines an intelligence as ‘‘biopsychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value in a culture’’. According to Gardner, there are more ways to do this than just through logical and linguistic intelligence. Gardner believes that the purpose of schooling "should be to develop intelligences and to help people reach vocational and avocational goals that are appropriate to their particular spectrum of intelligences. People who are helped to do so, [he] believe[s], feel more engaged and competent and therefore more inclined to serve society in a constructive way."

Gardner articulated several criteria for a behavior to be an intelligence. These were that the intelligences:

1.    Potential for brain isolation by brain damage,

2.    Place in evolutionary history,

3.    Presence of core operations,

4.    Susceptibility to encoding (symbolic expression),

5.    A distinct developmental progression,

6.    The existence of savants, prodigies and other exceptional people,

7.    Support from experimental psychology and psychometric findings.

Gardner believes that eight abilities meet these criteria:

§  Spatial

§  Linguistic

§  Logical-mathematical

§  Bodily-kinesthetic

§  Musical

§  Interpersonal

§  Intrapersonal

§  Naturalistic

He considers that existential and moral intelligence may also be worthy of inclusion.

Now I have to mention the broad dimensions of intelligence they are the:

·         Fluid intelligence

·         Crystal Intelligence

My understanding is that intelligence has certain amount of inheritance that cant be denied or not be given credit as learning happens through genetic and brain does play an important role.
When spoken of the counter argument that learning happens through social setting, as it involves the experience.

My question now that hasn't yet been resolved yet is where is experience coming from? Is it social or personal?

So What is it?

While I was looking for the purpose of education, sitting back and analyzing  today's session, I realized how could people really think so deep. Wondering what I am talking of?

Pondering over last few thoughts that crossed my mind about education was not only necessary to satisfy but need to fill it. It’s like a hungry person seeking food……

When a major discussion lead to an understanding of what role a government or state principles play in forming the curriculum more than a child’s needs or teachers understanding it has let me to a major question that hasn’t yet been resolved!

Am looking deeply, trying to understand as to what we want of school to do? Is it to fulfill the child’s expectations, seek parent’s wish fulfillment? Is it the job perspective? Or are we just looking at it as being literate individual. 

Education... has produced a vast population able to read but unable to distinguish what is worth reading.
G. M. Trevelyan

BE, MBA, Ms Degrees are being earned everywhere in all fields Delhi, Nagpur, Bellary, Chennai, Assam and Bangalore and many other towns and cities. But, here my major concern to rise is that are that the degrees being earned does it equal to getting jobs. Is it equal to imparting skills needed to get the job? We have an impression that by mere having degrees in hand we are developing and progressing to the fullest. Am sure yes it is for many of us!

But given a thought is it true to our entire Nation?

What am trying to express is that degrees are not skills and what is most required to do a job is skill not a degree. One might have a degree in MBA but what is the use if one doesn’t know how to use it and still requires training. This deals with the higher education level and its quality.

If I have to argue I would say our education system from the elementary, primary and high school follows that a minimum score is required to be a literate and pass. It doesn’t focus on the implementation of the education provided. It does teach a child a concept but doesn’t teach how to execute in real world. All of us go through rigorous training even after studying for 14 years.

What is Deficient in it?

The quality, the practical exposure or is it to be blamed on the curriculum?

Am trying to explore the purpose of education is it to develop certain skills or is it just to be a matric pass or a degree holder?