Nivedita Mukerjee
Education consultancy for parents and schools
3-2-1 TUESDAYS WITH MS NIV
Issue #19 / November 17, 2020
Why do we get stuck in the feeling of being right? What does it feel to be wrong? Do we grow up thinking that people who do things wrong are lazy… irresponsible… dim wits? Check out this week’s Tedtalk from a wrongologist. How do the key areas of our brain process learning? Is there an advantage in learning in an integrated way or should we teach subjects discretely as most of the schools do now. Read this week’s guest column. And finally… don’t miss a laugh at the end of it all.
Three Images For The Week
For educator, parent and student. The Holy Trinity of Education
Two Thoughts For The Week
‘The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.’ –Alvin Toffler
‘It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.’ –Harry S Truman
One Video For The Week
Most of us will do anything to avoid being wrong. But what if we’re wrong about that? Wrongologist Kathryn Schulz makes a compelling case for not just admitting but embracing our fallibility. She is a staff writer for the New Yorker and is the author of “Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error.” Being wrong v/s realising being wrong… to feel about being wrong. How does it become a practical problem? A social problem?
Guest Column
Snehalata Ramachandran, Educator.
Thematic or Integrated Learning
Connection and relationships play a huge role in life. The ‘web of Life’ clearly shows that all living things, one way or the other are part of the web – may be food chain, balance of eco system or wellness in the world.
Similarly in thematic learning – many ideas, information, concepts, skills and subjects can be wonderfully integrated. This allows the learners to explore and get better understanding of their surroundings to resolve concerns. Their learning is associated with real life experiences which enables coherent and holistic learning and of course leading to a sense of empowerment, as it does not confine them to information provided in the text. Through research, the excitement and interest is on the high, which makes the learners delve into the topic and find numerous connections, many that they didn’t know existed! It gives way to natural way learning-competency based and is less fragmented.
The pedagogy in thematic learning can be so varied – it can be individual, pair or group work, where they have an opportunity to discuss, accept and appreciate other’s ideas, make presentations too. Social skills and confidence building is also taken care of. Group activities and discussion enable students to participate and reach on a shared perspective of the theme- collaborative learning at its best. This also helps in creative exploration of the subject through understanding and discourages rote learning. Many skills – such as research, decision making, risk taking are honed, giving way to creativity and invention. Learners with conviction dare to be different, moving away from flock mentality.
For a better understanding of thematic learning, I’ll chose the topic ‘water’ and share how the various subjects can be integrated. Explore the water bodies in the locality and find out how water reaches houses. The importance of the water bodies and responsibility of keeping them clean can be discussed. Through real life experiences the properties and uses of water of water can be derived. Estimation or litres-millilitres can be taught in Math and students can visit a store and check out the products too. Students can write poems, slogans or compositions in language-English or the local language. It allows literacy to grow progressively with expansion of associated vocabulary, sentence writing reinforced gradually and smoothly. Adding a tune to their own poem or doing a rap is lovely way to weave in rhythm and music! Art and science will be in sync when they do ‘marbling’ or sit around a water body and watch the teeming life around it to get the first- hand knowledge of eco system or even symbiotic relationships and capture it on paper! Awareness of the theme will give way to make informed choices and ingrain responsibility.
The infinite thoughts, ideas can be harnessed to make learning a joyful experience of wonders, wondering, wandering and adventures…..with so many permutations and combinations ….spoilt for choices – to let an active learner reach for stars.
Showcase
And Finally…
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe and enjoy your learning journey with me. Most of you would have been too busy to track trends in education, ponder on most relevant thoughts or deliberate on career choice, parenting or pedagogy. Find it all here. This week, it consists of: 3 images, 2 thoughts and 1 video.
For whom? Students, educators and parents
When? Every Tuesday
Where? my blog post, register with your e-mail id, it is free.
If you want to contribute an article, are organising an event, have a product that you think can be reviewed and/or featured in this news letter, please feel free to write to me at : niveditamukerjee10@gmail.com
Please like, subscribe, share, comment. See you next week.
This Newsletter is supported by :
3-2-1 TUESDAYS WITH MS NIV
Issue #18 / November 10, 2020
Inclusion is in the air and not just in America. There comes an inflection point when it is not just a good to have credo in a school or work place but when it is imperative to have empathy with fellow beings. When we seek solace, we seek support and feel the strength in equity, diversity and inclusion. This is the time for us to embrace it more than ever. The pandemic has shown that we are vulnerable no matter how strong we are and we seek and value our connection with friends, family, workplace, nature, community workers for our well-being. We are connected. And we need to enjoy and protect the entire web of life to live well.
This week I have for you a mom writing about bringing up a child with special abilities, a special educator with a belief in the special abilities of every child, a heart warming story of a concert pianist who was born deaf and with autism. Hope you enjoy this news letter as much as I did putting it together for you.
Please share your thoughts and subscribe to get this newsletter every week in your mail box.
Three Images For The Week
For educator, parent and student. The Holy Trinity of Education
Two Thoughts For The Week
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”
― Maya Angelou
“Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it.”
― Salvador Dali
One Video For The Week
Born three and a half months prematurely, Derek Paravicini is blind and has severe autism. But with perfect pitch, innate talent and a lot of practice, he became a concert pianist by the age of 10. Here, his longtime piano teacher, Adam Ockelford, explains his student’s unique relationship to music, while Paravicini shows how he has ripped up the “Chopsticks” rulebook.
Guest Column
Swimming in an Inclusive Pool of Diversity
Anita Eipe
The more we are aware of the diversity that exists in our communities, the more we realise the disparities in the equitable access to resources. With the current pandemic situation, parents are confined to their homes and are intimately involved in their children’s lives. Without house help and with schools closed, parents and their children find themselves in a situation that is strange in many ways. Some are surprised pleasantly, and some are not. Some wish for more and some wish for different. Many realise that our education system lacks tolerance and is very low on empathy and inclusion.
It is important to understand the term Inclusion in education, before discussing it. Inclusive environment is a term which expresses commitment to educate each child, to the maximum extent appropriate. It means, making learning accessible to every child, equitably. Inclusion also means an environment free of discrimination, be it social, religious, economical, physical or in any other form.
Now that we understand what an Inclusive learning environment should be, we also realise that our schools are far from inclusive. But do we dare to believe it is possible? If yes, then what would the inclusive school look like?
Let’s go visit a swimming pool. When we walk in there, we see this large rectangular pool filled with cool blue water. It is shallow on one end and deep on the other. The depth gradually increasing as we move from the shallow to the deep end. Then we see steps on all four sides of the pool. There are railings or a ledge that one can grasp onto on all four sides of the pool. Look around the pool and we see many floater and tubes kept readily available for anyone who may need them. Most pools also have a lifeguard or two around always. This to me is a perfect model of an inclusive environment.
How is it that a swimming pool can compare to an Inclusive learning environment? At a pool, everyone comes to learn to swim. Everyone learns at a different pace. Everyone has a personal goal with the common goal to learn to swim. Some are in the beginner’s stage and need the support of a coach or a friend and during that time they stay in the shallow end. Some have learnt and need to practice, so continue to stay at the shallow end but swim along the breath of the pool. As they get more confident, they continue to swim the breaths but get further towards the middle of the pool. And then there are those who have learnt, are confident and now work on improving their style and speed. These swimmers swim the lengths. Everyone has their own style of getting into the pool. Some take the steps in and some slip in over the edge and some dive in. Each choosing what works best for them.
Now I see the swimming pool as a model of an inclusive learning environment that has the scope to include so many diversities. What makes it possible? Is it maybe that the focus is on enjoying the learning? Yes even the swimmers doing their lengths can be seen goofing around with their friends sometimes. Would this be possible in schools if we shifted from being result oriented to focusing on making learning joyful? Some would be great at academics and would pursue that line of career? Some would discover they were great at innovative and creative thinking and pursue maybe research or entrepreneurship? Some would discover their abilities to work well with people and end up being team leaders or teachers? The possibilities are endless. The best would be the dignity and self-worth with which everyone would pursue their life’s career and challenge themselves to live to their potential.
Now what I forgot to mention is that baby pool we find near the main pool. It is shallow and meant for those who are not ready for the big pool. The baby pool represents the special needs center that all schools must have. This is where a child receives individualized attention to get ready for the main class. Some may get over their fear of water or the crowds and get into the main pool some day just as some children who initially struggled get to join the main stream class because of effective early intervention programs. There are also those who may continue to stay in the baby pool. They will learn to paddle and keep their head above water. Learn they will, even though it may be limited.
This is the inclusion model. With the right attitude and the desire for it, inclusion is possible. If we have a ready model in one field, we can replicate it another. When we make every student a successful learner, schools will churn out confident and happy individuals and our world will be a happy place with more to celebrate and less to worry about!
Inclusion is only possible when we move our focus from the result to the joy of the journey of learning and living.
Anita Eipe is a special educator by profession and the Managing Trustee of Samatha Learning Center (www.samathalearning.com) Bangalore. She offers schools support to make inclusion possible for them. Samatha works on the principle that everyone can learn and everyone has an ability which has value. Anita believes in being the change she wants to see.
Parent speak
My take on inclusion
Moushumi Das, mom of 2 boys and an educator
Inclusion apparently is an amazing concept but rare in our country. And life gave me an opportunity to raise two children with different needs, one regular and the other with special abilities.
One went to a special school and the other in a regular one. Both learned from each other and so did I. Accepting a younger sibling with special needs is what my older one learnt early in life. And the younger one felt proud of an older sibling who was fun to be with.
The entire process was to unlearn and relearn. Accepting that milestones will be slow but sure to come gave an immense pleasure without pressure. As a teacher teaching in a regular school I met parents who compared their children with each other. Tra la la – I never had to! Each one of them were different in their own ways. Can share an amazing example: Aniket, my elder eats to live, just fills in when hungry – no complain. But Jijo lives to eat – no fish? No chicken? Ohhh…. Eating but no fun.
In all the schools that Jijo went to, we had a great time pitching in with ideas, games, birthday parties, annual programmes. And Aniket felt that it was important for his friends to meet Jijo and get to know him. Result? Absolute fun and fantastic inclusion.
As a parent I made it a point to take Jijo out in supermarkets, movie halls, walk in the parks, travel by train, aircraft, bank, post office, police station, roadtrips and the like. And I saw how the child adapted himself in all kinds of surroundings.
Inclusion begins in family and then flows out in the society. Despite several hurdles, one thing I have learnt is that each individual is different. And everyone needs to be treated with love and respect. As for me – variety is the spice of life and I enjoy every moment!!
Student Voice
Inclusion or Diversity from a student?
Kashvi Goil, student of Grade 7
Inclusion in a general classroom is an education in which students with and without differences learn together. Inclusion secures opportunities for students with disabilities as they might not find a classroom to study with students with and without differences together.
Now if we talk about Diversity, diversity also means to group a diverse group of people with different cultural backgrounds, personalities, athletic abilities, religious beliefs, genders, sexualities, appearances, etc.
Now why is student inclusion and diversity important?
The answer is, so that the students learn more about different cultures and abilities of other students and feel more comfortable and confident to interact with wider ranges of people. Student diversity is also important as, if students interact with a diverse group of students they will be able to appreciate and celebrate the differences between them as each difference makes each person unique in their own way, rather than acting discriminatory towards a different group of people.
What do you think of having friends with different abilities
Aryaman Jain, student of grade 7
Friends are like stars, you don’t always see them but you know they are always there. They are exceptional in some things but are poor in some. But having friends with different abilities is a very fortunate thing to have. If you are stuck in a thing, you can ring them at any time and they will be ready to answer all your queries. Friends having different abilities can teach you the things in which you are poor. Which would help us in succeeding in our lives. Even if they have something poor in them which is good in us we can help them in that field. This type of friendship makes our personality more kind and helpful. Not only friends but even having family with different potentials would make our character and nature towards people more pleasant. In our school the sports day is held on the basis of inclusivity. Like if my friend is not good in sports but good in art then he/she can help the team to gain points by making a beautiful flag or banner. This is why having friends with different qualities help.
Showcase
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And Finally…
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe and enjoy your learning journey with me. Most of you would have been too busy to track trends in education, ponder on most relevant thoughts or deliberate on career choice, parenting or pedagogy. Find it all here. This week, it consists of: 3 images, 2 thoughts and 1 video.
For whom? Students, educators and parents
When? Every Tuesday
Where? my blog post, register with your e-mail id, it is free.
If you want to contribute an article, are organising an event, have a product that you think can be reviewed and/or featured in this news letter, please feel free to write to me at : niveditamukerjee10@gmail.com
Please like, subscribe, share, comment. See you next week.
This Newsletter is supported by :
3-2-1 TUESDAYS WITH MS NIV
Issue #17 / November 3, 2020
Are children good liars? Check out the Ted talk. What is your Pandemic Bingo board game? Find a sample here. Have you found your Ikigai yet? Here is how our columnist found it. Enjoy this week’s newsletter, like, comment, share and subscribe.
Three Images For The Week
For educator, parent and student. The Holy Trinity of Education
Two Thoughts For The Week
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” Socrates
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” Marie Curie
One Video For The Week
Are children poor liars? Do you think you can easily detect their lies? Developmental researcher Kang Lee studies what happens physiologically to children when they lie. They do it a lot, starting as young as two years old, and they’re actually really good at it. Lee explains why we should celebrate when kids start to lie and presents new lie-detection technology that could someday reveal our hidden emotions.
Guest Column
Bhakti Shah, founder of thinkBox children’s library.
I am a STEM woman. Very intuitive, scientific and precise. Art and I have never crossed paths before.
There are always a few decisions that we have to make in our life, we may not be very sure of them but we trust whatever happens, will happen for the best. The decision to quit my corporate job as project manager, heading a software division at an MNC was one such decision. I had no idea what I was going to do after that! Although, one thing was for certain, knowing myself, I was not going to sit still for long.
I was not a voracious reader to start with. I never had the means or the inclination. However, in my college years, I was introduced to Fountain Head by Ayn Rand and her writing instantly resonated with me. Before I knew it, I was hooked. I had acquired a new hobby at the age of 19 and was loving it! As they say, you just need that one book that turns you into a lifelong reader.
Years passed and my reading intensified. During my corporate job, I was fortunate to spend some time in Europe and United States. I admired their public libraries and fell more in love with reading and more in love with books. I wanted to provide a similar experience to the people of India.
That’s how I thought of starting a children’s library. I had never started a business and neither had anyone from my family. I don’t have any formal training in business or a professional degree in library science, yet here I am! A proud owner of a bustling library. My family supported me thoroughly. Initially, I was afraid of failure. It took me 4 long years to build up the courage to face my fears. But once I did, there was no stopping me.
Fast forward to today, my library is in its 13th year. It is now akin to a temple for me. I get unexplainable positivity and peace while I am there.
I never knew the word “Ikigai” until I read the book authored by Albert Liebermann and Hector Garcia. Now, as I ponder over it, I appreciate the beautiful way in which all the pieces of the puzzle called life fit and brought me to my Ikigai.
My passion – reading, my mission – providing a well-equipped library for children, my vocation – a librarian and my profession – doing business with technology.
Thinkbox children’s library:
Http://thinkbox.co.in
Parent Speak
Farah Shahid, Mom of 3
Parenting is the process of promoting and supporting the biological, physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood.
Slightly confused with all the complicated words?
Well yes, that’s Wikipedias definition of parenting. Just like the definition, the process too is ever evolving with time and we try to walk the fine line to nurture our children the right way.
While parenting, we often tend to overlook our needs. Our entire world revolves around them. Doing the mammoth tasks is definitely energy draining but most parents think its a taboo to even feel that way, especially moms. To be honest, it’s not really their fault that they think this way, it’s the benchmark created by our society. But let’s think about it, can a car low on fuel work efficiently? No. Similarly, how can a drained out parent fulfil their role.
Thus, my primary aim of writing this article is to encourage the loving moms and dads to prioritize their well being and indulge in “self-care”. Our society may classify selfcare as being selfish, but in reality it is recharging yourself.
The fancy word ‘Self-care’ actually has a very flexible and to-each-his-own definition. It could be anything, whatever one enjoys doing. Good self-care is key to improved mood and reduced anxiety. It is also a foundation to good relationships with oneself and others.
A well-nurtured parent enjoys their journey of parenting and wouldn’t exhaust themselves to the point of feeling they have ‘sacrificed’ their own well being for their children and eventually feeling resentful.
For me, raising my elder two kids and keeping up with all responsibilities had burnt me out completely. With the birth of my third and wanting to do her upbringing differently made me turn towards self care and thats how my account “restlesshomehacks” was created. It was the best thing that happened and doing what I love has recharged me more than ever. When the parent exhibits self-care, they raise a generation that learns to feed their body, mind and soul with the care it deserves.
To sum up, we must remember that we can’t pour from an empty cup and therefore need to fill our cup first by prioritizing self-care.
http://www.instagram.com/restlesshomehacks
Student Voice
Pihu Saraf, student of grade 7
The “I’m Not Like Other Girls” Phenomenon
Something that baffles me is that some girls really believe that their personality traits not aligning with the stereotypical traits attributed to girls is something to brag about. At this point, most girls have started to identify as not being like “Other girls!” If you think that being unlike other girls and liking boyish things makes you superior compared to the girls around you, you are a raging sexist with internalised misogyny (though not obvious, but existing) deep-rooted in you from your childhood. This may come off as harsh but this kind of behaviour should not be normalised especially when so many people fight every day to ensure a more equal future for women and other suppressed groups. Some may argue that the phrase “Other girls” is just a casual way of expression. But it is always used with derogatory intent.
I came across a girl I know unable to stop boasting about how she liked action figures from the boy’s section of stores when she was younger. This individual also went on to claim that the things in the girl’s section of stores were “gross” as they contained things like pink dresses and barbies.
Let me say this, You can like things that are stereotypically meant for the other gender without belittling your own gender. You do not have to put down an entire gender in order to prove your worth.
It has been drilled into our brains that prevalent female traits are bad and that girls are too much “drama.” I have heard so many girls say that they only befriend boys because girls are too dramatic. It is perfectly fine to have a preference in friends, but you do not have to belittle others, preferring to be friends with boys is not something to brag about, neither is it something to be ashamed of. Being “Not like other girls” doesn’t make you “cool” or more likeable. Let’s stop normalising having differing traits from the stereotypical female ones being a symbol of supremacy, it is frankly illogical. You can be unlike other girls and at the same time not believe it makes you superior.
Showcase
And Finally…
Worth a watch on Netflix – Connected, the hidden science of everything. This docu-series promises to be witty and investigative.
https://www.netflix.com/in/title/81031737
“Science journalist Latif Nasser investigates the surprising and intricate ways in which we are connected to each other, the world and the universe.
How we’re connected, but not in the deadly, scary ways—in the profound, beautiful, surprising, poetic ways. Just these subtle things that are always going on, that maybe are hopeful, encouraging, or at least somehow remind people that we are all in this together. Even when we think we’re disconnected, we’re actually all connected”.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe and enjoy your learning journey with me. Most of you would have been too busy to track trends in education, ponder on most relevant thoughts or deliberate on career choice, parenting or pedagogy. Find it all here. This week, it consists of: 3 images, 2 thoughts and 1 video.
For whom? Students, educators and parents
When? Every Tuesday
Where? my blog post, register with your e-mail id, it is free.
If you want to contribute an article, are organising an event, have a product that you think can be reviewed and/or featured in this news letter, please feel free to write to me at : niveditamukerjee10@gmail.com
Please like, subscribe, share, comment. See you next week.
This Newsletter is supported by :
3-2-1 TUESDAYS WITH MS NIV
Issue #16 / October 27, 2020
You want to peep into your child’s lives as a parent, then how can you shut them out of yours? Find out how a parent manages to balance this in the parent speak section. Panic attacks in school age children? Mental health days as a school policy same as sick leave? Watch the talk featured in the video section. You want to know more about what teenagers think about mental health – check out a site that has been started by a group of teenagers, featured in the student voice section. In this issue of the news letter, you will find self care tips for students, parents, teachers. Go ahead enjoy the festival season by beginning to take care of yourself. And finally, enjoy making some paper diyas with your family this festival season.
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Three Images For The Week
For educator, parent and student. The Holy Trinity of Education
Two Thoughts For The Week
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” — Maya Angelou
“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. ” – Oscar Wilde
One Video For The Week
School can be rife with stress, anxiety, panic attacks and even burnout — but there’s often no formal policy for students who need to prioritize their well-being. Hailey Hardcastle explains why schools should offer mental health days and allow students time to practice emotional hygiene without stigma. Follow along to learn how she and a team of fellow teens transformed their advocacy into law.
Hailey Hardcastle is a mental health advocate now and has established a network of student activists in order to make schools a better place for those struggling with mental health challenges.
In 2019, Hailey Hardcastle and her team passed a law in Oregon that allows students to take a mental health day off from school, the same way one would a sick day. Now, she’s working to expand the law to other states and bring more comprehensive mental health resources to classrooms.
Guest Column
Vidhya Nagraj, Principal, Delhi World Public School, Bangalore
Inspired from the book, ‘How schools fail,’ by John Holt
Repetitive corrections
I joined a new school with 5 years of work experience as a teacher. The school followed a child-centric approach in all aspects of schooling. They had a stringent policy; teachers could not reprimand a child for any misbehaviour or poor academic performance. I believed that students should be given freedom with boundaries
Initially, I found working in such an environment very stifling, as I came from the old school of thought that believed in ‘spare the rod and spoil the child.’ I was of the opinion that students should be corrected when they make mistakes.
One day I was called by the Vice-Principal to her office and she showed me a Grade IX homework that I had corrected. She gave me the book and asked me to observe and point out what I noticed. I checked the book and thought that I have probably overlooked some of the errors . I asked her if I could take the book back and recheck.
She replied, ‘Vidhya you seemed to have not understood my question,’ and once again asked me to look closely and observe what was glaring before the eye. I checked and rechecked and replied nothing! I was perplexed as to what she was pointing at.
Then she pointed out all the red corrections that stood out in every answer. The Vice Principal pointed that there were so many red ink corrections all over the book and this had shaken up the confidence of the child. I replied that if I don’t point, how will the child know that he has made mistakes and continue to repeat the mistakes.
I wasn’t convinced with her response, but grudgingly decided to adhere to the school policy thereafter. I started to train myself to write positive feedback in the test papers and in the subject report that teachers had to write.
After working there for nearly 10 years, the school’s approach began to grow on me. These practices became routine and I failed to understand them. Eventually, I moved out of the school. Several students kept in touch with me through social media. One of those students Robin tagged me with a subject report that I had written for him 6 years earlier while he was in Grade X and commented that although he knew that his teachers were lying about him, reading the report made him happy.
What the school had failed to make me understand in 10 years, Robin’s post made me understand at that moment.
Robin told me, ‘Ma’am when I read this report , I know that I didn’t deserve such kind words from you, I knew how I fared.’ Robin went on to tell me that he was nevertheless happy to read such a positive report.
This made me realise that the subject report, grades, scores, or teachers’ opinion doesn’t determine the success or failure of the student. But the positive strokes and teacher’s faith in the child supports in nurturing a growth mindset, and propelling them to work hard and believe that they can do better. Robin’s performance in history was immaterial in the journey of his life.
Parent Speak:
The Remote Button – Parul Saraff is an interior designer and mural artist besides being a parent of a 7th grader.
Since I became a mom, I kept hearing from friends with grown-up kids about how their children’s’ behaviour changed overnight once they turned 12, how they detach!!! In short, how difficult it is to handle the “always-bored teenager”. All of this really left me scared but gradually I learnt that when it comes to parenting, there is no rulebook, no “one size fits all.” All of that “gyaan” written in expensive parenting books is of no actual use once you deal with the antics of your divine angel, turned monster (and not to forget, your worst critic.)
To me, parenting is like a science equation. The final product depends on various factors, variables and non-variables. Without giving too much “gyaan” I would simply like to share some conscious efforts I took while raising my daughter. I won’t say she is not a lesser “rebel” and that I have achieved my goal of being a “perfect parent” but at least we can handle each other. She has a “strong mind” and “voice of her own” but a very “sensitive heart” too.
Age Appropriate
I strongly disliked this phrase when I was in my teens. With raging hormones and physical maturity, one starts to feel that they “know it all” and suddenly their elders slam: “This is not appropriate for you to know.” I used to wonder about replying with: “At least try telling me, maybe I am able to understand. Well, if you don’t tell me I will find out myself.” So as a parent, I make sure that I don’t keep any secrets from my child. We think that certain “inappropriate” topics may scar their fragile and impressionable minds but I feel that the “subtle insult” of hiding information from them would affect them more. What if tomorrow, when they go to college and we wish to know about their friends etc (for understandable reasons) and they end up saying “This piece of information is not age-appropriate for you?” Therefore, maintaining an open atmosphere is crucial.
Never shut them out from your life if you wish to peep into theirs.
Communication is Key
However cliched it may sound, communication is the most important aspect of your relationship with your child if you expect lifetime “transparency” and “attachment” with them. (BTW kids communicate at the weirdest times.) “You know I am busy!” could be reciprocated after a few years.
Argue and win with logic, not authority
Let’s face it, the members of Generation Z are very bright, they do not buy anything without a “logical” and “relevant explanation”.
“Is this the way to talk to our elders? Show some respect!”
This was the staple answer given to us for all of our “whys.” How I hate this word “respect” as I feel it has a hidden undertone of “control”. I feel like there should be “mutual respect” shared between everyone in a family regardless of their age. Being older is not a licence to tame young minds.
“Nothing can grow under shade.”
How much is too much?
Being a parent is so challenging in today’s age. All of these new-age theories like “let them be” and “let them learn from their mistakes” leave me so confused. Actually speaking, our mind knows they are right but at heart, we are “control freak”, “Indian parents” (I am at least.) So how to create a balance? I follow a simple formula. Let them soar as high as they want, make their own decisions and make choices, but keep the remote control with you. Sounds politically incorrect and “old school” right!? Before you judge me just figure this: The buttons of the remote control are not “force” and “over-protection.” They are “trust,” “empowerment,” self-belief and “confidence in your child’s head that whatever happens their parents are there to support them.” Hence proved, mom is always right!!!
Student Voice
Managing our mental health in these tough times
- Sarah Samad, student of Grade 11
It is not unknown that mental health is an extremely important topic. Especially in the recent times of COVID-19, where everybody’s mental health is more vulnerable, it is important that we raise awareness about this issue.
We are now stuck at home, with pretty much no travel except for work, and the occasional outing. Although it might not seem like it, this can take a major toll on our mental wellbeing. With students having to do online school, it can seem like a huge task to catch up with work and stay on par with the syllabus and the rest of the class, as this is a medium we are not used to. I personally am struggling with managing online school, but am sure that it will get better eventually. But it is important to note that all students are different, and might not look at the situation in the same way. Teenagers have been struggling with mental health a lot recently anyways, and with the added pressure of online learning, it just becomes worse. A lot of students might not understand that it can and will get better, and this can effect our outlook and health negatively.
There are various ways that we can help with this, as a student itself, and as the parent. As a student myself, I think it is very important to employ many time management strategies and other planning methods to finish work and not make it a burden. For students entering different milestones like me, moving into 11th grade, it is very hard to get used to the new style of learning. But with the support of our peers, teachers and parents, I am sure it will get better.
Additionally, as parents, support is enough. Just letting their kids – know that it is okay to struggle with this new mode of learning initially – is more than enough. There is a lot of stress on them already, and adding additional stress wont help much, so giving them support would help a lot. Take care of yourselves and those around you, and remember that it’s okay to take a break and rest.
To learn more about mental health and related topics, visit griseo.in
Showcase
Kiran Bir Sethi, Col Sathya Rao, Saraswathi Padmanabhan, Shailaja Rao, Mubeen Masudi, Divanshu Kumar, Pratibha Narayanan… what do these names have in common? A vision for education. Each of them are thought leaders in this space and tell a story of how they are continuously toiling to make their vision a reality.
I have started a series of podcasts : In conversation with Nivedita with educators of today. Those who are breaking boundaries and setting a new paradigm in education. These are short, 20 – 25 minutes of insightful conversations that give a peek into their journeys from vision to action.
These video podcasts are available on my YouTube channel. Here is the link.
https://youtube.com/user/NiveditaMukerjee
Please subscribe and share with fellow educators and edupreneurs. Suggest to me names of such leaders who ought to be featured in this series.
And Finally…
Go ahead, start making these pretty paper diyas with your family and enjoy the festival season with Ms. Sonal.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe and enjoy your learning journey with me. Most of you would have been too busy to track trends in education, ponder on most relevant thoughts or deliberate on career choice, parenting or pedagogy. Find it all here. This week, it consists of: 3 images, 2 thoughts and 1 video.
For whom? Students, educators and parents
When? Every Tuesday
Where? my blog post, register with your e-mail id, it is free.
If you want to contribute an article, are organising an event, have a product that you think can be reviewed and/or featured in this news letter, please feel free to write to me at : niveditamukerjee10@gmail.com
Please like, subscribe, share, comment. See you next week.
This newsletter is supported by:
3-2-1 TUESDAYS WITH MS NIV
Issue #15 / October 20, 2020
Disconnected learning is not just difficult, it is fragile. Thus the case for conceptual learning. Right? Does it help us understand life in the 21st century? Does song, dance, art, poetry help? Does it make sense if the 12 year old composes a Rap while learning layers of atmosphere? When does play stop and creative thinking begin? Get some answers and find more questions for yourself, in this week’s newsletter. Do some thinking with your hands while you make rockets, as you reach the And Finally… section.
Do share and subscribe.
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Three Images For The Week
For educator, parent and student. The Holy Trinity of Education.
Two Thoughts For The Week
‘You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing and dance, and write poems and suffer and understand, for all that is life.’ Jiddu Krishnamurti
‘I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.’ Albert Einstein
One Video For The Week
At the Serious Play conference, designer Tim Brown of the ‘Innovation and Design’ firm IDEO, talks about the powerful relationship between creative thinking and play — with many examples you can try at home (and one that maybe you shouldn’t).
Guest Column
Vishnuteerth Agnihotri, Chief Learner at GenWise TalentDev Pvt Ltd.
Cooks Vs Chefs: A Case for Conceptual Understanding
Can we see an object in a completely dark room after some time? Where does the mass of a large tree weighing several tonnes come from…given that it started off as a seed that weighed just a few grams? Such questions can puzzle even the best among us. This is because developing conceptual understanding requires ‘connecting the dots’ between different things we learn, that are seemingly unrelated.
While the ‘exam economy’ places little value on conceptual understanding, for someone looking at long-term learning, it is clear that factual knowledge and procedural skills must be accompanied with conceptual understanding. Conceptual understanding is important, even if it takes more time initially, because-
- Disconnected learning makes things more difficult than they need to be. e.g. a child not seeing the connection between ratios, percentages, fractions and decimals may resort to arbitrary procedures
- Learning is fragile when disconnected. Without an understanding of foundational concepts, further learning is built on a weak edifice. Unlearning wrong ideas later can be quite painful.
- Aiming for conceptual understanding, requires active engagement with connecting different ideas and builds the capability to ‘think from first principles’.
There is a striking example of the value of conceptual learning from a researcher, Liping Ma, who studied the different methods in teaching subtraction employed by US teachers vis-a-vis Chinese teachers. Take the sum
52 -19
In the US, students are expected to ‘borrow’ 1 from 5, subtract 9 from 12 to get 3 in the units place, subtract 1 from 4 to get 3 in the tens place to arrive at the answer of 33. In contrast in China, students would perform the same subtraction by ‘regrouping’ the numbers in question. Thus a student may perform the subtraction by doing (40 + 12)- (10 + 9)= (40-10) + (12-9)= 30 + 3= 33.
Liping Ma found that Chinese students significantly outperformed American students on such questions on international tests like TIMSS. Her research shows that lacking an understanding of the procedure they were employing, American students tended to slip up; some students even felt anxious about the procedure because of ‘borrowing 1 from 5 and not returning it’.
Elon Musk has spoken about the importance of thinking from first principles, which is closely related to conceptual understanding in my opinion. He explains how thinking from first principles is needed to innovate and uses the analogy of a chef vs a cook to make his point.
“The chef is a trailblazer, the person who invents recipes. He knows the raw ingredients and how to combine them. The cook, who reasons by analogy, uses a recipe. He creates something, perhaps with slight variations, that’s already been created. If the cook lost the recipe, he’d not know how to cook the dish. The chef, on the other hand, understands the flavor profiles and combinations at such a fundamental level that he doesn’t even use a recipe. He has real knowledge as opposed to know-how.”
To sum up, there’s nothing wrong with being a ‘cook’; in fact we all need to be ‘cooks’ in many areas of life, following certain recipes. But there may be areas in life where we want to be chefs…. we want to be trailblazers, and for that we need to work towards conceptual understanding and developing the capability to think from first principles.
If this post has piqued your interest, you could take the Science & Math ‘Concepts Quiz’ at https://bit.ly/ConceptQuiz (for kids) or https://bit.ly/ConcepTest (for grownups). You can also contact the author of this post at vishnu@genwise.in and read a longer version of this post at https://bit.ly/GWconceptual .
Parent Speak
Geetha Upadyayula is a passionate freelance writer who believes that life is the biggest teacher. She has two beautiful daughters who inspire her every day.
https://www.juggernaut.in/search?q=geetha%20upadyayula
I vividly remember my earnest effort to establish transparency with my nine-month-old firstborn. I would always keep her informed about what errands I was running and when I would be back. I firmly believed I was setting a tradition of dialogue between us, one that we would keep alive forever.
The unjust ask of having only picture-perfect conversations with our children could be the cause of disappointment and anxiety among both parties. It is the difficult and messy arguments that have defined my relationships with both my daughters. The fact that we aren’t scared of having them is the key to an honest road ahead. Innumerable heated discussions, hours of chatting and catching up, and incessant laughter over silliness have resulted in building trust.
We have made it a point to constantly work around the house, and have found our shared joy in cooking with the kitchen being the fulcrum of our home. Outsourcing these jobs, though seemingly economical, can prove very costly in the future. We’ve learnt and advocated the dignity of labor, self-dependence, awareness, mutual respect, and the joy of resourcefulness. Seeing our children as little people who can be taught to be responsible, kind, and considerate can set very different prospects.
In today’s world of instant gratification, another significant tool I’ve found is the art of saying no. The dwindling number of practitioners of this art is directly proportional to the guilt-ridden minds of parents. I believe children need parents to be parents and not just friends. Knowing when to step in and step back has helped me immensely in striking the right balance between being completely permissive and overly strict.
I had read somewhere, many years ago, that our children come through us but not from us. They are with us but they do not belong to us. We don’t own them. More than twenty years and two children later I truly appreciate the essence of those lines. I have learnt that the only way to gain respect is to show respect for your children and treat them as you would want to be treated.
Student Voice
Here’s what you get when you have fun when you learn. Rap along with these two Grade 7s, Ridhi Jain and Jinal Manihar – atmospheric eh? Enjoy.
Clouds are the roof,
Air is the breath,
If Troposphere wouldn’t be there,
We would all be dead.
The clouds are clear,
In stratosphere,
Less turbulence, the more jets fly,
Here the famous ozone lies
will we need woolens the higher we go!!
Oh no-no-no.
Then comes the naughty layer,
Which is called the mesosphere,
It extends upward to a height,
Most meteors burn-in might,
Darkness all over,
It gets colder.
Now it’s the ion layer,
Which is called the thermosphere,
Many satellites orbit the sphere,
And the auroras occur here.
Then extends the exosphere,
Up in the air.
- By Jinal Manihar
Atmosphere Atmosphere Atmosphere
Today we are gonna talk about atmosphere
The first layer is the troposphere
It has life giving AIR here
With rain bearing clouds everywhere.
Atmosphere Atmosphere Atmosphere
2nd layer is the stratosphere
It has the hot air balloon in the sky, airplanes flying by
Atmosphere Atmosphere Atmosphere
3rd layer is the mesosphere
It has the shooting stars looks like a beautiful dream that we are waiting for hours
Atmosphere Atmosphere Atmosphere
4rth layer is the thermosphere
It has the aurora having
Amazing light from its reflection
Atmosphere Atmosphere Atmosphere
The last layer is the exosphere
The last layer is the exosphere
Having the spacecraft and the satellite in the sky
So that we can watch cricket matches live.
Atmosphere Atmosphere Atmosphere
Life giving, life saving feature!
- By Ridhi Jain
Showcase
Kiran Bir Sethi, Col Sathya Rao, Saraswathi Padmanabhan, Shailaja Rao, Mubeen Masudi, Divanshu Kumar, Pratibha Narayanan… what do these names have in common? A vision for education. Each of them are thought leaders in this space and tell a story of how they are continuously toiling to make their vision a reality.
I have started a series of podcast : In conversation with Nivedita with educators of today. Those who are breaking boundaries and setting a new paradigm in education. These are short, 20 – 25 minutes of insightful conversations that give a peek into their journeys from vision to action.
These video podcasts are available on my YouTube channel. Here is the link.
https://youtube.com/user/NiveditaMukerjee
Please subscribe and share with fellow educators and edupreneurs. Suggest to me as well names of such leaders who ought to be featured in this series.
And Finally…
Rocket that flies without noise and fire! check out this fun activity with Ms. Sonal.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe and enjoy your learning journey with me. Most of you would have been too busy to track trends in education, ponder on most relevant thoughts or deliberate on career choice, parenting or pedagogy. Find it all here. This week, it consists of: 3 images, 2 thoughts and 1 video.
For whom? Students, educators and parents
When? Every Tuesday
Where? my blog post, register with your e-mail id, it is free.
If you want to contribute an article, are organising an event, have a product that you think can be reviewed and/or featured in this news letter, please feel free to write to me at : niveditamukerjee10@gmail.com
Please like, subscribe, share, comment. See you next week.
This newsletter is supported by:
3-2-1 TUESDAYS WITH MS NIV
Issue #14 / October 13, 2020
Easy choices are, well – easy to make. One alternate trumps the others in more than one ways. In a hard choice one alternate is better in one way, another one is better in some other way. Neither is better than the other over all. What do you do? Flip a coin? Go for the safer option? In this issue, find some infographics that will help clear the muddy waters around hard decisions. Listen to Ruth Chang in the video of the week in her life altering talk on How To Make Hard Choices. Don’t miss playing with Bangles this festival season with your family, check out the And Finally.. section with Ms Sonal.
Subscribe, share, comment. Feel free to follow me on social media where I post education related content.
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Three Images For The Week
For educator, parent and student. The Holy Trinity of Education.
Two Thoughts For The Week
“You can’t make decisions based on fear and the possibility of what might happen.”
― Michelle Obama
“It is often said that a wrong decision taken at the right time is better than a right decision taken at the wrong time.”
― Pearl Zhu, Decision Master: The Art and Science of Decision Making
One Video For The Week
The world of value is different from the world of science. That is the stuff of hard decisions we face as humans. In both small and big tasks. Here’s a talk that could literally change your life. Which career should I pursue? Should I break up — or get married?! Where should I live? Big decisions like these can be agonizingly difficult. But that’s because we think about them the wrong way, says philosopher Ruth Chang. She offers a powerful new framework for shaping who we truly are.
Guest Column
Pavitra Umashankar, Teach For India Fellow.
Corona Diaries
I started this year with a lot of enthusiasm, a new zeal. I knew this year is going to be different. I had in August 2019 taken part in the assessments “Teach for India” conducted. I was impressed by their professionalism, to select teachers for government and low income private schools, a profession that is thought of not so highly in our society. I was supposed to start my stint in “Teach for India” with a one month long training in May in Pune. I had many years of corporate experience but this was going to be different. I was already dreaming about “back to college days” fun, staying in FLAME hostel with lot of fresh graduates and feel as one myself. I was getting set to be away from home for a month and have a lot of Vada paavs in the streets of Pune.
I was thinking of booking flight tickets and news of Corona Virus in China spreading trickled in slowly. The news of COVID in China did not make much of an impact considering we do not watch TV at home. Newspapers did not color as scary a picture as television and other media would do. On the day of March 20th, PM Modi announced banning of all international flights. The PM then came on national news channels and announced a complete lockdown from March 25th 2020. I stocked up few groceries and essentials that would last for a month. It was a time to bond with family and spend some quality time at home. It was time to try out all new recipes. It was also a time to efficiently divide and finish all the chores at home with good planning since the maids would not enter the community. Least did I know a different story unraveled in many many lives across the country.
Today after 6 months of the complete lockdown, with Vada Paavs of Pune still a far dream, with the online training that was imparted to us, I sit in my room, teach 20 plus kids on zoom every day and a different story unfolds every single day. My students’ parents belong to the informal sector as we call it, but they are the engine which runs the economy. My students’ parents are auto drivers, cab drivers, factory workers, garment industry workers, small business owners and BMTC workers. I now realize firsthand what lockdown is for them. Some of them have one basic smart phone at home, that affordability was there till last year. Today they have to manage to educate their kids with that one smart phone at home. They are struggling to pay the admission and tuition fee of 5000/- to school couple of months after online teaching has started.
My students have charmed me. I am particularly impressed with one girl in my class. Gunashree has very good RC, writing and Math ability as per her performance report last year. Her mother is a single parent trying to make ends meet. She works in a small hotel washing vessels, but dreams big for her child. Gunashree is 9 years old who gets up in the morning cooks for her brother and herself while her mom goes to work. She is the first one to login to online class at 9:30 A.M every day through a phone, a phone which I could give Gunashree because of the funding from a good Samaritan. Gunashree is so full of life, her beaming, confident voice on zoom answering all the questions and Math challenges that her Ma’am throws at her.
I prepare colorful ppt’s for my students, call up parents almost every day and entice them towards online learning with an intention to increase attendance only to realize that when my student strength in zoom is more than 10, my students on their phone interspersed with poor connectivity, constantly get disconnected, some of them are barely able to hear me. I then realized that being a elementary school teacher is 80% drama and 20% teaching and that is what keeps me going today. Dramatizing the teaching and learning
If not anything I have learnt a lot in this lockdown. I have learnt important life lessons. “Teach for India” in their one month training taught us “how to teach/ the pedagogy/dealing with any situation with a lot of empathy”, but the kids teach you a lot more on a daily basis. They have accepted their new teacher and given her a lot of love without meeting her face to face even once. They are malleable, they are the sponge which sees you and absorbs. There seems to be no end in sight for the pandemic but seeing the joyful faces of my students everyday morning have taught me that it does not take a lot to be happy
In awe of the ever adaptive world
Parent Speak
Student Voice
Akshitha Upadyayula, Student of Grade 12
“If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.” – Einstein
At first glance, this seems quite counter-intuitive since we have been taught that knowing the right answer is extremely important. However, Einstein seemed to believe that our ability to correctly identify the problem is directly proportional to the quality of the answer.
To understand a problem better you must be open to the possibility that there is more than one solution and actively question it. Challenge your previous values, assumptions and principles in an attempt to rethink and reinvent yourself.
Asking questions stimulates critical thinking – where the aim is not to make you afraid of having the wrong answer, but for you to closely examine and clearly articulate your beliefs. This is termed “productive discomfort”.
As students, we must understand that questioning is both the art of learning and the best evidence of understanding. Pursuing fearless thought, dedicated action and forgiveness for ourselves is something we cannot be taught but can discover through the process of questioning.
The beauty of this process lies in the idea that we don’t have to feel the burden of having all the correct answers. We have the freedom to come up with questions that lead to the heart of the problem. We will be able to stand by our values knowing that we have delved into ‘why’ we see the world the way we do.
These skills are vital to our growth and the way we approach the world. So I invite you to ponder over the thought that the “quest is for the question, not the answer” and see what you make of it.
Showcase
Saraswathi Padmanabhan, founder Diya Ghar.
Diya Ghar is an NGO for children of migrant labourers. We run Montessori Preschools and Day Care Centres in Bangalore. Our focus is nutrition, education and community engagement.
When the COVID19 pandemic hit us, our migrant communities were affected very badly. Children are now in a very vulnerable state and without an intervention like ours they are at the risk of developing nutritional deficiency. Their development is also hampered due to lack of stimulation and activities. We have therefore changed our model to continue to support children and their families during this time. Our interventions include:
- Nutrition: We are providing nutritional supplements (milk, eggs, porridge mix) for all children and distributing dry ration kits for families who are in desperate need.
- Parent Empowerment: Through a curriculum of weekly video sessions we are teaching parenting skills and activities that they can do with their children. We follow up with calls and community visits.
- Early Childhood Education: We are supporting the development of children by sharing video content. We follow up with calls and community visits.
Four year old Srinivas joined Diya Ghar in the beginning of February 2020. His family is from Bellary. They came to Bangalore about 5 years ago and they work as construction labourers. Srinivas was very malnourished and initially didn’t like to drink the porridge in school. He was also a shy boy who took a couple of weeks to join the group activities. What he loved doing was sitting by himself in the reading corner and going through story books. When we introduced activities using beads and cloth pins, we noticed that his fingers were very stiff. We were happy to see improvement over the month. He also started drinking porridge!
And then preschools were closed on March 10th 2020! We wondered how Srinivas was doing. We then started giving his family and the community dry ration kits and also nutritional supplements for the children (milk, eggs, porridge mix). We were surprised to hear that Srinivas enjoyed drinking the porridge. We then started sending his parents videos of activities to do. His mother understood the importance of Srinivas doing activities to strengthen his muscles. We were delighted when they sent us a picture of him doing an activity with clothes pins! His mother tells us that he loves to listen to videos on spoken English and is repeating a few words. We are glad that even during this pandemic, Srinivas can continue to get nutritious food, do activities to aid his growth and continue to learn!
www.diyaghar.org, contact@diyaghar.org, +91 63607 09332
_______________________________________________________________________________
And Finally..
Ms Sonal shares how you can learn and play with Bangles this Navratri in this fun video. Enjoy.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe and enjoy your learning journey with me. Most of you would have been too busy to track trends in education, ponder on most relevant thoughts or deliberate on career choice, parenting or pedagogy. Find it all here. This week, it consists of: 3 images, 2 thoughts and 1 video.
For whom? Students, educators and parents
When? Every Tuesday
Where? my blog post, register with your e-mail id, it is free.
If you want to contribute an article, are organising an event, have a product that you think can be reviewed and/or featured in this news letter, please feel free to write to me at : niveditamukerjee10@gmail.com
Please like, subscribe, share, comment. See you next week.
This newsletter is supported by:
3-2-1 TUESDAYS WITH MS NIV
Issue #13 / October 6, 2020
Have you been playing enough? Or for that matter at all lately? Was it outdoors or indoors? Was it a board game or a card game? Was it a virtual game? Was it for learning and education? Did you play with “Smart Materials”? When you play it is for fun. It’s creative. It prepares you to fail and try again. It lets you find new ways of approaching problems. Play is important. Play is necessary. For life and longevity. For having a say in your future. In this week’s issue I share an interesting collection of readings for you – whether you are a student, parent, or educator. Don’t miss the math “carry forward” DIY educational aid in the And Finally section.
Subscribe, share, comment. Feel free to follow me on social media where I post education related content.
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Three Images For The Week
For educator, parent and student. The Holy Trinity of Education.
Two Thoughts For The Week
“Life is more fun if you play games.”
― My Uncle Oswald
“We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing!”
―
One Video For The Week
Caterina Mota is a social scientist and a maker. She plays with “smart materials”. Ink that conducts electricity; a window that turns from clear to opaque at the flip of a switch; a jelly that makes music. All these things exist, and Catarina Mota says: It’s time to play with it. Enjoy this talk as she takes you on a tour of surprising and cool new materials, and suggests that the way we’ll figure out what they’re good for is to experiment, tinker and have fun with.
Guest Column
John Mason, Urban Planner, Carter Jonas U.K.
Principles for Play Spaces
Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children have the right to engage in play and recreation. “Play” is what children and young people do when they follow their own ideas and interests, in their own ways and for their own reasons – in other words, what they do when they aren’t being told what to do by adults!
Play areas are a vital component of our urban spaces. They can provide safe and stimulating outdoor environments that can encourage physical and imaginative activity, and develop social skills (and citizenship) through encouraging interaction with other children from a range of backgrounds.
Organised playgrounds first appeared in cities in the late 1800s, driven by reformers who wanted to protect children from the dangers of street play and mould them into healthy, active citizens. Playgrounds today come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, with designs guided by psychologists, educators and architects.
Following a century of playground design and research, the following elements are critical considerations in making successful play spaces.
- Flexibility: play spaces should provide opportunity for solitary and group activity, and parts which can be constantly adapted and reimagined by their users. This could be as simple as piles of leaves and sticks, or physical equipment without prescriptive uses such as climbing frames. Children should be able to create and adapt their own environments.
- Variety: play spaces should comprise a variety of spaces, levels, planting, textures, and colours. This encourages imagination and creativity, and will provide opportunities for a wide variety of children.
- Accessibility: play spaces should be accessible both in terms of proximity to their intended users, and in offering opportunities to children of differing abilities and ages to encourage social interaction and mixing.
And which factors are not as important?
- Cost: whilst a standard “kit” of equipment such as swings and slides can be cheap to install, maintain and replicate, they offer little in the way of imaginative or creative play, and children can grow quickly bored of them.
- Safety: playgrounds focused on safety can be known as “KFC” playgrounds, standing for Kit, Fence and Carpet. Whilst designers and parents can be worried about the scope for children to get hurt (and the potential for litigation), risk-taking is a vital component of child development, encouraging goal setting, confidence and self-esteem. If environments are too “safe” then children, particularly older ones, rapidly lose interest.
- Aesthetics: this is often of more interest to designers and parents than the children. Junkyard playgrounds comprising old bricks and bits of wood may look “untidy” to adults, but can be highly stimulating, creative and educational environments for children.
More than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. With increasing numbers of children growing up in cities, their ability to play and spend time outdoors is diminishing. And whilst adults are often worried (understandably) about letting their children out unsupervised, an increasing number of children are suffering from inactivity and obesity. In India it is predicted that 17million children will be obese by 2025[1]. With our cities becoming ever denser and crowded, it has never been more important that educators, parents, designers and municipal governments work together to ensure that children have equitable access to good quality play space.
[1] Krishnaswarmy Sashindran, V and P Dudeja, Obesity in School Children in India https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/obesity-in-school-children-in-india
Parent Speak
Sudeepta Banerjee, Mother of Shenaya Bhattacharjee 12 & Shereen Bhattacharjee 9 and an entrepreneur.
Trust me, just like many moms around the world I have lost my patience several times on my girls because of repetitive questions about when they can start doing everything like before? Then that one statement that most parents including me are really scared of these days, and our kids use it abundantly ‘I am Bored’. One such day after gaining my calm back & while feeling terribly guilty, I dived deep into this problem of kids being bored all the time, means I don’t remember being bored at their age (12 & 9). That’s when I realized that I used to explore as a child. My parents did not have enough resources or time to keep spending on me and plan every hour of my day and that actually helped. I explored, failed multiple times & then achieved success and was so busy in this process that I never felt bored.
This was a great realization for me and now it has been three months of us allowing them to decide what they want to do and how they want to do it. We just hang around to guide them when they need. This has ensured the disappearance of the word ‘bored’ from my house. They are super curious and forever exploring and hence, extremely happy and energized.
Student Voice
Prateek Doshi, student of Grade 
9
Virtual Gaming : Blessing or Curse
Everything has pros and cons. According to me, I think that different kinds of virtual games are made for different kinds of people according to their needs and sensitivity.
Virtual gaming has a lot of advantages like we get to experience new things, it is entertaining and even improves our decision making and cognitive skills.
It can also be harmful to us due to the violence or the different kinds of content which some can’t tolerate. Sometimes, it may also lead to cybercrime or excess of addiction which can result in depression and/or anxiety. It may cause a kid to purchase any virtual item for real money which could cause some harm to the financial stability of a family. But this is not much prevalent in India.
So, to conclude, there should be limits/disclaimer every time the game is opened/started for different age groups and people. Parents should also keep a check on their children and how they are socialising/playing their games. They should also set flexible time limits for the games and the time limits should be according to the child.
Showcase
PlayKnow (https://playknow.in/) is a digital intervention in education and the goal is to build a simple technology platform to enable teachers with technological tools and make learning engaging and interesting. That is why we named it: Play Know.
The journey of PlayKnow started in 2013 with a single App called Mixup
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.playknow.mixup.ui
Now we have many apps and an integrated platform supporting learning with Videos and activities.We have used PlayKnow Apps in One billion literates foundation, Building Blocks and a school for Tribal in Karumandurai. The teachers can create contextual content and create activities for their lessons like MCQ, Fill in the blanks, Match the following.Today’s digital native students are thrilled and enthusiastic to use digital mediums, PlayKnow apps leverage this to make learning interesting.
Since these digital apps are non-judgmental and satisfies the curiosity of the digital natives, the students have no inhibition to experiment and try multiple times, which is fundamental to learning.The PlayKnow apps have rich UI and are self-paced so each student learns at his own pace. The App gives applause and credits and motivates the students.
Like Microsoft’s new catch phrase ‘Invent with Purpose’, from the initial design we were conscious to make sure the Apps work offline to seamlessly work where there is no Internet and use technology to solve a problem. With lot of advancement in technology like Chatbots, AI etc.., we believe there is lot more exciting ahead in this journey.
Mahadevan is a Software professional and a consultant for various organisations. He is a technology volunteer for onebillionliterates.org besides other nonprofits.
And Finally
Here’s a “carry forward” resource for early year numeracy with Sonal Chawda. A DIY video that is Fun and Easy-Peasy 🙂
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe and enjoy your learning journey with me. Most of you would have been too busy to track trends in education, ponder on most relevant thoughts or deliberate on career choice, parenting or pedagogy. Find it all here. This week, it consists of: 3 images, 2 thoughts and 1 video.
For whom? Students, educators and parents
When? Every Tuesday
Where? my blog post, register with your e-mail id, it is free.
If you want to contribute an article, are organising an event, have a product that you think can be reviewed and/or featured in this news letter, please feel free to write to me at : niveditamukerjee10@gmail.com
Please like, subscribe, share, comment. See you next week.
3-2-1 TUESDAYS WITH MS NIV
Issue #12 / September 29, 2020
Have you ever tried reading simultaneously two books on the same idea or two contemporary writers or two philosophers or two leaders involved in the same events? Like reading Jesus and Buddha simultaneously? Comparative reading works for academics and research. It works great in daily life too says Lisa Bu in this entertaining talk in the video of this week. Try it out for yourself, your child, your students. Do check out tips on reading books for your kid and how you can teach yourself narrative writing. After all your own stories are the most interesting ones for yourself and those around you. Meet Sumi, author of children’s’ books, and what she has to say about noodlehead stories – an all-time favorite genre for the young and not so young. Don’t miss the story written by a 4th grader in the student voice and a poem in the And Finally section. Enjoy reading.
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Three Images For The Week
For educator, parent and student. The Holy Trinity of Education.
Two Thoughts For The Week
“Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.”
―
“I have claimed that Escape is one of the main functions of fairy-stories, and since I do not disapprove of them, it is plain that I do not accept the tone of scorn or pity with which ‘Escape’ is now so often used. Why should a man be scorned if, finding himself in prison, he tries to get out and go home? Or if he cannot do so, he thinks and talks about other topics than jailers and prison-walls?”
―
One Video For The Week
What happens when a dream you’ve held since childhood … doesn’t come true? As Lisa Bu adjusted to a new life in the United States, she turned to books to expand her mind and create a new path for herself. She shares her unique approach to reading in this lovely, personal talk about the magic of books.
Guest Column
Sumi Chandrashekharan, educator and author of childrens’ books.
Albert Einstein said, “If you want children to be intelligent tell them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent tell them even more fairy tales.” Fiction describes imaginary places, relationships and even entire worlds. When we read we feel the emotions of the characters and imagine the worlds that they inhabit. So, there is no doubt that reading develops empathy and strengthens imagination and nurtures intelligence.
Where would society be without empaths who care and visionaries who see? Every manmade wonder started in somebody’s imagination or by someone visualising a solution to a problem where others could not. Fortunately we have a variety of fiction available to stimulate our children’s brains – one such is the “Noodlehead” genre.
Humour comes from a place of playfulness and as children are playful by nature they are drawn to humorous stories. Humour also teaches, as books that employ humour represent a reality that is a mix of laughter and tears, light-heartedness and despair, highs and lows. Understanding humour pushes children to read between the lines and look at things differently.
Noodlehead stories which are humorous stories with a fable-like quality abound in world folklore for these reasons. A noodlehead is a well-intentioned but foolish person to whom we can relate with. We have all stepped out wearing something ‘wrong,’ or discovered a misplaced item in an odd place (I have found my glasses in the freezer!). The consequences of such lapses remind us not to take ourselves too seriously, letting us (and others) laugh at ourselves. Noodlehead tales tend to be far-fetched – magnifying the particular flaw in the noodlehead’s thinking to push the readers’ imagination beyond the ridiculous. In many stories, the noodlehead follows instructions too literally and misses what is glaringly obvious because of it.
In keeping with the saying ‘Fortune favours fools’, noodlehead stories usually end well. The extremes of plot make the contrasting positive ending a huge relief as the character is a well-meaning soul and someone we all relate to – usually, ourselves.
The embedded message could also well be that life isn’t always fair and in the case of the noodlehead we don’t mind because even the most foolish can achieve good if they follow the wisdom of others and take a wholehearted shot at life, despite their flaws.
Noodlehead stories work despite featuring adult protagonists. The naivete and childlike qualities of the characters make children easily relate to them and their blunders funnier. The young reader is also able to travel a wider landscape piggybacking the foolish adult.
The story told in Kozhukatta is one adapted from the version my grandmother narrated and one of the many tales about princes and princesses that I remembered. Other Noodlehead examples: Amelia Badelia, some Jataka, Birbal, Tenali Raman tales.
P. S. Reading demands more engagement than watching films. When the brain pays more attention it retains more and it would be a mistake to think that books can be replaced by film if we want to raise empathetic, imaginative and intelligent humans.
Parent Speak
Mommy of 3. Sahada Rahiman www.instagram.com/mumsytales
A question my eldest daughter keeps asking me:
When will we go back to school mama!? She is a child who always looked forward to going to school every day. I would always wonder at the eagerness on her face to go to school, to meet her friends and to learn something new each day. She was always enthusiastic about going to school.
And now, that excitement has gone. The pandemic took the entire world by surprise. In the beginning, it all seemed good that the kids were safe and secure within their homes and weren’t exposed to the dangers outside. Online education commenced and we felt all was going well. There also came a time, where online learning was discouraged and children aimlessly sat at home having no productive work or learning.
I run my own page on Instagram where I share my parenting journey with my children. We share creative play, good reads, crafting, activities, food recipes for mommies. I try my best to keep my kids indulged and engaged in all sorts of learning activities at home but now I feel what they are missing is the social touch.
I feel going to school is such a necessity for children in their growing years. They aren’t meant to be cooped up within their home walls but they need to be exploring the outdoors with children their own age enjoying their youth and learning along the way. Social interaction with children of their own age is a must. Group learning is excellent for children to practise leadership skills, build healthy relationships in the classroom, interact with each other and to observe how their peers solve problems.
However, parents too are citing a lot of difficulties with online education:
- Establishing a daily routine for kids isn’t a norm anymore.
- Balancing out household chores and responsibilities and teaching kids has become a challenge most parents are facing nowadays.
- Regulating a wakeup and bedtime schedule has gone for a toss.
- Keeping children interested and focused on their schoolwork has become quite a task.
I really wish the situation would normalise soon, where we won’t take education for granted anymore and cherish and value the facilities provided to us. Stay safe.
Student Voice
Nabeeha Rao, Student of grade 4
MR.TIDY TRILLIONS – THE MAN WITH A GOLDEN BROOM STICK
Once upon a time there lived a very rich man called Mr Tidy Trillions. The people called him Mr Tidy Trillions because he always carried a broom stick in his hands and it was made out of gold! Now you might be thinking the same as I do, that why would he carry a broom stick and that too made out of gold? I’ll tell you why – he was always so clean and rich he could make a pool to dive in diamonds. There was not a spot dirty on his things; he would always wear the finest clothes made out of silk and leather. First he would always clean the road on which he had to go through with the golden broom stick and then walk on it. One day when Mr Tidy Trillion got up, he saw that his golden broomstick was gone! As he saw that he was shocked and quickly called the police. The police came running and asked him that what the emergency was, he said that his golden broom stick was gone! The police then ran out of the room and searched everywhere in the house but they could not find anything. Then it was said that whoever found the missing golden broom stick would get 30 billion dollars and it was stamped onto every magazine, newspaper and just everywhere, even on the TV. So, everyone in town began to search but alas, they couldn’t find a clue. The next day news came to Mr Tidy Trillions that his clever friend Mr Clever, the master of smartness (or Mr Clever in short) was coming to visit him.
When he heard the news he was delighted because Mr Clever, the master of cleverness could help him find the golden broom stick and the criminal. When Mr Clever – the master of cleverness came the first thing they talked about was the golden broom stick. The next day Mr Clever summoned some of the closest people. They all asked Mr Clever about what does he want to do with them. Mr Clever said all of you have to take these magic books to your houses and at night keep them under your pillow and if you have taken Mr Tidy Trillion’s golden broom stick, the book will write it down by itself. And remember not to open the books. The next day all of them brought the books back. Mr Clever, the master of smartness, opened everyone’s books, and then he said to Mr Tidy Trillion that one of his friends, Billy Billions had taken the golden broom stick. But Mr Tidy Trillions could not believe and asked about what evidence does he claim? Mr Clever said that I wrote – he/she has the golden broom stick in their books and no one except from Billy Billions has erased what was written inside the book. Then Mr Tidy Trillions asked Billy Billions if that’s a truth – Billy Billions said yes and hence immediately Billy Billions was sent to the dungeons, and the guards were asked to search Billy Billion’s house and bring back the golden broomstick. Finally, Mr Tidy Trillions said good bye and thanks to Mr Clever for helping him find his beloved broom stick.
And they, i.e. he along with his beloved golden broomstick, lived happily ever after!
Showcase
To make reading fun for your child, register for online literacy sessions with Meenu Gera.
And Finally
Enjoy this poem with Pooja Khare, Special Educator. The setting, the emotion, the poetry – all a treat. Enjoy.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe and enjoy your learning journey with me. Most of you would have been too busy to track trends in education, ponder on most relevant thoughts or deliberate on career choice, parenting or pedagogy. Find it all here. This week, it consists of: 3 images, 2 thoughts and 1 video.
For whom? Students, educators and parents
When? Every Tuesday
Where? my blog post, register with your e-mail id, it is free.
If you want to contribute an article, are organising an event, have a product that you think can be reviewed and/or featured in this news letter, please feel free to write to me at : niveditamukerjee10@gmail.com
Please like, subscribe, share, comment. See you next week.
3-2-1 TUESDAYS WITH MS NIV
Issue #11 / September 22, 2020
Are you being primed to influence your choice that you will make later on? If you want to teach your child/student/yourself to exercise free will and not be directed by a person or media, listen to the talk in the video of the week. Discipline is misunderstood often by the millennials. Read on to find six tips, two thoughts and an account of personal experience of an educator and a grand parent.
Please subscribe with your email id here and feel free to share, comment and contribute your thoughts and articles to the news letter.
Three Images For The Week
For educator, parent and student. The Holy Trinity of Education.
Two Thoughts For The Week
“Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.”
– Frank Herbert
“Discipline is wisdom and vice versa. ”
– M. Scott Peck
One Video For The Week
Are you in control of your choices? Magic tricks might reveal otherwise, says scientist and illusionist Alice Pailhès. Watch closely as she performs magic tricks that unveil how your brain works, how you can be subtly influenced and what that means for free will and your day-to-day life.
Did she guess your card right?
It is politicians, marketeers, store shelves …. who are influencing us. It is also the Alien of Artificial Intelligence from the various social media sites that follow us and put our minds in a bubble that is influenced in making decisions that we falsely assume is our free will.
What is our option?
Guest column
Nandini Natarajan, Educator and scholarship manager, VIDYA integrated development for youth and adults.
I was a Software Engineer, I entered the IT field with lots of excitement and worked in the sector for a few years. But somewhere deep in my heart, the quest and ambition of becoming an educator was always an impending thought. Thanks to the Almighty and to my Gurus I was able to achieve the dreams and now I am an educator in the field since 10 years and I work as a scholarship manager in VIDYA trying to bring out the best from my students and of course learning a lot.
According to me, learning and teaching always go hand in hand and I strongly believe that teaching by imparting the core values of life along with the technicalities in subjects shall make learning a lifelong enjoyable and an ever cherishing experience. As a teacher who has been teaching English over a decade, I firmly reinstate and reiterate the points of giving a strong foundation in the early years of education in a child’s life. This strong foundation of knowing the functional and semantics of the language will bring interest and liveliness in learning. Once the foundation is set, the other areas of fine tuning always happen in a smooth way. As a teacher, I consciously work out on giving my students a firm foundation of the subject and with due interest, practice and diligence, it paves the way of success to the roads of wisdom and knowledge. According to me, holistic education always comes as a package of imparting core values of discipline, attitude and empathy with education. A teacher also needs to take the role of a good friend and a parent to inculcate the values of teaching and that will always remain in the minds of children forever. I am happy and proud that I have inspired my students in some or other ways for which I owe my gratitude to my gurus, mentors, parents and well-wishers.
Learning becomes an enjoyable experience if only it is never seen as a burden but as a process of urge and inclination to knowing about the facts and vales around us. Teachers can facilitate and kindle the curiosity of learning among their students in so many ways. One of which I follow is teaching the core values of life lessons and incorporate into the subject such that the learning gets blended in a beautiful way and sustains forever. As adults we sometimes cease to learn and feel that we have completed that phase in our life. The irony is learning and teaching will keep the spirit of life burning within us even as we grow. A teacher who has constantly imbibed and inculcated these values has never failed to remain in the memories of children and they continue inspire others in the same way.
Of course the journey of learning in life has some interesting and tough challenges ahead. The confidence, resilience and learning that a child possesses during his/her early days will help his/her cross these challenges and yield the expected results. As a teacher, I strongly believe that it is the attitude that brings the best out of students and each teacher and parent should be instrumental in bringing out the desired impact that the world would like to witness.
Parent speak
Arundhati Shiggaon, an educator, a parent and a grand parent.
Discipline Diaries
Disciplining children is one of the most debated and difficult parts of being a parent or an educator.
Karan is uncontrollably loud .He is stubborn and answers rudely when spoken to at school. Myra is prone to throwing tantrums when she does not get her way . It’s an utter nightmare to take Tanya visiting. She will pick what she likes and wants to take it home. Sounds familiar ? We are talking about some common behaviour patterns that parents and educators may have to deal with at some point.
A few tantrums or arguments once in a while is acceptable . But if such behaviour becomes a daily occurrence then it is a cause for concern . Now the burning question is how to inculcate discipline in young children? Are there yardsticks for Normal Behaviour? Or does it depend on their emotional development, nurture and environmental factors? Let’s see . Sharing some gentle and positive strategies that have helped me .
Learning by example:
Show children what is acceptable and what is not . Most often we tell them the right from the wrong but forget that there are so many zones in-between these two. Model your behaviour and reactions.
Talk about consequences:
Be calm yet firm while explaining the consequences of unacceptable behaviour. Follow through when you notice that some chore is not done. Like toys strewn about. Remind and remind with love.
Set boundaries and expectations :
Let children know what the rules are and be consistent that they are followed. Be sure to explain in age appropriate language so they understand.
Listen to the heart :
Listening is an important skill. Young children may not always articulate well so be fully present for them. Hear them out and ask how they would like to deal with their problem. It’s a powerful tool to reinforce certain behavior patterns.
Validate them :
Kids need to know when they do something good or something not so nice. Point it out by saying “ I loved how you picked up the beads and organised them “ Or “How do you think Hunter felt when you spoke to him like that ?“ This will invite them to think about their behaviour .
Call a time-out:
A time out can be useful when a specific rule is broken. This discipline tool works best by gently warning children that they will get time out if they don’t stop. Explain with as little emotion―as possible, and remove them from the situation for a pre-set length of time that you think is appropriate .
Learning from mistakes , even your own:
Remember that, as a parent or as an educator you have to cut yourself some slack when you feel out of control. Just make sure your child is in a safe place and then give yourself a few minutes to relax. When you are feeling better, go back, hug each other and start over again .
I will leave you with a quote by L.R. Knost “It’s not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world. It’s our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.”
Student voice
Ramit Jaiswal, student, Grade 9
How Is the Indian Media Diverting Us from the Actual Problems.
I think we all know that the current Indian media is talking a lot about the controversy of the Murder of Sushant Singh Rajput, how Rhea Chakraborty was involved in the drugs case, how Kangana Ranaut’s office was destroyed, why does Prashant Bhushan needs justice, How PUBG MOBILE was banned & FAU-G is releasing, Etc. But we have a bigger problem in our hands. The Indian economy could be in a huge depression. The COVID 19 pandemic is rapidly increasing & not stopping in India, but the Government doesn’t care & they are not postponing the JEE & NEET exams. I think this shows the failure of Democracy & the failure of free & fair media. There is an easy solution to this, stop giving TRP to those channels who talk about one & only one topic. They are probably trying to hide the Truth. In my opinion, the one journalist that I trust the most is Sir Ravish Kumar. He is known to report actual problems & he has exposed many truths in front of the world, Indian media is the Titanic ship which is about to hit a glacier & drown, but Ravish Kumar is the captain of the Ship who is trying his best to stop it.
Showcase
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And Finally
Super easy to make and fun for the children is this magic slider – check out this video of Sonal Chawda.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe and enjoy your learning journey with me. Most of you would have been too busy to track trends in education, ponder on most relevant thoughts or deliberate on career choice, parenting or pedagogy. Find it all here. This week, it consists of: 3 images, 2 thoughts and 1 video.
For whom? Students, educators and parents
When? Every Tuesday
Where? my blog post, register with your e-mail id, it is free.
If you want to contribute an article, are organising an event, have a product that you think can be reviewed and/or featured in this news letter, please feel free to write to me at : niveditamukerjee10@gmail.com
Please like, subscribe, share, comment. See you next week.
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And
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv
Issue #10 / September 15, 2020
Did you know creative abrasion, creative agility, creative resolution are the three key processes that underpin innovation? Have you ensured your students understand the key components of collaboration? Learn from Meenu Gera, a much loved teacher-librarian, how to grow a reader in your child in 3 simple steps and tips of trust from a parent of two grown men.
Three Images For The Week
For educator, parent and student. The Holy Trinity of Education.
Two Thoughts For The Week
- “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
- “None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.” – Mother Teresa
One Video For The Week
Innovation is about collective genius. It is not about the AHA moment. It is not about a flash of inspiration! It is a type of collaborative problem solving. There is a paradox at the heart of innovation. Exhilarating and scary at the same time.
What’s the secret to unlocking the creativity hidden inside your daily work, and giving every great idea a chance? Harvard professor Linda Hill, co-author of “Collective Genius,” has studied some of the world’s most creative companies to come up with a set of tools and tactics to keep great ideas flowing — from everyone in the company, not just the designated “creatives.”
A good one to watch individually or even with your students. I loved the story of how Pixar gets around to working in teams, in a long messy process and brings us memorable characters and movies.
Great leaders, create a world where people want to belong! it is not necessary to have a pre-ordained vision and a defined path for all to walk on. Innovation takes a village. Build a village for your team 🙂
Guest column :
Making Connections
I’ve invested myself in libraries, books and professional resources for the past twenty-two years. I started my career with a traditional method of librarianship and have seen the transformation of libraries to automated libraries, focus on how to implement reading techniques, suggesting reading materials and so on. Libraries have seen vast changes from cataloguing cards to MARC records. Accession Registers to scanning barcodes, but it is still serving as a place for information. It offers us free access to a wealth of information whether its online, in print or in person.
During this great journey of librarianship, the core lesson learnt is how Reading is such a great yet simple tool for making connections with our loved ones. Reading helps us make connections. It doesn’t matter if you are reading to your own child or reading aloud to your students. You see the spark of curiosity in their eyes. Through read aloud you make a bond. Books make memorable journeys within. When readers make connections to the texts they read, they’re more likely to understand what they read and remember it. Reading helps our brains process information both visually and verbally more effectively. Reading improves every aspect of a person’s communication skill.
Though it sounds like helping kids make connections to their texts is complicated and involved, it’s not. Strong readers make connections every time they read, and they do it without batting an eye. Connecting is natural and habitual for strong readers. They connect to characters and events in texts; they connect to settings, themes, and messages in texts.
There are three main ways that readers make connections to texts:
- they make connections between the text and themselves or their own life;
- they make connections between the text and another text they’ve read;
- they make connections between the text and what they know about the world around them.
A simple book like “A Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle can teach a toddler how to say “Green weef” (Green Leaf).
In this modern time of eBooks, Kobo readers and so many more online resources – we tend to get distracted by online world. But do they make our kids connected or curious about learning? How do we bring this idea of connection, home for our kids? How do we gently urge them into making connections so that they become stronger readers? It’s Simple.
Whether they like the book or not isn’t relevant. You can initiate the connection conversation any time you’d like, any day of the week. If your child is curious about dragon flies, let them draw dragonflies, discuss facts about it. If your child is fussy about eating home made or traditional food, read books about how foods around the world are so different. Read books about where you would like to travel with your family.
Love of reading comes from within, just make a little effort by selecting the right book for your reader and with a habit of reading every night, the magic will work at the snap of a finger. Just like that. Happy Reading!
Parent speak:
Sangeeta Ghoshal, a parent, creative director, thespian and an artist
Student voice:
Kshirasagarika Mushunuri, student of higher education.
When I finished grade 10 and began plus 2, everyone’s focus seemed to be on two things- where I was going to college and what I was going to study. The ‘what’ was clear from day 1 of grade 11- Psychology. The ‘where’ was a huge question mark. When the time finally came to decide, my parents and I unanimously decided that the choice was York, in the UK. The process to getting there wasn’t easy. There were two major problems that arose- (i) making my parents believe that I was ready to live by myself; and (ii) finances.
The process of making my parents believe that I was ready to move away was perhaps the hardest of the two. Me moving out was an understandable source of anxiety for my parents — I had never lived away from them, and now I was talking about moving countries! Knowing this, I began to do small things like learning how to cook, doing more chores around the house and becoming more accountable with my schoolwork.
I wanted to show my parents that I was responsible with money, and understood the costs behind going abroad. I wanted to be able to contribute towards paying for my program abroad, and the one way for me to do that was to find a scholarship. So, I dove headfirst into research for scholarships.
The year before college was definitely challenging, but it was also extremely eye-opening. It helped me understand that, at that point, I was definitely not ready to move out. That pushed me to learn. Perhaps, that was the most important learning of all.
Showcase:
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe and enjoy your learning journey with me. Most of you would have been too busy to track trends in education, ponder on most relevant thoughts or deliberate on career choice, parenting or pedagogy. Find it all here. This week, it consists of: 3 images, 2 thoughts and 1 video.
For whom? Students, educators and parents
When? Every Tuesday
Where? my blog post, register with your e-mail id, it is free.
If you want to contribute an article, are organising an event, have a product that you think can be reviewed and/or featured in this news letter, please feel free to write to me at : niveditamukerjee10@gmail.com
Please like, subscribe, share, comment. See you next week.
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Nivedita Mukerjee 