Nivedita Mukerjee
Education consultancy for parents and schools
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv
Issue #006 / August 18, 2020
Do you know what a teenager thinks about ‘discussing depression’? Are you a teacher freaking out at the prospect of discussing taboo topics with your students? A parent concerned about internet safety for your child? A student worried about long hours of being cooped up inside without physical activity? What is your parenting mantra? What can you do to make remote teaching more effective? And finally, don’t miss the tune at the end for a jig with your family :). Enjoy reading this news letter that has something for students, parents and educators every week.
Three Images For The Week
For Educators:
For parents :
For students :
Two Thoughts For The Week
“A child free from the guilt of ownership and the burden of economic competition will grow up with the will to do what needs doing and the capacity for joy in doing it. It is useless work that darkens the heart. The delight of the nursing mother, of the scholar, of the successful hunter, of the good cook, of the skilful maker, of anyone doing needed work and doing it well, – this durable joy is perhaps the deepest source of human affection and of sociality as a whole.”—Ursula K. Le Guin, “The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia”
“Don’t limit a child to your own learning for he was born in another time.” – Rabindranath Tagore.
One Video For The Week
Taboo topics? yes. Reproduction. Sex. Gender. Religion. Race. Caste. Politics. Equity. Inclusion. Fairness. Justice. Drugs. Depression. Punishment. Consequence. Consent. Whether you are teacher or a parent, you must have faced it at sometime for sure or will face it as your child grows up to be an adult. How did you deal with it? Did you fight – shut down the conversation? Or flight – changed the topic quickly, diversion? Or froze – for some moments before just moving on to some other room or carried on with your task ignoring it completely? What would you have rather done?
Often deliberate avoidance of these taboo topics when they come into conversation speaks volumes to the students/children and they interpret it to be as taboo. Something to be embarrassed about, scared of, to be held as a secret, to go to other sources to seek answers or satisfy curiosity. Sources whose narrative you have no control over. Right? Here are some pointers from this 4th grade teacher to help you navigate these with your child/student. They have a right to think and discuss about it now for they will have to live it in the future.
Guest column
NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY 2020—THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS.
The MHRD’s New Education Policy has sent the country’s educationists into a tizzy. The new pedagogical and curricular structure of school education (5+3+3+4) is certainly a positive step towards reducing exam stress and the overt importance given to syllabus completion. However the new system endorsing the vernacular as a medium of instruction is difficult to implement. We don’t have a culturally or linguistically homogeneous population in each state to choose a common language. Text books will have to be now written in vernacular languages, which hasn’t been done even after 73 years of independence! Moreover there will be a dearth of trained qualified teachers in all subjects, who can effectively teach in vernacular.
When the MHRD is focusing on “Ten Bag Less Days” I am not sure whether they are referring to 10 days out of 200+ school working days, in an academic session, or are they referring to 10 days per month. Either ways it is too less for any child to learn a new skill or vocation. Also why not have complete bag less days? That is very much needed for both physical and emotional well-being of the students.
While the NEP talks about skill development and identifying the child’s potential by using AI, it all seems a bit ambitious when there is a dearth of schools in many parts of rural India. Instead of utilisation of unused school space as ‘Samajik Chetna’ centres, more attention can be given to providing basic infrastructure, blackboard, textbooks and trained teachers to the rural schools. Program for social awareness can be included as a continuous annual activity.
Regarding the training of teachers, the government should focus on training in new methodologies, across all boards with continuous assessment, and upgradation of knowledge which has been proposed by the introduction of NPST and ICT, in the NEP2020. What about assessment of both public and private schools which will allow parents and students to assess schools instead of the eyewash of an “inspection” that takes place? That certainly will lead to the qualitative improvement of schools.
However, other features like— flexibility of subject choices, inter-disciplinary teaching methodology, reduction of exam stress, extending RTE to 18 years, emphasis on technology as a teaching methodology are commendable. But what about those learners or teachers whose financial conditions are so dire that they cannot afford technology? That question remains unaddressed.
The efforts to create facilities for students to avail online courses of foreign universities, opening up funding opportunities, making Ph.D accessible to the highest group of learners, are certainly encouraging. The proposal of resource pooling for a cluster of schools is a great idea. The focus on making special provisions for ‘gifted students’, expanding the NIOS and standardising the sign language are also commendable.
While the NEP 2020 is certainly futuristic and ambitious – trying to foster holistic approach from the early childhood stage, it still requires more introspection. Especially when the World Bank’s report estimates that India has over 50 per cent of learning poverty we need to prioritise ideas before implementing it.
Parent speak
“I Want to be a Better Parent than my Parent”. Isn’t this natural? Wouldn’t our parents have tried to be better parents than their parents?
Being a professional career counsellor, I interact with parents, almost on a daily basis. During my discussion with them I always enquire : “What makes you a better parent than your parents?” And I hear a lot of – giving my child a variety of food, more chocolates, more pocket money and a never ending list of material things. These parents take pride in providing more material things. Of course, few of them also highlight more love, more discussions on life lessons and more mentoring. I wish to hear to more about togetherness – reading together, buying books together, playing together, cooking together, watching impactful movies together, relaxing together, cycling together, studying together, learning together, dreaming together and more.
Parenting comes with a lot of responsibility and as a blessing to see your extension. This role starts from the neonatal stage and each childhood memory has a lifelong impact on personal and professional life. To become self aware of our everyday habits, behaviours and communications with our child requires constant introspection. There may be many areas of parenting that you would like to perform better than your parents, but there would also be few areas of parenting in which your parents would have done a better job. Recollecting and reflecting on those and bringing them to practice can strengthen your bond with your child.
Is it easy? As easy as cooking food, playing cricket, coding for a new service? This is a full time job and if accepted with happiness then you are immersed in it and your child’s personality reflects your high spirits. Would you need help? Ofcourse. Talk to your elders, peers or mentors to seek guidance to ease this full time job. Is there a retirement age? Not really, because you don’t want to retire. This is like spending 14 years in ‘Banwas’ as Lord Rama and enjoying the fruits for life!
Then what is the magic that will work? Kids do what we do, and not what we say. You as a parent is the first role model in your child’s life. Though you cannot be perfect, but, you can improve everyday and grow to be a parenting mentor!
Student voice
Humorizing mental illness… Not cool!
Nowadays, I constantly come across people around me not exactly “mocking” mental illness but, using it to add a comical aspect to their current state of mind. If you are a part of Generation Z, I’m certain you have heard people say things like, “Oh my God, I’m so depressed,” “If she gives us more homework, I’m going to commit suicide or something,” or maybe “I’ve gained so much weight I wanna go anorexic.” Whenever I mention that I feel anxious about something or that certain things give me anxiety, I can always expect a slight chuckle from people. If said virtually, an “LOL.”
The problem with this is that it can invalidate the feelings of a person who actually suffers from a mental illness. Which means it can diminish the worth of the challenges someone is facing. Quoting The Times of India: Suicide isn’t fun. Lose a friend or family member and you will understand how real depression is. These jokes hurt people.
Now, I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I haven’t told my fair share of mental illness related jokes. The important thing is growing from your mistakes and knowing the impact your words have.
Showcase: (Advertisement)
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And Finally
Walk, shuffle, glide, bounce, tip toe… with your child on this song. Enjoy!
I have been a research scientist, a journalist and an educator for over 3 decades. I read and I write. With this weekly newsletter, I intend to share what I read, learn and experience as I continue to engage everyday with students, parents and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions and ed-tech organisations.
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 weekly newsletter is supported by:
And:
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv
Issue #005 / August 11, 2020
Is education only about making people literate and getting better grades? Can boredom lead to brilliant ideas? How can you read faster and retain more? Can you rate your performance as a parent? And finally, twiddle your thumbs to tell a story. No really, not kidding. Go ahead and find out all this and some more in this week’s news letter.
Three Images For The Week
For Educators:
For parents :
For students :
Two Thoughts For The Week
“Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in.”
— Leonardo da Vinci
“I realized that becoming a master of karate was not about learning 4,000 moves but about doing just a handful of moves 4,000 times.”
— Chet Holmes
One Video For The Week
“Users” is often used by technologists and drug dealers…Tech is designed to be addictive whether social media or gaming. Our attention is the product when the product is free…In current times when we are all online and on our gadgets, it is important to be mindful of the time spent and what we are using the tech for.
Do you sometimes have your most creative ideas while folding laundry, washing dishes or doing nothing in particular? It’s because when your body goes on autopilot, your brain gets busy forming new neural connections that connect ideas and solve problems.
Go ahead plan for some time to get “bored”! Turn your phones from task masters to tools.
Guest column :
Educator of the week (By invitation)
Where the dignity is without fear!
As part of their English syllabus, my eighth graders, and I, were doing the story The Umbrella Man by the master storyteller Roald Dahl. The protagonist, ‘The Umbrella Man’, is a trickster who gets the better of an overtly cautious mother. This light-hearted story goes on to show how gullible human beings can be. Another facet of human nature was uncovered by grade 10, when studying David Roth’s ‘Nine Gold Medals’. The emphasis is on cooperation, collaboration and humanity brought by 9 differently abled athletes who help a fellow athlete when he stumbles and falls. In the end, they all hold hands to reach the finishing line together, making the Special Olympics that year very special indeed! In Grade 9, we talked about James Patrick Kinney’s thought-provoking poem, ‘The Cold Within’ which brings to fore the dogmas and mindsets people have.
This poignant comment on discrimination on the basis of religion, race and color seemed to find real-life examples closer to home: that evening I get a forward from a student about a certain outlet that was being targeted for discrimination. I was taken aback because I knew the people who run the outfit. They are humble, grounded, very professional and they worked very hard to get to the place they had. I went on to the read the comments below, the forwards and I was surprised at how many people felt that was the platform to air their grievances about the outfit. Not all the comments related to the incident in question in the first place. It became clear that people just wanted to be part of the circus, without any differentiation between fact and fiction. I felt social media is like giving a gun to a monkey. It will obviously fire away without applying any thought. Its focus is not on the people it hurts, but the action it can control (pulling the trigger). Similarly, social media, our trigger, allows us to ‘fire’ (click-clack on our keyboards and type away) and send our thoughts into the world. Unfettered and unfiltered, we are ‘trigger-happy’ without so much as a thought towards the damage.
This got me thinking really long and hard. I am not a social media person at all so pardon me if I sound like a novice (which I am). Is education only about making people literate and getting better grades? In short, what one spends imbuing into oneself for 16-22 years is just a fairy tale! Are we all so gullible that a post on WhatsApp or Facebook is followed without any application of mind? While undoubtedly they are great platforms to share one’s thoughts.
A child in my school — very talented and multifaceted, put up some well thought through posts during the pandemic. To her utter shock and disbelief few kids bad mouthed her to try and pull her down. She fortunately reached out and we stepped in. We spoke to all the children to show them the pitfalls of any action. They realised that it’s one’s own insecurity that leads them to be negative. Fortunately, these young minds admitted that they were jealous, and some said they were having some fun! I could understand the former, but the latter worried me!
Instead of making them thick skinned can we sensitise ourselves and our kids or for that matter figure our own insecurities?? And realise the effect of our actions. And see how vulnerable gullible we are.
The second side to this coin is that discrimination does definitely exist. There are places and pockets where people are judged on the basis of their dress, religion, status, skin-colour and their economic background. The reality is that people on all sides of this coin take advantage of the situation whenever and however they can.
So, the message our children grasp is ‘be fake’.
At a very subconscious level, we all tend to fall for words and actions, forgetting who we really are and what we stand for. We instinctively know when we are being put down. Sadly, we allow that. Instead, can we help them understand that they should not put themselves down in their own eyes. Our youngsters should know when and how to put people in their place, without sounding rude or brusque. Most importantly, keeping their dignity. Is this difficult? Certainly not. It needs effort and the willingness to look within and to accept that we are flawed. That these flaws can be corrected. Teach them to laugh at themselves. Accept and respect themselves for who they are, respect where they come from and acknowledge their values. Change themselves as long as they do not vamoose from their true selves. Finally, our dignity is in our hands. I have a choice to walk away. (not avoid); choice to politely put my foot down, make myself presentable but not skedaddle from my likes and dislikes – be it in my dress, my body type, my values and my upbringing and most importantly struggle to fit in. We all have a choice to recourse all the wrongdoings around us – by collaborating and cooperating in a positive manner for a positive outcome.
If we can enumerate with examples from the same world we live in like – Jesse Owens and Luz Long – the duo who went beyond the racist views of Der Fuhrer to show what a true sportsperson and true companionship is? Eunice Kennedy Shriver the large-hearted lady behind the special Olympics? James Patrick who actually stood up for fairness to all fellow humans? It is doable. The innumerable heroes in our own neighbourhood are testimony to that. They do their bit, neither hankering for a name nor getting influenced by the negativity. Are these people serious and solemn? Certainly not, they have a zest and zeal for life just like everyone. They just make sensible, sensitive and compassionate choices.
I am an eternal optimist who believes that our younger denizens can be empowered to build the mental strength and character. Believe deep down that this strength comes from the values we uphold. Yes, there will be slippery paths but then one can always anchor themselves again. I am a living testimony of so many students who are out there who are walking with dignity, standing up for what they believe and for themselves. You may look down at me and put me into the folder that reads ‘a naïve optimistic educator living in her cocoon’.
To all the naysayers, the world is still a good place to be in despite the scum! Because …
Written by Shailaja Rao M & Edited by Kshira Mushunuri
Parent speak
If parenting is an art, am I a good artist then?
If parenting is a duty, am I fulfilling it to the best of my abilities? If parenting is a full time job, am I getting my dues in return? If parenting is a way of life, am I experiencing and enjoying the journey?
When I was asked to write about parenting, the first thought that lit up was, “am I the right person?”What do I know about parenting, besides being a parent? Is that qualifying enough for presenting thoughts on parenting?
What am I doing as a parent? How is my performance rated?
Am I policing her? Disciplining her ? Nudging her to wake up early every day?
Can’t she wake up on time and be ready for the day? Don’t we have to give them the space to choose her study time, as long as she’s ready for life? Should I be at the helm of things and tighten the saddle all the time? Will she not own up to the responsibilities of her life?
Just because I had her in my womb, should I always have her under my thumb? Am I not crushing or squeezing her? Just because I feed her, should I choose her platter? Just because I was the reason for bringing her to this world, should I dictate terms for her life and living? Isn’t it her life? Just because I am her first teacher, should I impose my learnings on her? Doesn’t she have all her life for learning the tricks of the trade? Just because, I am her parent, should I expect her to report every tiny detail of her life. Am I issuing a COVID times’ e pass ? Shouldn’t she have some secrets for herself? Just because, I give her shelter, should I expect her to keep it spic and span at all times. Isn’t it fine, that I give her own time to clean up her mess, as long as she does it?
And many, many more questions queued up ahead and squarely faced me. Time flies. A few more years of theirs will be spent with us. A few more for them to build their own nest. Soon, we are left with the rest of our lives to complain about things scattered all around, not adhering to time, random eating habits, no one demanding a quick bite at odd hours…
Only memories of those moments that remain with us. Isn’t there a beauty in the mess? A pleasure in the efforts that you put in? A delight in all that you go through. Just for the love of your child?
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And Finally
Do you feel a lack of resources? Twiddle your thumbs? Not kidding…here’s an innovative way of using your hand gestures to tell stories and more to your children, whether you are a preschool teacher or a mom. Enjoy this story with Sonal Chawda, an expert in preschool curriculum design and training. shows you how.
I have been a research scientist, a journalist and an educator over 3 decades. I read and I write. With this weekly newsletter, I intend to share what I read, learn and experience while I engage with students, parents and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions and ed-tech organisations.
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 have created any material, virtual or physical that you think can be reviewed and/or featured in this news letter, please feel free to write to me at : niveditamukerjee10@gmail.com
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, share, comment. See you next week.
This weekly newsletter is supported by:
And:
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv
Issue #004 / August 4, 2020
Hi! This is a weekly newsletter on education. Once a week, curated by me from amongst the videos I watch and articles that I read. Most of you would have been too busy to track trends in education or deliberate on career choice, parenting or pedagogy. Find it all here.
For whom? Students, educators and parents
When? Every Tuesday
Where? my blog post, register with your e-mail id, it is free.
I have been a research scientist, a journalist and an educator over 3 decades. I read and I write. With this weekly newsletter, I intend to share what I read, learn and experience while I engage with students, parents and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions and ed-tech organisations.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe and enjoy your learning journey with me. This week, it consists of: 3 images, 2 thoughts and 1 video.
Three Images For The Week
Two Thoughts For The Week
“Children learn what they live. Put kids in a class and they will live out their lives in an invisible cage, isolated from their chance at community; interrupt kids with bells and horns all the time and they will learn that nothing is important or worth finishing; ridicule them and they will retreat from human association; shame them and they will find a hundred ways to get even. The habits taught in large-scale organizations are deadly.”
―
“We stigmatize mistakes. And we’re now running national educational systems where mistakes are the worst thing you can make — and the result is that we are educating people out of their creative capacities.”
―
One Video For The Week
Let people with disability help you look sideways and help you solve problems, innovate, even plan better curriculum and schools of learning. “When we design for disability first, you often stumble upon solutions that are better than those when we design for the norm.” The process of ideation and iteration are fundamental to problem solving. Design thinking – an essential path to tread on way to a better world for everyone.
Very few innovations in this world have been the ones that came after succeeding the first time. Most of the greatest and most successful ones are those that failed many times before iterating into their successful forms. Did you know that text on mobiles were designed for the deaf? the OXO peeler was designed for the arthritic?
Guest column :
Educator of the week (By invitation)
Bringing In an important Stakeholder in School and Higher Education
The current pandemic has caused major disruptions in the process of learning both in school and higher education. Given the closure of educational institutions and no clarity on when they are likely to permit learners physically return to their institutions, several questions are being raised on how do we take forward the learning process. We adapted to online learning more by compulsion and necessity rather than choice and proper planning. Here too, we notice the impact of the digital divide, in terms of access and connectivity. As someone passionate about the ‘learning process’ and having had the opportunity to be a part of it from multiple perspectives, the ‘lockdown’ has allowed me to reflect on how important it is for a meaningful dialogue and inclusion of critical stakeholders who should be an integral part of this process. During the lockdown we noticed several ‘hiccups’ and ‘tensions’ involving educational institutions, facilitators, learners and their parents. Each of these groups were responding to the ‘experiments in learning’ during the pandemic in their own ways and from their ‘unique lens’. In many ways, each was justified in the stand they took and the approach they adopted.
As one moves forward, it is vital that the role of ‘parents as responsible stakeholders’ who can also be ‘held to account’ is critically recognized. A caveat at this stage. For too long as part of the pandemic have we been using the word ‘social distancing’. As a student of the social sciences, I find this word a little uncomfortable. The lockdown and its consequences do not require ‘social distancing’ but greater ‘social and emotional bonding’. What the lockdown needs us to practice is ‘physical distancing’ as different from ‘social distancing’! So, in these days of ‘physical distancing’ when learners would not be permitted to go back to their schools/colleges, the active involvement of parents as ‘responsible and accountable partners’ in the learning process becomes even more vital. Not for a moment, am I underscoring the role of other stakeholders – managements, facilitators and learners. I am only placing the lens on parents!
When I amplify on the role of parents, I am myself getting into those shoes (I too am a parent of a son who is still in the formal learning process). Firstly, partnering with educational institutions. The ‘lockdown’ has forced us to look at innovations. Educational institutions too are innovating and experimenting. This chartering into unknown territory has its challenges. While looking at the initiatives, ‘could we catch them right, rather than focusing on the wrong’. When we only ‘catch them wrong’, the response become defensive. It often leads to an impression that there is no appreciation of an honest effort. An entire community of facilitators has been working with our children ever since they entered educational institutions. Does one lose sight of their interests during a lockdown? The pandemic has caused an economic downturn, financial challenges and loss of jobs across the board. This lockdown requires a partnership in which a critical support would be needed from the parent community.
Secondly, partnering in taking forward the learning process is imperative. I have been actively involved with online learning in the last few months. I have been highly appreciative of parents being part of the online classroom and look forward to their feedback. That feedback has often involved partnering with me beyond the online class to take forward the learning for their children. Maybe it is also time to look at how we build the ‘self esteem’ of our faculty who are often making an honest effort in a profession that often requires ‘constructive feedback’ and not just ‘negative comments and criticism’.
Thirdly, in my three and a half decades as a facilitator, I have found that the sustained impact of the learning process is seen when there is a genuine partnership between ‘parents and facilitators’. A partnership wherein the values, ideals, principles and processes we seek to usher in through ‘formal learning’ are also part of the larger ‘home experience’. This has become ever more critical in times of the current lockdown. Are we preparing our children for what a post lockdown world would require through practices at our home and in our community? In our communities are we bringing in the ‘culture of physical distancing’ so that it becomes a part of the ‘way of life’ when our children return to school/ college and until such time as a vaccine to deal with COVID 19 comes into the market?
Would end by saying that this partnership among stakeholders would involve a reflection on the role of administrations, facilitators and learners….but that needs to form the focus of another set of articles!
*Dr Sandeep Shastri has been in the field of education as a facilitator for the last 38 years. The views are his personal reflections.
Parent speak:
Raising children has always been a challenge to parents. Successful parenting requires the parents to have some qualities and characteristics. However, I believe that parenting is a seamless process which happens unintentionally as soon as one becomes parent.
I am the mother of a son. Soon, he is going to enter adulthood. I have many beautiful memories to share which I felt while in my parenthood journey. Although, it is difficult to express in words , I will try.
I feel that parenting starts when a baby comes in mother ‘s womb. I received a good news and a bad news together. Former , I am expecting and latter was , I have complications. Furthermore, doctors advised me to abort the baby . In medical terms , my chorionic membrane was weak to hold the foetus in the womb. There was very less chances that baby will survive or at any stage it can be a dangerous miscarriage. Whereas, I had an inner voice that I ought to continue with the pregnancy.
So my parenting started from the day when I received the news that I am a would be mother. A feeling of responsibility and extra care of my baby became an inevitable part of my life. Moreover, it was unconditional. By God ‘s grace ,I delivered a healthy baby boy.
Now, He is grown up. With time, phases and way of parenting changed but today also style is involuntary .
Showcase:
Agastya International Foundation’s efforts shines bright during COVID 19 Pandemic: Be it shifting its operations online or working on the ground to spread awareness and distribute essentials, Agastya’s efforts during Coronavirus pandemic has been swift and effective.Amidst this pandemic, Aagstya has been working on developing modules to educate people on COVID-19.
Agastya Embarked on a unique humanitarian project to provide sustenance in the form of vital Grocery Kits , PPE Kits and Study Kits for the Children. Agastya Instructors all over the country were involved with the Education Department and their teaching staff who in turn are training the children to make Simple Concept Based Home experiments with available material during these times. The education kit has concepts related to class 6th to 10th comprising of physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics. This kit also contains the manual for concepts.
Donations made to Agastya through the link below are exempt under 80G. https://pages.razorpay.com/pl_E1r6FHt9nFAxla/view
Opinion: NEP 2020. I am hearing murmurs and shouts on medium of instruction to choices of vocational courses and coding with computers… What are your thoughts on its implementations and impact? Let us deliberate.
NEP 2020 From Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India. According to it, the National Education Policy lays particular emphasis on the development of the creative potential of each individual. It is based on the principle that education must develop not only cognitive capacities – both the ‘foundational capacities ’of literacy and numeracy and ‘higher-order’ cognitive capacities, such as critical thinking and problem solving – but also social, ethical, and emotional capacities and dispositions.
From The Hindu: A panel led by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Kasturirangan had submitted the draft new NEP to Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal when he took charge last year. The draft was in the public domain for feedback from various stakeholders, and over two lakh suggestions were received by the HRD Ministry.
- 4-year undergraduate degrees with multiple entry and exit options.
- A single higher education regulator, the Higher Education Council of India (HECI), for all higher education institutions (except medical and law colleges).
- While the current expenditure on education stands at 4% of the GDP, the NEP envisages increasing it to 6%.
- Medium of instruction should be mother tongue or regional language till Class V.
- A National Testing Agency (NTA) will offer a “high quality common aptitude test”. This test, however, will not be mandatory for university entrance exams.
- NEP aims to expand access to higher education for 50% of high school students by 2035, and achieve universal adult literacy before that date.
- Every child should have one vocational skill by the time they complete school.
- Target of 100% gross enrolment ratio from pre-school to secondary level by 2030.
- Report cards will be a comprehensive report on skills and capabilities instead of just marks and statements.
- There will be a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
- Computer coding will be taught from Class VI.
- There will be no rigid separation between arts and sciences, curricular and extra-curricular.
- Vocational integration will be from Class 6, and internships will be included.
- Aim to reduce the importance of Board exams, which will be split into two parts: objective and descriptive.
From The Times Of India :
And finally :
Here’s Baby Beluga by Yo-Yo Ma and Raffi Baby Beluga song – a special single just released on the 40th anniversary of this iconic children’s song. Don’t miss the additional verse of grown up Baluga grads. Brings a smile on your face I promise 🙂
If you have created any material, virtual or physical that you think can be reviewed and/or featured in this news letter, please feel free to write to me at : niveditamukerjee10@gmail.com
This weekly newsletter is supported by:
And:
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv
Issue #003/ July 28, 2020
Hi! This is a weekly newsletter on education. Once a week, curated by me from amongst the videos I watch and articles that I read. Most of you would have been too busy to track trends in education and deliberate on career choice, parenting or pedagogy. Find it all here.
For whom? Students, educators and parents
When? Every Tuesday
Where? my blog post, register with your e-mail id, it is free.
I have been a research scientist, a journalist and an educator over 3 decades. I read and I write. With this weekly newsletter, I intend to share what I read, learn and experience while I engage with students, parents and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions and ed-tech organisations.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe and enjoy your learning journey with me. This week, it consists of: 3 images, 2 thoughts and 1 video.
Three Images For The Week
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How folk artists have responded to pandemic.
Two Thoughts For The Week
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
―
“You can never be overdressed or overeducated.”
―
One Video For The Week
Everyone’s online. Your kids have unlimited access to devices. They are using it for learning and yes, gaming. Ask your kid:
- what games does s/he play?
- how did s/he come across that game and what is it that s/he likes about it?
- would s/he like to show you how she plays and let you sit around and look at the screen while s/he is playing?
This will help you understand your child better, embrace your child’s world of gaming and make deeper connection with your most precious one.
Guest column :
Educator of the week (By invitation)
Teaching Early Writing to Pre-schoolers
We all know that children use their sense of touch or tactile sense to explore their environment. The aim to develop good hand skills and other pre-writing skills is to prepare the children for the next step, i.e. writing. Children who face difficulties in writing can overcome the issue by working continuously on hand skills.
Pre-writing skills: It is important to strengthen the hand skills so that children can handle small objects. It depends on how to make our students use the small muscles of hands along with the muscles in the forearm which provides strength and stability. Encouraging children to hold crayons while scribbling, eating with spoons/forks, buttoning and zipping clothes will help in strengthening both fine & gross motor skills.
Children need regular practice to strengthen their pincer grip to develop pre-writing skills.
We can follow these guidelines for developing Pre Writing skills:
Table top activities : The writing Desk or Furniture should be the right size. His feet should be flat on the floor and forearms should rest comfortably on the table top (at approximately elbow level). His/her feet should not dangle or swing.
Teach new skills :Show a new movement or shape, repeat the movements over and over again, and provide some physical guidance so he/she can feel how to perform the necessary movements. Let the child imitate you instead of copying from a book or paper.
Play and draw on vertical surfaces :Learning Materials like paper should be kept above eye level. By doing the same the wrist of the child and the hand will be in a position where practicing regularly will give a better control to hands that is required for colouring, painting or printing etc.
Ways to strengthen the shoulder, arm and wrist:
Use table-top easels or bookstands which a child can use while seated. To strengthen the upper body while standing, learning materials like Flannel boards, chalkboards, sticker games, letter and number magnets on the refrigerator can be used . Playing various games which involves a lot of hand movement like tug-of-war, wheelbarrow walking or animal walks. Playing at the park with the playground equipment like climbers and monkey bar will enhance the strength of the hands.
Develop hand skills:
Various kinds of activities done on a regular basis will encourage finger use and enhance strength. For example, when playing with Lego have your student rest his forearms on the table so that he uses his fingers to put the pieces together.
- Lace large beads with strings that have small plastic tips on the ends or use easy lacing cards.
- Put coins into a piggy bank, play with finger puppets and spinning tops.
- Use small tongs to pick up cotton balls, pom-poms, blocks, etc.
- Develop eye-hand coordination
- Roll, throw and catch large-sized balls.
- Play balloon volleyball, scarf toss and catch.
- Draw and scribble.
- Use water to colour simple shapes, use Paint to trace objects and colouring in Water books (the colours magically appear).
- Water Play by pouring, transferring, washing, spooning, using soapy water into different sized containers and water painting on slates/Blackboards.
Develop body awareness and directionality :
- Playing ….Simon Says and use terms such as “up & down,” “back & forth” and “front & back.”
- Sing action songs such as I am a little tea pot, The Wheels on the Bus and Insy- Winsy Spider
- Hide coins, beads or other small objects in Play-Dough, sand or rice tubs for the child to find.
- Floor Drawing – Making shapes and lines on the floor ,on carpet squares and using sandpaper letter to trace .
- Keep a bag full of key, toothbrush, spoon, eraser, paper clips, etc. and allow the child to identify the objects by feeling them.
Pre-writing activities or without Pencil writing:
- Make lines, shapes and letters by: finger painting, painting with pudding or shaving cream, painting with water on the sidewalk and even with your fingers in the sand.
- Recognition Activities- with shapes and letters by playing matching and sorting.
- Solving Puzzles and using magnetic letters.
- Activity with Ice-cream sticks
Showcase:
(An Advertorial)
ReReeti is a Bangalore based organization. We work with museums, cultural organizations and heritage sites to transfer them into spaces of learning, delight and meaningful engagement for visitors. One of our initiatives called Retihaas, works with schools. Retihaas is our attempt to make history relevant, reachable and relatable for students. Taking an important event from history we develop interactive teaching modules to engage them in critical and creative practices.
This year’s student engagement is an online course designed under the project, Un·Divided Identities: Unknown Stories of the Partition. Here is a brief outline of the sessions : The modules look at the ideas of Home, Identity, and Migration through the lens of partition and also connect it to the present Covid19 situation. The first session will focus on official historical records showing different perspectives about Partition.The second session will highlight people’s stories and explore Bangalore’s response as a city. Students will also get to understand how partition is viewed from both sides of the border. The final session will inquire into questions of nationality and identity. It will also connect to the recent migration that took place due to Covid19. These three session module is best suited for students in class 9 to 12. Please get in touch with tejshvi@rereeti.org to know more.
If you have created any material, virtual or physical that you think can be reviewed and/or featured in this news letter, please feel free to write to me at : niveditamukerjee10@gmail.com
This weekly newsletter is supported by:
And:
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv
Issue #002
Hi! This is a weekly newsletter on education. Once a week, curated by me from amongst the articles, videos and long form articles that I read. 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.
For whom? Students, educators and parents
When? Every Tuesday
Where? my blog post, register with your e-mail id, it is free.
I have been a research scientist, a journalist and an educator over 3 decades. I read and I write. With this weekly newsletter, I intend to share what I read, learn and experience while I engage with students, parents and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions and ed-tech organisations.
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv is a newsletter for you to subscribe and enjoy your learning journey with me. This week, it consists of: 3 images, 2 thoughts and 1 video.
Three Images For The Week
Two Thoughts For The Week
“If you compare yourself to others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.”―
“If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.”―
One Video For The Week
I use pencil, a lot. Every day. Even while I do most of my work on my laptop and phone. What about you? I find it satisfying in many ways – the scratchy sound it makes while writing, the way it goes blunt with use and the act of sharpening it, the overwriting, erasing and doodling with it getting lighter and darker strokes by varying the pressure applied…
Here’s a story of this perfect writing instrument that we all begin our writing journey with and continue using over the years.
Showcase For The week
Product review : Code with Korbo
Last weekend, I finally decided to open this storage box that has been waiting for my attention for a couple of weeks. It contained a set of gears, cylinders, connectors, cross connectors and some platforms. As I usually do with any product or book that comes to me for review, I see, touch and even smell it before engaging with it.
- The materials were plastic but not plastic-y. The edges were smooth to handle and the sound they made while fitting and moving around had a nice satisfying ‘click’ to them.
- The colors were a mix of bright and pastels and looked quite attractive when put together.
- They did not emanate any smell which one gets from cheap moulded plastic play materials.
- They were large and edged enough to not invite any kind of swallow.
As I got around to reading the handbook, it was clear that this was more than a building set. It is to develop skills like logical thinking, creativity, collaboration… while working on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) for preschoolers. The foundational thinking process of Coding!
There are chapters in the handbook like coding and decoding, algorithms and sequences, data analysis and logical thinking. There are instructions for the teacher, worksheets, exercises with pictures of the assembled materials, that are quite simple to understand and execute by any adult who is assisting the child with the learning. I quite liked the chapter on Functions that includes a fairy tale and the student solves tasks, riddles and puzzles leading to the discovery of algorithms.
I think the set is quite an interesting way of learning to code without computers and is something that the child can continue to play and explore even after the actual lesson is finished. Which is attractive for me as an educator. Open ended materials, that serve the primary objective and continue to engage beyond the formal lesson.
If you have created any material, virtual or physical that you think can be reviewed and/or featured in this news letter, please feel free to write to me at : niveditamukerjee10@gmail.com
This weekly newsletter is supported by:
And
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv
Hi! This is a weekly newsletter to read, think and learn with me and fellow readers. It is free for all who follow my blogpost.
3-2-1 in this Tuesday’s news letter consists of: 3 images, 2 thoughts and 1 video that I have curated for you to ponder, learn and enjoy this week.
For whom? Students, educators and parents
When? Every Tuesday
Where? my blog post, register with your e-mail id, it is free.
Three Images For The Week
Peer observation for teachers
Self-care bingo for adolescents and adults
16 Habits of mind
Two Thoughts For The Week
“You’re off to great places. Today is your day.” – Dr. Seuss
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” Albert Einstein
One Video For The Week
The Explore-Exploit Trade-off while making decisions
The irrational decisions of babies are cool as they are in their explorative phase while the consistent decisions of the old isn’t boring because they are being optimal. Right?
If you ever struggle to make decisions, here’s a talk for you. Cognitive scientist Tom Griffiths shows how we can apply the logic of computers to untangle tricky human problems, sharing three practical strategies for making better decisions.
Showcase For The Week:
How does theatre in education inspire collaborative and creative thinking, critical appreciation and problem solving skills in students? What kind of techniques can be used in the classroom to make learning an exhilarating experience?
Join us in discovering the joy of learning with renowned thespian Mr.Feisal Alkazi. Mr. Alkazi is known for his use of theatre as a medium to give positive experiences to children by allowing them to explore the outside world and voice their opinions. He will be teaching us techniques for harnessing the power of theatre to teach various subjects.
Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7215947134631/WN_AtttDo3FSaucJcDvr2eoGA
If you have created any material, virtual or physical that you think can be reviewed and/or featured in this news letter, please feel free to write to me at : niveditamukerjee10@gmail.com
This weekly newsletter is supported by:
And
Need a mood lift? The magic lies in your 5 senses. Create sensorial experiences for yourself and your child while homeschooling
See the clouds floating above. Watch the bees buzz. Follow the ant line.
Get up and smell the coffee. Go out and smell the roses. Put on some perfume.
Lick the chocolate from the mixing bowl. Munch on cucumbers. Have a mango feast.
Listen to music. Put out a wind chime. Read aloud a poem. Feel the wind on your skin.
Enjoy flicking the bubbles of lather while washing up. Play with sand and pebbles.
See. Smell. Taste. Hear. Touch. Be in the moment with each of your 5 senses. Learn, experience, live. A physiological way to manage your and your little one’s psychology during this period of extreme and prolonged isolation.
Here are my tips as an educator and parent for simple, everyday experiences that you can create at home. I have mentioned a couple of possibilities for each sensorial experience to give you an idea. Young children are sensory motor scientists. Once you initiate, they will lead the way.
See
- Watch the shape of clouds and imagine. Discuss what they see in which cloud and what you see. Name these shapes and imagine a conversation between the two/three characters that you and your child/ren have conjured up. The cool part of this is that this can be done in as little as 5-10 minutes or continued as a much longer and involved game with clouds changing shape or stories becoming creative and can be a continued conversation for days together besides possibility of actually creating your own family story book with words and illustrations. If you do it during the day, you have the additional advantage of getting your dose of vitamin D.
- Find an old family album and talk about the pictures of your child as a baby or your own and your parents of younger days. The group photos of family. Your/your child’s class photos would make great talking points while looking deeply into the hairstyles, dresses, backgrounds and facial expressions. Phenomenal connection with family members and vocabulary building would happen, not to mention the observation skills that would go a long way in building focus and an eye for detail.
Hear:
This one is my favourite one. I have often used music during teaching and training sessions for both children and adults and the results are simply phenomenal. Most teachers who have used this in their classrooms would agree.
- Choose a favourite song of yours whether instrumental or with lyrics and sit calmly with your eyes closed for at least 2 to 5 minutes. Do the same with your child/ren’s favourite music/rhyme as well. Just hear it together with eyes closed. The quiet that would follow would be priceless in managing your and your child’s moods. You can use your sense of hearing by just sitting quietly near an open window or outside of the walls of your home. Listen in to all kinds of sounds that you may hear and make a mental list of all. You may want to compare notes with your child/ren about it after the quiet time.
- Collect different kinds of materials and/or instruments at home that can make sound, take turns to play the instrument/s behind a curtain to just hear the notes and texture of sound being produced which are different from one another, in a guessing game. Even simple materials like whistles, spoons on plates, striking on glass tumblers or bowls filled with water upto different levels, pebbles in a box, seeds in a paper bag, ladles on inverted plastic buckets, rustle of leaves, besides musical instruments like keyboard, guitar, flute, harmonica would give a great sensorial immersion of tuning in to sounds of the moment.
Smell:
- Go ahead, smell the spices one at a time, real fruit smell, smell of cooking flat breads, baking, scent of vanilla, chocolate, coffee and even laundry and cleaning agents. What emotions, memories, visuals do they evoke for you and your child/ren? There is a deep association of smells with memories. Remember your mom’s perfume? The unique smell of your baby? Your dad’s shaving lotion? Your grandmother’s pickle? Dwell into those memories for a few minutes. Embark on a journey that a few seconds of smell can take you along.
- Take a walk around your home and discover how the different rooms of your home smell different and what you feel about it. What can you do if some space does not smell right or the shoe shelf stinks? a bowl of fresh flowers/potpourri, airing the space, lighting a candle or incense, dusting and mopping… bad smell has an impact that impacts the mood and feelings in an instant. Just as it is difficult to feel angry when you can smell a great fragrance of food or flower.
Taste:
- Licking your fingers or smacking your lips of jams, chutneys, sauces, cookie dough. All things that you can enjoy with your child/ren and can pry you out of gloom. It will bring your thoughts right into the moment of experience. Try it!
- Set up an interesting blind tasting fest yourself or create a little quiz for your child/ren to play. Put out some bits of various edibles – solid bits, liquid potions, pastes and powders and see if you can classify them as sweet, savoury, sour, bitter, umami. One at a time or if you can make a concoction of more than a few kinds of tastes.
Touch:
- If you can, have a bath tub day with your child once a week. When you can enjoy the lather, the feeling of cozy immersion, float and sink a few things along with yourselves. Skin is the largest sensory organ of your body. Water does miracles to your not so solid skin 🙂 it literally reaches you inside through its million pores. While at it, if you can give a wash to your pet as a joint project. It is a great sensorial experience for all involved.
- Hug. Kiss. Caress. Often and then some. Do some grooming to each other. Enjoy a head massage a hairdo or makeup that your child would be excited to experiment with and do the same to your child. Be a character from a story book. Collect swatches of various textures like velvet, wool, sandpaper, grass mat and say a net. Put them in a box or in a bag to touch and feel. It makes for a good in the moment sensation. If nothing, have a plush toy or a squeezy ball to play with your child/ren. Slime, shaving foam, corn-starch paste make great touch play with all ages of children. I have enjoyed playing with the cornstarch paste goop for the longest possible time with teenagers while just chatting with them, giving them something to do with their hands. While at it, do not forget popping the bubble wraps 🙂
Finally, give your rational mind a break as you take in the environment around you with all your senses. Each one of the senses is as precious as the other in giving you and your child’s emotions an instant fillip.
Have you tried any such activity in the past? Do share if you have. If you have not, go ahead and try one each day of the week at least and on the weekend, give them a go all at once. How did it go, let me know. Looking forward to reading your sensational sensory experiences.
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How to survive this perfect storm and teach life skills to your child?
No eating out. No hugging friends. No inviting people home. No going to people’s homes. No travelling. No theatre. No museum. No hanging out. No school. No college. No canteen. No playground. No…
There are so many “No” category of activities since February 2020 that it feels like a deep dark tunnel with no light at the end in sight. It is confusing for young children and is frustrating for both young and old. Parents, as I speak with them on an ongoing basis, are finding it very difficult to manage their own emotions and regulate the behaviour of their children.
Over these past few months, here is what I have found out while talking to parents that has been helpful. The educator and parent in me looks at it as a great teaching moment for the phenomenal lifeskill of self-regulation.
Why do children and adolescents need to learn to self-regulate, what we as adults know very clearly from the consequences of when we did/when we didn’t? Food, finances, relations…Isn’t it? When we are able to control our behaviour, our emotion, our communication or when we are able to manage procrastination, distraction, dejection – how it influences our decision making capabilities? How those decisions have had a long lasting impact on our own and our dear ones lives and livelihood.
As an educator I have witnessed how self-regulation prepares growing children towards achieving their – not only academic success and avoiding risky behaviour as adolescents but also becoming more productive and healthy as young adults.
Currently, most if not all parents are spending more time with their growing children at home. I see it is a great opportunity to role-model self regulation despite all being under the perfect storm of trying situations, from personal finance and health to the overriding fear of uncertainty.
How to survive this perfect storm and teach life skills to your child? Here are my top 3 tips.
Goal setting : In order to self regulate, it is important to define a Why. For that, setting a goal is key. Giving a voice and choice to children helps in doing that. For eg. the goal could be as basic as – playing. Have a small discussion with your child about it. What does s/he wants to play with (ball/blocks/video game/board game)? Who does s/he want to play with (by themselves/with siblings/with pet/with parent)? Where does s/he want to play (in the back yard/bed room/living room/terrace)? How long does s/he want to play(all morning/all evening/one hour)? What resources s/he would need towards fulfilling this goal (ball/board game/internet/paints)? This will help the child in preparing for it and more often than not, sticking by.
You can role-model it yourself by sharing your plan similarly – whether for a chore or work that you are going to do and circle back by sharing how you could/could not keep to your goal and what could you have done/not done towards the same. This will also help the child to handle either – when all goes per plan or fails. Which factors lead to the success/failure of the plan? Handling the emotions of a failure/partial success of a plan for reasons within/beyond control.
Problem solving : Once the goal is determined and choices are made, as we know, the path to a goal which might be simple or complex is still riddled with uncertainty. It will be in need of chunking and critical thinking. The skill of problem solving by taking apart the problem piece by piece and thinking critically to find a way ahead/around will be needed. What is the kind of flexibility and resilience that is needed to reach that goal that they have set out to achieve?
Adults can use the skills of brainstorming – pooling multiple ideas from different sources; questioning – posing open ended questions of why/how to the problem; reflecting – wondering about alternatives, taking lessons from the past of oneself or others and history. Taking the earlier example of – playing : If the board game pieces/internet is not available what are the other options? If a particular space of choice is not available where else can one play? If the specific play mate is unavailable then who can one play with? If that time length is not possible can it be paced out? This can be applied to complex problems of having limited availability of finances, devices, choices of any kind. The gentle beginnings of this thought process can be initiated and honed by using stories and the characters to discuss the protagonist’s problem, challenges, alternate ways of solving and most definitely by imagining alternate endings of any/all stories that we read or movies that parents watch with their children.
Persisting in the face of a challenge, finding creative work arounds, keeping the head on shoulder with calm and patience are somethings you can share with your child for situations you faced, when you did and when you did not and what was the outcome.
Self restraining: A great skill to build. Preschool teachers practice it with their students regularly by playing the popular game of Freeze Dance/ Statue. I have played it with my students of all years of K12 and actually even undergrad students as well. It is such a full bodied self and group activity that it is enjoyed across ages and promotes quick thinking and restraint at the same time. Playing music and stopping suddenly to freeze motion – calling out for an animal/emotion/character from a movie, any other variation is fun. The reverse, of having the participants move when quiet and freeze when music is on is a good one too. For children it is a practice of restraint as response to a stimulus. For adolescents it builds on this skill and strengthens the part of the brain that helps in keeping a resolve.
As adults, we can role-model this by doing meditation with them. Even working out a quiet time and staying still. Rituals like saying a prayer/gratitude before eating or waiting for all on the table to start/finish a meal or a course of meal is great in building this attitude of self-restraint. You would be able to discuss with your child in a structured way then, what would help in keeping the resolve. How distractions impact one’s journey to a goal and thus what is the result of deviating from the flight path on arrival at the destination.
All of us have been forced into making a sudden transition in our lives due to this pandemic. Emotions of sadness, frustration, aggression, depression are natural. However, the key is to not allow these emotions to be all consuming. It is a life lesson for one and all. We would need to take the responsibility of our own selves, our family and also of those who are finding it a little bit more difficult to grapple with uncertainty because of the uniquely specific situation they are in.
How are you setting an example of being a survivor in your family? In your community? Please share. We are all in the storm together but not in the same boat. We can learn to row better from each other.
Please feel free to share this post with your fellow parents and subscribe to continue to receive posts in your mail.
Schools are opening. Teachers are preparing for blended learning. Parents, are you ready?
In absence of the safety net of vaccine and in order to put millions of children world over back into school, blended learning is emerging as the mid path for schools and for higher education. This year for sure and who knows, perhaps going forward as well. Shall we prepare for it then? Educators are getting ready with their newly/additionally acquired tech prowess for online teaching. Students are trying and mostly succeeding with a smile on. Parents, it is your turn now.
1.Screen : What screen size is ideal for e-learning? the learning sites make it convenient for various devices – mobile, tablets, laptops and desktops. But what is the best for your child? The online lessons are supported by quiz, quick text responses, on camera show and tell, sing alongs, theatre sessions, read alouds … besides just informal chats with teachers and peers when it is nice to see the class mates large and clear. So would a horizontal screen of a smart phone do? ummm… in a pinch may be. For some level of tertiary education… may be. But for primary and secondary education that is working on blended learning, a larger screen, a full key board and clear audio would definitely make more sense.
If it is not a possibility to give your child/ren access to laptop/desktop all through their e-learning sessions, you could consider sharing the big screen devices in rotation so that everyone gets to use the large screen and full key board. You can also consider some improvisations like attaching accessories to the mobile. Noise cancelling head phones, a key board, a second hand monitor, all of which could be affordable solutions that would significantly enhance the online learning experience. It is also easier to monitor activity of the child/ren and limit the access to the device to manage screen time with a larger screen than handing them a smartphone.
A dedicated space for learning would be very necessary to have for the child to be comfortable with blended learning scenario. Your child/ren are going to spend time here ‘going’ to school and not just homework or test prep. Many of us as adults have created dedicated spaces for working from home during this long lockdown. Carve out such a space for your child/ren as well. Where there is quiet and comfort. The furniture is ergonomic and devices can be placed to work, with charging access, space to keep their textbook, notebook and relevant stationery, bottle of water and school bag. Pretty much replicating their class desks and cubbies.
If it is not a possibility to give dedicated rooms to your child/ren, corners in dining room, living room, bed room can be set up specifically with desk, chair, shelving/school bag and charging station. Places where members of the family do not play games and watch television. Spaces that have enough light and ventilation like the loft, the staircase landing, spare bathroom, a mezzanine, the extra bedroom of the house converted temporarily to workspace for entire family to learn/work from. That leaves the living room for gathering, watching TV, playing games, pets and extended family to still carry on with their routine without interfering with school/office work.
3. Schedule
This is the first time in history that adults and children both are working from home. Which means that schedules become even more important. This is not a vacation time for child/ren. They have to attend classes, do the tests, submit the assignments and appear for exams. None of this is going away anytime soon. It would become very difficult to play catch up on grade appropriate learning of school curriculum if they are lax now. Discuss with their class teacher/s on the timetable of online classes. See if there are enough breaks and discuss if you think more/less breaks than scheduled would help in your child’s learning. Teachers and the school will thank you for the feedback. Everyone is figuring it out so more we collaborate on making it work, more will be the chances of success. The partnership between parent and teacher for child development has taken a new dimension which requires parents to fill in more in education and the teacher, in emotional development.
Moving out from the designated study space to the dining area during snack and lunch times will be good to consider. Even for you when you are working from home and enjoy little breaks together through the day. It would energise everyone to have an off-screen time with real interactions and possibly play with the pet or even do part of a pending household chore that has been allocated to each family member. Perhaps even catch a quick nap. Doing something like painting, craft, making music, journaling with pen on paper, making 2D/3D project, skipping rope, putting a ball through hoop, working on a big puzzle over days would trigger different parts of the brain and are great off-screen activities.
When times are stressful and unpredictable, a predictable schedule is a great way of managing emotions, getting spouse/extended family’s help to manage your child/ren’s needs and being productive at the same time.
So go on, discuss with your family how you can make Screen, Space and Schedule work for each of you. Then don’t hesitate to review it periodically and tweak. While at it, keep in touch with other school parents and share notes. Have your children set up play dates with video chats. Play online quiz and Antakshari. Visit online museums and travel shows together.
Schools are opening soon. Teachers are prepping for it. How are you setting up your child/ren for blended learning? Please share your plans with me and the readers of this blog. Do reply to this post and subscribe. It is easy and free 🙂
P.S. Here’s a picture from a science project done by govt. school children from the district of Belgaum, Karnataka, India. Projecting mobile phone on large screen. Meant to be used by the schools that do not have projectors or smart boards. How about making it work for blended learning at home?
You are not alone with your little one during #Lockdown. Lean-in.
“Mummy I don’t like this (online) class. I can’t share this rubber (eraser) with my friend”. How can parents and teachers help this little one in her personal, social and emotional development when physical classrooms are closed?
Preschools are normally alive with the sounds of little children singing Good Morning and Hello songs… the playground abuzz with children on slides and see-saws, squealing with joy as they go on the swings and merry go rounds…Teachers with their little ones in tow going about their days with hugs and high fives… all of this has come to a screeching halt. The toys remain in their boxes. The educational aids on the shelves. The display boards have a film of dust and the artworks are curling up and fading.
Within days of the #lockdown, the internet exploded with resources and tips for creative ways of learning. The middle school and senior school teachers took to online learning and teaching. The primary school took to working on quiz and worksheets online. But, what about the preschool? The resources available online are not quite meant for early years of ages up to 8. What should a parent do? How can preschool teachers be the friend and guide to the parents to help sustain the learning and development of their young children?
Here are my 3 top considerations for teachers and parents as they lean-in on each other:
- What content is relevant now that is developmentally appropriate and student centred?
- How can the early childhood teachers and parents of young children let go of their BC (Before Corona) notions of how our children learn, and embrace the radically changed situation to re-skill and foray bravely into this new world presented to us DC (During Corona) and AC (After Corona)?
- How can both parents and teachers be sensitive to each other, those who are trying to work from and at home and teach their child/student while supporting their child’s learning and emotional needs?
Here are some of the things I know that teachers and parents have started doing:
- The teachers are trying to offer story time, song time, circle time via online classes for short duration of 10 to 15 minutes which the parent and child both can join in. It has been a relief for the parent within her/his work from home schedule when someone else they trust can takeover their child’s attention.
- The teachers are mostly trying to chat about the usual class routines that children are familiar with in starting their school day – like the weather, the day of the week, month of the year and calling out names of each child, registering them into their online class and acknowledging their presence. The yoga and/or the music and movement teacher is dropping in online for 10 minutes for them to move and stretch.
- Some of the teachers are using their classroom photos as a side window or a backdrop to convey to the children the comfort of the thought that the school and their classroom along with their teacher is still there.
- Preschool kits are being made by the teachers containing activity materials from stationery to play-dough, blocks and puzzles that are age appropriate, sanitising them and sending out in #COVID19 suited packaging that the parents can use at home.
- Preschool teachers and parents are subscribing and investing in educational aids that could come home to them so that learning remains hands on and experiential – to the extent possible.
- Teachers and parents are connecting online for short durations, one on one or grade wise, to share the concerns and finding solutions and sharing verified and vetted resources that are developmentally appropriate. Teachers are sharing the learning objectives and outcomes along with possible methods that a parent can execute at home.
- A teacher has brought out her Christmas decoration and another has brought out her Dasara dolls to show parents how to create a dramatic set for their child. One teacher has set up a classroom with stuffed toys giving them names of her students while conducting her online sessions.
- Teachers are helping parents to set out role plays centres at their homes with material available to develop the communication and imagination skills that are key for cognitive development during the early years.
- Teachers are sharing their skill of craft and art with parents via recorded video lessons that the child and/or parent can watch to learn and then share what they have created back to their classmates and teacher.
- Teachers have set up one on one chat rooms with parents to counsel them on their parenting concerns.
- Teachers are calling in children in smaller numbers onto the online platform to meet with the children and parents to communicate, teach and learn how best to approach the next session.
- The preschools are instructing publishers to send workbooks, activity materials directly to the teachers and parents to teach and use from their homes.
Learning has shifted out of our preschool buildings. Schools and teachers have not done this before! everyone is learning at the pace of crisis. Educators, especially preschool teachers are trying to figure out how to create normalcy during the time of a global reset.
Parents need to enrol their child in preschools to lean-in on the teacher and institutional expertise and the teacher has to trust and support the parent to extend learning to their child. School leadership would need to train the teachers as well as provision for educational aids for both teachers and parents.
Do share your thoughts, suggestions, photos of what you have done for your preschooler with me and the readers as your replies. Please feel free to share this post and subscribe with your email, it is free. I will continue to share the learnings from teachers, parents and my own experiences of this all new world of education.
Nivedita Mukerjee 