K12 Digest – August 2021 – India Edition – Best Practices in K12 Education

BEST PRACTICES IN K12 EDUCATION

INDIAN EDITION

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FEATURING INSIDE

IMPACT OF VISUAL ART IN THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT

OF STUDENTS Sneha Chowdhry Sharma, Art Educator

BLENDING

ACADEMICS AND

EXPERIENTIAL

Sumita P Minhas, Principal, Podar World School, Jaipur

Dr. N.K. Dutta, Founder & Principal, Miles Bronson Residential School, Guwahati

EXTRACURRICULAR

THE NEW NORMAL

IN

LEARNING IN SCHOOL

EDUCATION

THE VALUE OF EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN THE

VIRTUAL

CLASSROOM

Bindu Subramaniam, Singer, Songwriter, Founding Director & Dean, SaPa

BEST PRACTICES IN

K12 EDUCATION:

AUGUST 2021

K12 Digest August 2021

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August 2021

Vol - 2 Issue - 8

Best Practices Special Head of Advisory Board Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD

Managing Editor Sarath Shyam

Consultant Editors

Dr. Johny Andrews Navya Venkatesh Joseph Alex

Naomi Wilson Roshni Rajagopal Emma James

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MANAGING EDITOR’S NOTE

Never Stop Playing!

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school is not just about learning Math, Science, or History. We all know that, and we have been through it. Our memories as adults might linger more on things we learned beyond textbooks when we think about our school days. Thanks to the abundance of extracurricular activities we had. It helped many of us in developing the social and emotional skills critical to succeeding in life. Now, the closure of schools has denied today’s students the much-needed distraction from their monotonous learning activities. The many extras that play a role in developing a well-rounded student are absent in the corona infested curriculum.

In a country that has been actively debating on its widening digital divide, the topic of extracurricular activities has little importance. However, it was good to see some schools care about their students and moving their extracurricular or after-school activities online. In those schools, students took online games

that kept them alert and involved in a group activity. There were quizzes, debates, elocutions, and music and art lessons on digital platforms. Audio plays, short films, readings over video calls, and online viewing of theatre and drama conducted virtually helped students keep in touch with an activity that was common during pre-COVID-19 times. It was tough. A magical touch was missing. However, we tried like kids learning their first alphabet.

Diving deep into this subject, we have come up with a special issue that focuses on ‘Best Practices in K12 Education: Blending Academics and Extracurriculars in the New Normal.’ This magazine has a collection of insightful articles and fascinating thoughts by some prominent names in the education sector. We hope our efforts will help our readers to understand the importance of extracurricular activities and how to conduct them in the online education system.

Enjoy Reading.

Sarath Shyam

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INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD Chris Wright

Maarit Rossi

Former International School Principal, Former Group Project Director at a World Class Learning Group, Education Consultant - Wright Solutions, United Kingdom

Founder & CEO - Paths to Math Ltd, Former Mathematics Teacher and Principal, Global Teacher Prize Finalist, Finland

Dr. Stuart Grant Colesky Principal, Rundle College, South Africa

Zeljana Radojicic Lukic Exceptional Educator from Serbia, Founder of Association of the Best Teachers of the Former Yugoslavia, Founder of Magical Intercultural Friendship Network, Founder of Creative Magic - Children’s International Festival, Founder of Magic Village, Serbia

Asst. Prof. Dr. Poonsri Vate-U-Lan Assistant Professor in Education, Ph.D. Supervisor and Researcher, Thailand

Stephen Cox

Elena Shramkova

Chief Education Officer, New Nordic School, Finland

Liljana Luani

Senior Teacher ‘Pashko Vasa’ school Shkodra, Exceptional Volunteer, Albania

English and Literature teacher, Owner of “The Smart Teens Studio of English” in Belgorod, Russia

Ralph Valenzisi Chief of Digital Learning and Development, Norwalk Public Schools, Connecticut, United States

Hatem Slimane

Servatius (Servee) Palmans Former Director School Administration & Business Operations (Large Education Group), Chief Operating Officer - BBD Education, Dr. Lilian Bacich Netherlands & UAE Senior Educationist, Author, Keynote Speaker, Co-founder Tríade Educacional, Brazil

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Founder & National President - ATAST, General director of IFEST² the international projects competition in Tunisia, General secretary of MILSET Africa, BRISECC member, Tunisia

Juan Manuel Pico Education Soul Co-founder & HundrED Country Lead Colombia, Colombia

Hidekazu Shoto

Dr. Venus M. Alboruto

Angus Duthie

Master Teacher, Researcher, Innovator, Trainer, Philippines

Former Vice President Security (Large Education Group), Former British Army Officer (Airborne Forces), Senior Advisor – Resilience and Crisis Management (Emerald Solutions Group), United Kingdom & UAE

Innovative English and ICT Teacher, Author, Japan

Ian Deakin

Deputy Head and Dean of Faculty, Dalton Academy, Beijing, China

Shady Elkassas Rania Lampou

Global Teacher Prize Finalist 2019, 15 International Awards on STEM, STEM Instructor, Educator, Neuroscience Researcher, Trainer & Author, Greece

Director of Innovation Al Ittihad National Private School-Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

Fethy Letaief Distinguished Senior EFL Teacher, ISA Coordinator with the British Council, Motivational Speaker, Tunisia

Herwin Hamid

Ha Nga

EdTech Specialist, Speaker and Teacher Trainer, Innovative ICT Educator, ICT learning multimedia developer, Indonesia

Revolutionary English Educator, Globally Connected English Studio - Hanoi, Vietnam

Dr. Leonilo Basas Capulso Master Teacher, Speaker and Researcher, Philippines

Kihyun Park Innovative Educator of Online Classroom, Pungsaeng Middle School, South Korea

Mr. Ngô Thành Nam

Technology Academy Manager, Microsoft Learning Consultant, Global Trainer, Vietnam

Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD Former Program Director, MS in Management Program, GSATM - AU, Thailand & India

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Contents MENTOR’S OPINION

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REDEFINING THE ROLES OF SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION POST THE PANDEMIC

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Anupa Gnanakan, Director - Education, ACTS Group of Institutions

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BLENDING ACADEMICS AND EXTRACURRICULAR IN THE NEW NORMAL

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN SCHOOL EDUCATION

Sumita P Minhas, Principal, Podar World School, Jaipur

Dr. N.K. Dutta, Founder & Principal, Miles Bronson Residential School, Guwahati

BEST PRACTICES

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Bindu Subramaniam, Singer, Songwriter, Founding Director & Dean, SaPa

Chaitali Moitra, Regional Director – South Asia, Turnitin India

BEST PRACTICES TO COMBAT ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT AND CHAMPION INTEGRITY

THE VALUE OF EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN THE VIRTUAL CLASSROOM

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STUDENT LEADERSHIP, SERVICE - LEARNING, AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE TEENAGE BRAIN

Jérémie Rostan, Service Learning Coach and Psychology Teacher, Yokohama International School, Japan

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FIND YOUR MATHO-TIVATION!

Manan Khurma, Founder & CEO, Cuemath

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ACADEMIC VIEWS

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Contents 24

MNEMONICS IN A CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

Deepika Venkatesh, Senior School Educator, Ebenezer International School, Bengaluru

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HOW SCHOOLS CAN MAKE ONLINE EDUCATION EASIER FOR STUDENTS

Virali Tanna, Teacher, Aditya Birla World Academy, Mumbai

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Sindhu Joseph, English Language Facilitator & Joyful Learning Advocate, Yuvabharathi Public School, Coimbatore

Sneha Chowdhry Sharma, Art Educator

THE UNTWEETED!

IMPACT OF VISUAL ART IN THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS

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HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN PLAY A KEY ROLE IN REVAMPING THE EDUCATION SECTOR

Rajani Pattabhiraman, Head of Curriculum, EuroSchool India

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Contents INDUSTRY VIEWS

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MERGING ACADEMICS AND EXTRACURRICULAR Tanuj Shah, CEO & Co-Founder, ipassio

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GEARING UP TEACHERS AND STUDENTS FOR THE ONLINE WORLD Sezel Lalwani, Co-Founder, fire.fly

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IMPORTANCE OF FINDING THE SYNERGY BETWEEN ACADEMICS AND EXTRACURRICULARS IN THE NEW NORMAL Achin Bhattacharyya, CEO & Founder, Notebook

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Suman Matcha, Chief Executive Officer, Online Adaptive Knowledge System (OAKS)

Jerold Chagas Pereira, CEO, mPowerO

WHY EXTRACURRICULARS MATTER IN THE NEW ERA OF ACADEMICS?

HOW TO IMPART HOLISTIC EDUCATION IN THE ERA OF ONLINE LEARNING?

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THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN DEVELOPING ALLROUNDED PERSONALITIES Vikas Bansal, Co-Founder, Crejo.Fun

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HOW ONLINE EDUCATION IS A GREAT TOOL TO EQUALIZE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE K-12 SPHERE Rohit Jain, Founder, uFaber

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MENTOR’S OPINION

Blending Academics and Extracurricular in the New Normal

By Sumita P Minhas, Principal, Podar World School, Jaipur

Sumita P Minhas has been an educationist for the past 18 years and it is her 10th year in educational leadership. Prior to becoming principal, she worked as Vice Principal, Coordinator & PGT. Sumita did her schooling from Kendriya Vidhyalaya’s of different cities, Graduation from Guru Nanak Dev university, Amritsar & Post graduation from Rajasthan University. She continues with her learning experience through various workshops and courses. By perusing lifelong learning, Sumita intends to be an example to students and teachers. She has received award for “Inspiring Educators of Rajasthan” in 2019 and “Exemplary Eduleader Amidst Covid Crisis Award” in August 2021.

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famous saying goes, “It is easier to build stronger children than to repair broken men.” This cannot be more profound for an educator like me.

Stronger children can be crafted very easily by educators in a ‘brick & mortar’ setting i.e., school where a student gets an inclusive & supportive environment. But this new normal of extended lockdowns has affected students’ mental health and their emotional wellbeing. The bridge between a student’s intellectuality and interest is also locked by this unpredictable lockdown.

Survey reports suggest that the key to unlock this bridge, and to replace an empty mind with an open & thoughtful one is –Curriculum with Extracurricular Activities [ECA].

As per an article published in Fronteirs.in, participation in extra-curricular activities has been found to associate with increased wellbeing. The article discussed a survey that was conducted among university level students and found that the activities students rated as most helpful to their well-being were somewhat different, with outdoor exercise rated highest, and followed by socializing virtually and listening to music. While all activities were rated as beneficial by the student but those with a social component were given higher

ratings. This suggests that having a variety of proactive interventions by educators can help in skill development as well ensuring overall wellbeing of students.

Education breeds success, while Extracurricular Activities breeds confidence & confidence turns mirrors to windows.

Participation in extracurricular activities helps children to improve their communication & crisis management skills. Outside the standard framework of any educational curriculum, there are endless opportunities for students to learn new skills and ignite new passions. Extracurricular activities are a vital element in any child’s development, often building on lessons and learning’s that begins during school hours. Creativity is a key asset for further education and beyond.

Those involved in arts club like music, drama or visual arts tend to be more creative thinkers and capable of approaching problems from a different standpoint.

Children have to be educated but they should be left also to educate themselves.

Schools must ensure their ECA planning is incorporated into their strategic plan, it should not be sidelined. Educators do not need a global pandemic to recognize the importance of ECA however the pandemic has

Those involved in arts club like music, drama or visual arts tend to be more creative thinkers and capable of approaching problems from a different standpoint

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given them a fresh awareness. Decades of research have noted the positive association between ECA & desirable academic, social and developmental outcomes. During the pandemic a specific research has been carried out that develops a link between extracurricular participation and better academic performance.

The key to fruitful educational experience is when students can strike a perfect balance between their curricular & co curricular act. This balance can easily be maintained by a wise selection of one’s interest among all the other irrelevant activities. Prioritization of activities may help. The schools should also set a proper schedule to ensure the smooth virtual functioning. These activities help a child gain an edge above other students.

Blending academics with the ECA can be achieved by introducing vocational activities such as pottery, agriculture & framing, stitching & knitting, mehndi & nail art, culinary art, carpentry etc. Apart from it different clubs can be instituted such as Oratory, Social Service, Dramatics, Music& Dance, and Environment etc. Students should have the liberty to choose the vocational activities/ clubs as per their own interest. It provides a platform to the students to hone & showcase their varied talents, share their views, thoughts & ideas on the topics of common interests. These ECA helps to provide an opportunity of hands-on experience to the students

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as well as to develop leadership qualities, personal integrity etc. Hence, making time for their passion will help them learn time management. During pandemic a lot of the skills that lie at the heart of extracurricular activities can be used during core academic subjects. This type of education requires solid problem-solving skills, memory, creativity, and critical thinking.

Covid-19 has presented many challenges in front of us- anxiety, uncertainty and sense of despair.

For parents and for children, their daily lives are too intertwined. There is no clear distinction of professional and personal space in many cases.

Being confined to home means that young people, who are used to school activities have to now find a ‘new normal’ for themselves. While this is a tricky situation, it is also an opportunity to reinvent schooling as whole. Covid-19 can become a catalyst for change educators need to put in their genuine efforts to make this change a favorable one for the students. The show must go on with academics & activities like speech, debate, dramatics, recorded plays, short films table readings over video calls etc. This new normal scenario has brought lot of learning curves and huge challenges. The fact is, that we don’t grow when things are easy, we grow when we face challenges.

Challenges are what make life interesting.

Overcoming them is what makes them meaningful!

The whole sTudenT view Our assessments provide a deeper insight into your students’ capability, struggles, learning barriers, current and comparative performance and rate of progress. With this information you are better able to personalise learning according to each individual student’s need. our assessments provide robust, standardised external data for: • Supporting decision-making across teaching, learning and pastoral needs • Identifying areas for school improvement • Preparation for inspections and accreditations.

• Benchmarking and value-added • Informing staff professional development requirements • Showing prospective parents what the school has to offer and he effectiveness of teaching

international@gl-education.com

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gl-education.com

BEST PRACTICES

The Value of Extracurricular Activities in the Virtual Classroom Bindu Subramaniam, Singer, Songwriter, Founding Director & Dean, SaPa

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Bindu Subramaniam is a singer, songwriter, Founding Director of SaPa in Schools, and Dean at SaPa - Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts. She is passionate about using intercultural perspectives and trans disciplinary education to create a systemic change, and develop cultural democracy and 21st century skills in children. With that in mind, she co-founded the SaPa in Schools program with her brother Ambi Subramaniam in 2014.

The greatest advantage we can give our students is to learn to love to learn

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mong the many challenges of virtual schooling are the loss of extracurricular and cocurricular activities among children. One of the recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020 was that there be no hard separation between curricular, extracurricular, and cocurricular activities. And while every educator and parent agrees that we should prioritise children’s holistic development, there have been many hurdles during the pandemic.

Children are attending approximately three hours of school a day, largely online. While things this year have been smoother compared to 2020, there are still administrative difficulties.

Training educators to moderate virtual classrooms, upskilling everyone to make the most of technology, monitoring children’s safety online, managing concerns of screen time, eye strain and back issues – there’s a lot to think about.

Educators and schools are making an admirable

effort to make things easier on children, getting creative with gamified learning and building in components of mindfulness to combat uncertainty and isolation.

Still, extracurricular activities are unintentionally moved to the back burner, making way for science and math. And while it is no one’s fault (we’re all doing our very best, sometimes putting aside our own schedules to make the school day easier for children), it is important that we give it more attention.

While a lot of people see extracurricular activities, especially music, as a great way to boost a student’s resume and get into good colleges around the world, there are other reasons why we should integrate it in the classroom: 1. Activities like music can build community: With online schooling, children are missing important aspects of socialising. Snack breaks, group projects, and play time are all crucial to

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regviropand

to focus on their emotional well-being. Arts education helps build the five pillars of SEL – selfawareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decisionmaking – without being too heavy.

2. The arts teach components of SEL: Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is an important part of the curriculum. Children are dealing with major changes, and it’s important that we continue

3. We can use this time to teach the 4 Cs of 21st century learning: In 2018, Deloitte released an interesting report. It argued that, with automation becoming more sophisticated, it is

community development. Introducing ular musical activities (adapted to the tual classroom) gives students an portunity to build their community, bond together.

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hard to predict what the in-demand jobs of the future will be. That means, as educators, we’re not always sure what we are preparing children for.

Today, while we battle massive uncertainty around the world, this statement rings truer than ever. The landscape of learning, workplace culture, migration opportunities – we can’t confidently predict what any of these will look like even months from now, never mind the next 20 years.

But what we can say with certainty is this: there will always be a high demand for wellrounded, empathetic global citizens who are able to adapt to big changes easily. And that’s where the role of the arts comes in.

When structured well, extracurriculars can help integrate the four Cs of 21st century learning – critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity – into a child’s life.

7. Extracurricular activities encourage children to build new skills: If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we should learn to be self-sufficient. Everyone, across all professions, has had to learn complementary skills to sustain their work throughout the day.

Musicians have learnt audio and video editing.

Event managers have learnt to manage virtual logistics. Graphic designers have learnt to manage social media growth and analytics.

Learning new skills is always a good quality. And extracurricular activities go a long way in encouraging children to grow – while having a great time.

It is, however, easier said than done to consistently work extracurricular activities like music into a child’s day while learning online. Here are two suggestions that might help educators and even parents:

4. Extracurriculars help them do better in school: Research suggests that the arts enhance academic performance everywhere. Closer to home, we’ve seen a sharp spike in attendance, reading ability, and overall confidence in our students at SaPa.

1. Space it out throughout the day: Teaching various elements of the arts in between subjects like math and science can make it easier to learn and absorb all classes better. It also breaks the monotony of screen time.

5. They help children manage online fatigue: Most adults are struggling with online fatigue, so we can only imagine what it’s like for kids. It isn’t easy to focus for too long while staring at a screen, and it is especially hard to learn in isolation. Some of the reasons for online fatigue are: stress, excess screen time, and too much time spent sitting. We should build extracurriculars into the child’s day to help them manage anxiety, work on activities on and off screen, and spend some energy with simple activities.

2. Get creative with it: In the rush to give students a smooth and safe online learning environment, we’re losing some important things in translation. Extracurriculars are a good opportunity to add elements of physical movement, teach children the value of good communication, and encourage them to get as creative as they can.

As we continue to battle uncertainty and health concerns in waves, and keep going in and out of lockdown, it is clear that a hybrid model of education will work best in the months and years to come. It is important that we take a step back, take a look at the big picture of each child’s development, and make sure to structure the child’s day to include a healthy mix of academic learning and extracurriculars both online and offline.

6. The arts bring joy: Art makes us happy – it’s as simple as that. It lights up every part of the brain and helps release dopamine – the feelgood chemical. It is a powerful way to keep kids calm and centred. And if we don’t focus on these things first, how can we expect students to be productive?

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ACADEMIC VIEWS

Mnemonics in a Classroom Environment Deepika Venkatesh, Senior School Educator, Ebenezer International School, Bengaluru

Deepika is currently working as a senior school educator at Ebenezer International School, Bengaluru. She switched careers from being a Senior Risk and Regulatory Affairs Analyst at Deloitte USI to the field of education with an aim of magnifying sustainable education. Being a Digitally Certified educator by organizations like National Geographic and Google she believes in encompassing progressive teaching and learning techniques in classrooms for a quality education.

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Mnemonics are so interesting and help learners remember so many things under the sun

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t is said that our brain is a social organ and it requires continuous stimulation and connection to survive and thrive. If not, a brain will not have sufficient challenge, therefore shrink and eventually stop functioning. The ultimate power of learning is achieved when we have the enthusiasm to present ourselves with answers to why and what. I call this kind of learning ‘Find Learning’. The moment we start exploring varied approaches to understand subjects, we tend to give a cognitive approach and eventually find relevant information to store in our brain for a long time. This helps solve the question of why and what throughout life. Varied learning techniques have emerged into the world of education today. One of those learning techniques I encourage in my classroom to make it more recreational is a Mnemonic based style.

What exactly is a mnemonic?

Mnemonic is an aid to remembering facts or large amounts of information in the form of a song, story, poem, phrase, image, acronym or sentence.

Why a Mnemonic based approach in a classroom environment?

Mnemonic based approach can help learners enjoy the journey of their education. From tricky spelling words to

names of scientists, a mnemonic based approach can crack it open. Studies show that spelling learning strategies can make wonders in a student’s educational life. After all, the best way to encourage love is to provide learners with well built opportunities where they tend to pave a path for themselves.

This approach has the potential to connect the dots and helps enhance the memory of students with important information.

How can we imbibe this tack in our teaching routine?

Learners deal with challenging words and ideas which tend to make them feel burdened. There are topics which make our learners go bewildered or sometimes strenuous. Also, there are some words where learners struggle to learn the spellings. A mnemonic based approach can be of use in those situations. All we have to do is set up a phrase or a sentence with the first letter of every word or first letter of each category. Mnemonics can be developed by teachers or have learners come up on their own. While using this strategy, teachers must model it first and undergo steps of explanation before learners can use it independently.

Provide students with multiple opportunities to create and give remedial feedback.

Take a look at the following example from one of the concepts in my subject, Business Studies:

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Fun, isn’t it?

To help learners remember the order or command terms of a specific topic, this technique can be utilised.

Irrespective of a subject, mnemonics can be applied to anything which needs aid to remember and understand better. While we cannot replace regular learning patterns, we can create fun based approaches where learners can enjoy what they are doing and retain more information. Mnemonics are so interesting and help learners remember so many things under the Sun.

Topic: Features of Business Environment1. Totality of external forces 2. General and specific forces 3. Interrelatedness 4. Complexity 5. Dynamic 6. Uncertainty 7. Relativity First letters of each sentence above represents a category and they are, T,G,I,C,D,U,R Mnemonic could be: That Girl In Court Damaged Umpire’s Radio.

Let us try it out with some challenging words and general categories as well: ● Atheist- A Trainer Has Enthusiasm In Showing a Treadmill. ● Ironic- In Rush Of Nails In Chair ● Pharaoh- Pink Hall, A Rose And Orange Hat ● Does- Daughter Only Eats Sushi ● 9 Planets in the right order (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) - My Very Educated Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets ● Arithmetic- A Rabbit In Their Home Might Eat The Italian Carrot

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Conclusion: This is one of the techniques that can be applied, however, as educators and learners we all are free to explore varied ways of learning and foster growth within and around us. When we start training learners’ brains to be their clover leaf, they tend to empower themselves with the true nature of education which is the joy of learning. Joy and learning must always go hand in hand. Bear in mind that today’s world is aspiring for individuals who have creative and dynamic skill sets. So, let us teach and seek pleasure and reward from creatively healthy pursuits for a sustainable future.

I always conclude on a tender note about sustainable education which I follow in my teaching routine. One of the UNESCO’s prominent themes that has taken the frame in my world of teaching is ‘Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)’.

According to the theme, ESD empowers learners of all ages with knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to address the interconnected global challenges we are facing, including climate change, environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, poverty and inequality. Teaching and learning are always in the same boat. At the end of the day teaching that focuses on outcome will result in a learning that gives a 360-degree view of what, where and how we are.

I believe that my teaching should always prepare learners not just to submit an answer script for a score but to be in a position to unveil and decipher the real world’s challenging state of affairs. Education must cause a marked change and allow intelligence to make informed decisions. It must replicate a collective action to recast our society. We as teachers can bridge the gap between a theoretical space and a practical world by creating and implementing our tailormade approaches towards sustainable education in every session irrespective of the subject chosen. Happy teaching and learning!

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INDUSTRY VIEWS

Merging Academics and Extracurricular Tanuj Shah, CEO & Co-Founder, ipassio

Noteworthy entrepreneur, Tanuj Shah is known for his current role as the CEO and co-founder of ipassio. He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. He began his career at the Emerging Interactions Team of Oracle Headquarters in California. Over the years, under his dynamic leadership, ipassio has emerged as one of the industry leaders for effectively learning hobbies / extracurricular activities online. Tanuj is acclaimed for his contribution to the tech industry.

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Pursuing extracurricular activities in an academic setting helps the student achieve better at the latter

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ew normal - a phase in today’s time that has flipped the way the world works. The new normal at work, new normal in school, or the new normal at home - this phrase has the word ‘normal’ on paper. But it doesn’t signify normalcy in reality. Instead, it’s a reference to a post-pandemic phase that made people live in a new untold way. Adjusting to this phase, people have somehow struck a balance in the best way possible, within their homes.

The switch to virtual reality has inevitably become a part and parcel of everyday life. This is very applicable to students who are now learning both academics, as well as extracurricular activities, through online learning.

Based on UNESCO’s data in 2020, more than 1.6 billion students from across the world were learning from their homes, via

virtual classes. Overcoming a few hiccups, most have quickly adapted to this way of learning. The pandemic has also brought in the need for a healthy blend of academics and extracurricular activities. Let’s talk about how and why these two educational aspects are blended and what are their advantages: The importance of extracurricular activities in an academic life Even before the pandemic, extracurricular activities were always focused on, in schools and colleges, in a certain ratio along with academics. The two learning aspects were blended into a detailed curriculum for students in educational institutions, for many reasons. These included maintaining mental growth and activity, strategic thinking, boosting energy levels, developing social skills and so much more.

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Pursuing extracurricular activities in an academic setting helps the student achieve better at the latter. According to Texas A&M College of Education & Human Development, there is a deep correlation between academic and extracurricular education. The latter had a positive impact on academics because it develops a definite sense of determination in the student. The kind of extracurricular activity doesn’t matter, as long as it keeps the student happy and full of energy, which they can channel into their studies.

The switch to virtual reality has inevitably become a part and parcel of everyday life

How are educational institutions bringing in the blend in the new normal With most schools and colleges remaining closed since 2020, the medium of online learning has taken precedence. Even though it means restriction in terms of physical space, it is undoubtedly considered as the safer option.

So, how do educational institutions ensure that both academics and extracurricular activities remain blended? The initial days were difficult with the struggle to maintain the same level of energy. The temporary shutdown of these extracurriculars also affected the creative energy of students, making them restless due to continuous screen hours in the same place. But things turned out for the better when most of these activities were brought online.

Schools and colleges ensured that extracurricular activities are targeted in between the weekdays, amounting to around 4 to 5 hours per week. Be it debate, games, artwork, singing, or dancing, students are required to virtually attend these classes - to avoid being burnt out by their academic curriculum. A minimum of an hour of recreation in between makes their day less hectic and stressful.

Parents should introduce their children to this healthy blend The sudden change to remaining indoors at all times was something that students had to get used to. Parents did help in making their

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transition smooth, to an extent, and technology also played a major role in bridging the physical gap. While finding online alternatives to creative activities for their kids, many parents have opted for hobby platforms like ipassio.

Parents should resort to such recreational platforms, post detailed online research, to ensure that their child’s learning skills keep developing with a good faculty online. Here is where ipassio plays a major role in shaping the journey of a learner as it offers online live learning of extracurriculars from top-notch educators, who make time exclusively for the student. When the learner sees such acclaimed instructors focusing on them solely, it boosts their interests and inspires them to a great extent.

Introducing children to activities that they love, ensures that their skills apply to core academics and personality development. It also keeps them happy and content.

For instance, activities and games like Chess or Rubik’s Cube ensure not only calculative strength and resistance but also strategic thinking and logical aptitude. Similarly, forms like Singing and Dancing not only ensure good vocals and body structure but also develop concentration, listening skills, and patience. Exercise forms and genres like Yoga ensure that the student is always level-headed and solution-oriented.

Blending academics with extracurricular activities maintain mental health and productivity Having a balanced blend of academics and extracurricular activities is crucial as prolonged screen hours that demand continuous attention could be taxing and hectic for students. Just like the famous saying, all work, and no play, makes Jack a dull boy.

One must remember that the pandemic has also had quite a bogging down effect on students.

The drastic switch from a classroom setting to remaining seated in front of the same screen for the whole day can be quite overwhelming. After all of this, expecting students to perform at the same level as they would earlier, will be quite demanding.

In such scenarios, the blending of academics and extracurricular activities helps. While the former ensures the student’s ambition and academic goal, the latter refreshes the energy levels and boosts confidence.

The advantages of pursuing extracurricular activities while studying There are several advantages that extracurricular activities bring when they are blended into an academic curriculum. Some of these include: Sharper, solution-based thinking Students begin thinking of math problems, logical questions, and aptitude-related topics in a more strategic, clean-cut manner.

Teamwork spirit with better patience Because of the activities they pursue, students develop a great deal of patience and this helps when they coordinate with others.

Developing a curious attitude - Because extracurriculars help the student in selfdiscovering and this leads to better logic application and peaked interest.

Time management and organizational skills - Extracurriculars are pursued during the student’s off-hours and so, the student knows how to make time for it as well as academics.

It also teaches them how to organize their tasks in a day.

Even though the online medium of learning existed before the pandemic, the sudden flip from going to class to attending class online has been massive. Educators have the opportunity of carving out different curriculums that blend academics and extracurricular activities in a cohesive routine that could benefit students in various ways. This is achieved by ipassio as the instructors customize their style of teaching according to the student’s age, learning level, and needs. Supported by parents, the blended way of online learning is now acclaimed as the safest and best option.

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MENTOR’S OPINION

Redefining the Roles of Schools and Education post the Pandemic Anupa Gnanakan, Director - Education, ACTS Group of Institutions

A teacher by profession, Anupa Gnanakan has a passion for quality, meaningful, relevant and student-centered education to children from all backgrounds, with a focus on turning schools into places where children feel safe, happy and excited, by inculcating a curiosity to learn and discover.

With a BA in Psychology, Anupa Gnanakan is a trained Montessori teacher who later pursued a Post Graduate Diploma in The Comprehensive Management of Teaching Children with Learning Difficulties, and an MA in Special and Inclusive Education from the University of Northampton. After 15 years of teaching in various schools across Bangalore, she is now the Director – Education at the ACTS Group of Institutions, an NGO that is dedicated to providing quality and accessible education to the community.

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he novel coronavirus pandemic has led to the closure of schools for over a year now. It has been a long year of uncertainty, change, trying to adapt, experimenting, shifting of the learning process online, adjusting mindsets, and growth for all in the field of education. It has also been a year of trying to fill in the digital and learning gaps that this whole shift has led to.

With the reopening of schools being next on the agenda, apart from making sure that all the health and safety precautions are in place, the education system now has to deal with how to bridge the growing digital and learning divide. The extended closure of schools has also affected the emotional and mental wellbeing of students.

Having set the context, what do I think is the way forward for the education system?

Below are my thoughts which are solely based on the experiences and realisations that we have had the past year and a half.

One of the most obvious key elements of the future is Technology. We educators have evaded this for so long now, and the pandemic forced us to start experimenting.

Teachers and students are now using technology with ease and expertise, and I

believe that this is something that we need to hold on to. The use of technology to support both teaching and learning has the power to transform the educational system, and can increase productivity.

Going forward, I believe that the use of Blended Learning opportunities can break down the walls of traditional teaching. If this can be incorporated into the school system, Blended Learning can offer flexibility, in terms of availability and time frames, it can cater to the diverse learners and their needs, can meet the students’ levels of interests, and offer easy access to global materials and resources. Blended Learning offers a multitude of real-world skills that directly translate into life skills, which is something that we need to prepare our students for the future.

The online classroom has made the teacher have more faith in the student, which has in turn made the student less dependent on the teacher. Indian students are now researching, self-learning, selfengaging, self-driven, thinking critically, being creative, solving problems, digitally literate, and making decisions on their own.

All these skills are what students require to be lifelong learners, and to thrive in today’s

The online classroom has made the teacher have more faith in the student, which has in turn made the student less dependent on the teacher

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world. We need to thank the pandemic for making this happen. And even if things do go back to normal, I hope that all schools will focus on these 21st Century Learning skills and the importance of equipping our students with these skills.

Apart from many other things, the global pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the mental health of students, which has led to an urgent need for Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) to be integrated into the classroom. Schools really need to work towards the psychological well being of students, to help them succeed and reach their fullest potential, both inside and outside the classroom. Research shows that SEL can also improve academic performance as well.

In a world where there is continuous religious and racial unrest, lack of empathy, inequality, human rights violations and poverty, Global Citizenship Education (GCED) can respond to these challenges as it provides students with the understanding, skills and values that they need to work towards a safe, just, tolerant and inclusive society. We really need to equip our future citizens to be able to contribute responsibly and peacefully to their communities. In the words of Haim Ginott, the Israaeli educational psychologist, “My request is this: Help your children become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths or educated Eichmanns.

Reading, writing, and arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more human”.

The NEP2020’s recommendation of the mother tongue as the medium of instruction, at least until Grade 5, is what I believe to be a sustainable way forward. This can help in keeping students engaged and interested in the learning process, will help them feel at home, and most importantly, will help build a strong foundation for reading, writing and arithmetic in children. I have seen this work in a small school that I work closely with, which is why I highly recommend this.

The teaching and learning process involves not only the student but the teacher as well. No more can one just teach out of a textbook anymore. We are teaching students who already have enough information at their fingertips, and they have the tools they need to uncover a wealth of facts and knowledge independently. Teachers now need to evolve into a position where they help students

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understand how to learn, to love learning, and how to uncover, understand and process the information that they find. The new normal needs the teacher to be a researcher and a learner, to constantly adapt, change, and reinvent along the way, and it is up to us school leaders to train and equip our teachers with these skills.

A lot of bad has come from this pandemic, but a lot of good has come out of it as well. We have had this amazing chance to relook at, redefine and reset our education system and practices. We will be foolish to ignore this and go back to how things used to be. We all need to make an effort to hold on to all that we have learnt during this time, and mindfully implement this learning as we move forward.

I would like to end with a quote from Dwayne Reed, America’s favourite rapping teacher, who said, “My hope is that our new normal, today, exposes what was wrong with our old normal, yesterday, and sets us up for a better normal, tomorrow”.

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ACADEMIC VIEWS

How Schools Can Make Online Education Easier for Students Virali Tanna, Teacher, Aditya Birla World Academy, Mumbai

Virali Tanna is an apprentice in the field of education. With a background in marketing and communications, she always had a passion for teaching. She loves conducting extensive research studies and studying the education system as well as including updated technologies while she shares her work. She is an avid learner and is working towards bringing a whirlwind change in the learning process for students.

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Giving the learners an array of interactive online tools and allowing them to pick the ones they are more comfortable with instantly makes the content engaging and easier for them to grasp

“I

f the child is not learning the way you are teaching, then you must teach in the way the child learns”. These words by Rita Dunn are followed by teachers all around the world. Adapting and differentiation are two key concepts that work in every classroom. In 2019, as COVID-19 hit all parts of the world, schools and teachers across the nation started scrambling to provide online learning options for students. We all know that this journey has not been an easy one. Can teachers who have been teaching in a physical classroom setup provide an effective learning environment for all their students, irrespective of the access and need?

As a teacher, my first challenge was to decide whether I want to make my learning easier or engaging?

Whichever way I pick, how effective is it going to be?

The one certain thing is that there is no back seat in online education, every student is in the front row.

Parents, educators and guardians need to have an open

and honest conversation with their children about the other’s emotions. Here are some ways that schools can adapt to make online education easier.

1. Recognizing your students’ technological proficiency: Most of us assume that Gen-Z is born a tech-wizard and will adapt impeccably to a remote learning situation.

This isn’t true for every learner. Giving the learners an array of interactive online tools and allowing them to pick the ones they are more comfortable with instantly makes the content engaging and easier for them to grasp. They can be guided along the learning path using some tools that are mandatory (if necessary).

2. Creating Content: What happens when we dump a lot of information on a person? It is never about how much content we teach, it is always about how we organise and present

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it. Our brain can take only so much at once.When we receive any information, it needs to ignore some and then process the rest. In an online set up, there are far more factors contributing to this process than there would have in a school. An educator needs to make sure her content is crisp, clear and attractive at the same time, with so many tools. To check on a student’s learning, various asynchronous formative assessments strategies can be used.

3. Asynchronous learning with a help desk: Getting students to attend live classes and participate in discussions is great, but it doesn’t work for all.

Giving students more than one way to participate

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in discussions and complete their assignments will help them work independently and figure out what style of learning works best for them. This will also reduce the anxiety of not being able to participate in the class. The educators can be available online for certain hours in a day where students can log in and collaborate or help in any way they need. The idea is to develop an understanding amongst learners that they can independently work on their learning and still fall back on the help of a teacher if needed.

4. A fluid schedule: Bonni Stachowiak writes, “The most important way I have found to engage learners during online sessions is to regularly change what they are doing.”

Teachers can decide the weekly goal of concepts to be covered along with the learners. There can be a lot of noise inside a learner’s brain and while studying at home, there can be a lot of noise in the surroundings too.

To retain their attention in class, this is an easy way out, where teachers decide their daily tasks and goals to be achieved. Each day is a new and surprising day for the learners as the anticipation and surprise of not knowing what they may learn today keeps them on their toes.

Each day is a new and surprising day for the learners as the anticipation and surprise of not knowing what they may learn today keeps them on their toes

5. Mixing up lessons: Lesson plans should be dynamic and fresh so that they don’t seem mundane and repetitive. You can start the class with a full group discussion followed by a group/ pair breakout session. You can ask the learners to share their understanding and then send them on a virtual scavenger hunt to make notes on research material shared with them while returning with their ideas. It’s also an effective method to empower them. This also allows teachers some time to carry on with their regular check-ins and checkups. Creating individual and taskbased learning can help the learners with a real, relevant outcome and feel a sense of achievement too.

6. Encourage a sense of community: It’s been almost two years since learners have been learning through a screen because of which social and emotional skills of students haven’t been nourished.

Creating a sense of community and understanding through academics and non-academics is very important. A classic classroom technique that works a treat online is peer feedback. Entitling learners to review each other’s work helps them to build a better understanding of the concept and encourages a culture of sharing which can be valuable. Social functions such as commenting on content is an important aspect of communicating.

While making online education easier for students, it also makes me think about how we can make it easier for the parents who have been monitoring and guiding them at home. Even after two years of online teaching, I wonder if I should make my content easier or engaging?

Is it enough or do students have more potential? With a return to normality insight, we need to accept that in the foreseeable future, education might embrace a hybrid model of in-class as well as online learning. With that said, let’s rise to the challenge!

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BEST PRACTICES

Student Leadership, Servicelearning, and

the Evolution of the Teenage Brain Jérémie Rostan, Service Learning Coach and Psychology Teacher, Yokohama International School, Japan

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Jérémie Rostan is an educator with over 10 years of experience in international schools. Passionate about educational psychology, Jérémie has authored several books and contributed to many publications on a large variety of topics. He is also the founder of Student Leadership Initiative and helps schools transition from student-centered to studentpowered models.

Evolutionary psychologists have challenged this view of adolescence as inherently problematic

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eenagers have always had a bad reputation.

“I would there were no age between sixteen and three-and-twenty, or that youth would sleep out the rest; for there is nothing in the between but getting wenches with child, wronging the ancientry, stealing, fighting–Hark you now!” laments a shepherd in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. Through the centuries, the stereotype seems to have remained unchanged: teenagers are overly emotional, reckless, unruly, stubborn, and gregarious. As the shepherd quoted above suggests, these negative traits have traditionally been explained by the fact that adolescence is a time of “crisis”: an explosive mix of adult aspirations and childish tendencies. Indeed, modern neuroscience has confirmed that the teenage brain is still very much in transition, with heightened activity in the limbic system and ongoing plasticity in the prefrontal cortex.

Yet, evolutionary psychologists have challenged this view of adolescence as inherently problematic.

In prehistoric times, they point out, life expectancy was about 25 years, meaning that the responsibility for human survival rested with people in their teens and early twenties. The fact that they were up for the challenge seems to have stemmed from the evolution of four distinctive adolescent drives: agency, connection, innovation, and justice. Teenage is a time

when individuals strive to assume control over their own lives. This is not only true in modern society or an effect of modern culture: even in the remote past, it was essential, to prevent inbreeding, that adolescents venture outside of their familiar environment and explore the world for and by themselves. Or rather, as a group. Indeed, if facing the unknown required a high sensitivity to rewards and tolerance for risk, doing so relatively safely favored a desire for both independence and interdependence, as well as the ability to form new, strong connections. Likewise, it made necessary a natural tendency to experiment and capacity to adapt and innovate. Interestingly, those requisites are all very much in line with the adolescent phase of the development of the brain, with its hyperactive socio-emotional centers and flexible knowledge circuits.

Looking more closely, however, the teenage brain seems to have evolved to not only explore, but literally take over the world from the previous generation— something prehistoric teenagers had to do, coming of age at a time when their parents were decimated by early deaths. There could lie the origins of teenagers’ heightened sense of equality and fairness; and there could also lie the origins of the stigma placed on adolescence: in its power struggle with conservative social structures. One such structure is the education

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system. Until recently, its goal was arguably to prevent independence and collaboration, to quell innovation and revendication, and to mold teenagers into appropriate members of society. True enough, the modern studentcentered approach has transformed education: far from suppressing the drives that animate teenagers, its aim is now to leverage and develop them. Yet, this empowerment remains largely limited to the classroom: beyond its walls, students are still supposed to “know their place”—they are “only teenagers”, after all. The fundamental shift is thus still needed that would help us see adolescence as a solution rather than as a problem, and that would lead to student-powered schools where adolescents would practice the skills needed to address the global issues they will inherit from us.

Far from being naive, this optimistic view is supported by the fact that, if the teenage brain proved adaptive to our early ancestors, it might still be so today, as humanity faces a renewed challenge to its survival: sustainability. As a matter of fact, adolescence could hold the answer to one of the most intriguing and important questions: how humans evolved to overcome natural selection. As Darwin himself wrote in The Descent of Man (an in the language of his time): “With savages, the weak in body or mind are soon eliminated; and those that survive commonly exhibit a vigorous state of health. We

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civilized men, on the other hand, do our utmost to check the process of elimination; we build asylums for the imbecile, the maimed, and the sick; we institute poorlaws; and our medical men exert their utmost skill to save the life of every one to the last moment”. Quite possibly, this civilization was the product of each new generation’s natural thirst for agency, collaboration, innovation and justice.

A good place to start this evolution from studentcentered to student-powered schools is service-learning.

Indeed, now that they are more needed than ever, nowhere can the four drives of adolescence be more effectively harnessed and refined than through programs that empower teenagers to initiate and contribute to collaborative projects addressing real-world issues.

However, to play this crucial role and prepare the next generation for what has been its mission from time immemorial, service-learning programs must meet three requirements. They must be authentic, engage students in a practical reflection on what “service” really means, and clarify their learning objectives with a focus on leadership and membership skills.

Those are the objectives we are setting for ourselves at YIS, and we will be happy to join forces and collaborate with all educators around the globe who share our belief in the exciting potential of our teenage students.

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INDUSTRY VIEWS

Gearing up Teachers and Students for the Online World Sezel Lalwani, Co-Founder, fire.fly

Sezel Lalwani is the co-founder at fire.fly where they work with early stage entrepreneurs through courses, mentorship & funding.

She has led 150+ courses across product, marketing & design thinking skills.

Prior to this she was a product manager at Deloitte Digital & an advertising professional at LinkedIn & HCL. She comes with 8years of experience and is also a gold medallist in Radio & Television Journalism from IIMC, New Delhi. She loves reading and watching thriller shows & cooking is her new pandemic-skill!

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Distance learning is here to stay and we are getting better by the day!

“S

tudents, can you hear me?” “Switch on your cameras please!”

“Ma’am, your screen is not sharing anymore” “Sir, I can’t understand this topic.”

The unexpecting, unassuming lives of teachers and students today are in the reigns of the online world. This unplanned shift has shaken long drawn foundations of education in the world.

According to a recent survey conducted by ed-tech firm Schoolguru Eduserve, more than 50 percent teachers are unhappy with online education.

With the given circumstances where lives are at risk, making the best of what we have and rising up and embracing the virtual world is something we can all work towards.

We at fire.fly have a sure shot formula that works for us every time we work with students or professionals, basically for everyone who wants to ‘learn’. Teachers, you can up your ante with our 4 Ps:

Projects: Prioritize the ‘doing’ way of learning.

Giving your students the chance to lead on projects and student driven assignments are one of the best ways to get them to feel involved. Group assignments where students can engage on a video/ audio platform without a teacher can uplift their interest and some side banter will feel like ‘school’ again! Ensure that these projects are presented in the online class so participation can increase. Projects can provide a digital detox as well so students don’t have to be on the screen always but are learning otherwise too.

Passion: Let’s lead with imagination, encouraging students to discover their own passion projects and unleashing their creativity without boundaries can really make a difference. Be open, accepting, and excited to see what students come up with! Have more open communication with students and be vulnerable so they can relate to you as a person also. Scheduling 1-on-1 sessions with some students

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can really benefit. You can understand their learning patterns and include their passions as you teach to be more inclusive.

Peers: Learning from peers is so underrated! In school, so much learning happens at lunch breaks, before & after school hours. Encourage students to participate, make teams and use the chat feature. The chat option on most online platforms helps engage students to interact with you and with each other. Encourage them to keep the conversation going on chats. Well, some side chats always liven the class!

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Play: Play is all about having fun!

Introduce gaming techniques to teach and embrace online tools to act as your assistants. Ice breakers, chit chats, quizzes, watching movies together, etc. can really help you connect with your students and ensure everyone has fun!

Teachers are surely trying their best, but students can be equally responsible too for their own growth. Well, what can they do?

Show up, Show Interest! Yes, sometimes classes can be monotonous but take notes, listen, engage. Teachers are really putting in effort; it’s time for students to pull up their socks as well!

Ask Questions: One of the best things about online learning is that you can refer to similar concepts on the internet alongside, learning manifold and asking questions or sharing knowledge. This can make the entire process so wholesome.

Be Creative in Assignments: Ditch the age old methods, get creative, explore and present out of the box assignments! Challenge your teachers and peers. Show them your creative confidence.

Engage in Classes: Use the chat option to talk to your peers, discuss topics, ask questions, and share your views and more.

This will make it easier to be engaged and focused.

Uplift your environment: Mental focus will also be determined by your physical posture, surrounding, light and more. Sit in a well lit area, and definitely not on your bed or sofa! Dining table also works. Sit upright and also stand sometimes. You can place a few books or boxes under your laptop so it’s like an elevated stand and you can stand and listen/work. This will make you active. Add some indoor plants to your desk and sometimes change the space you study in too. You can sometimes sit in the balcony or in a different room to refresh your mind.

We all are trying to make the online experience richer, but we could definitely use assistance. Here are some tools that can help teachers & students create magical experiences in class: Kahoot: This quiz app has so many feature that teachers can use to liven up classes and assignments. From in-class quizzes to student paced challenges, kahoots are displayed on a shared screen and students can easily answer via their devices. Students can add these as a fun element in their assignments too.

Padlet: Padlet works like a bulletin board.

Teachers and students can organize classwork, assignments, home work and project submissions.

It’s an all-in-one space and great for organization and collaboration.

Ziteboard: This is a lightweight whiteboard website which works on any device and is a powerful tool for distance education. Real time tutoring, brainstorming, sharing images, and more are all possible here!

Miro: Miro is another whiteboard tool that helps to brainstorm with virtual sticky notes, writings, and more. These can make it so easy for teachers to explain concepts & also to invite students to collaborate in a live session.

Prezi: Don’t hide behind boring presentations; bring them to life with Prezi’s fun slideshows.

Check Prezi for Educators and revamp your teaching style. Students can create innovative presentations and get those extra grades!

Canva: Another great tool for presentations, posters, anything creative. Their templates are super easy to use and have a great aesthetic sense. Teachers can create presentations directly here and export them to show your students. Students can create event posters, presentations, logos and more with canva.

Mentimeter: Use live polls, quizzes, word clouds, Q&A’s and more to get real-time input.

Edmodo: If teachers are looking to scale courses and record them, edmodo can easily help achieve that. Record short courses, upload them, add assignments and share with your students!

Online courses: Whether it’s coursera, linkedin learning, udemy or udacity, these can help students go deeper into a topic and enhance their knowledge. Teachers can sometimes refer to concepts from the curriculum and find related courses that students can do on their own. This will enable student paced learning. Students can also dig deeper and learn from great professors and experts from around the world.

Distance learning is here to stay and we are getting better by the day! Let’s embrace this together and create wholesome learning experiences because learning ever stops.

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ACADEMIC VIEWS

The Untweeted!

Sindhu Joseph, English Language Facilitator & Joyful Learning Advocate, Yuvabharathi Public School, Coimbatore

Sindhu Joseph is an English Language Facilitator, Senior Secondary at Yuvabharathi Public School, Coimbatore. She holds her Master’s degree in English Literature and a Bachelor of Education degree in General and Special Education, specializing in Mental Retardation. With more than a decade of rich and diverse experience in the field of School Education, she firmly believes in the positive power of Joyful learning in transforming the lives of every student and teacher. Yuvabharathi Public School is a top-ranked CBSE school of this metropolitan city known for imparting holistic education and is also identified as one of the most innovative schools in South India.

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The manifold nuisances that a teacher can easily pick up in the regular classroom are being lost through the remote learning platforms

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here is an unspoken or unheard message that every student carries within him/her. Only teachers with ears of love can tune themselves to those unheard or unspoken voices of every student, especially of the ones who are in dire need of human connection. The words that are unspoken are the most important ones that should have been said, they carry an intense message.

a safe and caring environment will accentuate their faith in humanity. Humanizing online learning should be the foremost focus now!

We teachers should learn to mask our personal anxiousness or apprehensions and put up a smile for them. Always be that one person who can spread positivity, smiles and happiness! CautionA smile is contagious!

A glimpse of a few Untweeted messages from our students!

Do I exist?

Most of the students feel ignored or cut off from a teacher in a virtual classroom. The digital interface makes it even more challenging for a teacher to engage every student in a class of say 25-30. Making meaningful connections with students is more important now than ever before! Encourage them to share their thoughts with you.

Teachers should find means and ways to talk to the students, create ways for them to connect with you after class for extended help. I prefer on-record conversations with students to off-therecord conversations. A personal school mail id

A smile, please.

A smile certainly is a profound symbol of a connection made without words. The unprecedented pandemicridden circumstances have stolen the smiles from all mankind. People have almost forgotten to use those facial muscles! The Untweeted message from your student is ‘Teacher, please give me a smile, an assurance that everything is going to get better!’

Learning happens with ease if the teacher wears a smile. Letting the students know that they are in

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would be a wise choice to avoid misleading or inappropriate conversations.

Support them and make them feel they exist, that they are valued! that you see them as more than just a name on a class roll or an icon on the screen.

One moment, please!

The multifarious things that a teacher ought to do during the virtual class results in teachers yanking the students along with them into this rapid race to execute their lesson plan for the session. This intensifies the student’s feeling of being left out, especially the passive learners.

Hence the untweeted message- ‘Dear Teacher, give me a moment to think, I’m trying to process what you’ve just said, I’m surrounded by potential distractions at home, it is hard for me to focus; Give me a moment to turn my camera and microphone on to respond to you, before you get

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frustrated and remove me from the class or pass my question to my peer; Give me a moment until the digital app opens in my phone, my network is poor; I’m unable to figure out how to do what you’ve assigned using my phone, I don’t have a PC and the list goes on…”

‘We keep calling this generation as digital natives as if they are whizzes at everything computerized, they aren’t’ wrote Tim O’Brien.

Our students need time and support both in a synchronous and non-synchronous mode of learning. Give them that time and support.

The manifold nuisances that a teacher can easily pick up in the regular classroom are being lost through the remote learning platforms. So it is highly essential for a dynamic teacher to look into these microscopic areas and not miss out on these unspoken or unheard voices. Every child entrusted into our hands is worth our attention, and our unbiased love!

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INDUSTRY VIEWS

Importance of Finding the Synergy Between Academics and Extracurriculars in the New Normal Achin Bhattacharyya, CEO and Founder, Notebook

Achin Bhattacharyya pursued this dream to provide access to learning for primary and secondary school education in India. With the inclusion of all significant boards and outreach to urban and rural classes of the country at affordable price points, Notebook is an effort to provide access to effortless and efficient learning for school students.

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The need of the hour is to reimagine the blending and resultant synergy between academics and extracurriculars

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inston Churchill once said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Without debate, the Pandemic has by far been the biggest catastrophe to affect human race in this century. It has paralysed the global economic juggernaut and left all of us soul-searching with the entire realisation of the futility of our material aspirations.

Education has been one of the most affected sectors and most of the schools around the world haven’t had the opportunity to open their gates to students for more than a year.

However, while schools were closed, schooling was on and not only the textbook, but the entire campus experience had to squeeze in to fit into laptop and smartphone screens.

However, lot of conventional norms had to be redefined and fresh blue-sky thinking is the need of the hour, as all aspects like pedagogy, the role of the educator, peer-to-peer learning and interaction, nature of activity-based learning, etc. has to be thought completely afresh.

In the process, the most obvious casualty has been the outdoor group activities that has always been a huge part of schooling. While the academics and assessments could be transported into digital equivalence, these activities were not as easy.

Present circumstances have left all of us with very little choice in terms of outdoor group activities and thus the need of the hour is to reimagine the blending and resultant synergy between academics and extracurriculars.

Nature of activities need to be thought through so as to ensure that they can be performed in an indoor ambience, captured in a webcam and still be able to achieve the desired learning outcomes.

As far as extracurricular activities are concerned the remote learning environment also provides a unique opportunity in terms of hosting much larger events in areas like music, debates, quizzes, innovation challenges, thought sharing platforms etc.

Once you remove the logistical challenges, you have the opportunity to distil events down to their basic essence – pure performance!

First and foremost, the pandemic has ensured that all of us have gotten used to events being hosted

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remotely. It offers the obvious logistical advantages in terms of saving a lot of commuting time and expense.

Also, it helps students from all around the world to participate in these events. In that sense, the role of the pandemic in terms of its impact in creating a global community is almost like an oxymoron – a global adversity uniting a global community. On one hand, long stretches of lockdown and social distancing have made it difficult to even visit our next-door neighbour.

On the other hand, it has help us zoom in and bring the whole world together.

During the pandemic we have hosted events like an international debate and an innovation challenge and have seen thousands of children from across the world representing their schools by participating in these events. Their enthusiastic participation also proves the utility of these events in order to keep our youngsters productively engaged.

The students may not get the opportunity to meet their friends at school and play soccer on the lush green school grounds, but they have made friends from around the world and peer to peer activity based learning has been really intense.

As stated earlier, the situation has helped distil events down to their core essence. In that, outdoor group activities are essentially a way to encourage and promote teamwork, adaptation, innovation, resourcefulness and the ability to look at your surroundings as an active participant in the teaching-learning process. If you look at the online events like debates, or innovation challenge – we created opportunities for students to collaborate, co-create, co-present while competing with other schools across the world, which they were unlikely to meet otherwise at a school fest on-ground.

In fact, this opportunity has now spilled across the line separating the academic from the extra-curricular. As teachers have grown more and more accustomed to the functions and features of online teaching platforms and tools, they have also innovated. Now, academic content delivery has also transformed into fun activities. Be it recreating science lab activities using kitchen supplies, or roleplaying as a tool to teach plays, online activities have encroached upon a region that was hitherto ruled by ‘chalk-and-talk.’ Pedagogy, in and of itself, has undergone a sea change. In fact, the way digital learning content has been integrated into the online classes is the perfect example of the living, breathing form that “Blended Learning” can take. Terms like ‘flipped classroom’ and ‘blended learning’ have been buzzwords in education for a while now, but the lockdown has now brought those from concepts, into reality.

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12 Digest Higher EducationKDigest August 2021 December October January 2019 2020

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BEST PRACTICES

Best Practices to Combat Academic Misconduct and Champion Integrity Chaitali Moitra, Regional Director – South Asia, Turnitin India

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With over two decades of experience across varied industry segments, Chaitali Moitra has served at the helm of various organizations and steered institutions to excellence in key success metrics - in both a financial and strategic growth capacity. Chaitali is well recognized as a leader in Business Development, Marketing and Learning.

She has served in leadership positions at Genpact, The Indo-Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Global University Systems, and Macmillan Education. As the Managing Director of Collins Learning, a division of Harper Collins India, she has worked extensively with the education sector in South Asia. She has mentored students of leading management institutes and is often invited by leading institutes to share her knowledge and experience.

It is essential that students appreciate and understand the importance of integrity and authenticity

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t this time when distance learning has become the norm, academic integrity is a matter of great concern. With less student supervision in virtual classrooms, cases of academic misconduct such as plagiarism, student collusion, and contract cheating are on the rise.

The Ministry of Education and authorities at various colleges and universities in India have been forced to implement measures to curb the rise of cheating in online examinations, after reports of widespread student collusion using messaging apps were received. A 10-member committee headed by Indian Institute of Technology-Madras Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi was created to develop a set of protocols for online internal examinations in centrally-funded education institutions, to safeguard the validity and legitimacy of future online examinations.

To combat breaches in academic integrity, educators can leverage various best practices in promoting ethical behavior. Encouraging and inspiring students to prioritize personal integrity and also collaborate effectively with their peers

are proven ways to curb academic misconduct.

In support of this, various education technology solutions are evolving to identify and discourage academic impropriety.

Understanding academic misconduct in online learning Safeguarding the security and safety of students, faculty and staff in an online setting is critical, but it is also vital to ensure that the educational process continues and learning objectives are achieved, despite the lockdowns. To confront the issues education institutions face amid the pandemic, the University Grants Commission (UGC) drafted a set of guidelines for examinations and recommendations to support the academic calendar. With e-resources available online, the UGC has been pushing for continuity within the teaching-learning process by leveraging available online learning platforms to boost student accessibility and engagement In the current situation where educators have limitations placed on their interaction with students, it is more difficult to discern whether a

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student has intentionally or inadvertently violated academic integrity standards.

Students’ intentions can be determined by asking them to explain the process for completing the work, or even using a short, targeted assessment to uncover a skills deficit. However, these approaches may prove time-consuming and even inconclusive for educators who are not experienced in such investigation tactics.

New education technology tools, such as plagiarism detection software to verify originality and prevent text manipulation, are being developed to help teachers examine student work more objectively so that they can make informed decisions, address issues, and take necessary action.

Instilling accountability in virtual classrooms It is essential that students appreciate and understand the importance of integrity and authenticity throughout the writing process in any learning environment.

Academic integrity should be reinforced through instruction, embedded in the learning process and should support the work of educators. For instance, as an exercise at the beginning of the school year, educators can have students sign an honor statement that is then regularly referenced throughout the year. It is also crucial to educate students about academic integrity principles and build trust through regular feedback and oneon-one virtual catch-up sessions.

Educators should empower students by promoting a safe, interactive, and open environment that will encourage them to communicate the learning challenges they are experiencing, and thereby reduce the likelihood for students to take shortcuts or cheat.

If potential plagiarism is suspected, educators must hold students accountable while encouraging them to learn and grow from their mistakes. Educational software designed to support academic integrity enables feedback, assesses skill gaps, and promotes fairness, equipping

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To combat breaches in academic integrity,educators can leverage various best practices inpromoting ethical behavior

teachers with the tools to tackle the issue head-on. It helps them verify the quality and originality of students’ work in a more effective and time efficient manner, and helps identify underlying learning challenges to work on with the student individually.

Students can also use such tools to check their own work before submitting it, thus encouraging personal accountability for achieving their learning objectives.

Establishing a culture of integrity It is crucial for educators to uphold academic integrity among their students to prevent dishonest habits or misconduct, which in turn, will allow students to develop critical thinking skills that are essential to their academic performance and future careers.

Educating students on the consequences of academic dishonesty and the importance of academic integrity can significantly reduce plagiarism cases. When they graduate from university, students bring this core value with them into their professional work and social lives, which helps them become citizens of integrity in the community.

Amidst changing times, students are coming up with newer, more sophisticated forms of plagiarism and academic misconduct, making it even more important to promote personal accountability and uphold proper

ethical conduct. Educators should reinforce this principle through explicit instruction around academic integrity that is facilitated by technology, to enhance formative student learning opportunities.

Learning how to learn: shaping the next generation of citizens With the launch of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in July last year, the Indian government has been introducing reforms to make space for a more holistic, inquiry-based and discovery-based learning for students.

While equity and access in online learning has rightly been the focus, education institutions must also now look at creating an inclusive, engaging and innovative learning environment.

To develop engaged and productive citizens, education institutions should now focus on creating an inclusive, engaging and flexible learning environment. This will place greater emphasis on higher-order thinking rather than rote learning and learning-for-exams, as well as creativity and critical thinking to meet emerging 21st century demands.

Academic integrity is critical in achieving these objectives, and schools, colleges and education institutions will play an important role in establishing a system that guides ethical conduct and equitable learning in education regardless of the learning modalities.

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ACADEMIC VIEWS

Impact of Visual Art in the Overall Development of Students Sneha Chowdhry Sharma, Art Educator

With a structured educational approach and single-minded objective of promoting creativity and open-mindedness, Sneha seeks to enhance bright young minds through the medium of Art. She has 13 years of experience in the classroom that has helped her create a personalized pedagogical technique. Through her classes, she combines artistic ability with imaginative thinking, collaboration and organizational skills. She empowers every creative mind to find its space.

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Visual Art is developing their curiosity, communication skills, thinking skills, problem solving skills, desire to innovate & create

“E

very Child is an Artist. The problem is how to remain an Artist Once we grow up.” -Pablo Picasso The above quote by famous artist Picasso says a lot about how Visual Art is treated in the modern world. Visual Art is considered as an option in the Indian Education System and is often underesitimated. Worsening the condition in 2020, was the Digitalisation of Education which resulted in Visual art suffering a sudden abandonment. It was shifted back, with a tag of extra-curricular, thus not so important. The academics stood in limelight during online classes.

The Abandonment happened at the time when it was needed most. Pandemic, lockdown and sudden shift from physical to digital classrooms impacted students both mentally and physically. Unfortunately, the Education system went inconsiderate towards the role played by Visual Art in the holistic development of students. We failed to recognize in these times that art is approachable and cheaper than therapy!

At First, I as an individual struggled to make my parents understand my fondness for Visual

Art. And now as an Art Educator, I struggle to make my student’s parents understand their child needs to have indulgence in Visual Art for holistic development. The struggle is real and seems long, but, not impossible! The shift from Abandonment to Acceptance is happening in our education system and society. All thanks to the New Education Policy, we are on the first step of the ladder to Recognise the importance of Visual Art. Undoubtedly, Visual Art is an important subject that leads to the overall development of students.

The hidden lessons lead students in discovering their hidden potential and learning some life-saving skills. Some skills visual arts teaches us are: - It helps in the communication of ideas.

- It helps in the exploration of imagination power and the development of artistic & creative skills.

- It gives freedom of expression.

- It improves motor skills.

- It develops skills to analyze, appreciate and criticize.

- It is meditative and supports good mental health.

As an Art Educator for nearly 13 years, working with budding artists of different age groups has made

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me feel that an art room is an art lab that promotes experimenting in the students. Thus, bringing a new creation every time. Teaching arts follows both hands on & off approach. Wherein, thorough information about the subject and demo of skill technique helps students to explore, innovate and create. In this process, the students have to climb all steps of the ladder that take them to their final creation. The students get indulged in activities like: - Understanding - Researching - Collaborating - Innovating - Experimenting - Creating - Analysing It is after going through all these steps, students are able to create something of their own, something unique and original. In this journey, one may see how Visual Art is developing their curiosity, communication skills, thinking skills, problem solving skills, desire to innovate & create. These developments are further giving them freedom of expression, skills to analyse, appreciate and criticise. They also acquire strong concentration, patience, and team work. And not to forget Good Mental Health!

So, you see Visual Art is one wholesome platter that serves holistic growth and development to students.

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Art is not a thing, it’s a way.

Here is one more question, under the blanket, what pedagogy, Educators should employ to serve a wholesome platter of Visual Art? In our traditional methods, Art classes were to relax, to draw what is drawn on the blackboard, with silence in class. It was more for those who enjoyed and were good at Art. It was one-way communication. Just like we get copies from the Xerox machines. It left no scope of research, idea generation, brainstorming, and expression.

As someone who was taught through the traditional methods, my deep-rooted interest in Art, helped me to keep the spirit of exploring and innovating alive. When I changed my role from a Student to an Educator, I kept myself on the same path of exploring, innovating, and developing the same in my students. Today all over the world, educators are waking up to the fact; the new age is of visual age, where students must learn and think in new ways. Art education needs to be approached in a more structured manner, contemporary pedagogy with interactive communication in Art rooms. We, the educators and parents need to make them observant enough to learn from patterns and shapes around. Curious, to delve deeply into the subject and history. Innovative, to experiment and create their own version of Art. Expressive, to be able to express their creation and journey behind, both by speaking and writing. India has an advantage due to our rich tradition of Art. We have so much around us to stay inspired from patterns on our clothes we wear to homes we stay in!

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INDUSTRY VIEWS

Why Extracurriculars Matter in the New Era of Academics?

Suman Matcha, Chief Executive Officer, Online Adaptive Knowledge System (OAKS)

The vision of Suman Matcha, CEO of Online Adaptive Knowledge System (OAKS), is to provide a quality education through advanced teaching aids enabled by technology to students worldwide. After spending a considerable time learning about new-age education tools by visiting companies across India and Singapore, he wanted to make a difference in the learning experience for students in India. A graduate from the University of West Virginia, Suman pursued his Masters in Pervasive Computing. While working with “Expeditors”, he found his true calling in education and returned to India to help make education better for young minds.

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Digital platforms offering blended learning techniques to students help them in achieving their academics”

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hy do 136.69 crore Indians have only one Neeraj Chopra? Contributing to nearly 17.7% of the world’s population of 7.9 billion people, India ranks 33 with only 7 medals (gold, silver, and bronze) in the olymipcs-2021 held at Tokyo. If noticed, the proportion of the population to the medals achieved is missing par. Is this the call to check our abilities to discover the hidden talent in children during their tender years?

Nourishing their potential helps the young generations grow boundlessly in every aspect. Mastering the arts, sports and various extracurricular activities sharpens the right brain chiseling the cognitive skills.

Emphasizing on extra curriculars in a student’s life plays a very crucial role in defining and shaping their life ahead. The endless growth of the child’s future in the field of their interest is highly important for a successful life in this competitive world. The achievements and the knowledge acquired through the interested field of extracurriculars orient the individuals towards an authentic life.

As the present-day scenario is spreading its wings into the digital world, aiding the child with an

out and outgrowth provides a holistic development.

Using Technology as a tool to diagnose and analyse the child’s interests, skills and strengths, steps can be taken accordingly to boost the personality of the child.

Initially the student takes a diagnostic test. There would be auto generated reports displayed to the students and guardians. Cutting down the chunks of long process, the technology then helps in uncovering the child’s hidden talent. Depending on the information of the student including the skillset they possess, the interests, strengths and weaknesses and physical characteristics for any special field, there would be a set of recommendations from which the child under the concerned supervision can choose the field of interest.

Analytical thinking, logical thinking, design thinking, sports are few categories of extra curriculars which can be chosen.

The interests of the students figured out through technology driven learning can be imparted to the Gen X children through digital, conventional, or blended ways.

Once the area of interest is figured, the skill which can be a fun to learn which as well can be the pave path for the growth in future can be acquired by the students. The

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core sills for diverse competitive exams can also be blended as a part of extra curriculars. The ageold technique of doing something from heart leaves you no efforts can be implied here. The students can effortlessly learn the desired set of competencies through a personalised path.

Digital platforms offering blended learning techniques to students help them in achieving their academics. Through a personalised learning path, the academics can be delivered in various ways like videos, gamified concepts, immersed learning, experiential learning and lot more.

The timeworn notion “One size fits all” is still practised by our system remaining obnoxious to the students’ interests and fascinations.

Having a peek through the statistics, it is very evident that as a matter of fact, the ratio of teachers to students is 1:120.

Bringing in practicality into play, it is to be accepted that the learning curve of every child is different. In such a scenario the possibility of a single teacher to meet the academic needs of all the students is an attribute to be questioned. One such platform which can provide a personalised learning experience to the students can assist them in attaining all the milestones throughout is OAKS OAKS makes it possible for the students by customising the academics according to their abilities and potentials. AI based assessment to judge the skills of the students through a series of tests and auto generation of reports is the first step. After a thorough analysis of child’s reports, the skillset he can acquire to meet the industrial needs shall be offered to him as a course.

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Through blended learning, the teachers can bridge the academic gaps by acting as a guide on side rather than as a sage on stage

The recommended courses not only cover the academics but also dive deep through the students’ interests making them “industry ready” in every aspect.

The reason for structural unemployment prevailing is due to the gap originated in between the skills required and the skills possessed by the students.

Appending practical knowledge of the concepts acquired through technological learning techniques, extracurriculars, skills-based courses make the students ever ready to face the world which is progressing every second. The need for 21st century skills is the foremost demand to be met. Embracing the academics, 21st century skills, personalised learning, extracurriculars, overall development under one umbrella can be achieved through blended learning.

Through blended learning, the teachers can bridge the academic gaps by acting as a guide on side rather than as a sage on stage. This transformation through digitised learning helps students participate in the learning process rather than monotonously receive what is delivered by the teacher. This boosts up interpersonal skills of the students which will direct them towards redefining and reshaping their skill sets ruling out the usual rat race. Personalised learning giving a 360˚ nourishment to the students to retain the strengths and brush the skills is the kick start to fuel up the growth in every child.

Winding up, the learning process of students appended with academics, skills of their interest, extracurriculars which can be achieved through multifarious ways can behold our nation on a better pedestal.

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MENTOR’S OPINION

Experiential Learning in School Education Dr. N.K. Dutta, Founder & Principal, Miles Bronson Residential School, Guwahati

Founder and Principal of Miles Bronson Residential School, Guwahati Dr. Nripen Dutta is one of the prominent names in the school education sector. Dr Dutta founded MBRS in 1987, with 17 students and took it to the heights it stands at today. He has been appointed as the North East India Regional Coordinator by National Testing Agency and is often consulted by CBSE for school inspections. He believes in constantly learning and has been a part of various national and international conferences and Honours. Under his guidance, MBRS was ranked all India 7th position by EducationWorld India School Rankings. He likes reading, writing, travelling and developing culinary skills.

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he National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 highlights that in all stages, experiential learning will be adopted, including hands-on learning, artsintegrated and sports-integrated education, story-telling-based pedagogy, among others, as standard pedagogy within each subject, and with explorations of relations among different subjects. Today experiential learning has become an essential method in all innovative pedagogical practices as it holistically strives to shift the child from rote learning and memorization to learning by doing through experience and activity. This gains utmost importance in the context of the demands of now and the future in the wake of sweeping changes due to technological revolution. The world has changed rapidly; robotics, artificial intelligence, data science, internet of things, zenomics, mobile computing, crowdsourcing, autonomous vehicles, virtual reality to name a few are impacting very fast on every aspects of life. Richard Riley has said that “We need to prepare students for jobs that don’t yet exist, to use technologies that haven’t been invented in order to solve problems we don’t know our problems yet.”

In order to live up to these changes education needs to focus more on learning which

is experimental, expeditional and experiential than being just limited to the traditional methods of knowledge gathering and knowledge transmission. In order to meet the demands of the world that has changed education from the foundational years should provide knowledge, understanding and skills to develop qualities of creativity, critical thinking, communication, leadership, decision making, self regulation and problem solving skills among the children. In this context the emphasis of the NEP to move towards an experiential methodology of learning in schools is a positive step in this direction.

Defining Experiential Learning: Experiential learning focuses on practical application of knowledge and skills to realworld experiences to further increase learner’s knowledge and develop competence in skills and behaviors. It is effectively used in schools, higher education, therapy, corporate training and other areas for educational learning, personal development and skills building. According to the Association for Experiential Education, experiential learning can be summed up in the phrase “challenge and experience followed by reflection and application leading to learning and growth”. UNESCO defines, ‘experiential learning is a process that develops knowledge,

Education needs to focus more on learning which is experimental, expeditional and experiential

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skills and attitudes based on consciously thinking about an experience. Thus, it involves direct and active personal experience combined with reflection and feedback’. The term experiential learning reflects participation of individuals out of their own experiences and sharing. It is the process of learning through experience and more specifically defined as ‘learning through reflection on doing’. Its objective is to achieve better skills, better knowledge and wider perception by a learner.

It is a methodology of teaching-learning which has evolved from the ancient times. Aristotle wrote that “for the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them”. Education reformer John Dewey who is also regarded as the modern father of experiential education is often seen as the proponent of learning by doing rather than learning by passively receiving. He suggested that one’s present experiences are a direct result of how their previous experiences interrupt and influence the present situations. Psychologist Kurt Lewin developed the cornerstone models for understanding organizational change in which he depicts three stages in the process of change: unfreeze – change – refreeze. Clinical psychologist Jean Piaget known for his pioneering work in child development believed that the principal goal of education in schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done but people who are creative, inventive and discoverers, who can be critical and verify, and not accept, everything they are offered. He also quoted that ‘Intelligence is what you use when you don’t know what to do’. He proposed the concept of Cognitive Development which explains how a child constructs a mental model of the world. According to him, intelligence was never a fixed trait rather this cognitive development is a process which takes place due to the biological maturity and interaction with the environment.

Psychologist and Education theorist David Kolb had interest in the nature of individual and social change, experiential learning, career development and professional education. His model of experiential learning is about a Learning Style Inventory which is great interest and of implementation to pace learning as a tool. Activating mainly on Concrete Experience, followed by Reflective Observation, paving way to Abstract Conceptualization and Active Experimentation.

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Experiential learning focuses on practical application of knowledge and skills to real-world experiences

Pedagogy through Experiential Learning: Experiential learning has significant teacher advantages.

Educationist Peter Senge in his popular work The Fifth Discipline states that learning only has good effects when learners have the desire to absorb the knowledge.

Therefore, experiential learning required the showing of directions for learners. Experiential learning entails a hands-on approach to learning that moves away from just the teacher at the front of the room imparting and transferring their knowledge to students. It makes learning an experience that moves beyond the classroom and strives to bring a more involved way of learning.

Experiential learning focuses on the learning process for the individual. One example commonly given of experiential learning is going to the zoo and learning through observation and interaction with the zoo environment, as opposed to reading about animals from a book. Thus, one makes discoveries and experiments with knowledge firsthand, instead of hearing or reading about others’ experiences.

How do we implement experiential learning?

Humanistic Psychologist Carl Rogers distinguish two types of learning – cognitive (meaningless) and experiential (significant). He added that for a person to ‘grow’ they need an environment that provides them with genuineness (openness and self disclosure), acceptance (being seen with unconditional positive regard), and empathy (be listen to and understood). Without this, relationships and healthy personalities will not develop as they show much like a tree cannot grow without sunlight and water.

The former corresponds to academic knowledge such as learning vocabulary or multiplication tables and the latter refers to applied knowledge such as learning about engines in order to repair a car. The key to the distinction is that experiential learning addresses the needs and wants of the learner. Rogers lists these qualities of experiential learning: personal involvement, self-initiated, evaluated by learner, and pervasive effects on learner. To Rogers, experiential learning is equivalent to personal change and growth. Rogers feels that all human beings have a natural propensity to learn; the role of the teacher is to facilitate such learning. This includes: (i) setting a positive climate for learning, (ii) clarifying the purposes of the learner (iii) organizing and making available learning resources (iv) balancing intellectual and emotional components of learning, and (v) sharing feelings and thoughts with learners but not dominating.

The ingredients of experiential learning are in the order of explore, experience and enjoy. Explore, as the world signifies, targets the interest of the student to be kindled.

Their curiosity is fully aroused and they are bound to tend to seek and explore the subject that they love and learn with pride. Experience, as the part of face to face scenario deals actively with the hands on activity and involvement in class as a means by which their attention is held and they experience learning that stage with them forever. Enjoy, the factor of joy, is activated with the learning to be fun with the period of time. The students should never feel burdened and must tend to enjoy the classroom learning with an open mind to its wonders.

Experiential Learning in Holistic Education: While encompassing scholastic and co-scholastic areas NEP 2020 points out that as a part of the thrust on experiential learning, art-integrated education will be embedded in classroom transactions not only for creating joyful classrooms, but also for imbibing the Indian ethos through integration of Indian art and culture in the teaching and learning process at every level. This artintegrated approach will strengthen the linkages between education and culture. Sports-integration is another crosscurricular pedagogical approach that utilizes physical activities including indigenous sports, in pedagogical practices to help in developing skills such as collaboration, self-initiative, self-direction, self-discipline, teamwork, responsibility, citizenship, etc. Sports-integrated learning will be undertaken in classroom transactions to help students adopt fitness as a lifelong attitude and to achieve the related life skills along with the levels of fitness as envisaged in the Fit India Movement. The need to integrate sports in education is well recognized as it serves to foster holistic development by promoting physical and psychological well-being while also enhancing cognitive abilities.

This reformative measure underscores the change from traditional ‘chalk-and-talk’ method to innovative ‘learning by doing through reflection’. It is urged that this reform is needed for bringing about a competency based education system by developing the three aspects of knowledge, skill and abilities. To achieve such a goal much is needed to be done towards developing strategies and programmes for empowering training teachers from that a ‘dispenser of knowledge’ to a ‘felicitator of learning’. In this context the NEP recommends major reforms in which the training of teachers and teachers’ education is vital in creating a pool of schoolteachers that will shape the next generation. These recommendations are thought provoking and farsighted and are essential ingredients for creating a holistic and skill based education for 21st century and beyond; but the ‘key’ lies in its effective implementation.

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INDUSTRY VIEWS

How to Impart Holistic Education in the Era of Online Learning?

Jerold Chagas Pereira, CEO, mPowerO

Jerold Chagas Pereira is the CEO of mPowerO, an ed-tech SaaS platform for eLearning. Jerold has 20+ years of sustained high performance in operations and business development across electronics, retail, hospitality and real estate sectors and has held leadership positions at large Indian business groups such as Tata, Piramal, DLF and Videocon. Jerold has a Master in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and a Bachelor’s Degree in Financial Accountancy from the HR College of Commerce & Economics – University of Mumbai.

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It is no longer surprising to hear of students in Mumbai taking classes in Indian classical music from a teacher in the USA or yoga being taught to children in Tamil Nadu by a teacher in Lucknow

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t has been 18 months since the first lockdown came into force, but even today there still remains uncertainty about when traditional in-classroom schooling will resume. Given the current pace of the vaccination drive, the fact that under-18s are yet to get vaccinated, and the shadow of a possible ‘third wave’, it seems that traditional schooling across all K-12 grades is still a good 6-8 months away, if not longer.

On the flip side, one of the big takeaways from the Covid-induced lockdowns is the wider acceptance of digital tools and platforms to aid learning. Four to five years ago, technology in education was accessible to only a ‘privileged’ few, and that too, primarily through ‘smart’ classrooms.

Cut to 2021 – e-Learning is not just much more widespread, affordable and accessible, but e-Learning has moved beyond the traditional K-12 board content.

This is important since schooling is much more than math, science, social sciences, languages, etc. A lot of a child’s formation happens beyond formal education, and co-curricular or extra-curricular activities play an important part in cultivating life and social skills within school-going children.

These days children participate in yoga, fitness, chess, music, dance, painting and pottery, and other extra-curricular classes via online offerings. Such classes are no longer individual, after-school sessions, which parents enrol their children into on a voluntary basis. These activities form an intrinsic part of schooling and holistic education, which has been necessitated into digital form due to the lockdown.

Over the past year, whilst interacting with school owners, principals, and teachers of K-12 schools, I have come across many interesting use-cases of technology coming to the rescue, be it morning assembly, parent-teacher meetings, talent contests, debates, or even off-site camps!! At the same time, technology is not and cannot be a complete substitute for extra-curricular activities.

So where are we headed with technology and learning once we ‘defeat’ Covid or learn to live ‘with Covid’. Many habits formed during the pandemic are very likely to stay with us, albeit in evolved forms and/ or functions. For example, as offices gradually start to open, there has been resistance from some quarters since WFH has cut down long commute times as well as help

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A lot of a child’s formation happens beyond formal education, and cocurricular or extracurricular activities play an important part in cultivating life and social skills within school-going children

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save money. Similarly, school-from-home is something that many parents feel is an acceptable option, provided there is a balance to ‘screen time’, and that kids do get some ‘in-person’ interaction with teachers and peers as well as the ability to run about.

What is like to emerge with K-12 schools, as an acceptable option to 100% e-Learning, is hybrid learning, where technology continues to play an important, but not over-powering, role. For example, in recent days there have been talks of the school week comprising three days in-classroom and two days at homeschooling. This “blended” approach will enable students to take part in activities like sports, practical, offline doubt clearing, etc when on-campus yet enable continuity to digitally stored learning resources for self-paced learning and catch-ups. This hybrid model will also ensure that screen time is balanced.

Similarly, what is also likely to continue, and possibly increase in scope, is the use of technology to deliver a variety of co-curricular activities since technology makes accessible best-in-class teachers to students in a completely different location. It is no longer surprising to hear of students in Mumbai taking classes in Indian classical music from a teacher in the USA or yoga being taught to children in Tamil Nadu by a teacher in Lucknow.

During the thick of the pandemic, I witnessed an interschool Model UN (MUN) debate competition with students from different schools across India participating – the host school being in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Participants were able to form ‘virtual’ breakout groups, vote anonymously and participate as seamlessly as one might have if one had participated in person. In fact, in this instance, I would go so far as to say that the outcome of the virtual MUN was probably superior since some students who might have otherwise been geographically or financially constrained to participate, got the opportunity to do so.

With this ‘flattening’of the world and ‘democratization’ of learning, more and more schools are starting to leverage global resources to offer a wider variety of extracurricular options to their students. Volumes enable these institutions to negotiate highly competitive fees, thereby enticing more and more parents to sign up their wards.

In summary, it is evident that technology-enabled education, or e-Learning, is here to stay. And that such learning will move beyond the traditional areas of K-12, test prep, etc. Further, with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 taking effect soon and mandating greater emphasis on imparting skills and using digital tools, there is likely to be even more on offer by way of extracurricular activities that will become available in a pure digital or blended form.

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ACADEMIC VIEWS

How Technology can play a Key Role in Revamping the Education Sector Rajani Pattabhiraman, Head of Curriculum, EuroSchool India

Ms. Rajani Pattabhiraman has been a committed and passionate educator for the past three decades.

Her career spans across Schools of repute offering Indian and International Boards across the country.

These include Chinmaya Vidyalaya, DAV, Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhania School and Billabong High International School. She has been a School leader for more than a decade. She presently is the Deputy Vice President, Curriculum Delivery, Training and Audit for EuroSchools. Her illustrious academic profile includes an M.Phil in Education and a post graduation in Commerce. She believes in lifelong learning and has been upgrading herself by attending seminars, lectures, webinars, workshops and training sessions in India and abroad from time to time.

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Opportunities of communication and association undreamt of in yesteryears are a possibility now

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ovid 19 has been a catalyst in bringing about a drastic transformation across many aspects of our life. Apps have replaced physical shopping from stores, Swiggy and Zomato have replaced dining in restaurants; Netflix and Prime have replaced going to cinema halls while virtual learning has replaced physical learning. As we all await normalcy to return, it is imperative to realize that the normal will be a ‘new normal’ incorporating the best of pre-COVID and COVID times.

The Revolution in Education The education sector has seen a revolution during this pandemic. While getting back to physical learning is a priority for all at present, it is important to remember that schools, colleges, and universities cannot be the same as it was in 2019 or before. From the ultra-modern urban cities to the remotest villages in the country, educational institutions have leaned on

technology for support for survival over the past 18 months. These trying times have shown the horizon for tech-enabled education.

Theories of Education Benjamin Bloom’s Bloom’s Taxonomy and Howard Garner’s Multiple Intelligence are widely discussed and propounded in various forums as the basis of quality education. Technology blended virtual education has put these theories to practice to a large extent over the past few pandemic months and the results are encouraging!

Technology has been able to penetrate through the minds of the students with interpersonal, spatial, and musical intelligence among all others. It has helped audio and visual learners and students with physical disabilities to overcome their barriers with ease. The use of audio and visual support, virtual 3D models, interactive games and videos has enabled the essence of education to reach learners rich in any type of intelligence.

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Support of Technology in the Learning Process and How it can play a Key Role in Transforming Education ● Online Forums: Through technology, educators have not only been able to enter into the homes of the learners but also their minds.

The online forums enable the best studentteacher interactions and sharing of vital and relative information. ● Skill Development: Educational institutions have started collaborating with Ed-tech platforms satiating students’ requirements to kindle their curiosity, develop hobbies and hone their skills in the area of their interest. ● Supplement Shortage of Educators: Quality education suffers due to a shortage of teachers. Schools have started partnering with each other to broadcast the content delivered by quality teachers thereby giving access to all to quality education. ● E-learning Edutainment Platforms: Faster adoption of digital learning has been made possible as e-learning platforms compatible with phones and tablets have been created. Animations, games, quiz platforms, and AI-powered are edutainment platforms that have made learning exciting for students. These platforms make it possible to focus learning on a particular subject or skill for any particular age group. ● Repository of Content: Technology has made it possible to create a repository of content which are subject-based. These are accessible to anyone seeking knowledge. This liberalization of education through technology will help students upgrade singular skills and develop deep domain expertise. ● Data Analytics: Educator and student performance data collation and analysis have been a neglected area in the education sector. The increased use of technology in virtual classrooms, online assessments, and learning management systems has thrown open an important and useful area of analytics. The student and teacher

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From the ultramodern urban cities to the remotest villages in the country, educational institutions have leaned on technology for support

performance data which are captured and analyzed effectively have uncovered the unexplored areas of SWOT analysis of students at various levels, students with special needs, students in the backward socioeconomic class, and the impact of the new teaching format on educators. This minefield of information and its analysis has already started creating a revolution in the education sector. ● School Management System: While imparting education the right way is of prime importance, meticulous planning of lessons customizing them to the needs of every student, tracking their performance, and corresponding seamlessly with the parents of each student which supports parents’ partnering in their child’s education has all been made possible through tech support. ● Academic Delivery: The daily, weekly, monthly, and annual syllabus planning, assessment of students’

learning at regular intervals through ‘Check Your Progress’ quizzes, performance tests, end-term evaluations, project planning, and submissions have all been automated vastly reducing the manual burden upon educators and admin staff. This is already showing on the teachers’ performance with improved productivity due to less stress and better time management.

While technology alone can never replace physical learning and the benefits of classroom learning, interactions and physical student-student and studentteacher collaborations.. we today see technology as a true enabler of learning.

Educational processes are seeing a positive transformation, thanks to the digital infrastructure which is seeing unprecedented growth in our country. The recent National Education Policy (NEP) has advocated a stronger and more integrated learning system leveraged on the digital framework. The accelerated pace of innovations that have produced competitive educational products coupled with supportive government policies has set an aggressive growth path for the tech-led Indian education system.

Opportunities of communication and association undreamt of in yesteryears are a possibility now.

Virtual tours, blogs, ted talks, live talks with achievers in various fields have all been enabled by technology.

Student exchanges and collaborations across the globe are a reality today. Technology has opened up new avenues of communication and collaboration.

Massive amounts of information are available at the click of a button through the internet. Access to Formal learning, training, podcasts, Mooc Courseras, and online degree programs is unprecedented in scope, thanks to technology.

The power of classroom learning and human interaction is undeniable; however tech-based learning has ensured uninterrupted learning in these challenging times. In addition to ensuring uninterrupted learning, it has also paved the way to dramatically transform the ‘future of learning’.

With preschools, schools, colleges and universities accepting and adapting to a blended-format offering a mix of both physical learning and tech-based education, it is imperative to redesign learning spaces that will go on to foster greater learning, interaction and collaboration using technology as an enabler.

“Technology can become the “wings” that will allow the educational world to fly farther and faster than ever before—if we will allow it.” – Jenny Arledge

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INDUSTRY VIEWS

The Importance of Learning Extracurricular Activities in Developing All-Rounded Personalities Vikas Bansal, Co-Founder, Crejo.Fun

Vikas has over 12 years of experience in Product Management & Development spanning from hands-on software development to managing web-scale product portfolio. He has proven expertise in both building new products/services & scaling the existing ones effectively. Vikas is an MBA from IIM Bangalore and B.Tech. (Computer Science) from NIT Allahabad.

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Extracurricular activities can indeed help children flourish into more responsible beings

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he student years of a person comes to define him for the rest of his days. It is during this tender age, one tends to pick up life skills and develop cognitive abilities. The skills around basic language, reasoning ability and quantitative aptitude are shaped within the classroom throughout their teenage years. A comprehensive study of myriad aspects of science, history, geography, mathematics, ethics and social science satiates a child’s curiosity and provides him with an outlook towards the big, competitive world.

However, classroom learning does not extend to all facets of life. Leadership, teamwork, communication, time and emotion management, innovation and creativity and the art of general well-being are some of the most indispensable life skills that classroom learning does not cover.

What then incorporates such indispensable life skills in children, if books cannot? Extracurricular activities, of course! Contrary to the general belief that extracurricular activities are counter-productive, partaking in recreational activities works effectively

to facilitate the all-round development of an individual through the promotion of holistic learning.

Extra-curricular activities aid the development of various aspects of personality development known as SPICE, which stands for social, physical, intellectual, creative and emotional skills. The fundamental lesson about learning from society and giving back to it is indoctrinated through participation in various group extracurricular activities. In fact, in this era of cut-throat competition, extracurricular activities are more important than they have ever been.

A Part of Institutionalized Learning Extracurricular activities are very much a part of institutionalized learning because of the value addition they come with. Besides what books have to offer, group recreational activities simulate realworld situations and problems and allow children to assimilate decision-making skills and shape their outlook towards situations. Children get to learn and understand collective behaviour and pick up some of the most essential life skills in the process. Social,

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intellectual, physical, creativity and emotional developments are a part of the overall personality developments that extracurricular activities bring about in a child.

Social skills- Developing social skills through group activities like team play helps children to learn better communication, sharing, cooperating, listening, following directions, respecting personal space and exhibiting sportsmanship. These skills come to define how one interacts with the people around them, makes friends and sustains friendships and relationships. Social skills are a crucial part of skills that are required for personality development as they help children develop confidence, exhibit boldness, and encourage expressiveness.

Physical Skills- The idea of gaining physical skills through extracurricular activities is to be

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able to perform a wide range of movements with the best possible techniques. Performing physical activities like yoga, dance, running, climbing etc. improves fine and gross motor skills and enhances their physical strength. Participation in physical activities can help children improve their immunity & stamina, express themselves through gestures and movements and increase their mental alertness, thereby boosting their mood and energy.

Intellectual Skills- They are defined as one’s ability to process and organize information and data given to them. Critical thinking and the ability to analyse and interpret information, checking the information for intellectual bias and finding the most effective method for problem-solving are some of the important intellectual skills that one can acquire through participation in extracurricular activities. Children can improve their intellectual skills by participating in debate, extempore, internships, workshops and quizzes.

Creativity- The development of creative skills is necessary for every child to stand out from the crowd. Through extracurricular activities, a child gets to flex his creative muscles that can help him identify and exploit opportunities for growth and innovation. Creative skills facilitate thinking outof-the-box and developing something by applying the highest degree of creativity. The incorporation of creative skills to strike a balance between desires and objectives is how one can get a creative edge over the others.

Emotional Intelligence- It is the aspect of emotional well-being, which needs attention and recognition right from the early years of childhood.

Improved emotional intelligence means a better ability to manage and take cognizance of your feelings. In fact, a higher emotional quotient would lead to better academic performance, stronger social skills, better stress management and fewer behaviour issues. Activities like art, music, dance and meditation can develop emotional skills in children in their leisure time.

Extracurricular activities can indeed help children flourish into more responsible beings.

Learning some of the greatest life skills via recreational activities is a surefire way to remember and apply the same to condition their pattern of behaviour in the best way possible.

That said, striking the right balance between work and play could help a child bloom into a socially responsible and emotionally mature adult.

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INDUSTRY VIEWS

How Online Education is a Great Tool to Equalize Opportunities in the K-12 Sphere Rohit Jain, Founder, uFaber

Rohit Jain is an education and technology professional turned entrepreneur who has changed the face of the world through the advancement of the Ed-Tech system. Education technology has been a major area of interest from the beginning of his career and turning into an entrepreneur with a passion for teaching has changed the face of the world through the advancement of the Ed-Tech system. He founded uFaber in 2015 to provide hyper-personalized training programs for students from the age of 9. Its mission is to create a utopian education ecosystem, by breaking rigid walls of timetable and classroom, placing the student in the center of it all, powered by an engine called “passionate teachers”. uFaber is eyeing to become the next Edtech unicorn (US$ 1 Billion valuations) within the next 4 years. Rohit Jain’s specialization consists in Education technology, e-commerce, startup, franchise sales, marketing, product development, team building and many more.

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K-12 education combined with online school education provides a larger learning experience for kids in many ways

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e live in a world that is constantly evolving and full of new possibilities.

The capacity to learn information or skills whenever and wherever you choose provides considerably more educational opportunities than ever before. Education’s scope and reach possess boundaries far wider and larger than anyone could have dreamed.

E-learning is the new normal that K-12 education in India follows these days. In many respects, online education has proven that it is the way of the future. So, let’s take a look at some of the benefits and potential of e-learning in India’s K-12 education.

kindergarten to 12th grade have a minimum primary education in India. K-12 education is a combination of elementary and secondary education that emphasizes increased teacher-student communication. The letters K and 12 stands for kindergarten and 12th grade, respectively, in the K-12 educational paradigm, which encompasses kindergarten, primary, secondary, high school, and pre-university education in India.

The notion of K-12 education is widely accepted across the world, particularly in the United States, Canada, and Europe. K-12 education combined with online school education provides a larger learning experience for kids in many ways.

What is K-12 Education?

Every field today has been blessed by the advancement of technology. Our education sector is no exception. In our growing educational system, rapid and revolutionary digitization has given rise to new modalities. K-12 education is also on the list.

The emerging notion of K-12 education with the influence of advanced online education for kids has revolutionized education and assured that students from

Advantages of Online Education for Kids in the K-12 Sphere The internet and its technologies have shrunk the world to the point where everything is achievable with a single click. This change has impacted our educational system as well. In the present COVID-19 scenario, nobody could have predicted that online education for kids would play a significant role in digitally conveying information.

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K-12 students can now improve through personalized learning experiences with the help of communication technologies and enhanced internet access.

Closing the Education Gap New instructional technologies help everybody in this vision, but K-12 students from low-income families have benefited significantly. The idea is to give every individual equal preference and access to resources that were previously exclusively available to only a few. In a way, online education for kids is

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altering the whole power structure of India that is still in existence.

E-learning and other innovative modes of learning were once exclusive. In the current scenario, it has changed: more and more K-12 students get the opportunity to access world-class education at the slight of their fingertips. Around the country across many families and cultures, only male kids were allowed to go to schools. But, with online education for kids, gender inequality can also be prevented to a great degree as it is has made education mobile for every learner.

board. On-campus some students might rapidly pick a stance or develop a concept in class, and they may speak before they’ve completely considered all of the options.

Students can spend more time as they wish thinking about and refining their ideas in an online setting, especially shy kids who are afraid to speak out in front of the class, and therefore online learning will boost their confidence and self- esteem.

Students can study more successfully with online lessons that include more engaging materials such as videos, pictures, and documentaries

Fun and Easy Students are now highly interested in studying through entertaining activities. They can study more successfully with online lessons that include more engaging materials such as videos, pictures, and documentaries. When children have access to audiovisual assistance, they learn very quickly.

Similarly, K-12 education in India started many new approaches in the learning system. Unlike traditional learning, now K-12 students can learn many specific courses based on their interests and talents like coding, public speaking, palaeontology, etc. Real School is a platform where students can study all aspects of schooling in a more sophisticated manner. They receive individualized tutoring, which will lead them to connect with different concepts and ideas.

More Time to Think There is still a conversation component to online education, generally in the form of a forum or discussion

No Geographical Limitations With online school education, educational distribution is no longer constrained by geography. All we need is a laptop or a smartphone. Students now have the opportunity to attend a webinar or even personal lectures by specialized and high qualified teachers all across the world.

Course Materials are Available 24x7 Study resources are plenty on online learning sites. For each class, kids can watch various documentaries, films, chapters, and modules. This will make the kids learning experience simpler and more practical. Children can learn about any topic by extracting information about it.

Parents can assist their children at home if they have any questions or reservations about their curriculum.

Why is E-Learning the Future? ● As the number of people who possess computers increases, e-learning will become more viable and affordable. ● Technology, such as social media, is continuously changing education. ● Internet connection speeds are improving, which opens the door to new multimedia teaching techniques. ● Personalized learning allows students to study in a manner that is tailored to their particular learning styles and varied intelligence. ● Students can learn while working. ● Gamified learning. ● New career opportunities.

Summing Up Currently one of the main aims of K-12 education in India is to create a digitally empowered generation. E-learning has shown enormous promise in terms of changing the country’s K-12 education sector. We could soon see better material, better tools, and better teaching techniques as a result of the introduction of new e-learning platforms.

This will lead to the introduction of newer modes and formats of learning compatible with e-learning.

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BEST PRACTICES

Find your

Math-Otivation!

Manan Khurma, Founder and CEO, Cuemath

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Manan Khurma has been a Mathematics educator since his college days. He founded Locus Education upon graduating from IIT Delhi in 2007 and trained over ten thousand students for IIT-JEE within the first few years of his career as an educator. This experience of teaching JEE aspirants helped him gain insight into how the youth of the country perceives and studies Math. Inspired by his understanding of the challenges faced by young students, Manan formulated a new way of teaching the subject – a math program called ‘Math

by Reasoning’. This was also the genesis of Cuemath – an engaging platform that not only helps children master the subject, but also fall in love with it. Founded in 2013, Cuemath is steadily challenging the conventional way students have been taught math and is also inculcating a strong base of foundational skills in children that matter immensely in all areas from Advanced Math and Coding to Data and AI; hence empowering the next generation of problem solvers and decision makers in the world.

In a recent survey conducted by Cuemath, it was revealed that 82 per cent of students are fearful of mathematics across grade 7 to 10

M

ath as a subject is based on logic and reasoning. Unlike most subjects, math cannot be memorised; conceptual understanding and application is pertinent to master the subject.

Unfortunately, math anxiety is real. Math anxiety, which is also called ‘numerophobia’, affects children and adults from across the world, and India is no different.

In a recent survey conducted by Cuemath, it was revealed that 82 per cent of students are fearful of mathematics across grade 7 to 10. This fear comes from struggling to understand abstract concepts while staring at a board.

However, the subject has the potential to be taught in context with real world and practical application. Math taught this way can reduce anxiety towards the subject.

Despite teaching techniques evolving over time, math is still taught conventionally i.e. focusing on abstract concepts without emphasizing on logic.

This mode of instruction stunts imagination and creative approach towards learning mathematics. As a result, students lose interest and are demotivated to learn math.

Need for dynamic classrooms capable of captivating interactions Classroom learning focuses on a larger group and is not inclusive of personal attention to each student. An average Indian classroom has 1 teacher teaching anything between 35-60 children. However, no two students can have the same understanding level, which creates lot of confusion in young minds and they tend to get frustrated over time. The lack of personal learning, clubbed with teaching a subject in traditional ways eventually results in diminishing engagement.

This engagement has further reduced in this digital age, where kids tend to have shorter attention spans as compared to earlier generations.

Here arises a need to incorporate technology and visuals to make the teaching content interesting enough to keep the chld hooked. This in turn will help them learn better and understand concepts at the very core.

The future of classroom is not based on conventional setup of quiet and boring situation; it’s going to be visual and virtual and practical.

Math being the core of most real-world situations needs special attention and advanced teaching

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following a teacher solve a problem, a student should start solving problems after grasping a concept with the teacher there to act as a guide.

This method of learning focuses on identifying student-specific competencies and abilities and building on the same.

It’s not just in math. Let’s take another example. You can’t learn how to play an instrument by watching a YouTube video! The same principle works with math and coding.

Instead of passive observation, kids actively learn by doing, supported by positive reinforcement and confidence building.

Cues to discovering answers instead of simple memorization of rules With the outbreak of pandemic and most schools turning to online mode since last year, this learning by doing method has become a distant dream.

As students are increasingly becoming passive learners, the joy of learning and discovering and creating is getting lost.

Today it is more necessary than ever that students learn from a platform that not only offers interactive one on one classes but also motivates them to unravel answers by providing minimal cues and ample challenges. For example, if students are given problems, say about pizza, they would be more interested in getting to the answers than if we talk about mere numbers and fractions.

The end goal should always be to enhance mathematical thinking, logic, and intuitive ability.

solutions to create the invincible problem solvers of tomorrow.

Importance of developing realworld context Students relate more with a subject when they can use it in their everyday life or when they know it has importance beyond school and grades.

Math is not a friend to most of these children because they are deprived of its power. The progressive pedagogies learning model provides an opportunity for students to see math as power.

In simple words, learning math should be about doing over watching i.e. instead of

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Focus on intuitive learning to develop logical thinking When students understand the ‘Why’ behind ‘What’ and learn by doing, they start perceiving problems intuitively and solve them with analytical thinking rather than stored, memorised equations and formulas. When math meets technology, visuals and real-life scenarios, it becomes power and that power is the ultimate motivation to inculcate mathematical approach.

This way, every child can develop sense of comfort for math rather than fearing it.

Today, with the world realizing the power of AI, data science and mathematics, it is vital that children develop this natural love for the subject to become leaders of tomorrow. It is vital that they find their Math-O-tivation.

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K12 Digest Higher Education Digest August 2021 October 2020