Mentor magazine May 2017; Volume 10 issue 12

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CONTENTs

May 2017 | Volume 10 Issue 12

Mentor Thoughts

COVER STORY

Sultan Speaks Page - 05

Life skills through cinema!

Internet society: Indian Kid’s lives online Page - 30 An insight into children’s online presence today...

Re-define Teacher Training Page - 34

Pedagogy

Entrepreneurial Development Page - 06

A Road Map for Youth Empowerment...

School Governance

Moving into collaboration: Clustering Page - 09

Moving from academic isolation to clustering to share knowledge...

Optimizing Support Systems Page - 12

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Power of Learning

Seamless School Governance...

School Leadership

Being just an educator is not enough Page - 22

Today’s educators need to be innovators and system developers...

Innovation

Nature’s invaluable lessons Page - 26 Inspiration is all around us...

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09

22 27

Publisher & Owner: Syed Sultan Ahmed Editor-in-Chief: Kalpa Kartik Associate Editor: Yashika Begwani Content Developer: Ashitha Jayaprakash Designed by: Uday S Production: Praveen U.M., Sathish C., Guna V. Printed by: Manoj Printed at: Elegant Printing Works, # 74, South End Road, Basavangudi, Bengaluru - 560 004.

Published at: # 175, 2nd Cross, Lower Palace Orchards, Bengaluru - 560 003, India. Ph: +91 9019111110 NOTICE: As an author/contributor you are responsible for the authenticity of the information you provide in your article. The publishers do not accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication. By submitting letters/emails or other publication materials to Mentor Magazine you agree they are the property of Mentor Magazine. All communication to Mentor Magazine must be made in writing. No other sort of communication will be accepted. All decisions regarding publishing of an article is the prerogative of the publisher and editorial team of Mentor Magazine. Mentor Magazine is owned and published by EduMedia Publications Pvt. Ltd. for and on behalf of Mr. Syed Sultan Ahmed. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts and forums in Bengaluru City.

Source for a few pictures - Internet

A Venture of

TM

All Rights Reserved © 2016 EduMedia Publications Pvt. Ltd.

SULTAN SPEAKS

LIFE SKILLS THROUGH CINEMA

At the recently announced 64th National Film Awards, School Cinema won the honors for 2 of its films in the nonfeature category for ‘Best Film on Family Values’ and ‘Best Education Film’. This makes it a tally of 6 National Awards for our School Cinema films.

We are probably the largest producers of short films for children in India today with over 120 films in our catalogue from kindergarten to grade 11 and certainly one of the most awarded. The recognitions for our work does not end there, our films have featured in over 300 International Film Festivals and have been awarded generously for their exceptional quality and the message they communicate.

The real award that I have received for being the producer of such amazing films is not from the world of films but from the education fraternity.

The manner in which school authorities adapted to School Cinema, a distinct teaching medium and brought Life Skills learning to the forefront of education is commendable.

This year School Cinema will be a part of the school curriculum for almost 1 million children.

Schools across India are teaching ‘Lessons of Life’ in the most impactful and entertaining manner possible.

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In retrospect when I look back at the amazing success of this project I realize that it was the intent with which we started the project that made all the difference. In a country that makes the world’s largest number of films we somehow produce the least number of films for children and the few that we do make are made very shoddily. We decided that our films will be made not just for entertainment but also teach important lessons of life. It gives me pride today to state that we have in a very responsible manner brought some very relevant issues of our times into the classroom – gender bias, religious sensitivity, cultural sensitivity, honesty, courtesy and many such issues.

It gives me pride today to state that we have in a very responsible manner brought some very relevant issues of our times into the classroom

The fierce competition among parents to ensure that their children get grades has forced a lot of educators to compromise on the depth of

their Life Skills and Values curriculum. Another disturbing recent development is that many CBSE schools believe that since CCE is no longer mandatory there is no need to focus on life skills since it does not contribute to the grades scored by children.

What I have learned over the years of working with schools is that the biggest lessons that children learn are not the ones that came prescribed in text books. It is the lesson that is imbibed by the culture of the school and what the school focused on, that lasts a lifetime.

I am thankful to the innumerable educators who have supported and encouraged School Cinema as a medium to inculcate life skills and values among children. Nowhere else in the world has anyone used cinema the way we have used School Cinema and the credit of its success goes largely to the educators who encourage it. Thank you for your encouragement!

Mr. Syed Sultan Ahmed, Managing Director, LXL Ideas sultan@lxl.in

PEDAGOGY

ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT Dr. Manoj Pandey

Dr. Manoj Pandey is an associate professor and Head of Department, Amity Business School at Amity University, Madhya Pradesh. An alumnus of Lucknow University, Dr. Pandey has a number of degrees to his credit which follows, B.Com, M.Com, L.L.B, Ph.D as well as PGDBM, NCMP and CS (Executive). His areas of specialization include Finance, Accounting, Taxation and Entrepreneurial Development.

Before joining Amity, Dr. Pandey was the Campus Head at Everonn and ICFAI, institutions where he has served more than 6 years. Alongside teaching, Dr. Pandey is also interested in research and has a large number of publications to his credit. Dr. Pandey is also actively involved in academic administration, mentoring, counselling and motivating his students.

The term entrepreneur has been derived from the French word “entreprendre” which means “to undertake”. The term entrepreneur has been in use for more than six decades now.

The meaning and interpretation has been changing with time and need. Richard Cartillon an Irishman living in France was the first man who introduced the term Entrepreneur and his unique function of taking and bearing risk in economics during early 18th century, he defines entrepreneur as an agent who acquires or buys production factors at certain prices, combine them to give it a shape of a product and sell it at uncertain prices. Jean-Baptiste Say, a French Economist says that Entrepreneur is one who combines land, capital of one entity and labour of another entity to produce a product. He says that an Entrepreneur shifts the economic resources of an area of lower productivity to higher

productivity. Another researcher named Joseph Schumpeter indicated that innovation played a crucial role in the evolution of an Entrepreneur.

“A good entrepreneur is foresighted. He is able to see and predict the future. A good entrepreneur constantly maintains a positive mindset during laborious situations If we study the life of successful entrepreneurs of India like Dhirubhai Ambani, JRD Tata, Narayan Murthy, Azim Premji, Indra Nooyi and others alike, we can find immense diversity in terms of their education, upbringing and financial background. Some have come from financially stable homes

It is necessary for children to be well prepared for the future and it is our fundamental duty to enable them with the necessary requisites. Dr. Manoj Pandey, in this enlightening article with Mentor stresses on the importance of entrepreneurial skills for children from a young age.

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May 2017 while others not so stable backgrounds. Some are highly educated and some are school/ college drop outs. Some became entrepreneurs at an early age and some very late. There are significant differences that set them apart but there is one common factor that binds them all. What is that common factor that makes them so successful?

A careful scanning of the lives of such personalities sheds light on some of the common characteristics that they share which are listed below.

Innovation: This is a very important trait as the business environment is very dynamic. There is tremendous competition in the industry from the abundance of similar products and services and a customer with ever changing taste and preferences which in turn gives rise to the neces-sity of innovation. The answer to all these challenges is innovation in products, processes and practices.

Highly Optimistic: A good entrepreneur is incredibly optimistic and always views the better side of situations and acts accordingly. He constantly maintains a positive mindset during enduring situations.

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Foresight: A good entrepreneur is foresighted. He is able to see and predict the future. In other words he is able to visualize the likely changes that may happen at the market place, technology space, consumer taste and preferences etc.

only through the initiative of starting Entrepreneurship Development Cells both at schools and colleges; the young generation will get opportunities to nurture their life skills‌

Good Manager: A good entrepreneur is a good manager.

He plans well and ahead, organizes activities, directs and handles the activities so that the organizational goals are achieved.

Perseverance: One of the most important qualities of an entrepreneur is that he possesses great perseverance.

Even in difficult situations he keeps up his efforts and never gives up. He takes failures as learning experiences and keeps moving in the direction of accomplishing his goals.

Leadership: A good entrepreneur is a very good leader. He has

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the ability to visualize the future, build a great team, and motivate them towards the achievement of organizational goals. He thinks about his people and creates a win-win situation for people as well as the enterprise.

Today, in this age it is very important that students both at school and college level get training in skills that will mold them into successful entrepreneurs. This concept is vital from a social and economic point of view of the development of the country because as we all know youth are the leaders of tomorrow. Entrepreneurship Development Programmes (EDP) should become a part of every school curriculum. It is only through the initiative of starting Entrepreneurship Development Cells both at schools and colleges; the young generation will get opportunities to nurture skills that will help them become successful entrepreneurs who in turn will strengthen the overall growth and development of our Nation.

all levels.

• Young Entrepreneurship Cell: Entrepreneur cells should be started right from school level to educate, guide and develop students on Entrepreneurship.

• Business Plan Competition: Students should be encouraged to develop innovative business plans.

Business Plan competitions should be organized at School and College levels.

• Government Bodies: Help from Government bodies such as MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise) should

be taken to develop future entrepreneurs at School and College levels. MSME provides a lot of support including financial aid.

• Mentorship: Once students start an enterprise, they should be provided support in terms of motivation and guidance. The help and assistance provided by a mentor be it a teacher teaching entrepreneurship or an alumna from the respective industry, adds immense strength to the confidence and esteem of the budding entrepreneur.

Here are a few ways that could help in nurturing the skills of entrepreneurship in students at

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mpandey@gwa.amity.edu

SCHOOL GOVERNANCE

MOVING INTO COLLABORATION: CLUSTERING Ms. Maya Mohan

Ms. Maya Mohan is an educationist with four decades of experience in the field of education. Her educational background includes an M.Phil from JNU (South East Asian Studies), besides a Masters in English from Delhi University and a Masters in Education from Annamalai University.

She was also a member of the Andhra Pradesh Education Review committee. At present Ms. Maya Mohan is the Director, Tattwa Centre of Learning, an educational venture utilising the platform of NIOS to provide ‘Alternative Education’ to students. An innovative curriculum has been designed keeping in mind current teaching learning strategies, taking into account the strength and passion of students.

Tattwa aims at becoming an educational resource centre in the city and state providing consultancy, training and mentoring to institutions to principals, teachers and students. Through Mentor she shares an effective method for schools to share innovations or advancements in the field of education or effective methods of pedagogy that will benefit all the schools involved.

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The main thrust of this article is to define clustering and explore how it is practiced and how it helps in forming an innovative network for curriculum and teacher development, for sharing resources and knowledge as well as for enhancing the quality of educational leadership. It is not a new concept as it has found its voice in the Sahodaya movement as envisaged by the CBSE which had the goal of sharing and caring as a template. Clustering can be used as an effective tool to raise student potential and facilitate student engagement in their learning.

Due to an isolationist mindset educational institutions either repeat themselves or reinvent the wheel

Clustering of schools whether it is the result of geographical proximity, cutting across boards or whether it is confined to the same board is a support strategy for working towards mutual benefit. It aids in peer exchange of ideas, technology and materials. The concept of Clustering has been around for a long time but it is gaining ascendancy today as educationists feel the disparity between schools in terms of quality of education imparted,

professionalism of teachers, and their awareness about current advances in education.

Educationists have realised that islands of excellence are not enough and cooperation and collaboration between educational institutions are of paramount importance. The Sahodaya concept of CBSE was a push in this direction.

Subject specific workshops for teachers, conferences on leadership and management, seminars on technological advances and its impact on education were all held in order to help professionals in the field of education get an idea of the direction their institutions have to take. This has worked well in certain Sahodaya complexes.

The problem arises when all the stakeholders are not on the same page. When learning ceases stagnation occurs and due to an isolationist mind-set educational institutions either repeat themselves or reinvent the wheel.

Innovative Network: Clustering as a system can work as an innovative network in improving quality of education.

This will benefit students and teachers as they share the best practices. Clustering can also help in curriculum development and teacher education besides developing strategies for assessment and evaluation.

Teacher discussion groups formed within the cluster groups can help in clarifying learning goals, in identifying learning difficulties in peer observation

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and in suggesting measures for remediation. Exchange of ideas through books, Information and Communications Technology, preparation of lesson plans and designing of question papers all can bring parity in the quality of education across schools. Cluster based activities and support can be effective strategies for integrating new teaching methods.

Geographical proximity can help in frequent meetings and exchanges, building bridges that will lead to a greater cross fertilisation of ideas. It will require great patience and time.

If clustering has to work, egos will have to be sublimated and complexes shelved.

Managements/Institutions: Effective managements that aspire for a greater vision and goals are needed to make clustering effective. In today’s world of increased cooperation among nations, educational institutions cannot work in isolation. Competition where institutions compete and vie with each other to remain amongst the top, often serves as a spur to innovation, but at the cost of quality for all. The field of education should not contribute to the rat race syndrome as is happening in other sectors. This

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is an area where educationists should be concerned about providing quality education to all irrespective of class, creed and religion. Change is the need of the hour; especially when we are educating young people who are out to conquer the unknown, live in space stations perhaps even live in Mars. But this change should be for all.

Clustering can be used as an effective tool to raise student potential and facilitate student engagement in their learning

Advances in Technology: Traditional teaching will not suffice and for a creative and innovative approach to the teaching learning process cooperation is essential.

Technological advances will have to be harnessed to bring together schools with diverse cultures with students belonging to different socio economic groups. ICT is an invaluable tool for achieving curricular objectives and developing thinking skills. A pool of

experienced and committed teachers from within the cluster schools can help raise the bar, motivate staff and students to achieve greater heights.

A sustainable framework: The concept has to be well thought out and will need strong scaffolding. Clustering cannot be arbitrary. Sustainable programs will have to be worked out and all involved in this experiment should be aware of the nature and source of their authority. Those in the field of education should not view this as a ploy to weaken the disadvantaged in the education sector by restricting the number of cluster schools and closing the remaining as being unviable.

Schools that cater to the disadvantaged section of the society should become a part of the cluster that include so called premium schools for mutual benefit.

There should be a consensus on what constitutes quality education, effective teacher training, resource allocation and good infrastructure.

Strategies to improve classroom quality and continuous monitoring and follow up are essential for the success of clustering.

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It will not work if perceptions differ and there is no equality amongst the member schools of a cluster. The smaller the clusters and the more such clusters, the more they can impact positively on innovation and quality improvement. Common academic programs and exam schedules can be facilitated.

Clustering can also help in fostering a culture of excellence as schools learn from each other and emulate what is best in fields like academics, sports and cocurricular activities. Clustering helps in capacity building and creates opportunities for learning, building on individual strengths of schools.

Strong leaders with a vision and school managements are

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needed to make clustering a success.

Effective managements that aspire for a greater vision and goals are needed to make clustering effective

Cluster formations: Cluster designs may vary from there being a permanent lead school around which other schools are clustered to or having a lead school in rotation so that all schools get an

equal chance in spearheading educational change.

Many countries in South and South East Asia have adopted this method by formulating their own criteria for improvement.

Policy decisions, consultations with concerned groups and guidelines should be framed before clustering is introduced.

The focus however should be on learning technologies, development of new educational tools, teacher education and enhancement of student potential. Great benefits can accrue to schools within the cluster if all are equal participants in this exciting venture.

Introspection and analysis will help in identifying lacunae in the program so that appropriate solutions can be created to address them.

Recognition for quality and innovative strategies will also motivate the members of the cluster to perform better. Parental involvement in community activities and awareness campaigns conducted by schools can facilitate resource mobilisation. Perhaps the time has come for all stakeholders in the field of education to join hands and work cooperatively to meet the many challenges faced in today’s globalized world.

Clustering can offer one such solution!

mayamohan712@gmail.com

OPTIMIZING SUPPORT SYSTEMS Mrs. Bijoya Baksi and Mrs. K. Jaiswal

Mrs. Bijoya Baksi has had a long association of over 30 years with school education.

An alumnus of La Martniere Girls School and IT College Lucknow, she is a post-graduate in English Literature with her core competencies being outstanding organizational skills, multitasking, a high level of creativity, strong people-skills, a positive attitude and her love for children.

She is a recipient of The National Award for Teachers (2007-08), Jewel of India Award (2009), Best Principal Award from National Science Olympiad (2012/ 2013/ 2014/2015) and Eminent Educationist Award from Education Council of India(2016).

“Governance and leadership are the yin and the yang of successful organisations.” Effective School Governance is all about having a strategic vision, a sense of direction and formulating highlevel goals and policies. Good school governance is also about directing and overseeing the administrative body to ensure that the organization is achieving the desired outcomes and is acting to meet with societal aspirations prudently, ethically and legally in the best interests of the stakeholders, i.e. students, teachers, and parents.

Strong support systems, within and out of the dominion of the school, need to be developed in order to help in efficient governance.

Working in tandem with Boards of Education The secret to success is constancy of purpose. As a policy, following the directives

and working in tandem with the affiliated Board, helps the school to be in sync with the current education policies. It is important to inject into the system, the directives that come from the higher authorities so that policymaking becomes smooth and clear to all. Organizing activities like Board-driven Teacher Training Workshops, sending teachers to become MasterTrainers, hosting national level events in sports etc. makes the school a trusted partner of the Board and an established and reliable school in the community.

Regular reading of the circulars on the Board’s website, and implementation of the directives given therein, helps the school to remain abreast with the times.

New policies and changes that are introduced must be proactively incorporated into the school systems, so that there are no hiccups or roadblocks in the way ahead. The conduct

As a Principal, she has developed innovative curriculum for the gifted and the weak children and has also knit a team of educators who have a strong commitment to the cause of education. In this article for MENTOR, Mrs. Baksi along with Mrs. Jaiswal (Creative Director, Navrachna School Vadodara and Co-Author of this article) share the various aspects of school governance and how school management must be streamlined.

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of examinations confirming to the format prescribed by the Board, proper declaration of results, implementation of CCE/ ASL/Practical Examinations etc. ensures a healthy interaction with the Board, and the School becomes a reliable and credible institution for the community.

The parent body which consists of people from different fields of expertise becomes a strong resource for strengthening systems in the school

faith and trust should be created at all levels by the people on top of the hierarchy.

The Dynamic School Leader The school leader must ensure that teachers are exposed to the latest technology and teaching tools. His/her role is to create thought leaders and changeagents who will become the skilled mentors that the child of today requires. The leader must invest in the enrichment of the teaching fraternity to promote excellence in the academic or co-curricular performance of the student fraternity. To get the best results, there has to be a democratic set-up, where there is freedom of thought and

expression, for all who work in that organization. Team building exercises, collaborative work and peer-learning must be applied to both teacher and taught. Open door policy to listen to concerns and to act quickly on feedback is required.

Parents’ views and suggestions must be respected and taken into consideration.

The selection process of teachers should be fair and uniform. They should be trained, paid well, and kept updated with new pedagogy techniques. Service record books must be maintained from day one and the Annual Confidential report of each and

Active Involvement of the Trustees/Management Committee The Management Committee is like the pivot of the family. The members have to understand the pulse and the needs of the organization and draw from the support systems that exist in the school. HR policies must be in place and clear to every employee of the organization.

A benevolent attitude that understands the needs of all stakeholders leads to the smooth running of a well-oiled machinery. An atmosphere of

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every employee of the school must be maintained. Incentives based on performance, and annual increments should be high-up on the agenda. Staff get-togethers and recreation is a means of ensuring that the team is well knit and represents the school as one.

A Sound Administration for Systematic Implementation Every organization must have a very sound administrative body.

What makes a good school is the proper handling of finances, having transparency of systems, laying down clear-cut policies, having excellent communication systems and infrastructure which is conducive to the growth and learning of children. Investing in technology is imperative for schools since it is the tool that improves and accelerates the working of an organization today.

The Administration should have Standard Operating Procedures for all departments. A sturdy Recruitment and Admission Policy helps to streamline affairs.

The Manager Administration should have a hands-on grip of the different operations of school administration. His/Her clear communication to the parent fraternity regarding the transport systems, the holidays, school

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timings and event schedules helps in keeping the parents well-informed thus avoiding any misunderstandings.

On the same note, it is important to take care of the facilities that make the school a ticking organization. The Admin must ensure constant water supply, clean drinking water, installation of CCTV and Fire Alarms, conduction of Fire Safety Drills and Evacuation Drills, upkeep of the Play Ground and Sports Facilities etc. Liaising with different government departments and the District Education Officer leads to a positive synergy between the school and these organizations.

Staff gettogethers and recreation is a means of ensuring that the team is well knit and represents the school as one

A Systematic Accounts Department Another important cog in the wheel of good school governance is an efficient

Accounts Section. Though most institutions have moved over to technology and paperless administration, the Accountant has a very major role to play. She/ he should be loyal and honest, who can be entrusted with sensitive information and proper handling of funds. It must be ensured that proper billing and filing system be maintained. Fee collection, making online/offline payments and maintaining bills and records, auditing, creating the Annual Budget is the job of the Manager Accounts. Liaising with the banks and keeping abreast with the new changes, taking timely decisions and acting in accordance with the laid down norms helps to keep trouble away.

A Robust IT Department With the huge revolution in the world of technology, every organization has to employ proper Communication Systems, Academic Management Systems, Library Automation, On-line Fee Collection Software, Educational Software, use of Social Networking Applications, Tracking Systems etc. which help seamless connectivity with parents, society, press, media, etc. Regular updating of the School Website is a must.

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May 2017 Environment Protection, Drug Awareness Campaigns, AntiCorruption Drives, Voting Rights Awareness, etc. can be carried forward by children since they are the most effective medium.

The school leader must tap this huge resource to the fullest, so as to create a concerned, conscious, awakened and informed youth.

A Satisfied Ancillary Staff Class IV employees play a strong role as support systems.

The Administrative body should care for their needs of PF, ESI, Medical, Leave Documental records. Their remuneration should be timely, fair and transparent.

Parent Community as a strong Pillar Parents represent a major part of the society in which we live.

Societal aspirations from the school will be fulfilled if we pay heed to parents’ suggestions and inputs. It is the parent body which consists of people from different fields of expertise that becomes a strong resource for strengthening systems in the school. Some key areas where parents’ support can be tapped are: Career Counselling of the senior students of the school, helping in Major School Functions, etc. Doctor parents can conduct Medical Check-ups; experts in various professional fields can help in enriching students with guidance, information and skill development workshops.

face of the school through their communication with the society.

They are the ambassadors of the school, and thus their nurturing and grooming must be an integral part of their personality development.

An atmosphere of faith and trust should be created at all levels by the people on top of the hierarchy

Any Government initiatives/ drives like Swacchata Abhiyaan,

Sturdy Mental Health Support Another very major support that improves the climate of a school is the Counselling Department. Advocating Child rights, following RTE, providing for inclusion of differently abled and working in concurrence with the Mental Health Act makes the School an empathetic space and much sought after institution.

The Magic Formula: Stability in Flexibility Finally, Change is the New Order, therefore adapting to change is crucial for any organization to succeed, since the saying goes: To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.

Student Repository Children are the key players who help the school achieve its mission and realize the goals envisioned. They carry forward the legacy of the institution by performing at various platforms and creating a niche and a positive reputation for the school. They become the

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bbaksi@navrachana.edu.in

COVER STORY

THE POWER OF EDUCATION Mr. Ashok Pandey

Mr. Ashok Pandey is working in the school sector for the past three decades. He did Masters in Physics from Allahabad University and Consultancy Management from BITS, Pilani. The Ahlcon International School that has been headed by Mr. Pandey for the past 14 years is ranked among the best Schools in the country. Currently he is serving as the Chairman, National Progressive Schools’ Conference (NPSC).

He has worked, in the past, with Mayo College, Ajmer, Delhi Public School, Jammu and Indian Embassy School, Saudi Arabia, among others. He has authored a book called the Pedagogical Life-Essays in Educating India, described by many as an educational travelogue.

Recipient of ‘National Award’ (2012) and ‘CBSE Award’ (2009) for his contributions in education, Mr. Pandey has keen interest in School transformation, professional development of teachers, technology integration, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and climate change. Widely travelled to Germany, Singapore, Sri Lanka, UAE, Thailand, Vietnam and Tanzania, he has led Principals’ delegations to the University of Malta in Europe, University of Rice in Houston, USA and to the Institute of Leadership, Nottingham, UK. Just recently he participated in the India Leadership Dialogue held in Melbourne, Australia.

Take us through your early life, upbringing and education during your time.

Some 33 years ago, I chose to work with young kids immediately after my Masters in Physics from Allahabad University, which once upon a time was known as the Oxford of the East. Later I did my Masters in Education and Management. My early

education began in a Railway administered school in Bihar and later in a primary school in my village located in UP. I am proud of my early schooling because it was spread across villages, towns and cities and this brought in me the necessary sensitivity about inclusiveness, educational opportunity and the importance of hardship. My

teachers played a brilliant role in shaping me into the person I am today. I was a peer leader for the most of my school years and that brought in me the qualities of sharing, caring and leadership.

I am grateful that the importance of value of money and reading the stories of great Indians were planted in us right from the beginning.

Any challenges that you faced at work?

The 21st century classrooms gives insights at all levels; learners, teachers and medium of instruction. Challenges that we face today are; teacher preparedness, differential teaching-learning strategies, creating engaging content and promoting self-directed learning.

Parental aspirations are at an alltime high.

Leadership What directed you into entering

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the field of education?

It was through my teachers that I realised that there is a teacher in me and from there my interest in teaching spread wings and took off. As a research scholar later, I learnt from my professor in Allahabad University that the biggest challenge lies in working with young minds. For all the years in my career, this one dictum has ruled my thoughts.

My teachers were a great source of motivation. Their dedication, sacrifice and missionary zeal inspires me till today.

What according to you is the purpose of education?

• Knowledge acquisition

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• Learning the Art of Living • Enquiry /Exploration/ Creativity • Fulfilment in life

Setting an example and practising what one preaches are the keys to effective leadership

Where do you draw your inspiration from? Tell us about a recent book you read or a recent film that inspired you and your key takeaways as a school

leader from it.

My primary inspiration comes from my deep rooted sense of responsibility and commitment.

I believe education has the potential to transform lives because it has transformed mine. I believe I must make a difference to the lives of others.

My parents, my teachers and my students are all sources of inspiration. ‘Divaswapna’ by Gujju Bhai comes to my mind first as an inspirational book.

This short story of a passionate teacher who struggled against all the odds to make a difference is a must read for all prospective teachers. ‘The Smartest Kids in the World’ by Amanda Ripley gives an insight into the aspirations that smart children have across the globe. ‘Schools that Learn’ by Peter Senge brings an account of the making of a dynamic educational institution. It is very well written and has a good narrative flow; I would recommend it to all school leaders. ‘The Finnish Lessons’ by Pasi Sahlberg, an authentic story of the success of Finnish schools. I bought the book after having attended a wonderful session by the author at King’s college, London. ‘Good to Great’ by Jim Collins is my alltime favourite. Thanks to Collin’s ideas, research and conclusions

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I am always reminded that being good could severely hamper your journey from being great.

What are some of the avenues you learn from?

There are several. I am a lifelong learner. I have done 4 online (MOOC) courses. Also attended several leadership programmes including IIM(A) and College of Leadership, Nottingham, U.K. Regular contribution to magazines, newspapers, speaking assignments, blogs and networking events are all learning avenues for me.

Governance What is the advice you would give to your teachers/ staff at the beginning of each session?

A teacher’s vision must align with that of the school. The reason for a school is the students. The mandate for each teacher must be to ensure joyful, relevant and value based learning experience for each student. Teachers must regularly reflect on their work.

The purpose of schooling for kids must resonate with the purpose of teaching. Children come to school to acquire knowledge, explore and experiment, learn the art of living and prepare for life. Our curriculum, pedagogy and school experiences must respond to that. We commit

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ourselves to making our school the best place for the students to learn and grow.

Life teaches us the greatest lessons... we may not have control over all the tests, but you can either let the lesson devour or empower you

How would you groom teachers/ staff to become leaders of tomorrow?

An effective principal needs to grow himself/herself first. A quick reflection would suggest what areas need improvement.

ICT training, new pedagogies, management principles, online skills development courses, research, the list is endless.

School leaders must read and write. They should be part of a professional network to learn and grow and at the same time contribute to the education sector. Exchanging visits to schools and learning from the best practices are very helpful.

Enhancing the social media visibility is also essential. Online courses through Cousera, edX, Udacity and other MOOC

platforms are very useful. People are looking up to the principal for leadership guidance and mentoring. All kinds of leadership is about learning first.

You grow and let others grow should be the motto. Setting an example and practising what one preaches are the keys to effective leadership. Once done, the principal is eligible to initiate grooming and professional development of staff. At Ahlcon we have developed a very comprehensive in-service school-based education for the teachers.

What are the key challenges that you go through as a Principal/ School Leader and how would you overcome those?

This clearly is a part of change management. The first step, therefore, is to communicate well, the very purpose of that change and new programme.

Second, we have to encourage the early adopters. The success lies in ensuring the stakeholders that the new programme is in the interest of all and aligned with the overall vision. A good implementation strategy with well-defined timelines must be in place. People responsible for executing the new programme may have training needs, and additional resources may be

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required too.

What are the activities that students engage in? What are its relevance/ importance in their development?

I would highlight only the unique ones; Human Rights Club, Integrity club, MUN, Sustainable Development Goals Club, Interact Club; clubs focusing on social and environmental sensitisation.

International exchange programme with Germany, Australia, UK, and Denmark also focuses on collaboration on global issues.

Innovation How has the teaching-learning

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process changed from your times to now or a decade ago to now?

How do you/ the school meet the current needs of students?

I have never questioned the wisdom of the teachers. Has it changed drastically? I think not. I shall state the differences.

From yesterday’s time one of the major changes has been the source of knowledge being not just teachers anymore.

Knowledge is at your fingertips now as opposed to being solely dependent on teachers and libraries. Another major change is the level of expectation that has increased on both sides.

There are changes in attitudes but choices are also available

in plenty. Skills required today for the teacher are certainly different. From the student’s point of view, teachers must be engaging, compassionate and hands on.

How is the school infrastructure set up? What are the latest tangible deliverables offered by the school to meet the demands of students today?

Ahlcon International School is building a learning environment where the teachers and students are collaboratively involved, fostering challenging academic and co-academic practices.

Some of them are as follows: • Curriculum progression sent

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to the parents by mapping the syllabus on a weekly basis in the form of Weekly flow thus giving them a bird’s eye view of the entire syllabus.

• Reinventing the programs and activities through well-designed formative assessment plans which include inter-disciplinary activities, community outreach programs, practical hands-on experiences, peer assessment, theatre in education, model making, project and group activities, source-based analysis and open book tests.

• C o m p e t e n c y - b a s e d learning which caters to the remedial classes for the underperformers and enrichment classes for the students aspiring for the A1 grade.

• Reflective teaching in thform of exit slips to evoke constructive feedback from the students and accordingly modifying the teaching practices.

• Instilling imagination in the millennial learners by providing them with a

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platform for self-expression and encouraging them to write, creating their blogs and designing the school magazine.

• Building a participatory classroom culture by valuing their opinions, involving them in research work on various subject topics, permitting them to design Selfassessments.

• Cultivating essential skills by giving them exposure in varied fields and involving them in programs like life skills club, value education club and other subject related clubs.

• Well-designed professional development programme.

What is the one thing that you would like to/are trying to introduce in the school blending with the latest trends so that students may be prepared for challenges of tomorrow?

Values inclusion, soft skills, research and presentation skills, 4cs (Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking and Creativity), good citizenship

and global competencies are the focus areas.

All educators should begin calling themselves as Nation Builders and do everything that the role entails

Pedagogy What are the key values that a school/ institute must instil in students? How does the school deal with cultural exchange programs and ideas across the globe? What are the other spaces to learn?

Global Competencies, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the key values taken across the school and all disciplines. Students have carried out several projects on social/environmental importance in collaboration with students from Germany, Denmark, Finland, and Australia.

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tête-à-tête

QUICK I believe education has the potential to transform lives because it has transformed mine What is that one strong belief you have and what is the message you would like to give to fellow educators/ institutions in the making?

Indians by nature have very distinct attitudes and aspirations from that of the rest of the world.

They have huge goals and undying motivation to prove and excel. That makes all the difference. The problem is that a vast majority of our children are excluded from the access to education and opportunity. As educators, we are in a unique position to make a difference. All educators should begin calling themselves as Nation Builders and do everything that the role entails. Practising humility is also a very vital quality to have as educators and leaders but there is a flipside if you are humble but you are not available to work for people then your humility is of no use. If you are ready to help but you are not humble then no one would like to seek your help.

‘Life is the mother of learning!’

Your take?

Oh Yes, undoubtedly! Allyson Partridge puts it more succinctly, ‘Life teaches us the greatest lessons and gives us the best gifts. We may not have control over all the tests, but you can either let the lesson devour or empower you.” The purpose of education, therefore, is to have a fulfilled life.

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MENTOR in conversation with Mr. Ashok Pandey I would describe education as A means to a fulfilling life You are an active member of the National Progressive School Conference, India.

Share with us 3 important highlights resulting from the partnership with government and training bodies?

• Opportunity for a privatepublic collaboration • NPSC schools have requisite resources and the school principals are leaders in their field. They are working relentlessly to improve the quality of education. We have been able to showcase it.

• The education secretary Mr Anil Swarup said recently, ‘private schools’ quality can be scaled up in the government schools”, the NPSC schools fit adequately in this scheme.

What are the 3 qualities that schools should look at nurturing in students for them to be prepared for tomorrow?

• Sound and deep academic knowledge • Art of living, values and employability skills • Lifelong learning

• Evaluating their learning styles and acknowledging their unique talent Give us a technological advancement in recent times that you think has changed the way children learn. Why is it important?

Accessibility to learning resources It has done several things: enriching the available content; responding to diverse needs; Providing assessment and feedback.

Balancing work and family life; what are the 3 things required to strike the perfect balance?

I can only say what is applicable to me. I am not quite convinced that work and home are two pans of a balance requiring a balancing act. It’s a continuum and one practices, prioritization, a clear distinguishing between important and urgent.

Your biggest learning from life has been Practice humility and being available to help. Both go hand in hand to help one succeed in life. Besides, humility is like a cup that holds all other virtues.

What are the 3 key qualities that educators must have to connect with students today?

• Knowledge and practice of required technology • Maintaining an emotional connect, engaging with the students.

ashokpdy@gmail.com

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

BEING JUST AN EDUCATOR IS NOT ENOUGH Colonel Sudip Mukerjee

Colonel Sudip Mukerjee is an army veteran with over 21 years in uniform on various locations and appointments including one year with the United Nations in Sudan, 2 years as a Trainer and Vice President of an airline. He holds, among other qualifications, a Masters Degree in Psychology and is an NLP Master Practitioner and Trainer, a Consultant and a Coach at his company Anchor NLP, based out of Noida. He is a prolific writer of social issues and brings out his expertise in human behavior to offer simple solutions through this article in MENTOR.

The goal of education is not to solve yesterday’s problems, but to tackle problems in the future that we have little knowledge of today, using technology that hasn’t been invented yet.

Given this, what is needed in education is neither evolution nor reform, but radical revolution – in both what is taught and how it is taught. And this has to be done without knocking the whole system into disarray, but making sure that equilibrium between the existing working system and the changed model is maintained at all times. Therefore it is pertinent for all School Leaders to up skill themselves not only as Educators, but Innovators and System Developers working within the confines of the system.

General Since early times, education has been an integral part of society. The Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, the Vedic Rishis, Confucius, Lao Tzu and countless other thinkers have contributed to what we are today. Gregory Bateson calls human beings ‘Time Binders’ in the sense that we bind time together by way of language, by passing on our learning to our progeny and thereby becoming better and better versions of humankind.

Education prepares us to contribute to society and enhance it. By attending various educational facilities, we are prepared for and contribute to its development. In case you want to be an architect, you attend Architecture classes at a university to learn basic knowledge in construction and designing. If you want to be a doctor, you go to a Medical College and even to join the military you attend the Indian Military Academy.

What we need to understand as thinkers is the fact that, what is more important than vocation is the holistic development that schools and colleges provide – the ability to rationally think and solve problems and to communicate our thoughts coherently and positively while respecting others’ perspectives even if we don’t agree with them.

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May 2017 Current State Education has been a challenge in our country and the lack of it has been blamed on all sorts of evil for hundreds of years. In the early part of the 20th century, Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore wrote lengthy articles about how the Indian education system needs to change. The irony is that from the colonial times of the British Raj, very few things have changed. We have established IITs, IIMs, law schools and other institutions of excellence. Astonishingly so many students now routinely score high marks in the XII Board exams that even students with 90 plus percentage find it difficult to get into the colleges of their choice.

Rote learning still plagues our system, students study only to score marks in exams, and to crack exams like IIT JEE, AIIMS or CLAT. As opposed to the very few centers of educational excellence, there are thousands of schools, colleges and universities that do not meet even minimum standards.

We, in India, are currently facing a crisis in the field of quality education. And a crisis it is because we are in a country where students spend their parent’s entire life savings and

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borrowed money on universities only to receive sub-standard education which obviously does not help them get the job of their choice. As a volunteer counselor on an Emotional Wellness platform, most of the people who came to me for help were jobless B.Tech graduates with suicidal tendencies. Such is the situation. We are just regularly churning out Engineers but not ensuring that they have the requisite skills to be employed.

The goal of education is not to solve yesterday’s problems, but to tackle problems in the future that we have little knowledge of today, using advanced technology

Innovation At its core, innovation is the process of making lives better.

Whether it is a small improvement for one person or a breakthrough for society, persistently asking “what’s next?” pushes us to strive towards a better future.

To use a metaphor, education is

the crucible in which innovations are forged. Promoting creativity and incentivizing innovation through our educational institutions is the first step towards broadening and deepening the impact of innovation in our society and economy. In large scale education systems such as ours, catering to a vast population with relatively limited resources, is a major challenge.

At the same time, with rapid advances in new technologies, changing needs of the economy, and the very presence of the challenges identified, the sector itself presents a fertile ground for pioneering innovations.

On a larger scale, innovation will create a seismic shift that affects many aspects of our lives.

As Educators, not only do we have to innovate, but teach our students how to do the same.

Maintaining the System Educators have an unenviable job of keeping the system running. It’s a lack luster process set in stone. Students join schools and then colleges to get a degree as a means for livelihood. Principals and Deans of colleges are answerable to Boards and Government bodies and hence cannot be truly independent of how they run their

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institutions. Therefore revamping the education system at the level of the Head of an Institution is not possible. The challenge that the educators face is to work within the constraints of the system and also allow innovation to blossom. Thus, being just an Educator is just not enough.

Professional Administration You can’t hire a business professional at the rates of a school Principal. And since the principal is not clued up in business management, he faces the primary challenge of mapping education as a business model to bring in professionalism in administering Education.

We hear about hospitality management, healthcare management, event management, aircraft management and even image management – but education management? No. Do you think that education will boom like the media industry, travel or the hospitality industries – if people managing it are old head masters and deans who have never attained skills of business management and have not up

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skilled themselves for decades?

What needs to be done is that these educators need to take their skill up a notch.

The goal of the education system should be to create entrepreneurs, innovators, artists, scientists, thinkers and writers

Need to innovate Comprehensive research in the West shows that learning music drastically improves analytical skills of a child at the same time increases self-esteem and creativity. However, tell a parent to have the child attend music lessons and parents will be annoyed as that would reduce the time available to study.

It is heartening to see some early school systems adopting innovative styles and diversity in teaching methods due to the absence of exams in the early school stage; and parents taking the initiative in the same context as well.

Innovation can be brought about not only through the content of educational courses being delivered but also through the mode of delivery. My wife was a Mathematics teacher in various CBSE schools and even though these schools were all mandated to run Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) model of Summative and Formative Assessments, the teachers (and on more occasions than not, the Principals) were reluctant to follow the dictum and schools did a ‘tick mark’ model of CCE continuing with the old style, and keeping the students in the same 20th century model of education. We need to ensure that any innovation is followed throughout its implementation.

So what about innovation in higher education? Only very little is possible within the government framework and current educational system.

Outside that system, of course innovation has been taking place. In fact, outside the ‘system’, education businesses have benefited from economies of scale and attracted talent.

The best examples of this will be the various coaching centers.

May 2017 Education in alternative career options like dancing, singing and acting have also mushroomed and some brands are even more expensive than college education. There have been various brands that specialize in teaching languages and providing different levels of certificates showing the student’s expertise in the language (Alliance Francais, IELTS). These brands have innovated, scaled up and faced competition and the ones that have emerged are battlehardened and ready to push through barriers. One of the important reasons that made this possible was the fact that they grew in unregulated areas, without the UGC prescribing standards, syllabuses, number of seats and dictating salary for teachers/trainers.

Skill Based Education Students need to be exposed to life skills from an early age. Especially in schools.

Skills like finance, research, communication, business, self defense, cooking, music, dancing and everything that prepares you for the real world.

Reward Creativity and Original Work Our education system rarely

rewards what deserves the highest academic accolade.

Deviance is discouraged. Risk taking is mocked. Our testing and marking systems should make the shift to recognizing original contributions, in the form of creativity, problem solving, valuable original research and innovation. Even though the aim of learning is performance and not replication of the knowledge, our education systems promotes memorizing above originality.

What we need to understand as thinkers is the fact that what is more important than vocation is the holistic development that schools and colleges provide Remuneration of Teachers It is high time to encourage teaching as a lucrative profession. The internet has created this possibility – the performance of a teacher now need not be restricted to a small classroom. Now the performance of a teacher can be opened up for the world to see. The better teacher

will be more popular, and will acquire more students. Genuine teaching skills should not be restricted to one classroom or one school, there is a need to increase the visibility of good teachers and so that only the good remain standing and the poor and mediocre perish.

Thereby increasing the quality of education.

Way Ahead We need leaders and knowledge entrepreneurs in teaching positions, not salaried people trying to hold on to their mantle.

In a few years’ time with the internet entering all other fields, students will be able to discover and choose the teachers they want. This would completely change the classroom scenario of yesteryears, when you were stuck with boring and sometimes incompetent teachers.

Companies like Coursera or 2U in the US tie up with the best universities there – such as Stanford and Harvard to offer Massive Online Open Courses which are globally recognized.

The goal of the education system should be to create entrepreneurs, innovators, artists, scientists, thinkers and writers who can establish the foundation of a knowledge based economy rather than the lowquality service provider nation running BPOs for developed countries while our cream attend American Universities and contribute to their GDP. We need Educators to rise above the requirements of the day, and look ahead in time to challenge themselves and their students to solve the problems of tomorrow.

Then, and only then, will we be fulfilling our roles as Educators.

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mukerjeesudip@gmail.com

INNOVATION

NATURE’S INVALUABLE LESSONS Mr. Satya Ramesh

Presently working as an Assistant Professor of Psychology in Amity University, Gwalior; Mr. Satya Ramesh has been a teacher of both Psychology and Mathematics for Senior Secondary and Secondary classes respectively for the past sixteen years. With a qualification in Psychology, Education and Counseling and a keen interest in those fields, Mr. Ramesh shares with MENTOR his perspective on how we can muster inspiration from our surroundings to reinvent teaching styles and draws a parallel to learning from nature.

When you have already tried your hand at Power Point presentations, class activities and everything inside and outside the box, how do you reinvent teaching? How do you keep the fire going?

I want you to stop and look around you. Feel the air fill up your lungs, feel the diaphragm moving up and down. Through this process you have already learned a lesson or two about patience. There is a lesson hidden in every part of nature.

Mother Nature embodies a huge reservoir of fascinating resources which includes mountains, rivers, oceans, trees, the land, wind, fire, clouds and everything under and above the sky. Each of these resources has a well-defined function along

with an underlying message for mankind which was decoded by our ancient sages thousands of years ago. Their intimate and intense relationship with nature is perhaps the only reason behind our success as an evolutionary phenomenon.

An attempt to understand the humanenvironment relationship in its actual sense would unfold a lot of invaluable lessons which no educational curriculum of today could claim to have scaled.

Rivers: Most of the rivers in the world have their origin in the mountains. Rivers originate with a purpose and their ultimate aim is to join the ocean (Sagar Sangam). In order to achieve this, a river has to flow continuously be it through valleys, mountains, forests or plains. During the course, it experiences moments filled with pleasure and pain, yet what matters is that the journey never gets interrupted (unless humans construct dams). This quality of perseverance is what one has to learn from a river.

Every individual should find out the ultimate aim of one’s life trying to make it both purposeful and meaningful by diligently fulfilling his/her duties at all times till the end.

“A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.”

Oceans: The five oceans of the world covering more than threefourths of the earth’s surface support not just the aquatic life but also mankind in innumerable ways. Oceans never lose their

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identity irrespective of how many rivers come and join them. Every human brain is like the ocean which receives innumerable sensory inputs through the five sense organs (rivers). However, the ultimate power to decide and respond always rests with the brain without losing its identity. Oceans contain the most invaluable treasure within and are always prepared to give to those who dive deeper in search of them. It implies that we humans spend a whole lot of our life accumulating material possessions from the world outside not bothering about the greatest of the great treasures buried deep within each one of us. Oceans never accumulate things which are of no use to them and even if generously given to them by humans, they do not mind subtly rejecting by pushing them off to their shores.

It equally applies to us. We need to have the ability to eliminate or reject things physical or mental which are of no use retaining only the good. Ocean waves are always energetic, never forget their limits and rarely do they take their extreme form (Tsunami waves) only to remind humans about their limits.

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“Waves are inspiring not because they rise and fall. But because each time they rise and fall, they never fail to rise again.”

-Swami Vivekananda

An attempt to understand the human-environment relationship... would unfold a lot of invaluable lessons which no educational curriculum of today could claim to have scaled

Mountains: All mountains across the world symbolize stability and strength of determination.

They have always stood in the path of mankind testing both the physical and the mental strength.

Never did they compromise and have always silently guided the mountaineers to invoke the spirit within which provides the necessary fuel to reach the pinnacle. It exemplifies that if one has to reach a destination however high or far it may be only through the process of reaffirmation; realizing the fact that success accommodates

only those who deserve and not those who simply desire.

“It’s not the mountains we conquer: but ourselves!”

Prithvi/Land: An epitome of immense patience and tolerance supporting mankind in every possible way without expecting anything in return.

No place on this earth has been left untouched (explored) by humans. Each exploration has inspired mankind to sharpen their thinking on how best to utilize (exploit). In the name of modernization, man has completely lost control over his actions, not realizing the impending danger. Aren’t there instances where mankind has gone to the extent of extending land into the seas thus creating new landscapes? No advanced technology can prevent and protect mankind from the consequences of deforestation, mountaintop removals, illegal mining etc. Better late than never, let us all embark on a new journey to protect our mother earth, limiting our desires, retaining resources for the generations to come.

“The real voyage of discovery

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consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”- Marcel Proust Akash/Space: One can find Akash everywhere be it inside an earthen pot or a golden vessel, inside a hut or a royal palace. This quality of infinite expansion breaking barriers of racial discrimination is what one has to learn from one of this major element of the universe.

“We are stars wrapped in skin – The light you are seeking has always been within.”

Vayu/Wind: An element of the universe which can only be

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felt but could never be seen.

It is a mixture of various gases including the most important life supporting element, Oxygen.

Knowing well that human existence is impossible without Oxygen even for a few seconds why do we have to be reminded always to protect trees. Isn’t it the birth right of trees even to coexist with us? Who gave us the right to pollute the air which even is the property of all other living beings? We humans can never think of answers to these questions until and unless we personally become victims of nature’s wrath. Let us not wait for that moment to come. It is

high time we realize the fact that coexistence is the only way to survive.

“No one can realize how substantial the air is, until he feels its supporting power beneath him. It inspires confidence at once.”- Otto Lilienthal Agni/Fire: Sun is the first thing that comes to our mind when we think of fire. It is a huge ball of gases and also a major source of light and heat for every living organism on this planet.

Fire symbolizes purity and we know very well that all metals (including gold) have to undergo heating during the process of

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purification. This equally applies even to mankind. All human efforts should be in the direction of purifying the mind and the soul, letting all the vices within us to be destroyed in the flames of fire ignited by our knowledge and wisdom.

“The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.”

-Ferdinand Foch Every natural entity, small or big, living or non-living has come with a message for mankind.

What matters is how open we are to learn from what surrounds us? Let us realize how far we have moved away from reality

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and at least now make every attempt to move closer to live in the safe hands of our mother nature. Only then can we live a life which is secure and fulfilled helping ourselves derive the meaning of our existence.

Waves are inspiring not because they rise and fall. But because each time they rise and fall….they never fail to rise again

“We never noticed the beauty of nature because we were too busy trying to re-create it.”

It is vital to teach children what is inside the box before we explore what is outside it. The inclusion of value of nature and its presence has been more often than not overlooked lately due to the advent of technology and other related man made manifestations.

We, as academicians of the leaders of tomorrow need to acknowledge this gap and fulfill our responsibility towards a secure future for the environment we live and breathe in.

ramesh.satya77@gmail.com

MENTOR THOUGHTS

INTERNET SOCIETY: INDIAN KID’S LIVES ONLINE Dr. Sagneet Kaur

Dr. Sagneet Kaur is working with LXL Ideas in the research and development domain. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology, and has more than 9 years of experience in the area of cognitive developmental and applied psychology. Her doctoral research entitled “Facilitating Ego-Identity Formation in Adolescents: A PsychoEducational Intervention” was to design and test the impact of identity related intervention on process of ego-identity establishment in adolescents.

She was appointed Research Intern/Fellow by Maulana Azad National Fellowhip, under the UGC grant, which included full time teaching assignments for postgraduate students in the university. In between she has always maintained connect with the industry by leveraging her skills in the domain of behavioral sciences to develop marketing and pre-launch plans for various companies. Applied psychology and impact measurement have been her areas of major interest throughout her short career. In this article of Mentor, she shares research driven facts related to the usage of social media by children in the age group of 8-16.

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From the world of reality to the world of ‘virtuality’, technology has taken us far ahead of our times with regards to accessing information about anything.

With the advent of internet the ease of getting information and becoming social became a matter of just one click.

With the global reach, ease of accessibility and nature of functionality, internet has become an inseparable part of every individual’s life, especially children.

Research (Varma, 2017) tabbing the internet accessibility and usability trends among kids in India, shows that: • Around 98.8 % of schoolgoing children in urban areas have access to the internet, where 49.5 % of the them get access from home after school hours.

• Nearly 43 % of school-going children access internet on smart phones, followed by laptops, desktops and tablets.

• Most of them use internet for making school projects. Along with that, it is also includes playing games, reading online books, listening to music and watching movies, using social networking sites, accessing email.

• Some of the most popular applications that kids download often were: Whatsapp, Youtube, Facebook, Snapchat, NDTV, Fifa 15, Candy crush, Learn to draw Lego Ninjago, GTA • Average time spent by a child

on the Internet, per hour: 40 seconds to 1 minute • Peak hours of internet usage: 5 PM to 8 PM • A child sends 18 SMS and receives 20 promotional SMS’s every day.

The above mentioned trends is not limited to just accessing information online but also for connecting, communicating, interacting and socializing. The social networking sites serve the purpose for this. The lives of everyone are just a Facebook or Instagram page away, be it personal or professional.

Today calling and asking about a person’s whereabouts is replaced by opening their social media page and getting updates on this platform. Social networking has become a major part of everyone’s life; keeping oneself updated on their social media profile has become a major chore of every day routine.

For children this part of technology has become a popular trend. Social networking has become an important routine of children’s and teenager’s social life. Starting the morning with saying hello, hi and good morning to friends or public in general, posting wherever you go, whatever you do in the day till you sleep and bid good bye for the day to them. Through the medium of connecting and becoming social ‘social networking’ brings along the ‘in trend’ terminology, which kids use a lot today, like “ping me, poke me, like me,

May 2017 share & subscribe, go live, post, create profile, comment, chat, LOL, OMG etc”. This has unofficially opened up a branch in linguistics; the internet slang.

Some major facts and figures (Varma, 2017) which came out of research on social networking trends of children and teenagers show that: • Over 60% of 13-17 year olds have at least one profile on a social networking site (AACAP, 2017) • 59 % of children are social networking by the age of 10 years (Mail Online, 2017) • Facebook tops the list of favorite website for kids (54.1%) between the age of 8-16 years followed by WhatsApp (40%), and Twitter (9.5%) and Instagram (8%) and others (6.2%) (Telenor, 2017) • Average hours spent per kid on social media sites such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube: a whopping 3.4 hours per day • Most frequently visited websites by a kid: Facebook. com, Google.co.in, Flipkart. com, Cricinfo.com

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With the advent of internet and the ease of getting information becoming social became a matter of just one click

Benefits of Social Networking: Social networking brings each other closer. Nothing is personal here; anything which is on your account becomes available to whoever has access to your online account.

Nowadays people love to share their personal self with social/public self, especially children.

Social networking comes with a heavy trail of pros and cons.

A student of the University of Warwick (2017) rightly says that this is the era of Digital age, he states that, “I believe that the youth has always been and always will be outspoken, but social media has definitely provided a platform to broadcast those in a way the world has never experienced”. Social

media provides a platform to children for expressing their views to a larger audience. This outright self-expression can make the people in authority hear forcefully what they generally wish to leave unheard.

Among the other pros (AACAP, 2017), social networking and social media provides a: • Sense of connection and belongingness to family, friends and peers. A sense of belongingness also boosts the child’s self-esteem and reduces anxiety.

• Using social networking sites encourages collaboration, sharing and participation and improves learning outcomes.

• Develops a sense of identity and improves expression.

• Instills creativity among kids as the they create their profile pages, write posts, photo and video upload and so on.

Updates about current economic and political affairs, helps exploring values and ideas; takes action on issues.

This also increases civic and political engagement.

Risks Related to Social Networking: Nothing is always rainbows and sunshine. Social networking has a wide array of disadvantages that follows its excessive usage.

Research reveals 90% of children in India are surfing unregulated, unmonitored Internet and 76% are not aware of the Child Helpline number 1098(AACAP, 2017), as a result the risks that social digitization brings for kids become manifold. Some statistics on the above: • Increased vulnerability to “cyber bullying”, as around 15 % children complained of being bullied online whereas 10.41 % faced humiliation through picture/video that was

command of digital media in terms of his or her ability to use digital technology and media in safe, responsible and effective manner (Digital Citizenship), creating digital ecosystem and turning ideas into reality (Digital Creativity) and use digital media to solve global challenges and create new opportunities (Digital Entrepreneurship).

uploaded on the Internet.

• High susceptibility to Cyber security risk, as more than 54.8 % children share their passwords with friends, whereas 92.6 % children share personal information with strangers online.

• Risk of identity theft, around 35 %children faced the problem of their account being hacked, while 15.74 % received inappropriate messages.

• Vulnerability to predatory adults • Exposure to age inappropriate content, which can affect their social and emotional development.

• Reduced physical activity; low levels of pro-social behavior and emotional development/ expression (Giedd, 2012).

72% of children find it easier to express emotion through emojis than written or oral language (Ghosh, 2015).

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I believe that the youth has been and always will be outspoken, and social media has definitely provided them with a platform Staying Safe on Social Networking Sites: The good news after reading the highly alarming issues related to cyber security of our children is that the majority 89.3% of children are willing to approach their parents or teachers in case they experience any cyber harm. As guardians, our responsibility is to help kids enjoy the sunny side of social networking and avoid the cons alongside. The need of the hour is to inculcate high levels of ‘Digital Quotient’ or ‘DQ’ (Park, 2017) among children, it is a measure of one’s facility and

Here are some ways you can protect the child from harmful social media activity: • Constantly monitor and mentor child’s social media activity • Discuss freely the pros and cons of using social media with your child • Guide them in their usage and activity online in terms • Posts and videos and its privacy settings, • Sharing of passwords and other personal information (like phone numbers and pictures), • Tone and content of posts updated, • Accepting friend requests and sharing personal identity online Children should be informed about the relevance of socializing in the physical world as opposed to virtual socializing.

Encourage outdoor activities; going out, meeting friends or relatives, playing with them will inculcate empathy, social responsiveness (Giedd, 2012) and explorative behavior.

As guardians, we should try to instill ‘Digital Lifeskills’ (Park, 2017) such as ability to manage a healthy online identity, time management for online engagement, detecting and handling cyber bullying, protecting oneself from cyber-attacks by keeping strong passwords, managing

May 2017

and maintaining privacy, distinguishing between good and harmful online content, understanding and managing digital footprints and showing digital empathy towards others.

The usage of social media develops a sense of identity and improves expression

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Restricting children from social networking can increase their curiosity to use it more which might lead to unsupervised usage. This can make them vulnerable to the risks rising out of social networking instead of enjoying its benefits. Rather than discouraging the use, informed usage can be motivated among children for making them feel like they are ahead with others and also nourish a sense of belongingness and connection with society.

References: • American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP, 2017).

• Giedd, J. N. (2012). The digital revolution and adolescent brain evolution. Journal of Adolescent Health, 51, 101–105.

• Ghosh (2015). Internet Browsing Habits Among Indian Children Are Worrisome & Alarming!. Trak. In • Park. Y. (2016). 8 Digital Lifeskills we must teach our children. World Economic Forum.

• Varma (2017). Habits of Indian School Kids. Telenor India’s Webwise Survey.

Telenor.

• h t t p : / / w w w. d a i l y m a i l . c o . u k / n e w s / article-2552658/More-half-children-usesocial-media-age-10-Facebook-popularsite-youngsters-join.html

sagneet@lxl.in

RE-DEFINE TEACHER TRAINING

Ms. Kalpa Kartik, Editor-in-Chief MENTOR Magazine, Director LXL Ideas World Health Organization advocated 10 Life skills many years ago and mandated it to be taught to children around the world. “To prepare them for a life beyond school”. While most countries agreed and actively contributed to the concept, we ignored the TEACHER and the PARENT who are the biggest influencers.

Teachers need training on Life Skills today more than ever as a child spends most amount of their time at school which means they get the most amount of learning there as well. They learn from their surroundings, mirror their teacher’s behaviour, personality and attitude. They learn through observation. The connection that the teacher has with the child and the subtle power of influence over them are hard to ignore. Therefore teachers need to be equipped with skills to understand the present day children and address their issues better.

The ten skills remain constant throughout time, only the context and perspective for the teachers change.

Benefits of education on Life Skills are far too many to be penned down but some of them are Self Awareness, Empathy, Communication, Interpersonal Skills, Critical Thinking, Creative Thinking, Decision Making, Problem Solving, Dealing with Emotion and Dealing with Stress; these skills for teachers will translate into

• Personal satisfaction & growth • Responsibility & accountability • Reduced risky behaviour • Ability to self-manage, solve problems and understand the business environment • Working well as part of a team • Time and people management • Agility and adaptability to different roles and flexible working environments • The potential to lead by influence (Macmillan, 2016) • Understand the school environment and culture better While the teacher chose the profession to teach, they did not do it to make sure it resulted in a test score. They chose to educate and advise lives The training imparted to teachers need to focus on individual skills and issues that they could possibly face with the different age groups they interact within a

school environment. The curated training program should create: Awareness: On the issues they can face in a school as a teacher with their colleagues and on the issues that children face in the age group they interact with.

Understanding: The core of the issue and relate it to their own lives.

Action: Enable them to internalize the core message and act out the key learning when in need.

While the teacher chose the profession to teach, they didn’t do it to make sure it resulted in a test score. They chose to help educate and advise lives. They chose it to make a difference!

With each passing year, as students leave, new students bring with them new issues and behavioural changes. Therefore, teachers need to be empowered with Life Skills to take on the world before they prepare the students to take on life.

References: Macmillan (2016). Why are life skills important? Retrieved April 18th, 2017, from http://www.macmillanenglish.com/life-skills/ why-are-lifeskills-important/

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