The Monthly Newsletter
SCOPE ISSUE NO 85
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SEPTEMBER 2012
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www.ei-india.com
This Month’s Issue Challenging Behaviour 01 Strong performers........ 02 Thoughtful stories........ 03 Teacher’s Day................ 04 Teacher’s Day................ 05 Why I love teaching...... 06 Teacher’s Bite............... 07 Detailed Assessment.... 08
Challenging Behaviour Children’s behaviour often poses challenges to teachers. Sometimes such behaviour causes irritation to the teacher teaching a large class with varying abilities. At other times the behaviour of certain children disrupts the normal operation of the classroom or school for a time. However, teachers may also have to deal with behaviour which challenges their ability to provide an education for a child or their peers. In addition to this, teachers find themselves increasingly challenged by behaviour associated with a disability, or where the children’s social norms are different to that of the teacher.
In what Contexts does Challenging Behaviour occur? There are reasons why children behave in a challenging manner. Therefore, identifying why they do can be the key to finding a solution to the problems caused by this behaviour. This analysis must include a consideration of the behaviour and the context in which it occurs. Children with communication difficulties may engage in challenging behaviour. If a child is unable to express needs or wants, because of a lack of understanding or ability to use language, inappropriate behaviour may be used to express these needs. In cases like this, teaching a child to use acceptable ways to communicate their needs may form part of the solution. Intensive and early intervention from a speech and language therapist will be very beneficial for such children. Environmental factors may contribute to the problem. Children may react negatively to noise, heat, cold or to invasion of their space. Some children,
particularly children with autistic spectrum disorders may be over sensitive to certain stimuli such as noise, and may therefore react by displaying challenging behaviour. Attention-seeking is often identified as a cause of challenging behaviour. Thus arises the question as to why the child needs to seek attention in this way. Some children may be unable to manage a particular task and may be frustrated or bored. However, attention-seeking behaviour can also be a learned behaviour, which has been effective in the past in ensuring that children get what they want. Even negative attention can be motivating for some children, especially if they feel that this is the only attention they receive. Factors associated with socio-economic disadvantage also influence the prevalence of challenging behaviour. Poor social skills and language development, associated with poor parenting skills
may lead to a child exhibiting challenging behaviour. This behaviour may be used as a survival technique in the child’s environment. Finally, challenging behaviour may have an underlying medical cause or reason, such as pain, illness or sensory difficulties. Develop clear and simple classroom rules in discussion with the children. Rules can be taught and practised as role plays, and reinforced by praise or reward. All children respond to attention and, therefore, a focus on positive behaviour will reinforce positive behaviour. Many disruptive behaviours occur at transition times, for example when children are moving from one activity to another. It is, therefore, essential to plan for routines and transitions.
Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education - A Video Series In today’s global economy, countries need high-quality education systems that will teach their citizens the skills necessary to meet the challenges of tomorrow. This series of videos, produced jointly by the OECD and the Pearson Foundation, highlights initiatives being taken by education authorities around the world to help school students do better. The school systems featured were chosen for their strong performance in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Every three years, PISA evaluates the skills of 15-year-old secondary students in three basic areas: Reading, Mathematics and Science. Pencil-and-paper tests assess how well they analyze problems, seek solutions and communicate ideas. Around half a million students participated in the latest round, carried out in 2009 in some 70 countries and economies.
The best systems deliver strong and equitable learning outcomes across widely varying cultural and economic contexts. By showing what they achieve, the PISA tests provide a mirror to all countries and demonstrate what is possible. Others can learn from those that do well. The purpose of these videos is to transmit ideas and stimulate debate.
Starting from very different levels, a number of countries and regions have succeeded over the last few years in raising their students’ performance substantially. They display some important common features. Their politicians and social leaders share with parents, teachers and students a strong belief in the value of education. Resources are channelled to the areas where they will provide the greatest results. All students are given opportunities to achieve success.
Check the videos on this link: http://www.pisa.oecd.org/document/3/0,3746,en_32252351_3223 6130_49553155_1_1_1_1,00.html
Independence Day celebration at M.E.C. Public School ICSE, Bangalore
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The program commenced with a prayer followed by flag hoisting by Sri N.Chandrashekar, Secretary, MEC Group of Institutions. The ceremony was held to inspire the students to respect, admire and emulate the footsteps of our National Heroes. The event was inaugurated by singing the National Anthem and saluting the National Flag. The event was also sought as an opportunity for the students to dedicate and showcase their talent to revolutionaries of yesteryears. This was done through various platforms such as slogans, speeches, drills, patriotic songs etc.
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups. Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us." God brews the coffee, not the cups.......... Enjoy your coffee! "The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
Afghanistan - Oct 5 Schools have a holiday, but students and teachers gather to celebrate at schools with special traditional food, cookies, music and presents for the teachers.
Bhutan - May 2 Established and marked on the birth anniversary of the third King of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, who introduced modern education to the country.
Brazil - October 15 This was a decree regulating the elementary schools in Brazil. The celebration gained popularity throughout the country, and October 15 was officially designated as Teachers' Day in 1963. China - September 10 In the People's Republic of China (PRC), there are some activities for students to show their appreciation to teachers, such as presenting gifts, including cards and flowers. In addition, many former students will go back to their old middle schools and high schools to give presents to their old teachers.
Iran - May 2 This commemorated the martyrdom of Abulhassan Khan'ali, a teacher who was shot dead in a meeting in front of National Parliament during the Mohammad Rezā Shāh era on May 2, 1961. Later the Islamic Republic government changed it to commemorate the martyrdom of Dr. Morteza Motahhari on May 2, 1979.
Poland - October 14 This day is the anniversary of the creation of the Commission of National Education, created in 1773 through the initiative of King Stanisław August Poniatowski
New Zealand - October 29
South Korea - May 15 This took place since 1963 in Seoul and 1964 in Chunju City. Originally it was started by a group of Red Cross youth team members who visited their sick ex-teachers in hospitals. The national celebration ceremony was stopped between 1973 and 1982 but it resumed after that. On that day, teachers are usually presented with carnations by their students, and both enjoy a shorter school day. Ex-students pay their respects to their former teachers by visiting them and giving them a carnation.
Tunisia - February 28 Ukraine - The first Sunday of October Int schools across the country, Teacher's Day is celebrated on the Friday before the holiday with "concerts" and gatherings, while students usually give their teachers gifts such as flowers and chocolate. On the holiday itself, many teachers celebrate with their families and friends at home or at restaurants or cafes.
Guatemala - June 25 This is a celebration in honour of the teacher Maria Chinchilla who died during a violent riot in protest against the government.
Vietnam - November 20 This holiday allows students to express their respects to their teacher. Students begin preparing a week in advance, and many classes usually prepare literature and art to welcome Teacher’s Day, while other students prepare foods and flowers for the parties held at their schools. Students usually visit their teachers at their homes to offer flowers and small gifts, or organize trips with their teachers and classmates. Former students also pay respect to their former teachers on this day. The holiday has its origins in a meeting between educators in communist bloc nations in Warsaw in 1957. It was first celebrated in 1958 as the Day of the International Manifest of Educators; in 1982 the day was renamed Vietnamese Educators' Day.
Czech Republic - March 28 The birthday of John Amos Comenius. Czech students nominate the teachers whose approach most motivates and inspires them to the competition Zlatý Ámos (Golden Amos). The coronation of the "Golden Amos" takes place yearly on March 28
Hong Kong - September 10 Before the 1997, Teacher’s Day was on September 28. After the handover to the People's Republic of China, the day was changed to September 10, which is when the PRC celebrates the holiday.
Jamaica - May 6 Teacher’s Day is normally celebrated on May 6 or the first Wednesday in May. In celebration of Teachers' Day, it is common for students and parents to bring gifts for teacher. In addition, most schools are closed early (half-day).
Pakistan - October 5 It recognizes the importance of teachers and attributes progress to the quality of teachers in Pakistan's Educational System.
Brunei Darussalam - September 23 To commemorate the birth date of the 28th ruler of Brunei, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III, also known as the 'Architect of Modern Brunei' who amongst others had emphasized the importance of education to his subjects by introducing a policy of 'free' education whereby the citizens are charged very nominal fees for attending schools. This policy has now been followed by the current 29th ruler who has since extended the policy further.
Indonesia - November 25 National Teacher’s Day is commemorated on the same day as the formation of the Indonesian Teachers' Association, the PGRI. National Teachers' Day is not a holiday, but it is celebrated by having a ceremonial activity in recognition of certain teachers, headmasters, and school staff.
Thailand - January 16 Adopted as Teacher’s Day in Thailand by a resolution of the government on November 21, 1956. The first Teacher’s Day was held in 1957. Most Thai schools close for the day to give their teachers a break during the long second term. Many international schools do not, although they may hold celebrations to honour their teaching staff. There are very few public or official commemorations.
Panama - December 1 To commemorate the birth date of Manuel Jose Hurtado, who is known as the father of Panamanian education due to his promotion of modern universal education through the establishment of the first public schools and teachers' colleges in what is now known as Panama— then part of Colombia - aiming to break the vicious cycle of ignorance and poverty that afflicted the vast majority of the population. He went on to be named Director-General of Public Instruction of the State of the Isthmus.
WISHING A VERY HAPPY TEACHER’S DAY TO ALL THE CREATIVE TEACHERS OUT THERE WHO FIND A WAY TO SPARK STUDENTS PASSION BY TOUCHING THEIR LIVES
I introduce myself as Saroja D. working as a Teacher in Sri Kumaran Children's Home (ICSE) for the past ten years. Before coming to Bangalore, I was working in Hyderabad and in Delhi since 1993. I did my schooling and college in Coimbatore and I was working in the P&T dept. (Foreign post) in Chennai after my graduation. After my marriage in 1981, I resigned my job and served as home maker till 1992. I had the privilege of teaching my kids and that was the time, my inbuilt passion to teaching was explored by my family. I had a lot of interest to learn from all possible situations and that has given an opportunity to take up teaching as a career. As a teacher each one of us is practically in the process of self-learning followed by teaching children. We get new ideas to introduce, explain, demonstrate and evaluate with every batch of students! During the process of teaching, a teacher also grows in her vision and evolves better every time.
Everyday seems to be new and I find methods to teach better and learning must be fun and enjoyable for kids. I have experienced many a times the unbelievable affection of the young ones which refreshes me like a sphinx! As a science teacher I nurture the children to admire science in all walks of life. We have been consuming the benefits of science in our daily lives and I emphasize that science must be utilized for the welfare of all living things in a constructive way only! So my career has given me a wonderful opportunity to uplift values in the young minds at their moulding stage which I feel is a boon as a nation builder. So I love teaching as I can inculcate good values in the future architects.
More than everything, teaching is enjoyable to me because I love to be amidst young kids and it makes me know the pulse of the present generation.
Mr. L. Krishnamurthy, Principal, MEC Public School ICSE, Bangalore received a National award “SHIKSHA BHARTI PURASKAR � on 9th August, 2012 at Gulmohal on the occasion of the 68th National Seminar, held at New Delhi by All Indian Achievers Foundation.
His brief profile is as follows: In the year 1968 the Andhra government has awarded a gold medal for his meritorious teaching in Mathematics. In the year 1996 he has got a state award by the Karnataka government. In the year 2006 he has got the Einstein physics award. Congratulations to Mr. L Krishnamurthy from EI family.
Q: Q:
Who has most influenced you to become an educator and how did they influence you?
Education has been in my blood and the inspiration has come from very passionate educators in the family. Here, I would like to acknowledge the contributions of my grandfather, father and sister who have been my role models.
Q:
What is your approach to classroom management and student discipline?
Today’s young kids only think of themselves. They’ve got less respect for elders, they’ve got no time for rules and regulations. If you hear them talk, you’d think they knew everything. And what we think of as wise, they just see as foolish. Against such circumstances, we believe in building positive school environment. Cultivating habits of discipline and encouraging certain practices from an early age is our main focus for we feel that ‘values’ are unquestionably ‘caught’ rather than ‘taught’.
What are your views regarding the 'Importance of Teacher Training and Development' in educating Students?
While millions are spent by schools on the infrastructure in trying to improve quality, the real change comes when the focus is on training the teaching staff. The training programs should be an intrinsic part of the school which equips practising teachers with innovative methods, the latest tools in measurement to support the teachers to teach better every day.
Q:
What is your view regarding the ASSET Test?
The ASSET Test is bringing about a phenomenal change in bringing about a paradigm shift from rote learning to conceptual understanding. It is probably the 1st one to make use of assessment tools and systems to measure learning improvements in schools. It’s comprehensive diagnostic evaluation of students’, class and school performance is indeed eye-opening and an analysis at the National level gives impetus to achieve better results.
By Ms. Mamta Jaiswal, Sunbeam School, Annapurna, Varanasi
Prof Iain Stewart From the day we are born, till the last day of our life we confront tons of Mathematical problems and issues in our daily lives. In school we devote a large chunk of time on Mathematical formulas, problem solving and refining our skills in the areas of analytical ability, reasoning and logical thinking. However what we take for granted as Mathematical ideas have curious stories. The BBC series ‘The Story of Maths’ offers a mirror to reflect upon how our ancestors invented Mathematical ideas and formulas while solving problems in different areas. The story of Maths is an excellent series on the history of Maths, presented by Marcus du Sautoy. The series consists of 4 episodes, each of one hour duration. The episode 1 titled ‘The Language of the Universe’ begins with the fundamental nature of Mathematics in our daily lives. Marcus then moves to the origin of the understanding of Mathematical concepts and applications in human history. In Egypt he uncovers the use of a decimal system based on ten figures of the hand, and in Mesopotamia he explores the way people tell the time today and its connection with the Babylonia Base 60 number system. In Greece, he looks at the contribution made by some early giants including Plato, Archimedes and Pythagoras. The episode 2 titled ‘The Genius of the East’ focuses on the contribution to Mathematics made by China, India and Arab. When the ancient Greek civilization declined, Europe underwent a dark phase. However, in the east, Mathematical
progress was in the peak. Du Sautoy visits China and explores how Maths helped build Imperial China and the Great Wall of China. In India, he discovers how the symbol for the number zero was invented. In Arab, he looks at the new language of Algebra and the spread of the eastern knowledge to the west. The episode 3 titled ‘The Frontier of Space’ takes us to the 17th century Europe, the power house of Mathematical ideas. The 17th century Europe had made great strides in the areas of applied Geometry and Calculus. In this episode, Marcus explores the works of Rene Descartes (the father of analytical geometry), Isaac Newton (development of calculus) and Pierre Fermat. In episode 4 titled ‘The Infinity and Beyond’, Marcus looks at some of great unsolved problems that confronted Mathematicians in the 20th century. The series is a MUST for high school students and teachers alike to gain a holistic perspective on Maths. Most of the episodes are available in YouTube in parts. The DVD can also be purchased from amazon.com
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