ASSETScope June 2013

The monthly newsletter

Issue 93 | June 2013 | www.ei-india.com

This Month’s Issue Its School Time Again ..... 01 Aarushi’s Library ............. 02 Gooru Ad. ....................... 03 Inspiring Classrooms ....... 04 Success Quotes ............... 06 Teacher’s Bite ................. 07 ASSET Poster ................... 08

It's School Time Again! place to learn. Put up attractive posters and decorate the bulletin boards with interesting visuals etc. These really help – as they certainly give your students something to look at when their attention wanders after the freedom and excitement, during a vacation. You can also conduct some activities to make the first day interesting.

Students from across India are turning in their swimsuits for their backpacks and are heading back to school - but let me ask, “Students, don’t you want to renew your quest for knowledge? Then grab your textbooks; it's Back to School”.

It’s so simple, but important for you, teachers to know that a smile to greet your students is the first step to building rapport. It’s the first step to creating a trusting, close-knit relationship with your new class.

Remember, if your students like you and trust you, then classroom management becomes much easier. A smile activates instant likability - and so much more.

Make this year special by making your classroom a welcoming and supportive

Why not start with an activity that is engaging and fun. ‘Bragging’ activity is something like this. This helps each one to recognize the positive side of others.

Ask students to sit in a circle and recognise or appreciate there classmates one by one. For example “I want to brag about Shia because she is always so positive and energetic.” “I want to praise Karan because his voice is just amazing." "I want to let everyone know that Rahul is very helpful” Make a bulletin board backstage of what everyone says, and students can add to it at any time.

Another activity can be an S.O.S. activity: “Strengths Others See.” Each student gets a sheet of paper that says “Strengths other see in...” and writes his/her own name at the top. Then students pass their sheets to the right for one minute and write the strengths they see in the person whose name is at the top of the sheet.

One minute at a time, the sheets make their way around the circle until everyone gets their own sheet back and reads all the strengths everyone else sees in them. Students can put this on the cover of their notebooks.

We hope you have a fantastic and HAPPY year!

Aarushi’s Library Initiatives

Leadership and entrepreneurship are common words these days in most of the elite schools. Children spanning all age groups are often advised to become leaders and entrepreneurs in their own life. But this advice remains mostly within the four walls of the classroom. However, it was not so in the case of Aarushi, a class 5 girl from the Eklavya School, Ahmedabad. Aarushi has stepped out of the four walls of her school and stepped into the act of soul leadership and entrepreneurship.

Aarushi lives in a high rise apartment in the Bodakdev area of Ahmedabad. In the ongoing summer vacation, the sizzling heat has forced most children to remain inside their homes.

At home, the only options are either watching television or reading books. Aarushi chose the later. A few days ago, she was reading a book titled ‘Adventure in the Island’. While reading the book, she was totally lost and was eager to share the joy with the other friends of the building. In the process, the idea for setting a library was conceived. She liked to read

books containing stories of her interest and at the same time wanted to share these with other friends. But these books are very expensive and not affordable by one person. She knew that other children of the building would have similar books, which she thought could be exchanged, through creating a library in the building. She proposed her idea to her mother and it was immediately shared among other friends and children. Now the problem was to find a common space.

At the beginning the cabin near the main gate which had been renovated recently was selected to solve the problem temporarily. However, as it was too small for a library, it was only used to keep the books. After facing some inconvenience, the lobby near the lift in the ground floor of the building was selected for both keeping the books and reading them. The library was named ‘Rainbow Readers’.

Aarushi and her friends have categorized the books into three age groups, for 3 to 5, 6 to 8 and above 8.

Aarushi also has displayed problem solving skills in real life. As usual there are differences between boys and girls. Boys are fonder of books related to adventure where as girls like fairytales stories. To resolve the problem, she proposed the idea of keeping both kinds of books that would interest all kinds of children. It may be a small act, but considering Aarushi’s age, it has profound implications of the 21st century skills in children’s lives.

Aarushi does not have high ambitions regarding her library, but she wants to experiment with some ideas that can make her initiative a success. Some of these are developing a logo, creating a Facebook page, through which she wishes to reach more friends using the virtual medium, and so on.

By Jitu Mishra, Educational Specialist

News Bite Free education, Jobs for 100 Sports Kids in Each District The best 100 young sportspersons in each district of India will get free education and an assured government job.

This is part of the new plan of the sports ministry that has been named "Identification and Nurturing Sports Talent (INSTAL)". The plan is to set up a special school in every district of the country to provide training and guidance to young and budding sports children.

The scheme, which would cost around Rs. 11,000 crore in the 12th five-year-plan (2012-17), is part of the Prime Minister's plan to increase India's haul in 2020 Olympics.

Sports minister, Jitendra Singh unveiled the plan at a meeting of sports ministers and said a major incentive under the scheme would be an assured government job to those budding sportsperson at an appropriate age. Both Centre and state governments have schemes assuring jobs to sportspersons doing well at national and international levels.

Most of the money being sought under the scheme would be utilized for setting up a sports school with conventional educational facilities in each district with the help of the education department of the state. The government officials said the curriculum for these schools would be different catering to overall sporting activity.

The government will utilise funds under another scheme

called Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan to identify young sportsperson, thereby bringing synergy in the two schemes. “Hundred talented young boys and girls in the 6-10 age group will be selected through rural sports competitions and will be admitted in district level schools with facilities of boarding, lodging, special diets and sports kits,� the minister said. The government will bear all the expenses of these students and the most-promising of them would also get a stipend.

The best of these children would get specialised training at 25 centres of excellence to be set up across India by the Sports Authority of India. The minister has requested the state governments to provide free land and development infrastructure for these centres, in a bid to have a collaborative effort in promoting non-cricket sports, which has lagged behind because of public fund constraints.

The ministry expects to get an approval of the Planning Commission for this scheme soon and expects to roll it out in select districts from the current financial year.

Source: http://www.indiaedunews.net

Inspiring classrooms and Learning Environments – in Pictures From double-decker learning buses to tree-top classrooms and eco-huts, this photo gallery explores how schools from west take learning beyond the classroom and experiment with their learning spaces.

Rosendale Primary School in South London needed a library but it had no room for one. The solution was devised by designer Kate Gorely who worked with Forge Architects to create this incredible learning space - which won the School Library Association Library Design Award for 2011 and cost just ÂŁ5000.

When Mark Cross School in Sussex needed additional teaching space they decided against the usual prefab in the playground and went for something more creative instead, designed and built by Blue Forest.

Some really bold and creative ideas from Denmark here, Rosan Bosch Studio has created imaginative designs for the Vittra school in Stockholm with multifunctional learning spaces, colourful interiors and small niches for concentration and contemplation.

Feltonfleet school in Cobham has found its inspirational treehouse learning space, created by Blue Forest, to be a cost effective and sustainable way to extend the teaching space.

Outside seating area at Longhill School, Brighton. This student designed seating area is made from recycled plastic.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk

Success Quotes Can Really Help Motivate You People like hearing about success and successful people. There is something in the aura of a successful person that makes them attractive. Successful people are a constant source of inspiration to us, and we often try to take a leaf out of their books to learn something from them, to absorb some tips that will make your life a success.

Sometimes, this motivation can come from success quotes, which can ignite a spark within you and fuel the passion that will help you achieve the goal that you've been wanting to for so long. Let's look at some of these success quotes in this article and try to analyze what inspiring message is being conveyed them.

“I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love, than to be a success at something you hate”.

- George Burns

This quote pits two values against each other – doing what you love and doing what you hate. How many among us do not know the agony of being stuck in a job that we hate because it pays our bills? However, George Burns, the comedian, actor, and writer believes that it is a higher virtue to pursue what you really love doing, even if you do fail at it in the beginning. He talks about never sacrificing your passion for anything in the world, and if you stick to it, you are bound to achieve what you aspire for.

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm”.

-Winston Churchill

The road to success is never smooth, and is fraught with all kinds of difficulties and even failure. However, what separates the men from the boys is the attitude of getting up and starting all over again without losing sight of the vision and without losing courage. Those who lose their eagerness and motivation will never achieve success in life.

"It is not what we get. But who we become, what we contribute... that gives meaning to our lives".

- Anthony Robbins

Success is not about having loads of money or a line of cars parked in front of your house. Being rich should not be confused with being successful. The true measure of success is how valuable you were to the people or society around you and what impression you have left behind.

Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net

Fun Zone Mother: Why does your geography exam have a big zero over it?

Pappu: It's not a zero, the teacher ran out of stars, so she gave me a moon instead!

You can share your favourite joke/s at assetscope@ei-india.com. We will be glad to publish it.

Thoughtful story - The Fence There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily, gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.

He said “you have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.” You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say “I’m sorry”, the wound is still there.

Make sure you control your temper the next time you are tempted to say something you will regret later.

Video Review Human Planet - A BBC Series ‘Human Planet’ is an eight episode BBC Series, each of one hour duration. Filmed with high definition cameras, the episodes of ‘Human Planet’ are epic records of human’s survival in the most extreme environments. Each episode focuses on an environment and how the peoples and tribes who live there and adapt to their surroundings: oceans, deserts, arctic, jungles, mountains, grasslands, rivers and cities.

Joh Hurt is the narrator of the series. Uniquely in the animal kingdom, humans have managed to adapt in every environment on earth. In each extreme environment, the viewers can meet people who survive by building complex, exciting and often mutually beneficial relationships with their animal neighbours and the hostile elements of the natural world.

Episode 1: ‘Oceans – Into the Blue’: Humans are breathing animals and not meant for survival in water. But people have found ways to live an almost aquatic life so they can exploit the sea’s riches. We drive 40 metres down to the dangerous world, breathing air through a tangled web of pipes attached to diesel engine and capture thousands of fish.

Episode 2: ‘Deserts – Life in the Furnace’: We can survive for weeks without food, but only for some days without water. It is the essential element of life. Yet millions of humans live in parched deserts around the world. In this episode we discover, how the eternal quest for water brings huge challenges and ingenious solutions – in the driest places on earth.

Episode 3: ‘Arctic – Life in the Deep Freeze’: The arctic is the harshest environment on earth. Here little food grows.

It is dark for months and the temperature stays below freezing most of the year. Yet four million people manage to survive here.

Episode 4: ‘Jungles – People of the Trees’: The rainforest has the richest concentration of life (both plants and

animals), but survival for humans it is not as easy as it looks.

Life in the trees requires great skill, ingenuity and sheer bravery.

Episode 5: ‘Mountains – Life in Thin Air’: From lusty cloud forests to cold desert mountains the higher we climb the tougher life gets on a mountain. Episode 5 explores the extraordinary ways in which people survive at extreme altitudes where nature becomes utterly unforgiving.

Episode 6: ‘Grasslands – Roots of Power’: Grasslands feed the world over thousands of years. We have learnt to grow grains on the grasslands and domesticate the animals that live there. Our success has propelled a population to almost seven billion people.

Episode 7: ‘River – Friend and Foe’: Rivers provide the essentials of life, fresh food and water. They often provide natural highways and enable us to live in just about every environment on earth. But rivers can also flood, freeze or disappear altogether.

Episode 8: ‘Cities – Surviving the Urban Jungle’: Cities are the dream habitats for every human. Over half of world’s population now lives in cities. The city is built to keep untamed nature out – but nature cannot be pushed away.

From bed bugs sucking our blood at night to rats in our restaurants, many animals have adapted to a life with us.

The series can be purchased online through Amazon or a BBC Shop and it is a must for schools who want to make the teaching of geography learning interesting.

Videos Reviewed by Jitu Mishra, Educational Specialist

Teacher’s Bite a well orchestrated performance of three pieces: the people that is the teachers and the children; the process or the method of teaching; and the material and technology and various teaching aids available. If all are functioning at the optimum levels - students are engaged and discipline comes as a byproduct of this environment.

Ms. Avani Rashne, Principal, Tree House High School, Virar, Mumbai

Q:

One of my most admired and respected educators once said in a lecture, "The reason I teach is because I have not finished learning" I found this as a very powerful statement as I have, from very early in my academic career, been interested in teaching but not before my interest in learning. However, as time went on, I realized that being a teacher is about making an impact, an impression, and a positive difference in the next generation. What you say, what you do, and how you do it will stay with students and they in turn may pass it along to their own children in some way, shape, or form. They say that teaching touches the lives of the future, which is true. But it also helps alter the course of the future as well. We are progressing in leaps and bounds in terms of technology and modernization of the world - we have to make sure that our next generation is capable of continuous learning.

Q:

Q:

Who has most influenced you to become an educator, and how did they influence you?

What is your approach to classroom management and student discipline?

I believe that a well run classroom is a combination of

What are your views regarding the ‘Importance of Teacher Training and Development’ in educating Students?

Great teachers help create great students. In fact, an inspiring and informed teacher is the most important school-related factor influencing student achievement. The Tree House Education & Accessories Ltd gave an exemplary teacherpreparation program which allowed teacher trainees the time to apply their learning of theory in the context of teaching in a real classroom - all institutions of learning should have and encourage such programs. I believe that teacher training leverages our expertise in providing resources, ideas, professional advice and techniques for teachers, to make the teaching - learning process effective

Q:

What is your view regarding the ASSET Test?

ASSET is an excellent assessment program conducted in school which provides teachers the actual strengths and weaknesses of the students individually and class-wise by printing feedback for all. In return -people should realize that feedback is a gift and one can use the feedback to really steer students to excel by pursuing their goals.

Calculating crime New Maths Tools Could Help Cops Find robbers People who solve crimes look for patterns that might reveal the identity of the criminal. A mathematician from Maryland has come up with tools to help the police find crooks.

When you think about Maths, you probably don’t think about breaking the law, solving mysteries or finding criminals. But a mathematician in Maryland does, and he has come up with mathematical tools to help the police find crooks.

People who solve crimes look for patterns that might reveal the identity of the criminal. It’s long been believed, for example, that crooks will break the law closer to where they live, simply because it’s easier to get around in your own neighborhood. If the police see a pattern of robberies in a certain area, they may look for a suspect who lives near the crime scene. So, the farther away from the area a crime takes place, the less likely it is that the same criminal did it.

But Mike O’Leary, a mathematician at Towson University in Maryland, says that this kind of approach may be too simple.

He says that police may get better clues to the location of an offender’s home base by combining these patterns with a city’s layout and historical crime records.

The records of past crimes contain geographical information and can reveal easy targets — that is, the kind of stores that might be less difficult to rob. Because these stores are along roads, the locations of past crimes contain information about where major streets and intersections are. O’Leary is writing a new computer program that will quickly provide this kind of information for a given city. His program also includes census, or survey, information about the people who live in the city, and information about how a criminal’s patterns change with age. (It’s been shown, for example, that the younger the criminal, the closer to home the crime.)

Other computer programmers have worked on similar software, but O’Leary ’s uses more Maths. The mathematician plans to make his computer program available, free of charge, to police departments around the country.

The program is just one way to use Maths to fight crime.

O’Leary says that criminology — the study of crime and criminals — contains a lot of good Maths problems. “I feel like I’m in a gold mine and I’m the only one who knows what gold looks like,” he says. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Source: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2009/01/calculating-crime-2/

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