The monthly newsletter
SCOPE
This Month’s Issue
Issue 71 | March 2011 | www.ei-india.com
Exam Fever ...................... 01 ASSET WEEK .................... 02 EI Advt. ............................ 04 Silver Oaks - .................... 04 Photo Contest ................. 05 Use of Sudoku ................. 06 Play with Clay .................. 07 Teacher's Bite .................. 07 DA Advt. .......................... 08
ASSET Photo Contest Results
Humourous Bite .............. 08
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Editor’s Note Hello Readers! Calling ‘education’ as the tool of empowerment to reap the benefit of India's demographic dividend of a young population, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced a hike of 24 percent in the budget allocation for education. I think this will give the much needed boost to the education sector. Coming to this issue of ASSETScope, the much awaited results of the ASSET WEEK and Photo contest are here. Read in detail about the winning schools. It was commendable to see school children expressing their thoughts through the medium of photography. Some marvellous pictures were captured by the students. Also do check the recruitment Ad. for ‘Educational Specialists’. Happy Reading
Bindu Pillai
Exam Fever Come EXAM TIME and students start getting anxious and spend sleepless nights worrying about the coming exams. Exams may provoke anxiety for some people. Students may worry about an exam for days before and/or during the exam, when tackling the examination they may experience negative thoughts and unpleasant physical symptoms which prevent them from performing to the best of their ability. It is wise to remember that exams are a not a punishment. Instead, they are a good way of testing to see how much students have learned. Examinations test a student's knowledge and understanding of a particular subject. They bring questions from an entire module together in a challenging environment. As teachers, you can share these tips with students and help them to overcome exam fever: • Don't get over anxious. It never helps. Think of all the exams you have faced so far and how you have overcome your fears. Visualise the worst that can happen and then think positive. • Talk over your anxieties to your parents, friends etc. and get it off your chest. At the same time, talk about the subjects you are good in and the chapters you are well prepared in. • Gain confidence in subjects you know best by completing the revision and writing notes, or
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answering mock tests. Make brief points which you can refer to just before the exams. Fix a time and place. Make sure that your study has no disturbance. Move away from that place when you need to take breaks. Take them frequently by structuring your time schedule. Every time you feel fresh, study the difficult or boring subjects first for a few minutes and then move on to easy ones. Exercise and recreation are as important as studies and they help you concentrate better. Don't reduce your sleep drastically. Your body needs it. • Avoid repetitive reading. If you are unable to remember, break up the chapter into points and try and remember each point. Do mock tests periodically, especially in difficult subjects. Rest, eat good food and freshen up especially on the morning of your exam. It is a better way to face them than last minute cramming. On the day of the exam, relax. Reduce stress, sleep well, eat well and go early. Discuss freely with your friends what you are prepared and what you are not. Have confidence, you will do well and most importantly BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.
2010 Results Being a part of the ASSET community is not just about taking the test, but about celebrating, learning and nurturing talent. With this philosophy EI celebrates the ASSET Week every year. The ASSET Week is an entire week jam-packed with activities, contests and prizes leading up to the ASSET test. The activities done during this week highlight the role of ASSET in improving learning at the individual student’s level and among parents and teachers. The week-long celebrations also aim to help students build interest in the test and understand its value. The ASSET Week was celebrated in 98 schools across India. There was a buzz of activity in several schools with students
donning their thinking caps, rising to the challenge of trying to do something different and engaging actively in the ASSET Week celebrations. This culminated in a host of fantastic submissions demonstrating the learning that was taking place all around. All the schools participated in the ASSET Week with great rigour and submitted reports of the various activities that they performed at their school. 3 national winners have been chosen from 100 schools. The winning schools will receive a memento.
Winners: Category
School Name
City
ASSET Coordinator
Prize Won
First Prize
Sishu Griha Montessori and High School
Bangalore
Ms. Madhulika Chandrakumar
Netbook
Dr. Kalmadi Shamarao High School (Sec. Section)
Pune
Mrs. Manisha Girolkar
Mobile Phone
St. George’s School
New Delhi
Ms. Sunili Bhatia
iPod
Second Prize Third Prize
The details of the activities conducted by the 3 winners are as follows Sishu Griha Montessori and High School, Bangalore They celebrated the ASSET Week by conducting a Question Making Competition and designing the cover page of the ASSET Booklet. All the questions that were sent in require thought and understanding of the concept involved. However, the questions do not need to draw upon too much external information. The advantage of such questions is that they do not rely too much on memorized information, but encourage deeper thinking. The booklet designs were very interesting and creative.
Apart from these activities, they selected 2 ASSET Ambassadors from their school. The Teacher Sheets were also displayed and students were asked to go through them to understand how to think of good questions. They were judged as the first prize winner based on the quality of questions, design and the report that they submitted. “The ASSET Week is a good initiative and has helped to tap the potential of the students. Having coordinated the ASSET tests from the beginning of its inception in Bangalore, I have seen a noticeable change in the performance of students in tackling questions testing higher order thinking skills. The celebration of the ASSET Week set the mood for the ASSET tests and it is indeed a special honour for us that we were declared the national winner. This prize would indeed motivate the students to participate more enthusiastically in such ventures in the future.” – Mrs. Madhulika Chandrakumar, ASSET Coordinator
Dr. Kalmadi Shamarao High School (Secondary Section), Pune They celebrated the ASSET Week by conducting a Question Making Competition and designing the cover page of the ASSET Booklet. The unique approach to the booklet design was that they involved all students in this by allotting an hour in the computer lab for this activity. They also conducted AQAD in a special way by including an AQAD period in their timetable and discussing the questions in detail with the students. They also have two ASSET Ambassadors in their school. “The news of being one of the national winners was a pleasant surprise for us. Once again a wave of joy and enthusiasm spread all over the school which we had experienced in the ‘ASSET Week’ itself. It’s a reward of our whole hearted participation and clear understanding & following of the ASSET Mantra ‘Learning with understanding’. Celebrating ASSET Week was a great opportunity for our students to enhance their knowledge and analytical thinking. The QMC helped them to develop habit of self study and encouraged them to
think critically, while Designing ASSET Booklet was a good chance to use their creativity & imagination. The ASSET Week was not merely a celebration of one single week but it opened new horizons and doors and developed new outlook towards learning. We really feel that ASSET is indeed asset to us! I on behalf of our Principal, teachers and students sincerely thank the ASSET team for their timely guidance and support” – Ms. Manisha Girolkar, ASSET Coordinator
2010 Results St. George’s School, New Delhi They celebrated the ASSET Week by conducting a Booklet Design Competition. The designs submitted are very innovative and unique. One of them may go into the next ASSET Booklet page. As part of the celebration process, Teacher sheets were incorporated in the regular lesson plans and misconceptions were dealt with in detail. Sample questions from the test generator and ASSET questions papers of previous years’ were solved in each class during the ASSET Week celebration. They also have two ASSET Ambassadors in their school.
for the final assessment for 2010. Winning the III position for the school is no less than a box office success My special thanks to our respected Principal, Dr. Sara George for her constant guidance and EI for this recognition.” Ms. Sunili Bhatia, ASSET Coordinator
“The ASSET WEEK –Wow! A sure curtain raiser. The ASSET Fliers, Posters, AQAD (ASSET Question A Day), Sample Question papers from the Test Generator and a creative and enthusiastic response from our students for Design a Question Booklet and the Asset Ambassadors activities was a perfect launch
LIST OF SCHOOLS WHO HAD PARTICIPATED IN ASSET WEEK 2010 AANM & VVRSR High School, Krishna Achariya Siksha Mandir, Pondicherry Adani DAV Public School, Mundra Amanora School, Pune Amrit Vidyalaya, Kalol Anjuman-I-Islam Allana English High School, Mumbai B.I.S, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi Bal Bhavan School, Bhopal Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's Atmakuri Rama Rao School, Hyderabad Bluebells School International, New Delhi Bright Day School, Amit Complex, Vadodara Burhani Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Chennai Carmel High School, Basaveshwarnagar, Bangalore Children's Academy, Ashok Nagar, Mumbai Chinmaya Vidyalaya P.A.C.R. Mat. H.S. School, Rajapalayam Choithram International School, Indore D L F Public School, Ghaziabad Delhi Public School, Gurgaon Delhi Public School, Gandhinagar Delhi Public School, Vijayawada Delhi Public School, Bangalore East, Bangalore Dr. Kalmadi Shamarao High School (Primary Section), Pune Dr. Kalmadi Shamarao High School (Secondary Section), Pune Dr. N Shankara Adyanthaya Memorial English Medium High School, Karkala Eicher School, Faridabad Good Shepherd English Medium School, Nandyal Gopalan International School, Bangalore Hari Shree Vidyalayam, Chennai Hopetown Girls' School, Dehradun Ideal Jawa Rotary Primary School, Mysore J H Ambani Saraswati Vidyamandir, Surat J S S Public School, HSR Layout, Bangalore Jubilee Hills Public School, Hyderabad
KENNEDY HIGH the global school, Hyderabad Krishnamal Ramasubbaiyer Matriculation School, Madurai M E C English High School, Bangalore M E C English Primary School, Bangalore M E C High School, Bangalore M E C Public School, CBSE, Bangalore M. V. P. Samaj's Horizon Academy, ICSE, Nashik M. V. P. Samaj's Horizon Academy, State Board, Nashik M.D. Naik English School, Ratnagiri M.S. Naik High School, Ratnagiri Maharishi Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School, Guwahati Mahindra World School, Chengalpattu Manovikas English Medium School, Margao Maxfort School, Pitampura, Delhi Meridian School For Boys And Girls, Hyderabad MET Rishikul Vidyalaya, Mumbai Mind Tree School, Ambala Mother's Public School, Bhubaneshwar Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Senior Secondary School, Chennai Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Senior Secondary School, K.K.Nagar, Chennai Paramekkavu Vidya Mandir, Thrissur Pragati English Medium School, Ahmedabad Premier High School, Bangalore Presidency School, Kasturinagar, Bangalore Presidency School, Nandini Layout, Bangalore Reliance School (English Medium), Vadodara Royal Gondwana Public School, Nagpur Ryan International School, Chandigarh Sanghamitra School, Hyderabad Saraswati Educational Society's Gurukul, Pune Saupin's School, Chandigarh Sharada Mandir School, Miramar, Panaji Shree Gattu Vidyalaya, Ankleshwar Shree Niketan Matric Higher Secondary School, Thiruvallur
Sishu Griha Montessori and High School, Bangalore Sishya School, Hosur Sri Aurobindo International School, Hyderabad Sri Gujarathi Mahajan Association English Medium School, Mangalore Sri Jnanakshi Vidyaniketan, Bangalore Sri Shenbaga Vinayagar Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Sivakasi Sri Venkateshwar International School, New Delhi Srimathi Lingammal Ramaraju Rotary Vidyalaya Mat. Higher Secondary School, Rajapalayam St. George's School, New Delhi St. John's International Residential School, Chennai St. Kabir School, Vadodara St. Xavier's School, Hazaribag Sudarshan Vidya Mandir (ICSE), Bangalore Sudarshan Vidya Mandir (State), Bangalore Sujatha School, Hyderabad Sunbeam School, Varuna, Varanasi Swadhyay Bhavan, Mumbai Tapovan High School, Bangalore Techno India Group Public School-Garia, Kolkata The Aryan International School, Varanasi The Deen's Academy, Bangalore The High Range School, Munnar The Little Stars Senior Secondary School, Digboi The Sanskaar Valley School, Bhopal Vasavi Public School, Hyderabad Vedavalli Vidyalaya, Ranipet Vidhya Niketan High School, Pondicherry Yadavindra Public School, Patiala Yavatmal Public School, Yavatmal Yennarkay R Ravindran Thilagavathy Vidyasala Mat. Hr. Sec. School, Sivakasi Zenith School, Vadodara
You can view the details of the ASSET Week on www.assetweek.com.
DO YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO CAN... Develop high quality questions and tests Design effective learning modules and tools Solve student queries and misconceptions
If yes! Please refer them to EI for the position of Education Specialist - Mathematics
They can apply at www.ei-india.com/careers or email their CV to careers@ei-india.com Currently serving teachers will need to seek a permission from their school management in order to pursue a career with EI Advt.
Silver Oaks – Academic Rigour Program Silver Oaks - The School of Hyderabad has a unique program called the Academic Rigour Program. This 2-year-old initiative is a great example of "learning with understanding" as it inspires students to perform to their full potential and is not based on any selected or piece of information. Academic Rigour is given to selected students (chosen after a test at the beginning of the year) on weekends in four different subjects: Math, Science, General Knowledge, and English. The students are supposed
to complete the work over the weekend and submit it on Monday. There is also a discussion class after school on every Thursday to discuss the concepts behind the answers for every Rigour paper. Academic Rigour is also unique as it is based on integrity and honesty and students themselves assess their performance at the end of the year. Every aspect of Academic Rigour is unique and that is why this program sets apart our school from the rest!
By Sanket Mehta, ASSET Ambassador, Silver Oaks - The School of Hyderabad
SHOT PHOTO CONTEST Results
Close to 150 students submitted their unique entries for the Photo Contest. The idea behind doing the photo contest was to see India through the participant’s eyes. To see what kind of things capture their attention and what do they feel is worth capturing and storing away. The entries were evaluated on the basis of the theme of the photograph, originality and the intensity of the moment that the photograph manages to capture.
Congratulations to the winners! rize
1st p
Adit Anil Vador, Children's Academy, Mumbai It is a beautiful photograph displaying Taj Mahal with a different view. Composition-wise it is very well done and by reversing the photograph, it has been made more interesting. The colours in it are extremely vibrant. The photograph has almost all colours of our tricolour flag, within which is one of the world famous monuments, and the pride of India. rize
2nd p
Ritika Shetty, Sri Sri Ravishankar Vidya Mandir, Mulund, Mumbai This photograph is good not only because of its striking colours and pose, but because one’s eyes move around the whole photograph through its leading lines. There is no particular point where one stops at, it has good compositional value. It is a right moment captured beautifully which is not an easy task as the lights are low and the performers are moving. For a child to click this kind of a photograph is commendable. Moreover the photograph emits the feeling of freedom, happiness, liberation. rize
3rd p
Satakhi Halder, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Ballygunge, Kolkata In various parts of India, we see various ways of worshipping and remembering God. This child has beautifully captured the engrossed worshippers without disturbing their song. The child has carefully taken care of including the surrounding to show what kind of place they are sitting on.
PRIZES 1st prize 3D T-shirt 2nd prize Personalized Large Flex Poster 3rd prize Pen-Drive
Judge’s views....
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It was commendable to see school children taking up the medium of photography to express their thoughts and views. Photography is a very strong medium of communication. It can give one an experience and feeling of a place where one has never been to. Finding the best ones was a difficult task here since there were some good entries for ‘Incredible India’. It isn’t easy to depict the soul of India in a single photograph, however it can definitely show an aspect of India and viewing it from a child's view is certainly interesting. Good job done. Happy clicking!!!
“
Nikita Dutt, NID - Alumni, PG Photography Design 2009-10
Use of Sudoku in Classrooms At first glance, Sudoku puzzles may not seem to be an appropriate activity for kids, but they actually ARE a fascinating and enjoyable pastime for kids of all ages. Although it appears that highly developed Maths and logic skills are required, to complete puzzles, but in reality it is sheer common sense and deep thinking that is required. Kids just have to be willing to learn the simple strategy, think creatively and give it a go. Sudoku puzzles are an excellent tool for building students' critical thinking skills. It also builds confidence in their abilities to complete challenging tasks, which can carry over into many aspects of classroom performance. Working out Sudokus is a fantastic activity which can be done individually or as a whole class group.
instead. Kids will still be learning and developing Maths and logic skills but will see the homework as an enjoyable exercise rather than a boring activity. Sudoku puzzles are also very handy for those days when it's just too wet for kids to play outside during breaks. These puzzles will make indoor play time a breeze, and still be enjoyable for the students.
When children come back to the classroom after lunch, give them ten minutes to work on puzzles as a way to calm them down after a playful and active break.
Sudoku puzzles for kids are readily available online. Downloadable products are the easiest to use as they can be saved to your own computer and accessed when required. You can print one or two puzzles as at a time or print off a whole stack to have them ready to go when needed. Even better, is that they can be printed back-to-back and in draft or gray-scale to reduce printing and environmental costs.
Save the dreary, boring homework for the week nights and over the weekend assign a Sudoku puzzle to be completed
Be creative and encourage students to come up with their own ways of using Sudoku puzzles.
Sudoku puzzles can be used as an incentive to encourage children to work faster. They are also a great time-filling activity for those awkward in-between times during the school day.
Play with Clay – Clay Modelling Workshop
The objective is to enhance their creative thought process in art of clay creation. Sri Gowthami Smart School conducted clay modelling workshop “play with clay” on February 11th, 2010. Clay modelling is an excellent way to develop fine mortar skills in young children. Grade four children are engaged in this workshop The objective is to enhance their creative thought process in art of clay creation. Clay art encouraged our students to work independently. After
the demonstration in clay modelling by the teacher, children enjoyed in making small toys like a: parrot, rose, dolphin, hut, rabbit, mouse etc. Students had a great day full of excitement creating a number of different kinds of items. Some parents visited the workshop and observed the clay art done by children with lots of happiness. We created a platform to allow children to think and give shape to their imagination.
Teacher’s Bite Mrs. Indira Vaidyanathan Principal, Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Senior Secondary School, K.K.Nagar, Chennai
Q:
Who has influenced you to become an educator, and how did they influence you?
From childhood, I had looked up to my father and his views on life. The great values of ‘never to create a dichotomy’ in what is told and what is done, have instilled lifelong norms in my inter-personal relationships. I have had a great passion for teaching from early years. They choice of teaching as my profession was made by design and not by chance. In my teaching and academic tenure, I have had the rare distinction of being guided by Dr. Y.G. Parthasarathy, Dean & Director, PSBB Group of schools who is an icon in the field of education, fine arts and culture. Communicating effectively has attracted my attention and I believe that a teacher’s strength is her power to reach out to students. I am rational, unbiased and balanced and therefore this profession suits me best. I love children and I am quite successful with children of all ages. Good remarks from my own students and co-teachers have helped me to be both an educator and an administrator with a human touch.
Q:
What is your approach to classroom management and student discipline?
With a smile, I walk into the class with a high level of energy, bearing in mind the following: a) A classroom must be maintained in a neat and tidy manner. b) Students should be attentive. c) Parallel talk will not be entertained. d) Trigger the thought process and invite questions to clarify the same. e) An attitude of impartiality to be maintained and felt by all. f) Induce confidence in students. g) Getting students to feel that the topic I dealt with transcends the level of difficulty.
Q:
What are your views regarding the ‘Importance of Teacher Training and Development’ in educating students?
Yes, it is important and also essential for the professional enrichment. But above all a teacher must feel responsible to all her students in the class and this will help her get close to them and in turn make students have absolute faith in her.
Q:
What are your views regarding ASSET?
The higher order thinking skills that are tested by ASSET trigger the thought process of the learners. Challenging and probing in nature, the tests administered in different subjects give the statistical details of the performance of students in comparison to the rest of the country. It can be best described as a diagnostic test that helps educators analyze major misconceptions leading to erroneous answers. The feedback on dispelling misconceptions and the follow up are good exercises for making learners understand concepts well. The multiple choice questions with intelligent distracters tone up the standard of the paper. We at PSBB believe in providing a strong foundation for the holistic development of a learner, instilling values for the development of a wholesome personality. The scholastic and non-scholastic domains help learners develop their innate talents and feel confident of their abilities and skills. It is a matter of great pride for an institution that houses more than 4000 students that every student leaves the portals of our institution after leaving a mark in an area of their choice. In keeping with the tradition of the school, art and dance woo both the young and not so young to hone their artistic talents and perform before audiences big or small. Different concepts in various disciplines are clothed and embellished with rhyme and rhythm to reach out to the learners catering to multiple intelligences. The international dimension that the school has embedded in the curriculum is another major initiative that trains our students to appreciate diversity to interact with their peers across the globe, to collaborate on areas of mutual interest in an endeavour to train students for a global platform. The school provides a perfect ambience to students to ‘think good and act good’. Value education is an integral part of our system. ‘Catch them doing good’ is the spirit of the faculty; the students are openly praised for their achievements.
Contribute Educational Articles and Best Practices We invite readers to be a part our newsletter by contributing educational articles and Best practices followed in their school. Here is a perfect opportunity for you to showcase your writing skills, your expertise and share your knowledge and get exposed to 7000 schools. This is a platform for you to share the interesting educational articles you have written or you have read and have found useful; how you taught a particular topic in class and made it interesting for students, innovative methods used for teaching, best practices followed in your school, about educational trips etc. Send us the write-up in not more than 500 words along with your School Name, City and with one or two photos. We would be glad to publish it. You can mail the contents to assetscope@ei-india.com
Advt.
Humourous Bite Mother: Child: Mother: Child:
Why did you get such a low mark on that test? Because of absence. You mean you were absent on the day of the test? No, but the kid who sits next to me was.
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