Share your thoughts on how learning can be improved in Schools!

[Tomato Fellow]

Hi...

Learning is always fun, when taught the right way. A new day should welcoem students (irrespective of age) with new thoughts and concepts. But that does not seem the case in everyday life. Meanwhile, people are speaking about STEM Education being introduced in schools. But is it really following the discipline of STEM education? Or is it a mere hush up activity trying to rip off money from parents by just handing kids 'kits and assembly units'?

- Would love to have your thoughts and inputs. Future is awaiting.

 

[UserNo420]

Hi...

Learning is always fun, when taught the right way. A new day should welcoem students (irrespective of age) with new thoughts and concepts. But that does not seem the case in everyday life. Meanwhile, people are speaking about STEM Education being introduced in schools. But is it really following the discipline of STEM education? Or is it a mere hush up activity trying to rip off money from parents by just handing kids 'kits and assembly units'?

- Would love to have your thoughts and inputs. Future is awaiting.

Hi,
As I am not into teaching or have a good idea on different ways of learning (I guess visual, oral, application etc. are different styles) I cannot comment on this. But I would like to know about the stem education in schools which you mentioned. Would you mind sharing links to any articles on it?
Thank you.

 

[Tomato Fellow]

Hi,
As I am not into teaching or have a good idea on different ways of learning (I guess visual, oral, application etc. are different styles) I cannot comment on this. But I would like to know about the stem education in schools which you mentioned. Would you mind sharing links to any articles on it?
Thank you.

Hi Peace...

STEM education essentially tries to invoke analytical and cognitive thinking through a set of well defined activities and curriculum. In schools they introduce 'Robotics'. Simply put it across, there is no way a 7th or 8th grade students can know about robotics, the motors, and other aspects. All they do is simply assembly with a kit given. I see how this could actually help kids in any sense. Schools and companies claim, using their kits, the kids can program. But nowhere it makes sense, as the programming is nothing but a bunch of already given codes and it does not add any value to cognitive and analytical ability.

I think we should not share any urls here. Unsure though.

 

[KIARA]

Hi...

Learning is always fun, when taught the right way. A new day should welcoem students (irrespective of age) with new thoughts and concepts. But that does not seem the case in everyday life. Meanwhile, people are speaking about STEM Education being introduced in schools. But is it really following the discipline of STEM education? Or is it a mere hush up activity trying to rip off money from parents by just handing kids 'kits and assembly units'?

- Would love to have your thoughts and inputs. Future is awaiting.

Share articles

 

[Tomato Fellow]

Can u elaborate what you mean by 'Share Articles'? The main intention behind this thread was to see how as children during your schooling you visioned learning experience, and how you think we can move forward in that direction. Online articles and journals only bring us the view of academicians. From being just 'consumers' (of information thru various sources), we need to start thinking from the grassroots level. This is how am intending to collect views from you all.

 

[SPIRIT]

Hi Peace...

STEM education essentially tries to invoke analytical and cognitive thinking through a set of well defined activities and curriculum. In schools they introduce 'Robotics'. Simply put it across, there is no way a 7th or 8th grade students can know about robotics, the motors, and other aspects. All they do is simply assembly with a kit given. I see how this could actually help kids in any sense. Schools and companies claim, using their kits, the kids can program. But nowhere it makes sense, as the programming is nothing but a bunch of already given codes and it does not add any value to cognitive and analytical ability.

I think we should not share any urls here. Unsure though.

You can share urls here in forum but can't in zozo chat.

 

[URum]

Make it fun creative

 

[Tomato Fellow]

So how do we supposedly make 'Fun and Creative'.
That is the main point.

Will try to share some sample articles as this thread evolves...

 

[EkaLustYa]

First of all why there multiple threads on the same topic ? Anyway - here is my two cents!

This is a bigger topic than it seems to be. We were governed by Thomas Macaulay’s education system even after we got independence. When someone implements s an education system in British colonies , what would be their primary objective ? To train, inculcate a subservient nature in the minds of people to serve very purpose of the STATE, which is to produce teachers who train the workforce ( police, armed forces etc ) to protect the interests of the state as said above. Isn’t it ?



We, as free Indians - without modifying any of it have been implementing the same carbon copy of it. To prove my point , we get job notifications by the govt mostly for teachers and police ( crpf, bsf what ever it is ).



Now coming to the present day various education systems - we have state owned, ICSE, CBSF and various other systems to confuse people instead of having an universal education system. Now coming to STEM and IB - these are programs and not a system on its own.



As long as we do not come up with an education system which helps Sons-of-the-Soil, we always end up with a system which serves only the corporate and colonialist hegemony.



Now coming to the point of whether STEM works? Yes, it does!



Here is a snippet from an article on how to make it work:



So how can the STEM Education Initiative survive? Here are some ideas:

1. Schools, school systems, state and federal education departments need to come together to create a template for teachers to use in order to design an integrated unit of study.
2. Units of study need to be clear.
3. Well developed and useful teacher in-services need to be conducted to teach educators how to design an integrated curriculum and a classroom management policy.
4. Individual schools need to provide resources and materials and collaborative planning time.
5. Schools need to provide a lab and/or storage area for equipment and materials.

Now coming to our state of affairs locally, recently one state government in India hurriedly implemented English as mode of teaching in all schools including government owned schools. Is the teaching force qualified to educate the current generations in English ? I seriously doubt it! And they conducted 4 weeks training for teachers on how to teach in English ! Boom - they are qualified to teach in English!



When the modern toddlers are intelligent enough to use smart phones even before they talk n walk where the older generations are still struggling on how to come back to home page - yes, this is the need of the our to implement STEM! It’s paradigm shift- and there is no alternative to it. How to bell the cat?! I guess, god even don’t know!

Simply put it across, there is no way a 7th or 8th grade students can know about robotics, the motors, and other aspects

Students are not being trained on making “ R2-D2 kind of robot from Star Wars. These are simple steps on how to connect dots they are teaching.

Simple team excercise will teach a lot many.

For an example ;

Making covers to the text books ( I don’t know to translate but in Telugu it’s called “ aTTalu veyyadam). As we couldn’t afford to buy new text books my father used to get an old books from Sunday market and make us sit to make brown covers for these books.

By this we learn.

1. Measurements
2. Optimum utilization of brown paper
3. Geometry ( by fixing the name label at the center of the cover )
4. How to use scissors
5. How to cut in a straight line etc etc.,

Let’s make education a fun learning - not as burden on young ( toddlers ) shoulders !

 

[EkaLustYa]

On second thoughts - I should have posted in this in the thread - anyway - I’m not going to repost as both are interrelated .

 

[Tomato Fellow]

First of all why there multiple threads on the same topic ? Anyway - here is my two cents!

This is a bigger topic than it seems to be. We were governed by Thomas Macaulay’s education system even after we got independence. When someone implements s an education system in British colonies , what would be their primary objective ? To train, inculcate a subservient nature in the minds of people to serve very purpose of the STATE, which is to produce teachers who train the workforce ( police, armed forces etc ) to protect the interests of the state as said above. Isn’t it ?



We, as free Indians - without modifying any of it have been implementing the same carbon copy of it. To prove my point , we get job notifications by the govt mostly for teachers and police ( crpf, bsf what ever it is ).



Now coming to the present day various education systems - we have state owned, ICSE, CBSF and various other systems to confuse people instead of having an universal education system. Now coming to STEM and IB - these are programs and not a system on its own.



As long as we do not come up with an education system which helps Sons-of-the-Soil, we always end up with a system which serves only the corporate and colonialist hegemony.



Now coming to the point of whether STEM works? Yes, it does!



Here is a snippet from an article on how to make it work:



So how can the STEM Education Initiative survive? Here are some ideas:

1. Schools, school systems, state and federal education departments need to come together to create a template for teachers to use in order to design an integrated unit of study.
2. Units of study need to be clear.
3. Well developed and useful teacher in-services need to be conducted to teach educators how to design an integrated curriculum and a classroom management policy.
4. Individual schools need to provide resources and materials and collaborative planning time.
5. Schools need to provide a lab and/or storage area for equipment and materials.

Now coming to our state of affairs locally, recently one state government in India hurriedly implemented English as mode of teaching in all schools including government owned schools. Is the teaching force qualified to educate the current generations in English ? I seriously doubt it! And they conducted 4 weeks training for teachers on how to teach in English ! Boom - they are qualified to teach in English!



When the modern toddlers are intelligent enough to use smart phones even before they talk n walk where the older generations are still struggling on how to come back to home page - yes, this is the need of the our to implement STEM! It’s paradigm shift- and there is no alternative to it. How to bell the cat?! I guess, god even don’t know!


Students are not being trained on making “ R2-D2 kind of robot from Star Wars. These are simple steps on how to connect dots they are teaching.

Simple team excercise will teach a lot many.

For an example ;

Making covers to the text books ( I don’t know to translate but in Telugu it’s called “ aTTalu veyyadam). As we couldn’t afford to buy new text books my father used to get an old books from Sunday market and make us sit to make brown covers for these books.

By this we learn.

1. Measurements
2. Optimum utilization of brown paper
3. Geometry ( by fixing the name label at the center of the cover )
4. How to use scissors
5. How to cut in a straight line etc etc.,

Let’s make education a fun learning - not as burden on young ( toddlers ) shoulders !

First of all, thank you so much for taking time and thought to put this post across bhai.
Well, I cannot agree more for few things in your post, and likewise, I have few reservations too.

1. Thomas Macaulay’s Education System - We were governed by Thomas Macaulay’s education system even after we got independence - Agreeing at large. The primarcy objective/task of Macaulay's Edu. thought was to simply produce 'English Speaking Workforce' more than anything else, so that the Brits can get the locals do the job and get away paying peanuts.

2. Job Notifications - We get job notifications by the govt mostly for teachers and police - Sorry for my ignorance, I do not get how this is related. Even in advanced countries, the govt. runs job portals. 'Notification' is a mere terminology related.

3. R2-D2 Robots - They are an element of pure fiction. But my concern was, forget about building robotics with Arduino or any other tech. Kids need to get the basics of Robotics. I have personally seen 'Robotics labs' organized by schools. They are given a kit and are asked to assemble them. This is nothing but equal to 'rote learning'. To better understand the concept of 'Structures by connecting dots', Lego bricks are more efficient and cultivate 'freedom of thought and expression'

For instance, a robot kit is meant to yeild a final product like a Robot. The picture of that Robot is already known to the child. Whereas, with lego bricks, you can start working on your creativity. When I ask you the question, draw a fruit.. you might draw an apple, I may draw a mango. But if I show you a mango to a kid and then ask the kid to draw a fruit, more chances are, the kid will draw a mango. So we are in a way conditioning the mind. That is something not appreciable when you want to nuture the thought process in kids. The kids whose Parents state that their kids are 'building robots' in the 'robotics classses' in schools, have no idea at large about DoF (degree of freedom) too. In what many think like 'encouraging' they are actually damaging a child's thought process. Kids think 'Robotics is very easy. I have done it. So I can easily perform outstandingly well in engineering and bla bla bla'. Reality is harsh, and I believe you are aware of it bhai.

So coming back, I believe, it's a personal belief, many kids are being misguided, thanks to educational institutions which focus on 'marketing extra curricular activities' than 'imparting them truly by customizing and developing them to suit their students'.

4. Team Exercise - Following a set of instructions from a manual can never lead to a proper team activity. Either 2 or 3 kids from a group of 7 or 8 will end up contributing the most. Team exercices/activites should involve everyone, meaning, the problem set should be relatable to every kid. That does not happen with a mere Robotics kits.

5. Introducing English in Schools - The school teachers are themselves not well equipped with the language. Scoring 100/100 in English is far different from making a child learn the grammar skillset. We don't need English to attain knowledge, but you truly need that language if you are going to venture into a globalized world. The structure of transforming into English should be well spread over 3-4 years. Even then, the fruits will be after a decade.

6. Education for Indians

• We need to enhance the curriculum
• Keeping the western influence intact, we need to increase the 'verified' history of Indian contribution
• Geography is already dealing strictly with India. The content can have a 'problem solving' approach, rather than theoritical dumping.
• Mathematics - Maybe more geometry and trignometry can be included, pushing Calculus to Grade 11 & 12. Number system should be throughly introduced and more concretely.
• Physics - The notion of gravity should be changed. The subject is quite good even till date. I have little to complaint against it. Maybe, thought experiments and visualization can be added.
• Chemistry - This needs a complete revamp. Observations for ever topic should be included. The experiments should only require locally available, non hazardous stuff.
• Bilogy - Agumented Reality and 3D Visualization are great tools. The subject is well developed.

7. Book Covering - Maybe, kids born in ealry 90's do really appreicate that. But those born after 2005 have different views. Parents are preferring to use 'direct covers', and even worst case, Schools are making it a mandatory to buy new sets - this is really gross. And regarding learning measurements and stuff, I really doubt that can happen with this generaiton.

• First of all, parents don't have so much time to manually cover. So they buy the 'readymade' sort of covers directly.
• Even if parents buy the cover roll, they don't have the patience to teach kids.
• Assuming parents are motivated, the kids prefer spending time on gadgets, than learn real life stuff.

8. Toddlers being smart enough to use smartphones

• They aren't smart - They are just following their inbuilt human character - explore.
• The advantage they have is, they are not judged at that age. While elders are judged.
• The brain has great absorbing abilities - new language, techniques, critical thinking, at a younger age
• They are driven by 'reward oriented' approach. The paradigm of 'Donkey and the Carrot'
• In fact, but using too much smartphone, their approach is getting conditioned. That is not a good sign at they age.

9. Taking the leanings from covering the book -

• Personally, I would be focussing on 'identifying the shapes' cut. Forget about cutting linearly. If the kids starts caring about it, he misses a lot more things. He should be free to make errors. So let us leave the aspect of 'a particular thing should be done in a particular way'.
• Helping the kids to cut the paper based on calculating area, than using LxB measurements
• Optimal Utilization - That would be a bit harsh on kid. But there is a way around to it. We can ask kids from the origin of the brown paper. Then introduce them about deforestation, and how it impacts climate. So using little is better. And we can ask them to use old newspapers.

As individuals it's always good and welcoming to share thoughts. These are just my observations.

 

[Tomato Fellow]

Which country are we talking about or Global? If you can give me clarity, I will try to comment.

I am strictly limiting to India. And if we can overcome challenges here in India at the grassroots level, I think it can suit to a lot other nations, with little customization. Feel free to express everything and anything Miss.

 

[EkaLustYa]

thought was to simply produce 'English Speaking Workforce' more than anything else

I disagree. The whole gamut is to produce a “force” who implement their orders and subsequent to sovereign.

Job Notifications

This is to related to the point above . 1. Recruitment of trainers 2. Recruitment of “ force” who follows the orders . These two recruitment drives never stopped. You can pull up the stats.

R2-D2 Robots

I have seen the better STEM labs and it works only with better trainers. I agree with “ Lego” part .

Team Exercise

Following instructions manual itself is an art whether it’s assembling IKEA furniture or 9999 pieces of Lego set. I have seen the kids who are of 5 years age fixing the latter part in 3 hours and it’s not joke doing that.

Introducing English in Schools

My point is - as long as you can’t encourage sons of the soil regional language policy you are just making school dropouts in villages of India and join them into unorganized labour. English is an option but not a MUST. Kids will learn better in their language what they talk n listen at homes.

Education for Indians

I liked that “verified” part in second bullet LOL. Who writes the history ? Winners right ? Or are we referring to Romila Thaper or Ramachandra Guha? Isn’t the current government trying to re-write the past history ? Anyway - I stop just at that as it’s a bigger topic.

Book Covering -

I am just referring that as an example and not asking kids to that except use now as the things have been changed at large .

Toddlers being smart enough to use smartphones

My point is - young brains have lot of learning and assimilation skills, teach them what we could in a better way until 10th grade for a solid foundation and be out of their fucking choices they make after that and don’t force anything .

Taking the leanings from covering the book -

Right observations noted!

Thanks for bringing out this topic and now I am out of it.

 

[Tomato Fellow]

I have seen the better STEM labs and it works only with better trainers. I agree with “ Lego” part .

- I will be more than glad to know more about STEM Labs that impressed you. Again, making something good need not keeping them out of reach from large masses.

My point is - young brains have lot of learning and assimilation skills, teach them what we could in a better way until 10th grade for a solid foundation and be out of their fucking choices they make after that and don’t force anything .

Yep. That is what even I'm intending to work on. It's a long way to go. Rather than feeding everyone everything, it's good to have a decent benchmark and let them explore subjects of their interest.

Who writes the history ? Winners right ?

Who writes, how they present, is a reflection of the advancement of the society. Transparency is the key, and I really doubt we have it. Difficult to go about on few things, and presenting history is one such thing.

you are just making school dropouts in villages of India and join them into unorganized labour. English is an option but not a MUST. Kids will learn better in their language what they talk n listen at homes.

Currently a presentation on this aspect is underwork from the last 4 months. Maybe in the coming 3 months, we will be presenting it to the govt. English should be tool and not the platform itself - I agree on this strongly. School dropouts are even due to shredding of edu. institutions in rural areas, where there is no bare minimum strength to support. The large infrastructural costs are always a challenge. Did my work on a mechanism that can support schooling in rural villages even with 10 kids.

Following instructions manual itself is an art

But, this is more to do with Mental development than anything else. Additionally, there would be teachers who keep on repeating 'how to what to do' stuff.

I disagree. The whole gamut is to produce a “force” who implement their orders and subsequent to sovereign.

I partially agree and disagree.

As you said, it's really nice to bring out and discuss this stuff.

And answering, why two threads, thought that people who don't visit Telugu room threatds in general can share their views. Hence I opened two threads.

Thank you Bhai

 

[Tomato Fellow]

Evenings!

Update:

Worked on a framework that helps take education to the most remote areas with little to no educational infrastructural development. Will be glad if anyone has some time to go through it, and share their views, comments, and suggestions.

 

[EkaLustYa]

Share the framework.

If you haven’t heard of this - please have a look : https://www.khanacademy.org/

I like their concepts .

You have iPhone and android apps too.

 

[Tomato Fellow]

Share the framework.

If you haven’t heard of this - please have a look : https://www.khanacademy.org/

I like their concepts .

You have iPhone and android apps too.

I did go thru KA and atleast 50 other online education sites. Hmm

 

[Tomato Fellow]

I really wanted to help but this out of my brain functioning zone syllabus. If I can understand this much, I would get grade A+

Haha..
U mind taking some time to let me know which aspect you did not understand? In which room you generally hover??

 

[Tomato Fellow]

Haha..
U mind taking some time to let me know which aspect you did not understand? In which room you generally hover??

Yes i learned from Serene who u r . Cheers!

 

[EkaLustYa]

What a fabulous framework to put it together and when we print this on oil glossy paper and 3 folds of A4 size brochure - wonderful! But the million dollar question is does it work?!!

Seeking government collaboration in developing TOMATO

Is any government ready to take it up with full of red tape ?

An Omni-channel Knowledge Application to improve students learning experience and equip educators (and students) with digital tools to enhance teaching & learning.

I have seen the tools and the concepts in augmented reality that are better teaching aids.



Using this teachers can explain complex concepts easily with maximum student engagement as the process is fully animated and can be seen in 360 degrees in our own space. It also acts as a virtual teacher for students with added benefits like the audio lesson summary q&a assignments flashcards and puzzles on the topic

We are 'XXXXXX XXXX Education Pvt Ltd., a start-up company aiming to revolutionize 'Learning and Teaching' in schools

Honestly that “ pvt ltd” part did slightly offset me going forward. Aren’t all “ pvt ltd” ultimate objective is to make business and get profit out of it ! Isn’t it? It’s not a non-profit NGO with full of altruism ! When we don’t get the assumed govt aid , ultimately where do we revolutionize ? In schools full of corporate umbrella? Serving the elite and “ Have’s” but not the “ have-not’s”

These academic-related factors affect both rural and urban educational institutions evenly.

Rural and urban problems are vastly different, where rural people do not have access to the technology and driven by their poverty driven problems in a country where still 14.8% below the poverty line as per UN statistics. When a family needs more pair of hands to feed the family - always education is their least priority. Even Goutham Budha says - feed before you teach! That’s the berry reason the great Sri NTR introduced mid-day meal program in school in spite of insurmountable resistance. So my friend - problems are not the same! Not sure what tools you used to assess this or what statistical methodologies you used to come to this conclusion. I don’t but this.

the lack of proper transportation in rural areas resulted in low enrolment numbers and high dropout rates

Not only this ! When anganvadi schools have single teachers , and these teachers don’t stay in rural areas for their own personal reasons and come from a nearby town - with this transportation facilities they don’t even come at times and the attendance register will be sent to their place to sign their presence. And most of these kind of schools used either CRPF or naxal bunkers at times! Hope you got my point .

Despite the best efforts from governments and teachers, things haven't moved much.

This is hilarious - did they ? When the things moved from “ Bathakaleka badipanthulu ( if you can’t survive, be a teacher”) to “ bathakadaaniki badipanthulu ( to survive , be a teacher ) - teachers have become more interested in side businesses like real estate and some other etc and teaching has become their least priority with the inflow of lots of fights with pay commission. I don’t buy this statement either.