Ideal Wordsmith Global ‘2014 - Submissions

Education is the Manifestation of Knowledge

Latha Manikanth Leave a comment
Learning should be fun and stimulating for children to grow in confidence as they acquire knowledge.

 

A classroom is a sort of place where everyone matters and it is common for

  • Mistake making
  • laughter sharing
  • Independence building
  • Brain storming

Education is an art of de-learning and re-learning the concepts. The positive experience of education as said by John Dewey, “EDUCATION IS NOT PREPARATION FOR LIFE, EDUCATION IS LIFE ITSELF. “

Education and school go hand in hand to some extent as it is the platform for intensive learning. Education takes us or shows us the path to achieve our goals. As In the race of excellence there is no finish line as it is rightly said by A.P.J. AbdulKalam,

‘DREAMS ARE NOT THOSE THAT WE SEE IN OUR SLEEP, THEY SHOULD BE THE ONES THAT NEVER LET US SLEEP.’

In the race of excellence there is no finish line as it is a continuous process of life.

Schools are the place where the, “Teachers plant seeds of knowledge that will last forever.” Nothing is impossible as the word itself means I’m possible. So, as teachers let us show the path of light to our children which leads them to the path of Knowledge. So I would like to conclude by saying, we are what we repeatedly do Excellence therefore is not a habit. Ultimately as Teachers let us do our duty with commitment as a COACH, LISTENER, PRESENTER and FACILITATOR.

Education is a Powerful Weapon

Krishna Rao 2 Comments
“Education is the kindling of a flame, not filling of a vessel” – Socrates

Education is most important among all of us. Education is that which transforms a person to live a better life and even in a social well-being. Undoubtedly, education is both socially & personally an indispensable part of human life. As said by Nelson Mandela, Education is the most lethal weapon we can use to change the world. It is the one thing that can make a human’s life better till his death, unlike some temporary luxuries.

We live in an ever changing world. New technologies keep coming up and if you don’t want to be left behind, you must keep up with the world which is moving really fast. Without education it will be really difficult for you to adapt to all these changes. An educated person is much more aware of the latest technologies and all the changes that are taking place in the world. For example, an uneducated person may not know about the benefits of the internet whereas an educated person uses this gift of technology regularly for work as well as for entertainment.

Australia, USA and Japan are few countries with very high literacy rates. These countries are extremely prosperous and the citizens have a high per capita income. On the other hand, in underdeveloped and developing nations, where literacy rate is not as high, a number of people are still living below the poverty line. Education is vital for the economic prosperity of a nation.

“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors to windows” -Sydney J.Harris

It completely wipes out belief in false beliefs .Superstitions are baseless, useless and may affect your life negatively. Illiterate and uneducated people often tend to hold certain superstitious beliefs. Education and awareness are the best ways to combat superstitions and replace such beliefs with reason and logic. Also, everybody likes a wise and knowledgeable person! Educated people are considered highly reputable in the society. Now-a-days, the more educated you are, the more respect you will get from those around you.

Education is what you need if you want an answer to your ‘what’ and ‘how’ and ‘where’. It helps you understand the world you live in. You get to know more about your surroundings as well as the whole world. Education majorly affects our understanding of the difference between right and wrong. An educated person is well aware of the consequences of wrong/illegal actions and he is less likely to get influenced and do something which is not legally/morally right. Also, a  number of uneducated people who live a poverty stricken life owning to lack of opportunities often turn to illegal ways such as theft and robbery to solve their problems. If you are educated, you are well aware of your rights, the law and your responsibilities towards the society. Hence, education is an important factor which contributes in social harmony and peace.

“Education must teach a child how to think, but, not what to think” - Margaret Mead.

If we want to see the world as a just and fair place where everyone is given equal opportunities, education is what we require. Education is a must if we want to do away with the existing differences between different social classes and genders. A society safe and secure for women in the society which is can only be achieved through right education and knowledge.

“Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make a man more clever devil” — C.S.Lewis

We are more than teachers

Aruna Kumari 1 Comment

The teacher and the student are partners to each other in the teaching-learning process. They share a lot of mutual experiences together within the classroom by virtue of this process. However, their lives outside the classroom can be very different. This essay tries to understand the daily world of the student and the teacher, the interaction of these worlds within the class and why a teacher should not let any external issues come in the way of her relationship with the student. It takes into context a small boy in class and a lady teacher.

The student, he is in his own world with no pressures whatsoever. He is still growing and needs his nutrition, play and sleep. He gets ready on his own and prays to God to help him win the running race. He helps his mother by doing the chores and gulps down breakfast and milk, although he might do so sulking. He comes to school, greets his teachers and friends and follows the instructions of his teachers. He is happy and waits to learn something new every day and tries to get his doubts cleared. He eats his snacks and lunch on time and plays with his friends. He tries his best in everything, has no ill feelings towards anyone and maintains good relations with all those around him.

The Teacher, She gets up early in the morning, cooks for her family, does the household work and sends her children to school. She quickly gets ready, says her prayers, gulps down her breakfast glancing at her watch all the while and rushes outside to catch the school bus. She is present in the school to teach the child something new each day. She has many pressures at home and at school. She constantly worries about the well-being of her family and knows that a lot is expected from her by everyone. She may not be able to complete all the tasks on time and would be under constant stress to complete the jobs assigned to her.

The Interaction

The teacher and the student are the ‘Guru’ and the ‘Sishya’. They engage with each other on the same platform. The boy eagerly awaits a good word from the teacher in front of the class for a job well done, perhaps for submitting a good home assignment. However, she is having a lot on her mind at the moment and dismisses the student in a brusque manner. At this point in time, the teacher is doing her job mechanically without consideration. The boy trembles and is afraid the next time to submit his assignment fearing that he may be told off in front of the whole class.

One cannot expect a child to understand the issues faced by the teacher that may have led her to snap at the student. The boy only knows how he is expected to behave in class and he does not know what a harsh word is. On the contrary, a teacher will definitely understand the mind-set of the boy and lends a helping hand whenever it is needed.

Irrespective of the pressures that a teacher faces either within the school or from her home, she does not have the right to send a ‘butterfly back to its cocoon state’. She must plan her syllabus well in advance, prepare for the classes and be organised. Her duty as a ‘Guru’ means that nothing else can come in the way. She is expected to interact with children in a lively way and help them come out of the metaphorical cocoon. While teaching a lesson, she cannot miss any opportunity to teach the child the importance of morals and values. The student is more likely to absorb such values through the moral of a story that the teacher has taught compared to a scolding. Childhood can deeply imprint thoughts and memories onto the minds of children that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching is a task that should ensure that only the best and most fruitful of these memories stick with the child. One day, when the boy becomes a man, he will know and realize the importance of his teacher. At that precise moment, all the pressures and struggles that the teacher may have felt will seem miniscule compared to the values she has endowed upon another human being through her teaching. This is why we teach. At the end of the day, we are more than teachers.

The ICT Debate

Aruna Kumari Leave a comment

Is Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in schools to go; or is it the way to go? In the contemporary context, the increasing usage of technology for our daily activities means that the importance of answering this question has increased. Some schools have actively pursued the integration of ICT into teaching, learning and the development of digital literacy in students whereas other institutions see no need for turning towards technology due to issues like increasing costs of procurement and maintenance, etc.

The argument against ICT should not be interpreted in a primitive sense that would entail the absence of all technology within the school. One cannot deny the significant and rising influence that computers have had on our lives, making them so much simpler. However, it cannot be denied that students get exposed to technology increasingly at home. Traditional methods of teaching and learning can fast disappear in the future. If there is increasing dependence on a method that employs the usage of devices for teaching, the student may forget that the method is only a facilitator for learning something and not the end in itself. For example, if a student is always used to learning from concise PowerPoint presentations used in class, he/she may not even refer to textual sources and will just depend on rote learning from such slides, thereby making books redundant. Although this is inherently subjective and may vary from case to case, it remains a source of worry because a turn towards this would mean there was no turning back.

Does modern technology owe pedagogy an apology? Technology itself does not, but a balance has to be struck. It is crucial to drive home the fact that increasing reliance on technology may lead to students being excessively dependent upon them. At the same time, this should not mean that students are stuck experiencing a digital divide as they would have to engage with ICT in some form or the other in their lives.

A solution that presents the best of both strategies is an ideal way out. Only after carefully studying the pros and cons of each method must they be applied in class. The power of thinking is what is imprinted in a child in school and is what will set him or her on course for life. This should not be curtailed in any way possible which is why it is necessary to constantly debate whether the usage of ICT in a particular scenario is beneficial or not, only after which it should be applied.

Understanding before Teaching

Sanchita Sharma 1 Comment

In today’s education system, we believe in holistic development of a child, yet number/grades still remain as the yardstick for comparison between students. Not only peers, even teachers do not give proper attention towards an academically weak students, no matter how good they are in extracurricular activities. This often leads to inferiority complex. They start keeping themselves isolated, remain aloof and bear a pessimistic approach towards everything. In my last ten years of teaching career, amidst various experiences that were good, humorous, irritating and so on, one incident made me believe in G.B. Shaw‘s saying ”Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” 

In 2013, in class 9, I had a back bencher, excluded from the entire class, friendless, submissive and soundless. The results of the first exam gave me a bit of hint about his uncanny attitude.

On one of the occasions my students had collected Rs. 1200/- and kept the money in one of the student’s school bag and left for the games period. After their games period, the student came to know that the money was missing. After lot of interaction with each student, I came to know that only one student was in the class when other students had gone for sports but neither the students nor I doubted this child. But something troubled me and thus I decided   to enquire. When I questioned him, he very politely answered that as he was not feeling well, he stayed back. His answer wasn’t too satisfactory. On checking his bag, I got the answer. To my astonishment the money was there!

My usual nature made me take little more effort to know the reason behind this act. I called him personally and told him that I will give him the option of either speaking the truth or exposing the fact to the higher authorities. After few meetings, I gained his confidence, convinced him that I was there with him which broke the ice between us. He admitted that he was so upset with the behavior of his classmates that he wanted to retaliate by harassing them. He also admitted that he had been stealing their money for the last few months. But he also said that he had realized his mistake. Later he assured he would not to repeat and gave back the money he had taken.

Very soon I could see some positive changes in him. He felt happy that I did not make the incident a big issue, as promised, which gave him confidence to share his problems with me. Slowly but steadily a rapport was built between us. I could see that lost soul was able to find some respite. I was sure the little difference that I had made was negligible. Nevertheless, I continued with my efforts whenever I looked into his seeking eyes.

My endeavor bore fruit when he came and gave a card thanking me as he was leaving the school. It not only gave me immense pleasure but also boosted my morale. It strengthen my conviction that we only live once but if we do it right, once is enough.