Wednesday 18 May 2016

A major step to stop rote learning

Students cannot pursue their field of interest due to limited options after 10th standard which has became the major cause of rote learning and lot of time is being wasted by going to private classes.
SOLUTION:
*Till 10th standard basics of all subjects should be taught which is actually very important,  not only through textbooks but also by practical application as well as interacting with the students so that it becomes easier for them  to learn and understand it and not by heart it.

* All subjects including art, music, physical education , computer etc should be taught at a basic level and there should be examinations for all these subjects .

* Aim of the examination should not be finding the excellent student , but  finding what the student is excellent at.

*Aptitude tests should be conducted regularly from 8th standard onwards, which will also help the teachers to understand the field of interest of a particular student.

* Rote learning is mainly faced by the senior secondary (11th and 12th standard) students due to less interest in the subjects they pursue.
So if the students are trained for their career from 11th standard itself keeping in mind their interests, the problem of rote learning would automatically stop.

*Councelling session: It is not easy to change the mentality of the Indian society, so it is necessary to have a councelling session for the parents as well as students . On the basis of the aptitude tests as well as the final examination results , the teacher/ counsellor should be able to make the parents understand what their child  excels in and what career should he opt for , also keeping in mind the views of the child.

*If a student is actually passionate towards a particular field, train them in such a level that they could get through the entrance exams easily. -Why should the students go to coaching  classes for entrance exams and pay extra fees for that?
This could be taught in schools too
For example: If a child is really passionate about engineering , train them through practical applications,  how everything works, train them in such a way that they never forget the concept behind everything , and they would be able to solve any kind of problem. Or if a child is passionate about sports, train them in such a way that they can represent our country.

* So the entrance exam for different fields can also take the 12th standard marks as a criteria for judging.

To implement these steps the following  things are also required:

* Proper trained teachers for different subjects.

* Supply of proper resources for practical application.

* Full support from the government as well as education  board.

Tuesday 17 May 2016

Education system: Value chain analysis

For my topic , opportunity cost comes into play.
Instead of spending my time in a  classroom how can I utilise the time in a more productive way ?
* In a moral value education class, they talk about loving and caring and human behaviour, instead of just talking about it , why not going to some slum area or some orphanage, and understanding the people and  helping them as much as we can do.
* In higher classes like 11th and 12th, there are limited options, science , commerce or arts which restricts a child to show his or her creativity and they end up doing something they don't want to do.
In India it has always been like this:
-Above 85% in 10th std:Science
-Below 85% : commerce / arts
•In my case I had decided in 10th itself I want to pursue design , but I didn't have any option for that and I had scored good marks in my 10th std , so I ended up taking science .
I was sitting and solving some random problems which didn't even make sense  to me and was by hearting chemical reactions which I was not at all interested in. Understanding the basics of every subject is important but solving long equations  manually which can also be done using calculators, does not make sense .So here comes the opportunity cost, I could have done something much better, could have improved my sketching skills, or maybe my thinking process or visualisation power. To pursue my interest i had to go to private classes, so much time was being wasted in school.
So like me there maybe many students who are facing the same problem.

Comparing Indian and foreign education system

There  are many reasons why foreign education system is much better than Indian education system.
* A change is really needed in the Indian education system, not only the system but also the mentality of Indians ( so called society).
* Indian education system is focused on rote learning, marks and getting a good and respectable job.
*In Indian system marks are the most important thing, it does not matter how smart you are , what is your IQ, or how good you are at extra curricular activities. Your marks define you as an individual, the say everything about you. The students can do research if he or she wishes to, but at the end the learning process does not matter, the results do.
* Lack of freedom has been a main reason for these problems.
*Most of the other education system allows the students to take risks and do new things, but in India , it focuses on job security and social security more than anything else. Part of this is to blame on the mindset of Indian parents, they want their children to have a respectable job. Engineering, medical and law are respectable jobs according to this mindset.
* When the mindset of the parents change as the new generation moves in, the Indian education system gives up rote learning and emphasis on marks and encourage students to learn by giving them the freedom they need, only then Indian education system would be able to cope up to the level of  the rest of the world.
* Education system should bring an advance change where the children are taught in early age to develop a field of interest.
* The main aim of an examination should be understanding the students field of interest. A teacher cannot teach all the subjects so how can you expect the child to learn every subject.
* It should be "MORE PRACTICAL, LESS THEORY" . Educate a child now and you will get a good result after 20-25 years. Make the system more and more perfect which would make the child  clear and more focused and his/her future accurate.

Friday 13 May 2016

Redefining my statement: To develop an interactive system of learning that will truly nurture a child's dream and unleash their potential and passions.

The educational system followed in most schools today is the 'factory model' designed between the 18th and 19th century to suit the needs of the Industrial Revolution. Since then, there have been dramatic changes in the learning environment. The key to addressing these challenges is to bring a transformation in student thinking, classroom dynamics, learning ambience, technology integration and teacher empowerment.

Thursday 12 May 2016

Problem assessment matrix

*Rote learning has been the main   problem in most of the schools.
*Lack of freedom has been the main source of problem.

Sunday 17 April 2016

Survey results 17th April 2016

Major problem:
* lack of interactive learning.
*assessment  on basis of exams as well as projects.
* lack of physical education, art and moral values.