MEANS OF TRANSPORT...

Collage activity on the topic MODES OF TRANSPORT was organised for the students of classes 3 and 4. It  is an outstanding way of teaching them in a practical manner.Under the guidance of their respective subject teachers ,the pupils pasted different modes of transport on the provided cut outs.The activity proved even more beneficial when they expressed themselves through art in an open way and the activity enhanced their learning skills. Teachers motivated and guided children to express them effectively.

Next was the scrapbook making activity which motivated the primary students to learn how to classify different modes of transport according to place where they are used-sky,sea or land.The students pasted pictures of various kinds of transport used in countries like Australia, UK,Germany and India. The activity improved their ability to segregate and categorise.The children even wrote a few lines about the development of transportation from ancient to modern era. The teachers emphasized the importance of vehicles and reinforced knowledge through the activity.

After the completion of scrapbooks, the students had countrywise group presentation where they analysed different aspects of transport modes. Pupils were able to characterise the transport management process and development of transport in various countries.The children enhanced their communication skills. They equally developed vocabulary and were able to present information logically.

Power point presentation on the theme Importance of Means of Transport was shown in the  audio-visual room to the students .The enthusiastic students participated in an interactive session .They were thrilled to see the development in transport and were trying to comprehend the relation between efficient transport system and high economic growth .

After every activity, a brain storming questionnaire was given and students were evaluated on the depth of understanding . The students’ answers reflected their first hand learning experiences. The students learned about their brothers in different countries.

On the successful completion of the activity, a positive reinforcement was given to the students by the teachers in form of plentiful praises.It sparked their imagination and are more informed children.

About the Author:

The Author is Ms. Farah Awasthi, Primary Co-ordinator, Meenakshi Public School

www.meenakshipublicschool.com

SOCIAL NETWORKING...

Every coin has two faces- heads and tails. Everything has its good and bad effects. It is up to us how to use or misuse anything that is given to us.

Social networking is also one of the things which if put into constructive use can be very good. People are in touch with each other by just a click of the mouse. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and personal blogs are a few means through which people exchange their daily views and update themselves about what is happening in the world. Moreover it is certain that if something is happening in some part of the United States it is bound to affect people living in India as well. Hence it becomes utmost important to be informed.

It is also very fruitful to promote any social cause or to make people aware of any social evil in the society. Recently, a girl was molested and the youth were out on streets to demand justice for her and within few hours the entire world became one in the demand for justice for the victim.

On the other hand it also has its baggage of vices. People misuse it to exploit the youth, mislead people and cheat financially through social networking sites to ask for bogus donations. It also enhances people from not meeting in person. Virtual exchange of welfare and information prevents the personal human touch. On my opinion people are not concerned to spend quality time with their near and dear ones.

In the end, I would like to say that a perfect balance of both the proper use of social networking must be maintained in one’s life in order to have a good healthy life.    

About the Author:

The Author is Dr. Jagriti Gautam, PGT Science, Meenakshi World School

www.meenakshiworldschool.com

THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF STUDY AND SELF LEARNING...

A common proverb says that “Self help is the best help”. In today’s competitive world this proverb holds very true. In the fast paced world, everyone is striving to succeed and achieve the best and people are ready to devote hard work and all their sincerity towards the goal that they have set for themselves. But sometimes it is noted that howsoever they have worked behind the goal they fail to achieve the desired results. Have we ever tried to ponder over the reasons behind this? Some probably know and that is why some succeed more than the others. The fact that makes them succeed more than others is their urge to study more and know more. They leave no stones unturned to open all vistas for knowing and gaining knowledge. This is self study and self learning.

Undoubtedly teachers and mentors are very essential in the in the difficult path of attaining wisdom but only that person succeeds who can apply the acquired wisdom on his/her own. And that can be possible only when that person would strive to learn things on his/her own. In the modern world of science and technology self learning has become even easier with technological means and methodologies. E books, online journals, chat sessions, online assessments and so on can be accessed anytime for gaining perfection in the area one is studying or researching on. The social networking sites too are very good means of sharing and acquiring knowledge.

If one wants to succeed there can be no substitute for self study and self learning. It not only helps in gaining knowledge and broaden the horizons of wisdom it is one of the best ways in which a person can fruitfully devote his/her time too. As was once pointed by the great scientist Albert Einstein:

“Never regard study as duty but as the enviable opportunity to learn to know the liberating influence of beauty in the realm of the spirit for your own personal joy and to the profit of the community to which your later work belongs”       

About the Author: The Author is Ms. Payal Dan, PGT English, Meenakshi World School

www.meenakshiworldschool.com

CHILD LABOUR AND ITS HIDDEN TRUTHS...

Child labour is a slur on the society which is still continuing in most of the countries, especially the developing ones. Being an Indian when I think of this issue the first question that arises is what constitutes child labour?

Earlier the weaker sections of the society used to indulge their children into labour activities to make the two ends meet at their homes.  More kids meant more working hands and that meant more income. But poverty remains the core truth and here comes the very essential question: Is it necessary to have so many kids if you can’t take care of them or fulfill their basic needs? Their point of view, however, is quiet clear when they say more the number of children, more comfortable will be their lives.

Then it also forces me to think about those children who are participating in the numerous talent shoes of our country or movies or television serials. According to me this too falls under child labour. A child who should go to school, play with peers and should spend his/ her life tension free gets up early in the morning, rehearses the dialogues and portray different characters. The conditions at these places are not at all favourable for the growth of a child. But I do not see anyone raising a voice against this. Parents too should understand that at such early days of life what a child needs is care and nurture and not limelight.

Therefore I can say that it is not only the weaker sections that are at fault, we, the so called educated people are also not responsible behind this flourishing trade of child labour. My heart aches every time I see small child carrying loads of bricks on his shoulders or a small child stands in front of the camera and talks things that are beyond his/her age.

Through this column I want to raise awareness to take a stand against all forms of child labour and make this world beautiful for them too.    

About the Author:

The Author is Ms. Meenakshi, Class Educator (JR 6), Meenakshi World School

www.meenakshiworldschool.com 

HARDWORK --- A KEY TO SUCCESS...

You do not come across success just by hoping for it. To achieve true success, you need the strength of mind and body to struggle and work hard to reach your fullest potential. You need the right attitude, self-discipline and the ability to put your goal before your own needs, if you are really driven towards reaching success. There is, after all no substitute for hard work, and as Henry Ford says, “The harder you work, the luckier you get” – the more successful you get!.. But many times the question arises in the mind that what are the ways to overcome success???  The only and the only way is----

Intense hard work along with great skills shall help you win one success after another. There shall be innumerable obstacles strewn in your path towards success, however, what makes a man truly worthy of the success that he attains is the ability to keep struggling until he can reach his goal. Giving up after a few failed attempts makes you a loser.

A truly successful man will keep trying and keep struggling until he perfects his art. Thomas Edison failed approximately 10,000 times while he was working on the light bulb and yet he never dreamed of giving up – this is the hard work and the determination that marks a true success. Indeed, success is not measured by the position that you are in, today but the amount of hard work you put in and the number of obstacles that you overcome to reach your goal.

Many times people think if there shortcuts to get success, why to work so hard???

The good thing about working hard is, that for people who are driven towards their goal can enjoy their hard work and consequently, the work does not seem unduly grueling to them. When you begin to work hard towards achieving success, make sure to work smartly too. An intelligent working technique, along with relentless effort will go a long way in helping you achieve the success that you always desired.

Nothing in this world comes easily, least of all, success. Take the example of Abraham Lincoln who worked hard, without ever getting disappointed of his countless failures, from the age of 21 till the age of 52, when he went on to become the President of the US. Again, it took Noah Webster 36 years to compile his Webster's Dictionary. Where would we be today if he had not put in those countless hours of hard work behind his grand contribution to the English language?

Therefore, you need to remember that there are no short cuts to success. Hard work, complimented with an intense desire to struggle and to achieve success is the only sure shot way of reaching success that you have always wanted…..

About the Author:
The Author is Ms. Renu Trehan, PRT, Meenakshi Public School
www.meenakshipublicschool.com

GROWING OBESITY AMONG CHILDREN...

Children become overweight and obese for a variety of reasons. The most common causes are genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns or a combination of these factors. Only in rare cases is being overweight caused by medical conditions such as a hormonal problem. A physical exam and some blood tests can rule out the possibility of a medical condition as the cause of obesity. Although weight problems run in families not all children with a family history of obesity will be overweight. Children whose parents or brothers or sisters are overweight may be at an increased risk of becoming overweight themselves but this can be linked to shared family behaviours such as eating and activity habits . A child’s total diet and activity level play an important role in determining a child’s weight. Worldwide obesity trends are causing serious public health concern and in many countries threatening the viability of basic health care delivery .It is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and significantly increases the risk of morbidity and mortality. The last two decades have witnessed an increase in health care costs due to obesity which is a global phenomenon affecting all socio- economic groups ,irrespective of age ,sex or ethnicity.

About the Author:

The Author is Ms. Alpana Kumari, PRT, Meenakshi Public School

www.meenakshipublicschool.com

WHY TO BE RICH?

I’ll be 35 in a few months. It is a confusing age. But I don’t want to give up my childhood.  As I look back at the last decade, I find a lot of satisfaction. God has kept me special and especially lucky.

What is a good measure of ‘making money? I spent a lot of time looking at people who are elder & richer than me. As I tried to find out; a lot of answers emerged. I could conclude a couple of things:-

a) If I work very hard from now on I can make a very big mark on the world and that should simultaneously create a lot of money.

b) However, if I work less hard and use the saved energy for something else, then that something else can also get created well.

I took a decision finally. Thought to SHARE with you through this blog.

Why I do not want to become RICH?

1) ‘Bade Bade jo disay log, unko vyapey chinta rog’. (Those who are rich they are always in tension to lose it)Lines quoted by Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. I found that most of people who are older than me are living in a state of anxiety. A chronic anxiety fatigue is enveloping them and it just doesn’t leave them. Rather it becomes stronger and firmer with every passing year. ‘Majority of the issues in the lives my elders & contemporaries are either because of ‘wealth creation worries’ or out of ‘worries about increasing that wealth which already got created’.

2) ‘Kitni jyaada mushkil se tu kamata hai daulat ae insaan ..

Thodi si mehnat kar, Khuda jannat bech raha hai’ …

 ‘What is the point of creating ‘more material properties’ when one is already not likely to CONSUME the ones / savor the ones which he already owns / has’.  I would  want to cherish slowly ‘what I already have’ than trying to spend my vital energy into creating something which I might not end up using also. The energy that you put in to create that extra money could be used to ‘stay fit’ and ‘stay young’. There are a lot of things that money just cannot buy — trust me!

 3) Spiderman — my childhood role model said it right- ‘With great power comes great responsibility’. May be the reason- why majority of our politicians and corporate honchos become more hungry, ruthless and wanton when money associates with them. I do not want to be filthily rich because I am scared of my ‘head going wrong’ when that happens.

4) I might ignore relationships in my life in the race to become rich. My daughter is 8 already and soon she will be ready to leave home for her life and career. My mom is 61 and needs me.

What is the point of being on the dining table with them while talking on mobile phone along? What is the point of eating that food; if you do not enjoy it 100%. I see so many people not eating their food; but eating the emotions / thoughts that are happening along. Food is merely a mechanical act to get them energy to create more money. Over pursuit of money is leading to a multitude of life style diseases e.g. Spondylitis, Back pain, Hypertension, Diabetes and more. You go to any ward in any hospital and every field of medicine’s patient wards will be running full.

I thank God for keeping me fully fit till now. I do not want that I exert an extra much to create wealth which impacts my health adversely. While saving my energy from the wealth race; I can use the same energy to genuinely help people who need me.

One Life! & I want to love it and live it 100%.

About the Author:
The Author is Ms. Manju Chillar, PRT Educator, Meenakshi World School
www.meenakshiworldschool.com

GLOBAL WARMING AND ITS EFFECTS...

Global warming is related to the more general phenomenon of climate change, which refers to changes in the totality of attributes that define climate. In addition to changes in air temperature, climate change involves changes to precipitate patterns, winds, ocean currents, and other measures of Earth’s climate. Normally, climate change can be viewed as the combination of various natural forces occurring over diverse timescales. Since the advent of human civilization, climate change has involved an “anthropogenic,” or exclusively human-caused, element, and this anthropogenic element has become more important in the industrial period of the past two centuries. The term global warming is used specifically to refer to any warming of near-surface air during the past two centuries that can be traced to anthropogenic causes.

Human activities have contributed to a number of the observed changes in climate. This contribution has principally been through the burning of fossil fuels, which has led to an increase in the concentration of GHGs in the atmosphere. Another human influence on the climate are carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide emissions, which are a precursor to the formation of sulfate aerosols in the atmosphere.

The atmosphere allows most of the visible light from the Sun to pass through and reach the Earth’s surface. As the Earth’s surface is heated by sunlight, it radiates part of this energy back toward space as infrared radiation. This radiation, unlike visible light, tends to be absorbed by the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, raising its temperature. The heated atmosphere in turn radiates infrared radiation back toward the Earth’s surface.

The effects of global warming are the environmental and social changes caused (directly or indirectly) by human emissions of greenhouse gases. There is a scientific consensus that climate change is occurring, and that human activities are the primary driver. Many impacts of climate change have already been observed, including glacier retreat, changes in the timing of seasonal events (e.g., earlier flowering of plants), and changes in agricultural productivity. Greenhouse gases include Chlorofluocarbon (CFC),Carbon-dioxide, Nitrogen oxides and Methane.

Carbon dioxide is used as a refrigerant, in fire extinguishers, for inflating life rafts and life jackets, blasting coal, foaming rubber and plastics, promoting the growth of plants in greenhouses, immobilizing animals before slaughter, and in carbonated beverages.

Prolonged exposure of Carbon dioxide to Humans for more than 5 percent concentration can cause unconsciousness and death.

CFC is responsible for making a hole in the ozone layer in the stratosphere.

Methane is one of the hydrocarbon and is used as fuel for various purposes.

Nitrogen oxides are used for preservation of blood samples.

Scientific understanding of the cause of global warming has been increasing. In its fourth assessment (AR4 2007) the Intergovernmental  Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that scientists were more than 90% certain that most of global warming was being caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities(anthropogenic). In 2010 that finding was recognized by the national science academies of all major industrialized nations.

Developed countries have developed greenhouse technology to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.and even the developing countries like India and China are in the process to adopt this technology.

Through this article I would like to request all the readers to do their part of bit to reduce the effects of global warming.

About the Author:

The Author is Ms. Preeti Bhardwaj, Meenakshi World School

www.meenakshiworldschool.com

FAST FOOD & CHILDREN’S HEALTH...

When we feel like eating something, the thing first come to our mind that it should be prepared quickly, tasty and colourful. It should be tempting like sandwiches, pizzas, burgers, chips, soft drink etc. The name given to all these kinds of food is fast food, which contributes little or no nutrient value, but instead provides excess calories and fat.

Junk food can be appealing for a various reasons, like convenience, price and taste. For children, who do not always understand the health consequences, it may appear especially appetizing. Regularly consuming fast food can lead to complications in children like – obesity, chronic illness, low self-esteem or even depression. It may also effect in their extracurricular activities. It also reduces their energy level and concentration periods of time.

Children set the foundation for life long habits, but it reduces their well rounded development. Physical activity is also essential for children of all ages and for that they need sufficient energy, but fast food does not provide the necessary nutrients to the body.

Self esteem and confidence is important for growing children. But due to regular consumption of fast food  can have a negative impact on it. It can affect a child’s physical development like- weight gain, self-esteem problems, depression etc.

Fast food also does not provide family members opportunity to set & eat at one place. Child lacks the qualities like-sharing with others or family members, feeling of togetherness, respecting elders, eating habits, food satisfaction which a combine can meal provide, is lacking in fast food.

A well balanced food contains all essential elements which are necessary for a child’s development. Whereas fast food does not have all these elements.

The school students should be always promoted to eat healthy nutritious food. The leassons of quality food starts from home as well as school.

About the Author: The Author is Ms Renu Bhardwaj, PRT Meenakshi Public School

www.meenakshipublicschool.com

BOOKS ARE OUR BEST FRIENDS...

Man cannot live alone. He needs friends. He likes to live in the company of other men or animals. There are also those people who love the company of books. The company of books gives the pleasure of company of man and Nature too. What is a book? A book is the map of man’s life and life in Nature. Books can be our friends. They can be by our side in whatever mood we are. They enlighten and inform us. Books are written by experienced people so we can learn about their life and their experiences too. We can carry books with us when we travel. They fill our minds and hearts with hope and joy. Books play important role in influencing our characters and personality. A man is known by the company he keeps. So it is very important to pick up the right kind of books to read. Reading is habit one should cultivate right form childhood. It is the best leisure time activity. One must graduate from picture comics, fairy tales, detective and romances to good literature. The correct choice of books depends on one’s temperament and tastes. Books are written on different topics like history, geography, science, philosophy, religion and so on. One must treat each subject as the windows through which the glimpses of the world can be taken. Books like the Ramayana and Mahabharata are relevant in modern times too and teach people the ways of life. Writer’s like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, etc. put forward their life on a platter to understand their goals and teachings. When we read books we are in the company of the best and noblest minds of all ages. They enrich our minds by providing us with knowledge and widen the frontiers of our imagination.

About the Author:

The Author is Ms. Geetika Bhargava, PRT Educator, Meenakshi World School

www.meenakshiworldschool.com

FESTIVE SPIRITS...

Festivals are the power of a nation. Festivals are those celebrations that bring people closer to each other and act as uniting agents. India is a land of festivals. Throughout the year a lot of festivals are celebrated that are based on religious as well as national events. All of these are celebrated in full spirit and enthusiasm. The biggest festivals commemorated in India are Dussehra, Deepawali, Eid al-Fitr, Holi, Christmas and Baisakhi. 15th August is also a day of grand celebrations when the nation remembers the struggle of the nation against the British. The Republic Day and Gandhi Jayanti are also the revered days when the nation unites to remember the great heroes. In all these festivals people forget their social and economic backgrounds and come together for celebrating.

Life is absolutely incomplete without festivals. In the present time when we all are extremely busy with our work these festivals act as those agents which help us to feel energetic and forget our worries. Festivals are also the occasions to forgive and forget all past problems. However, in the recent times it is seen that people waste a lot of resources in the name of festivals. Huge amounts of money are spent in organizing parties, buying crackers and other decorative items and so on. While decoration and parties are important parts of any celebration we should also remember that precious resources should not be wasted. The environment should also be taken care of. Festivals are also the times when we should do some charity work for the needy people so that they too can enjoy the festivals. Therefore, the festivals should be celebrated in right spirits and should be a source of enjoyment and relaxation instead of undue wastage of resources. 

About the Author:

The Author is Mr. Rahul Shyokand, Grade 11, MeenakshI World School

www.meenakshiworldschool.com

Engaging Younger ones into Reading and Role of public Libraries...

For the infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers, the focus is on setting a firm foundation for functional literacy so as to inculcate a reading habit in a child’s early years. The Early Read agenda aims to bring together educators, parents and librarians working collaboratively to impart beneficial pre- reading skills to children.

Learning to read starts long before a child enters school and there is a strong connection between the development a child undergoes early in life and the level of success that he will achieve later in life. For instance, infants who have the pre-reading skill to distinguish the building blocks of speech at six months are found to better at other more complex language skills at two and three years of age. They are also noted to be better at acquiring the skills for learning to read at four and five years of age.

A child’s success in school and throughout life depends largely on the ability to read and children will usually learn reading skills when they begin pre-school. One concern is that children may not be entering formal schools equipped with the fundamental pre-reading or early literacy skills to actively participate in the learning process. There are few free-extra-curricular reading programmes for pre-schoolers outside of childcare and kindergartens. In addition, not all adults understand how important it is to develop skills required for reading in very young children. Such parents are not aware that early literacy skills in children are needed to ensure that they are prepared for learning when they start formal schooling. Hence, raising public awareness of the importance of early childhood literacy is integral to helping young children acquire reading skills.

The Public Libraries is in a strong position to drive these initiatives for the following reasons. First, early literacy development requires direct engagement of parents, and Public Libraries have established robust engagement and programming platforms with families. Second, libraries can provide proportionately more learning time outside of short formal schooling time for pre-schoolers. Third, reading in the early years involves family, social and emotional engagement that is better supported by recreational reading in libraries than a purely academic acquisition of literacy skills in pre-school.

The Early Read agenda has a three-prong approach:

·         Implement measures that support and guide parents and educators understand and adopt early reading habits, equipping them with competencies and toolkits that inculcate good reading skills and habits in children;

·         Establish a strong foundation in the area of reading literacy from a young age; and

Sustain interest in reading as an important lifelong skill to have in all children.

About the Author:
The Author is Ms. Pooja Kataria, PRT, Meenakshi Public School
www.meenakshipublicschool.com

SPORTS...

Sports are the preservers of health. Sports keep a person physically and mentally fit. They keep us away from disease of heart, mental stress and sleeplessness. Sports not only keeps us fit but also instill a spirit of self-confidence, self-reliance, justice, discipline and fair play. Sports provide us with recreation and enjoyment. We are familiar with “Health is Wealth”, “A healthy mind lives in a healthy body” but these can be true only if more and more people start participating in sports and games actively. A healthy person can work cheerfully for a long period of time and face the danger boldly.

Sports are the part and parcel of education. But the schools and parents of this generation generally want their children to focus on education and thus neglect sports. But they don’t know that “Books develop mind and soul while games develop the body.” The aim of school is not only to make a student mentally fit but also physically fit. Sports teach us the art of leadership. Each and every player has to make a habit to follow his leader. In this way sports produce the best citizens of tomorrow. Sport makes a student well behaved and disciplined. It teaches us the skill of team work. A school can make a student all round performer. Most of the schools have no proper arrangements of sports. Education without the sports is incomplete. In order to make a complete man of a student, school should give due importance to sports and games as well.

About the Author:

The Author is Ms. Saloni Sharma, Class XII, Meenakshi Public School

www.meenakshipublicschool.com

THE BEST WAY TO PREDICT FUTURE IS TO CREATE IT...

“The best way to predict future is to create it”. This seems to be a very simple sentence but when we ponder upon it we feel it’s real essence and discover that this statement hold true in every sense. It is human tendency to worry about the future. Some people say that their luck controls their lives and hence they go through ups and downs in their lives. Can we just blame our luck for our downfall? NO. I certainly do not subscribe to this view. In the court of the Almighty we are showered with the fruits that we deserved and nothing more than that or even less than that.

Having said all this the question that arises is how can we shape up our own future? If a person works with integrity, sincerity and hard work then he/she is bound to succeed in life. We should always remember that every great achievement actually started with a small step. Hard work never tires anyone. In fact a day spent doing one’s work with sincerity and dedication is the most rewarding and satisfactory one. We should always remember that our tomorrow depends on our today. Whatever we do now we would find it’s reflection in the future.

It would be clear now to all inquisitive minds that sowing the seeds of hard work would always bear the ripe fruits of success and fulfillment. A popular saying goes:  “When you are born, you cry and the whole world rejoices. Live your life in such a way that when you die the world cries and you rejoice.”

About the Author:
The Author is Ms. Shashi Yadav, PRT Educator, Meenakshi World School
www.meenakshiworldschool.com

CORRUPTON IN INDIA...

Everyone must be aware of corruption, as now it has become a part of life. In my opinion, corruption is when a civil servant or any person holding powers misuses them to provide benefits to him or others by violating the laws. Today’s society is totally wrapped around corruption. 

Corruption in India is a serious topic

One can even write on it a great epic.

We all talk about corruption but why corruption is so widespread? According to me, the basic reason behind corruption is imbalance of job opportunities, everyone knows about the reservation of seat in politics and jobs in government offices which was done to progress the weaker sections of our society. This reservation is taking another form in today’s society as it is contributing towards hampering the country’s development. Due to this reservation, a high post is acquired by a less than what he deserves. This is the root cause for corruption at lower level as the intelligent one will try to get more as he was not offered the job as per his intelligence. Thus, whenever someone comes to get his work done the more intelligent one, by taking bribe or any other benefit, get the person’s work done as he knows that the person above him has not so much of capability. Moreover, corruptions at higher level has more impact in increasing corruption as the less intelligent, without judging the gravity of the work and for a small benefit, do the work. This clearly signifies that corruption both at higher and lower level is increasing continuously. Environment, politics or any other field is totally corrupt. Now a days everyone wants a comfortable and cultured life, more and more people wish for respect/ honour in the society which gives rise to competition among people. Due to greed and jealously, people use wrong methods to earn more money and reputation in the society. This competition even spoils an honest person.

Thus, corruption is the basis not only for the destruction of India’s developments but also for the values like honesty, humanities, integrity and character. Citizens of India choose their representatives in elections to run the country. In other words, we choose the parents of our country but if they too are corrupt what will happen to the country?

Scams and scandals are so common in the newspapers in which politicians, industrialists and capitalists are involved and best example is A. Raja. As Rajiv Gandhi said if 1 rupee is given to the government only 15p is used for the welfare of the people and the 85p goes in corruption. It’s really true.

We say corruption chokes

Then why we Indians breathe it?

We say corruption kills

Then why we breed it?

It widens the gap

Of poor and rich

Then we continue the same

Without any hitch…….?

Just to talk about corruption is not its solution. If we really want to eliminate it from India, strict actions should be taken. Firstly, I would suggest everyone should be given whatever he/she deserves on the basis of his/her talent and capability. No matter how rich a person is, he is a magistrate or a politician, industrialist or simple common man, laws should be same for all and cases should be filled against them. Strict implementation of laws and a little peace of mind while electing representatives in elections before casting their votes would be useful.

Corruption can be removed if the whole country and government put more efforts to eradicate this cancerous disease from roots of India.

To finish corruption is my plan

If you join friends I am sure we can

About the Author:

The Author is Ms. Komal Agarwal, Head Girl, Class XII, Meenakshi Public School

www.meenakshipublicschool.com

VALUES – An integral part of Education...

Our epics such as ‘Mahabharata’ and ‘Ramayana’ tell us the true story of our being Indian. The Indian values are world known for our tradition, our respect for others be it elders or youngsters.

Are we loosing that most integral ingredient of building a personality of being Indian, ‘the values.’ These used to be time when once a person makes a promise, he fulfills that even at the cost of his life. ‘That’ used to be the strength of Indian values. I’m wondering, where that indianness has vanished? Why do we see that these values slowly loosing its importance in one’s personality and why people have become more self-egoist and self-centered.

I believe, the solution to bridge this gap lies to ensure teaching values as a subject to indicate qualities of a balanced personality. No doubt, Value is a very vast concept. What all it includes has to be taught. So why not values to be included in the curriculum itself. I know, today’s generation is in the run of development and progress. They are more practical and futuristic. They are under the notion that of they are qualified and educated they are up-to-date but they forget that values acts as a garnish to every end- result. It adds on the grace of anything. Values make person more civilized. It inculcates the true value of living.

Value of values is now-a-days more important. In the materialistic world human are not becoming literate but getting inhuman. While running on the path of success they tend to forget what the true success is? Ask your ownself, whom would you call a perfect human, one who is educated or one who is educated as well as having values in himself.

Indeed, teaching value is not as easy as it sounds. It is much more than that. Today’s generation is more pro western culture and compromise majority on their values. I know today kids want to be global. Even we want India through these kids as an integral part of the world, but being global doesn’t mean that leave our culture, our values behind.

We need to lead the world, our generation (view) have everything. They are bold, not afraid of taking risk and have the desire of touching the sky, if they are given the touch of ‘values’ through their education. They will become unbeatable like the ‘Great King Ashoka’ and we will again have ‘Indian Epics’ of course modern ones having their space in all civilization.

About the Author:

The Author is Ms. Anandita Chauhan, PGT Commerce, Meenakshi Public School

www.meenakshipublicschool.com

Collaborative learning viz. Community Building...

“It is not what you do for your children,

But what you have taught them to do for themselves,

That will make them successful human beings.”

Ann Landers

Strengthening its base with fast pace in education industry, Collaborative learning is a teaching style in which students team together on an assignment. In this method students can produce the individual parts of a larger assignment individually and then “assemble” the final work together, as a team. Students are individually accountable for their work but also for the work of the group as a whole, and both products are assessed. They can be assessed: individually, by team, by role, by work product?

This works well by placing students in groups that have between four and seven members. Here group can share ideas, teaching strategies, and solutions. It can be an effective teaching strategy for several reasons:

Firstly, students develop the skill for how to work together and support each other in learning and discovery.

Second, becoming effective and productive team members allows students to develop their independent learning skills by working individually on a portion of a group project that makes them accountable not only to the instructor but also to team members.

 And finally, integrating teamwork into a course can result in adding structure to out-of-class time and increasing student accountability for their learning.

Some activities or assignments well suited for collaborative learning include:

• Case studies

• Discussions

• Student-moderated discussions

• Debates

• Collaborative writing

• Collaborative presentation

• Games

• Demonstrations

The idea of an educator will be to help the team to develop

Purpose, goal, and mission of the team—what the team will accomplish

 Expectations for the team as a whole as well as for individual members

Roles for each individual

Meeting schedules and deadlines

Although there are always the two sides of the coin so are the anticipated issues or challenges attached with this learning style. Some difficulties that the instructor or students might encounter while working on a collaborative project are workload issues, meeting deadlines, combining their individual pieces into one, work distribution, and so forth. With little diligence an educator can help learners overcome all of them.

Through a variety of collaborative activities, starting early and persisting throughout the course, participants can foster and encourage community, collaboration, and team building among their students.

About the Author;

The Author is Ms. Sumita Gupta, Coordinator, Blooming Buds

www.bloomingbudsmws.com

Progress of a nation lies in the literacy rate of that nation...

Yes, this is true because education has an impact on all the aspects of our life. Our way of living, standard of living everything is affected by our education. One extra year spent in school can increase our monthly income. Educated people get better opportunities in life then an uneducated one. So education brings economic prosperity.

Education brings awareness. It helps in overcoming orthodox norms of the society and even superstitions. As a result a society with more number of literate people is more capable of fighting with social evils.  In fact education helps you become a useful member of the society. An educated member certainly has a greater chance to contribute to his community.

Today we are living in the era of technology. World is really growing fast in the field of technology. An educated person is much more aware of the latest technologies and all the changes that are taking place in the world. It is difficult for an uneducated person to adapt to all these changes.

Education also helps us in gaining confidence and earning respect. Educated people express their views with confidence. They are also able to guide their society. An educated person who helps others by his knowledge is always respectful for others. So educated people are like precious gems for the society.

That nation has more scope of growth in which more people are contributing towards its growth.   

It is well said by Mahatma Gandhi, “What is really needed to make democracy function is not knowledge of facts, but right education.”

About the Author:

The Author is Ms. Shalini Sharma, Class Educator, Blooming Buds

www.bloomingsbudsmws.com

Students and Teaching today...

In today’s scenario, it appears a new education system has to be evolved. The curiosity the students and the aspiration among teachers has led to the onset of new era of learning. Gone are the days when books held all the knowledge. The technology has replaced the search of information to explore knowledge just a click away.  Classroom dictations have transformed into discussions and dialogues. The pursuit of knowledge now leads to expansion of minds and questioning rather than simply accepting the facts. ‘Why’ is the new keyword for all understanding of concepts. Class-work is now modified into an ever learning audio visual experience and homework is more reasoning than duplicating textbooks on the paper. Learning and teaching has become more of discovering than simply transferring of discovered knowledge. Students and education today has changed the TEACHER into TEACH- HER. Students today want to learn fast at the same time share fast. Role of teachers is more demanding rather it was ever before. Teacher is no more the one with text-books and handouts. Now students get problems and solutions to the teacher way ahead she completes a topic in the class. Class-rooms have now been converted into interactive sessions rather than lecture rooms. Technology has advanced the students and opened new horizons for everybody. Now questions seem to be less with four fold availability of answers. The thoughts and thought process has emerged a new level of inquisitiveness among the future generations that unattainable word seems to be deleted soon from our dictionaries.

About The Author:

The Author is Ms. Deepshikha, Pre-Primary Educator, Blooming Buds

www.bloomingbudsmws.com

SELF IMPROVEMENT...

A student is the future leader of a nation, so it is necessary for him/her to think on how he/she  can improve himself/herself?

First of all, set a target and have confidence to achieve that. Sometimes people are suffering from lack of confidence due to which they can’t do their work with full potential. There are few tips so that we can improve ourselves such as:-

Meditation:  Meditation gives positive energy. It helps to calm you and increase your concentration.

Discipline: Discipline is a tool to become successful. In this way it always plays a great role throughout the life.

Time management: also plays an important role; So, a student requires to manage his time & achieve success in life without facing any problem.

Behavior  and Etiquettes: Behavior and  Etiquettes speak a lot about the kind of person you are.

Concentration: In the  new generation a major problem is lack of concentration. It is most important to  concentrate fully on the task which you have at hand.

Learning Style : Every student has different learning styles  so they should choose best style of learning to improve themselves .

Quit a bad habit: Are there any bad habits you can lose? Oversleeping? Not exercising? Being late? Nail biting? Smoking? Try to quit the bad habit you have.

Learn from people who inspire you: Think about people you admire, people who inspire you. These people reflect certain qualities you would want to have for yourself too.

Reduce the time you spend on chat programs: Reduce the time you spend in chat programs because it is a waste of time. This time can be much better spent on other activities and become fruitful for you.

Put someone up to a challenge: A healthy competition is one of the best ways to grow. Set any challenge such as weight loss, exercise, securing good marks etc. and compete with an interested friend to see who achieves the target first. Through the process, both of you will gain more than if you were to set off on the target alone.

Get out of your comfort zone: A comfort zone is negative for your growth. Real growth comes with hard work and sweat. So it is necessary to come out from the comfort zone and expose yourself to a new context, you’re literally growing as you learn to act in new circumstances.

Do one good work daily : You can serve your society by doing a good work such as help the poor  or a needy person on daily basis .It gives you  a lot of  self satisfaction .

Work as a social worker: Students are good follower of social activities. They should convey the important messages to our society such as say no to crackers clean your city, respect women, save water, save electricity.

By following the above tips we can improve ourselves. At last, a good advice for all students is to adopt a well said proverb in their life that is “Simple living and high thinking “

About the Author:
The Author is Ms. Radha Verma, Pre-Primary Educator, Blooming Buds
www.bloomingbudsmws.com