Education as a way of emancipation

The very thought of education brings to my mind the concept of emancipation. It liberates our mind, helps to grow to break the shackles of intolerance, removing darkness and poverty. I have learned so many things during my four  years  of experience as a student-teacher and as a prospective teacher educator.Every policy and programme whether it be National Policy of Education(1986), Kothari Commission (1964-66), Secondary Education Commission(1952-53)  were framed taking into mind the needs of the people associated with their actual implementation at the ground level.The grassroot level approach in curriculum development as suggested by Hilda Tawa prioritize on taking the opinion of the teachers. My  associations with the community in and around the village of Napaam,Tezpur the internship program at Kendriya Vidyalaya  during the B.Ed programme have helped me to have a practical approach. It in a way has helped me to hone my skills. Classroom discussions have been mainly activity-based. National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 has focused upon the concept of Constructivism in education. At a time when students  lives are at stake due to the global pandemic COVID-19, countries have shifted to online classes. In a developing country like India, lack of infrastructure in the form of proper ICT resources is often seen as a barrier to making education reach every child. Down the line, there are many who cant afford to have a cell phone to get connected to online classes. It is thus necessary that the top-level administration and the bureaucratic process involved in policy planning take note of these issues which seem minimal but are of utmost necessity to shape the future of the nation.It is time we as stakeholders of the education system take a serious note about the challenges faced by learners to tackle issues arising due to the pandemic which has a huge impact upon the education system.This would also help us to deal with the post pandemic challenges as well.As Kothari Commission notes 

 

                                    "The destiny of India is  being shaped in her classroom

 

ACCESSIBILITY

Education in India is still today a distant dream for many. When I visited Keonjhar, I met some children near my picnic spot. I don't know from which tribes they belong to. There are many  Particularly Vulnerable Tribal  Groups (PVTG'S) in Odisha. They might be from the Munda or Santhal tribe. When I visited the lone house near our picnic spot I saw some kids playing outside. The younger one, a girl was munching some biscuits given by people visiting the place for a picnic. I tried to interact with them through the languages that I knew. Nothing worked out. Probably they are unable to understand Oriya, their dialect is different. When I asked them about the school through signs and hand gestures they said that they do travel to school. Accessibility is still a barrier in many parts of India-accessibility in terms of reach to school and related resources. Barriers can be many -geographical, rugged terrain, poor internet connectivity, poverty, broken families. The list could be endless. When I saw the little ones cleaning plates from visitors leftover I felt where is their childhood. Are we as stakeholders of the education system really working to make their lives better? Disparities in terms of rural-urban divide, resources, and others seem to leave many children out of school.

When  I returned at the end of the day to Bhubaneswar, many thoughts were fast running in my mind. The images of the kids, the tears on their faces raised many questions in my mind. Wandering around after having food, I visited a family and saw another girl selling wine made of Mohua to a visitor for a meager 20 rs.

In Keonjhar, people use solar panels for their works in most of the places. Issues associated with accessibility if taken care of by people associated with educating young children can work miraculously to trap the potential of the human resource of the country.

My Visit To Aurobindo Integral School Matruvihar

Sri Aurobindo and the Holy Mother gave the concept of Integral Education for the holistic development of the child.The concept of Integral education takes into account the development of the child in all the domains of development. At a stage when the education system is being highly commercialized the existence of such institutions across the country appears as hopes for many. I got this rare opportunity to visit the institute and interact with the stakeholders involved. Located far away from the capital city of Bhubaneswar, Tangi is a must-visit place for all of those who wish to seek out some time for themselves away from the hurly-burly of everyday life. Home to many birds Tangi has also to its credit the presence of many wetlands which has attracted bird watchers from around the globe.Mangalajodi is located in Tangi which is also known as Birds Paradise.

                       Under the able guidance of a visionary to pursue the noble mission of empowering village youth through education the school was started some 30 years back. Today it is a full-fledged institution with a total of 800 students,350 of them who stay in the campus, and the rest from villages of nearby areas. In spite of having a busy academic schedule whenever we get a holiday in between, we never fail to lose any opportunity to execute our travel plans. The teachers from the Regional Institute of Education, Bhubaneswar inspire us for more field visits.NCERT  which is involved mainly in the training of teachers has also many courses for students. Our teachers try their best to have more and more practical experience as part of our course. When we planned out for Tangi it was difficult at the initial stage. Yet we never lose hope. When we heard about the school from our teacher we were very excited to visit it. Trying to find out the location of the school was really difficult as there were many such schools in the capital city. With the help of one of the retired army officers, we finally got the location of the school.It was a clear day when we started out for Tangi. There was a slight drizzle on our way. The hot coffee offered to us while waiting for the Principal was enough to cheer us up after the tiring journey.When we reached the school the daily routine of the school already started. We could hear the music of meditation from the classes. The discipline of the school was something to be appreciated. All the slippers of the students, as well as teachers, were kept outside. Each classroom had some words written outside, like in front of the Principals office the word was written as Service. Our meeting with the Principal was very interactive. The teachers of the school explained to us about the activities of the school. The walls of the school had boards hang on them for students to study through group activities during summer. The cowshed had many cows and has been named Kamadhenu. Visiting the vegetable gardens maintained by the students was a delight. There were separate patches of it with one part for the vegetables and the other for the flowers. A monkey jumped from a tree and disappeared among the grove. The blooming flowers of the school garden, the freshness of the vegetables, the cute smiles of the children, the welcoming attitude of the teachers and the commitment of the Principal was really a thing to applaud about. Bowing before the relics of Sri Aurobindo and The Holy Mother I returned when one munchkin touched my feet. The map of 'Akhanda Bharat' reflected the vision of Aurobindo.Meeting Chulbuli a name given to a duck, seeing the beautifully arranged vegetable garden and the cow shade, it all seemed like an Ashram. Everything tuned with the rhythm of Nature. We thanked the teachers of the school and heeded Bhubaneswar. This is the kind of education system which is the need of the hour where the child gets every opportunity to bloom in their own way.

  

Wayside picnic on our way to Tangi 

KNOWING ABOUT ELEMENTS

The importance of Science as a school subject depends mainly on its multifarious values in our daily life. Present age is known as the age of science. Inspite of the efforts made by the government the popularity of Science among students in different schools of India is not quite of a one that can be appreciated  of. Most of the  dropouts from schools are due to subjects like Science, Mathematics and English. It depends upon the teacher how he chooses the content, how he/she finds out ways to make learning of Science fun for students and not a burden.How do we teach our students using appropriate pedagogical tools?What are the different teaching aids that could be used to make learning fun for students?Within the stipulated time frame of 40-45 minutes,teachers should try to plan out their lessons in such a way so that students can derive maximum benefit out of it.For most of the students willing to choose chemistry as their future career,learning of the periodic table holds utmost importance.Apart from this it also has significance in everyday applications. Below is a sample plan on an important topic"The Periodic Table".

Subject:Science

Topic:Periodic Table

Class:X

Time:2 periods(80 minutes)

Teaching aids:charts,power point presentation,questionnaire.

Context

The topic chosen is “periodic table”.The content has been selected keeping with the cognitive level of the learners.The students will get an overview idea about different elements, their properties, atomic size, atomic radius,  electronegativity, electron affinity etc. Focus has been made to help the child proceed from the lowest level of the cognitive domain remembering to the most complex one creating.

Aim

The prime aim is to develop the cognitive aspect of the students.

Skill

The students will be able to draw the periodic table with different elements arranged in a sequence in rows and columns.

Instructional plan

(1)Topic-Periodic table

(2)Content analysis-

(A)History-a brief introduction

                 -detail explanation

(B)Classification of element

                -category(s,p,d,f)

                -properties

                -explanation

(3)Practice to learn-Pedagogical tool

(a)History-power point presentation

(b)Classification of elements-charts.

(c)Video games (names of websites)

www.ptable.com

www.eventology.com

www.funbrain.com

(4)Pedagogical method

    (a) Teacher Centered Method(TCM)

    (b) Student Centered Method(SCM)

For explaining the topic to the students Lecture-cum Demonstration method can be chosen.

(5)Learning objectives

An important learning objective is the development of intellectual skills of the students.

 (a)Cognitive

 -Knowledge:

(1)The child will be able to recall and recognize different elements of the periodic table.He /she will be able to recognise the noble gases,lanthanides,actenides etc.

(2)The child will be able to differentiate  one element from the other based on their properties.

-Understanding

-Applying

-Analysing

-Synthesis

-Creating: The students will be able to develop new arrangement of elements.

(b)Psychomotor

   -Skill:Preparation of chart of periodic table.The students will be able to draw the periodic table with different elements arranged in a sequence in rows and columns.

(c)Affective domain

  -Attitude: It can vary from student to student. In a classroom some of the students can develop positive attitude towards the topic and may be willing to choose chemistry as their future career,carrying out research in its different fields.Some others might find it very hard to grasp the content and may develop a negative attitude towards the same.

(6)Steps according to method-Teacher Student activities.

(1)Questioning technique

(2)Illustration

(3)Explaining

(4)Blackboard

Ø  Teacher activities would include explanation of the topic-the periodic table with the help of chart.

Ø  Student activities would include –listening to the teacher,giving attention  to the words of the teacher.

Ø  The teacher will ask few questions on the basis of the topic explained-

(Q1)In the periodic table the atomic radius of the elements decreases across the period.Why?

(Q2)Why the Noble gases are considered as stable gases?

(Q3)Who developed the Modern Periodic table?

Ø  Students will answer.

Ø  The teacher will give a general conclusion on the topic on the basis of the answers of the students.

   (7)Evaluation

It helps the teacher to determine to what degree learning occurs after the content has been discussed in class.It makes the teaching learning process quite easier.

·         The time allotted  to discuss the content can be taken as:2 periods(80 minutes)

·         The students can be  evaluated on the basis of an MCQ  based test on the periodic table.

·         The test can be  conducted for 20 marks with 1 marks for each question.

·         The time duration can be alloted as 20 minutes.

·         No of students in one group can be taken as 14 in number.

·         After the completion of the test,highest marks obtained by the students can be found out.Let's suppose that the highest mark obtained is 17 and the lowest mark obtained is 6.Based on this the grading of the students can be done.

GRADING OF THE STUDENTS ON THE BASIS OF THE MCQ TEST                                                                

Range	Remark
15-20	good
10-15	average
5-10	poor

.

                                           MCQ BASED TEST ON PERIODIC TABLE

Marks=20                                                                                      Time=30 Minute

Choose the correct answers  and tick mark the answers. Each question carries one mark. You have to attempt all the questions.

 

1. Which of the following is the 1^st element in the periodic table?

a. He                              b. N                           c. H                                    d. Na

2. Which of the followings elements is in gaseous state?

a. Al                            b. Cl                             c. Na                                  d. Li

3. How many periods are on the periodic table?

a. 18                             b. 25                             c. 7                                   d. 30

4. Which groups contains the noble gases?

a. 17                             b. 10                            c. 18                                  d. 15

5. Which element has an atomic no of 27?

a. C                              b. Ca                            c. Cu                                d. Cr

6. Name  the scientist who gave the law of octave?

a. Mandelev                b. Newlands                 c. Dalton                        d. Doberneir

7. Which of the following is not an inert gas?

a. Helium (He)            b. Argon (Ar)                c. Bromine (Br)              d. Radon (Rn)

8. Which group of elements in modern periodic table is referred to as ‘alkali metals’?

a. Group 1                   b. Group 2                    c. Group 17                   d. Group 18

9. Group 17 elements are called ………………………

10. Modern periodic table is based on……………………………

11. When we move from left to right across a period, the electron affinity

a. Remains the same         b. Approaches zero            c. Decreases               d. Increases

12. Among the halogens which has higher boiling point?

a. Cl                          b. Br                                      c. F                                  d. I

13. In group from top to bottom electron affinity

a. increases                   b. Decreases                 c. Remain same              d. None

14. Which of the following is halogen elements?

a. H                   b. F                    c. C                      d. N

15. Which of the following is not a noble gas?

a. Be                  b. He                  c. Ne                 d. Xe

16. The least reactive elemant in periodic table are ………………..

17. Both of elements of 1^st period contains valence electrons in……………

18.Group A elements are called………………..

19. Physical properties of elements depends on the…………….

20. Elements in modern periodic table are are arranged on the basis of………………………………..              

                            ---------------------------------------------------------

MCQ TEST ON FRICTION

MCQ test are the most popular form of test among students.They have been used extensively in recent years for assessment purpose,more particularly in higher classes where marking on the part of the teacher for student evaluation can consume time and energy both.They help make the teaching learning process easier. Below are some MCQ based questions which can be used to evaluate the content knowledge on the topic Friction for school students.

  Multiple Choice Questions(MCQ ) On Friction

          Marks:2*10=20            

                                                                                                                             Time:15 minutes

  INSTRUCTION

 1) All the questions are compulsory and are of MCQ type containing four options each.

 2) Please read the questions carefully before answering.

 3) Question no 1 to 10  contains 2 marks each.

 4) Put a ✔against the option you consider correct among the four options.

1)The force of friction acts in a direction _____ to the direction of motion of object.

a.        Same

b.        Opposite

c.        Perpendicular

d.        Downwards

2)The force of friction depends upon:

a.        Nature of surface of contact

b.        Material of objects in contact

c.        Both ‘a’ and ‘b’

d.       None of the above

3)The body will move only when:

a.        Force of friction = applied force

b.        Force of friction < applied force

c.        Force of friction > applied force

d.       All of the above

4)The force which opposes the movement of an object when it travels through air or water?

a      Tension Force

b       Drag Force

c       Spring Force

d      Gravitational Force

5)  To reduce air and water resistance objects are shaped in:

 streamlined

 oblongata

 rectangular
 conical

6) An object is at rest on a floor,a force is applied to move that object.Which friction force will come into an action at this moment?

Sliding friction

Static friction

Rolling friction
Fluid friction

7)Which of the following statement is not true?

Friction makes the things slow down.

Friction  produces heat.

Friction can stop the moving object.
Friction is not useful

8) Tyres of which vehicles are biggest treads among the following?

 Race car

 Car

 Motorbike

 Excavator

9)  Friction is reduced by

making sliding surfaces smooth

lubricating the surface

using ball bearings
all of above

10) Rocket has a special streamlined body in order to

Increase friction.

Reduce friction.

Make them attractive.

None of these.

CONSTRUCTION OF A ACHIEVEMENT TEST

Achievement test is an important assessment tool. It is used to measure a person's level of skill accomplished or knowledge in a specified area.These test are used for academic evaluation of students.They are of great help to teachers as they help them to find out the areas in which the students are lacking which can be done through a diagnosis test.Below is a sample achievement test  carried out for class 8 students.

                                         CONSTRUCTION OF A ACHIEVEMENT TEST

                                      LITTLE FLOWER SCHOOL, NORTH LAKHIMPUR

                                                                 CLASS TEST

                                                                    SCIENCE

                                                                    Class:VIII

        Marks:25  

                                                                                                                                                   Time:1  hrs

        INSTRUCTIONS

                    All questions are compulsory.

2                There are three parts of the question paper.

·  Part A consist of 6 marks.Question number 1 is of fill in the  blanks  type where each question carries 1  mark.

·   Part  B  consist of 10 marks and it consist of 5 questions carrying two marks each.

·   Part C consist of 9 marks having three questions carrying 3 marks each.

      Please read the questions carefully before answering.

      Entire answer to a question should be given together.

                                                                       PART-A                                                            (1*6=6)

 1)Fill in the blanks:-

(a) The force of friction acts in a direction -------------------------------to the direction of motion of the        object.

(b) The force of  friction  depends on-----------------------------------and----------------------.

(c) Rocket has special streamlined body in order to -------------------------------friction.

(d) The sound is produced by the ------------------------------------in humans.

(e) Sound needs a medium for ----------------------------------.

(f) The loudness of sound is expressed  in a unit called--------------------------.

                                                                     PART-B                                                            (2*5=10)

Answer  the following in short:-

(a) Why sportsmen use shoes with spikes?

(b) What are lubricants? Name some common lubricants.

(c) What is vibration? Give some examples of vibration.

(d) What are the two important properties of sound?

(e) Differentiate between noise and musical sound.

                                                          PART-C                                                            (3*3=9)

 Answer in brief:-

(a) Describe how bats navigate in the dark?

(b) What is rolling friction? Why are rollers  fitted to luggage?

(c)  A  pendulum oscillates  40 times in 4 seconds .Find  its  time period and frequency.

           ----------------------------------ALL THE BEST-----------------------------------