Learning Never Stops

The student task : to design a machine that would : a) pop a balloon b) lift a bucket of water c) ring a bell d) push a ball into a hole Criteria: They must must design a machine using atleast 2 simple machines. They have to use IT skills and upload their video on Youtube, generate the embed code and transfer same to blog. Their video must be clear and creative. Though some of these students may be struggling with the language, using correct scientific vocabulary ensures that their presentations are clearly understood.

This week, I have been walking around school and keenly observing the children. They all seem so different from one another. Along with the different socio-economic backgrounds, they also bring with them a plethora of personal experiences. How can I get to know them better and tweak the curriculum here and there to make learning more relevant to their lives?     My master's course is really making me think deeply about things nowadays. I know those who know me will smile right now. Naini? Think?!  I am really glad I took this course and would recommend it to any teacher. Because of it, last week, I found myself in a quaint little school situated in the middle of "somewhere in Hyderabad"(still new to this city!). My purpose was to conduct a study of how children's religion, language and social status affect their learning. My colleagues (who were so supportive and happy to accompany me) and I were greeted by bright eager little faces. Each child ...

Today,  as I was updating my profile on the blog (many things have changed since I started it), I observed with interest that most of the hits from my readers were on a post that addressed formative and summative assessments in the classroom. Teachers are always looking for ways to assess children and one way to find them is by foraging through the world wide web. Formative assessments can be as simple as taking notes, talking to children, recording a scenario on video, an exit slip, or a simple checklist. The purpose of the formative assessment is to know what the students know and need to understand; it also informs the children what they know and need to investigate further. I am working on simple machines with my students. The children need to understand the following concept:   Machines make our lives easier . We can show children different examples of machines and test them on their knowledge by giving them a 'te...

I was thrilled the other day, to watch an ostentatious award giving ceremony for teachers. "Finally!" I exclaimed to myself. I sat up straight and started watching (as opposed to flicking channels in a desultory fashion). Just like we celebrate actors and musicians, isn't is time we added some glamour to the teaching profession??!  I scanned the crowd to see if I could spot Sir Ken Robinson, Kathy Short, or Sugata Mitra. Nope. Apparently it was an award ceremony for 'other' people. I didn't really care who. It  was funded by... For those who drink whiskey, I am sure you would have known from the start. So much for wishful thinking. Foolish me.

A student-led classroom is one where students play an integral part in decision-making. Coming up with essential agreements, deciding what homework to do, and planning the unit of inquiry, are various ways students can take charge. The support  and guidance of their teacher is ofcourse, a critcal factor. Well then, how about differentiation? We create pre-assements and formative assessments in order to gauge our students' understanding. What if the assesments are not good enough to gauge where the students are? Knowing that assessments are completely subjective, (however hard we try to be objective), shouldn't the students decide where they are in a continuum, and place themselves in different groups? Many children in my class do not speak English at home.Their inability to understand a maths word problem in English (and thereby getting the sum wrong), can give a false picture of that child's grasp of the concept. In the video. my stu...