WONDERING ??

Wonder why we are in a rat race & what we are teaching our kids

Charles Schultz Philosophy

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the
'Peanuts' comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions..
Just read it straight through and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America Contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and
Actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. They are not
Second-rate achievers.. They are the best in their fields. But the applause
dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates
are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are NOT the ones
with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the
ones who care.
Share this with those who have made a difference in your life.

I just did! 'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.
It's already tomorrow in Australia.'(Charles Schultz)

Effective Praise

Effective Praise

By Leah Davies, M.Ed.

A goal of educators is to help children to become intrinsically motivated. Children's self-worth develops as an aside from working hard, surmounting frustrations, and overcoming obstacles. Honest praise provides children with the opportunity to gain a realistic understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. In order to feel strong, confident and independent, children must receive truthful valuation. Children, who have grown accustomed to continuous applause, may develop anxiety about their abilities, a fear of failure, a reluctance to try new things, and be ill-prepared to cope with future setbacks.

Effective praise focuses on a child's effort rather than on what is actually accomplished. When educators give genuine praise that is specific, spontaneous and well-deserved, it encourages continuous learning and decreases competition among students.

How can educators use praise effectively?

1. Think in terms of acknowledgment and encouragement rather than praise. Praise helps most when it conveys not only approval but information about the progress a child is making. For example, "You have been trying so hard to learn those new words and now you are able to read the whole story!"
2. Demonstrate interest and acceptance in children because they have innate value that is not contingent on their work. For example, say, "(Child's name), I'm glad you are in my class."
3. Use positive body language such as smiling, looking directly at the child, standing close, listening intently, and assisting when needed.
4. Acknowledge a child's effort or progress without judgment using clear, specific language. Offering descriptive praise shows that you are paying close attention. For example:
"I noticed how you took time to show the new student around the school. I am sure she appreciated the help."
" I can see that you enjoy math. You have worked on these problems for over half an hour!"
" I'm glad to see you are working so hard on your spelling words!"
Whenever possible, take the time to say something similar to the above examples, instead of using a generic response like, "Great work," "That's terrific!" or"You're super!"
5. Communicate constructive observations. For example, say,
"You listened without interrupting."
"John is sharing with Thomas."
"Lily is waiting patiently in line."
"Margaret and Suzanne are working quietly."
"You put the books away without being asked."
6. Acknowledge a child's specific behavior rather than commenting on his/her character. For example, "Since you have been doing all your math homework, you have brought up your grade!" rather than saying, "You are such a good student."
7. Foster children's discussion and evaluation of their work by asking questions, "I can see that you worked hard on this project. Can you tell me about it?" or "How do you feel about your report? Is there anything else that needs to be done?" When adults listen to children, they are demonstrating interest and caring.
8. Encourage positive character traits in students by naming them. For example, "Boys and girls, I appreciate each of you being quiet while I talked to Mrs. Jones. You were being respectful."
9. Relate praise to effort and to how it benefited the child as well as others. Say things like, "Since you remembered to return your homework this week, you have done better in math and I have had more time to spend helping the other students."
10. Promote initiative and attempting new skills. For example, "You listened well and followed directions without any help," and "Last week you could not kick the ball, but you practiced, and now you can!"
11. Encourage perseverance and independence by saying things such as, "That experiment did not work out. What's next?" and "Instead of asking for help, you looked up the word in the dictionary!"
12. Acknowledge independent thought and creativity, "That's an interesting idea. Tell me more."
13. Reinforce problem-solving skills by saying things like, "As a group you decided who would be responsible for each part of the project."
14. Sometimes privately compliment in order to provide an opportunity for an open, honest exchange. This will also decrease student competition that can occur when children feel that you favor some more than others.
15. Reserve exuberant praise for outstanding effort.
     

Used by permission of the author, Leah Davies, and selected from the Kelly Bear website [www.kellybear.com]. 9/03

HOW CHILDREN FAIL ? -JOHN HOLT

Most Children fail in school.

But there is a more important sense in which almost all children fail:
Except for a handful, who may or may not be good students, they fail to develop more than a tiny part of the enormous capacity for learning, understanding, and creating with which they were born and of which they made full use during the first two or three years of their lives.


 Why do they fail?


  They fail because they are afraid (A), bored (B) and confused (C).

 
They are afraid, above all else, of failing, of disappointing or displeasing the many anxious adults around them, whose limitless hopes and expectations for them hang over their heads like a cloud.

  They are bored because the things they are given and told to do in school are so trivial, so dull,and make such limited and narrow demands on the wide spectrum of their intelligence, capabilities, and talents.

  They are confused because most of the torrent of words that pours over them in school makes little or no sense.
 It often flatly contradicts other things they have been told, and hardly ever has
any relation to what they really know - to the rough model of reality that they carry around in their minds.

 How does this mass failure take place? What really goes on in the classrooms? What are these children who fail doing ?What goes on in their heads? Why don’t they make use of more of their capacity?



You can explore answers to some of these questions in a book titled How Children Fail by John Holt

LEARNING -WHICH WAY ??

Experiential learning V/S  Conventional learning

Experiential Learning is: ‘developing personal understanding, knowledge, skills and attitudes through the analysis of, and reflection on, activity’.

In this definition ‘Activity’ can include anything from an individual explaining an idea or completing a simple task to highly complex group interactions involving a wide range of mental attributes and behaviours

Experiential learning is sometimes referred to as activity based learning or active learning.

What makes experiential learning special?

• experiential learning is an active process which engages the learner, not a passive process that happens to the learner.
• in ‘experiential learning’ the experience provides the platform for learning, whilst the careful analysis and reflection of the experience develops the learning
• individuals are encouraged to work things out for themselves, they are guided to and through their learning rather than being taught
• the learning individuals develop is appropriate for them: it is implicit in the approach that there are no ‘right ways of thinking’, ‘set rules, or ‘perfect behaviours’ that anyone has to learn and apply
• the commitment developed by the learner to make best use of their learning: they are central to the learning process, it is their learning.

Article resourced from www.mtalearning.com 

Read more @http://www.mtalearning.com/mta/experiential-learning.html

The essence of effective experiential learning is that the entire process is centered on the learner - not the task, not the qualification standard, not the group, and certainly not the trainer's or the teacher's personal opinions. 

conventional learning	experiential learning
learning-centred/focused - theoretical	learner-centred/focused - really doing it
prescribed fixed design and content	flexible open possibilities
for external needs (organisation, exams, etc)	for internal growth and discovery
transfers/explains knowledge/skills	develops knowledge/skills/emotions via experience
fixed structured delivery/facilitation	not delivered, minimal facilitation, unstructured
timebound measurable components (mostly)	not timebound,
suitable for groups and fixed outcomes	individually directed, flexible outcomes
examples: powerpoint presentations, chalk-and-talk classes, reading, attending lectures, exam study, observation, planning and hypothesising, theoretical work, unreal role-play.	examples: learning a physical activity, games and exercises, drama and role-play which becomes real, actually doing the job or task, 'outward bound' activities, teaching others, hobbies, pastimes, passions.

Habits Of Mind

Considerable research demonstrates that successful people in almost any walk of life display certain characteristics or dispositions. I call them habits of mind. 

They are patterns of thinking and behaving in intelligent ways and are displayed when confronted with life’s dilemmas and problems.

We want our children to develop those habits that lead them to become lifelong learners, effective problem solvers and decision makers, able to communicate with a 

diverse population, and to understand how to live successfully in a rapidly changing, high-tech world. 

Now the BIG question is --How do we develop these Habits or  any Habit for that matter?


Somethings which we do unconsciously now as an habit ,started with a conscious beginning.
We were consciously aware of it in the starting stages and later on with repetitions it became habit followed unconsciously by us.


We go through lots of experiences which are our source of learning , which make us aware of certain characteristics but just experiences along doesn't lead to learning otherwise we would have had learned so many things just by plain experiences.


What experiences alone miss out on is the reflection and our thoughts about it.
Our reflections and thoughts on our experiences takes us through journey of exploring, experimenting and discovering characteristics.


Keep Discovering .

Keep DISCOVERING

WHY DISCOVER ME

Common question that we encounter is "what do you do in a class ?"
" How do you teach Multiple Intelligences,Success skills and Creativity ?"

Well ,  WE DON'T TEACH :))
WE PROVIDE  EXPERIENCES TO CHILDREN , A CHANCE TO BUILD ON THEIR INNATE RESOURCES.

It is not important as to what activities  are done in a session , but we place importance on
HOW are they done, How a child relates to it ,How is he exploring his strengths with it ,How is he using his thinking skills to do it and how is he taking challenge of doing it in a creative way.

There is no dearth of activities on net , but the challenge of making any activity enjoyable ,challenging,creative along with the exploration of one's own innate resources and tapping on success skills is what makes DISCOVER ME going.

We design our sessions within frame work of multiple intelligences ,creative thinking skills and success skills.
We draw from well renowned works on child enrichment and empowerment from the likes of Dr. Howard  Gardner ,Dr. Thomas Armstrong,Dr. Arthur L Costa .



Our focus is on process not performance or results.It's an holistic approach to empower child's personality , attitude and abilities week after week.

Keep Discovering

Raising Successful Children - 50 Ways to Bring Out Your Child's Best

By Thomas Armstrong (celebrated educationist, psychologist & author)

As an anonymous observer once said:  "All children are gifted, some just open
their packages later than others."

You can play a crucial role in awakening latent talents or developing current strengths through experiences you give  your child at home.

Here are 50 ways for you to bring out your child's
best, regardless of how his gifts are packaged:

1. Let your child discover her own interests. Pay attention the activities
she chooses. This free-time play can say a lot about where her gifts lie.

2. Expose your child to a broad spectrum of experiences. They may
activate latent talents. Don't assume that he isn't gifted in an area
because he hasn't shown an interest.

3. Give your child permission to make mistakes. If she has to do things
perfectly, she'll never take the risks necessary to discover and develop a
gift.

4. Ask questions. Help your child open up to he wonders of the world by
asking intriguing questions: Why is the sky blue? Find the answers
together.

5. Plan special family projects. Shared creativity can awaken and develop
new talents.

6. Don't pressure your child to learn. If children are sent to special
lessons every day in the hope of developing their gifts, they may become too
stressed or exhausted to shine. Encourage, but don't push.

7. Have high expectations. But make them realistic.

8. Share your work life. Expose your child to images of success by taking
him to work. Let him see you engaged in meaningful activities and allow him
to become involved.

9. Provide a sensory-rich environment. Have materials around the home that
will stimulate the senses: finger paints, percussion instruments, and
puppets.

10. Keep your own passion for learning alive. Your child will be influenced
by your example.

11. Don't limit your child with labels. They may saddle her with a
reputation that doesn't match her inner gifts.

12. Play games together as a family.

13. Have a regular family time for reading, listening to music, talking.

14. Have reference materials available to give your child access to the
world.

15. Allow your child to participate in community activities that interest
her.

16. Use humor, jokes, silly stories to encourage creativity.

17. Don't criticize or judge the things your child does. He may give up on
his talents if he feels evaluated.

18. Play with your child to show your own sense of playfulness.

19. Share your successes as a family. Talk about good things that happened
during the day to enhance self-esteem.

20. Provide your child with access to a home, school or public library
computer.

21. Listen to your child. The things he cares about most may provide clues
to his special talents.

22. Give your child a special space at home to be creative.

23. Praise your child's sense of responsibility at home when she completes
assigned chores.

24. Visit new places as a family.

25. Give your child open-ended playthings. Toys like blocks and puppets
encourage imaginative play.

26. Give your child unstructured time to simply daydream and wonder.

27. Share inspirational stories of people who succeeded in life.

28. Don't bribe your child with rewards. Using incentives to get children
to perform sends a message that learning is not rewarding in its own right

29. Suggest that your child join peer groups that focus on her gifts.

30. Discuss the news to spark interests.

31. Discourage gender bias. Expose your child to both feminine and
masculine toys and activities.

32. Avoid comparing your child to others. Help your child compare himself
to his own past performance.

33. Be an authoritative parent.

34. Use community events and institutions to activate interests. Take trips
to the library, museums, concerts, plays.

35. Give presents that nourish your child's strengths.

36. Encourage your child to think about her future. Support her visions
without directing her into any specific field.

37. Introduce your child to interesting and capable people.

38. Think of your home as a learning place. The kitchen is great for
teaching math and science through cooking.

39. Share feelings. A child's gifts can be stifled by repressed emotions.

40. Encourage your child to read.

41. Honor your child's creations.

42. Do things with your child in his areas of interest.

43. Teach your child to trust her intuition and believe in her capabilities.

44. Give your child choices. It builds willpower and fuels initiative.

45. Show your child how to use books to further an interest.  For example-
"how to" books for the "hands-on" learner.

46. Set  aside an area of the house for displaying creations and awards.

47. Encourage your child to tackle areas that are difficult for him. Help
him learn to confront any limitations.

48. Be a liaison between your child's special talents and the real world.
Help her find outlets for her talents.

49. Introduce children's literature that honors and develops gifts. Books
like the Little Engine That could encourage a "can do" attitude.

50. Accept your child as he or she is.

Guidelines on choosing programs

Some insights on choosing programs

1.     Exposure not Experts - Use programs as a way to give exposure not make experts out of children: Many of us in our enthusiasm of putting the child in a class start focusing on the result too much. This takes fun out of doing something. They need not become champions or a show piece in social gathering.

2.     Popular isn't always the best - we all know it - yet we run after it. We know that what is popular isn't always the best. The quite lady who runs a simple painting class down the lane might be much better than a branded high profile class - for a lot of things are simply packaged in a much more glossy way. It is hence the onus of us parents to look beyond the brochures, physical space and international affiliations (read packaging) and actually understand the conceptual depth the programs.

3.     Self Esteem is critical - In the eagerness to teach, to show results, a lot of classes actually harm the child self dignity, putting them, comparing different children, holding competitions that only show a child what worth he/she is not. While we do not intend to be critical of other programs, we are just too sensitive for a child's self esteem and hence are highlighting this aspect as a key aspect you should look for in the trainers / teachers

4.      Continuity v/s Trial - A lot of parents get dismayed that their children start a class and then leave it. It is perhaps very natural for a child to show enthusiasm at the beginning and later on, based on any reason, the same gets dwindled. Apart from monetary loss, many a times we start blaming the child for this. Just a reminder of how many times you as an adult have started something (say exercise / morning walk and given it all up :-) It is very natural for all of us to shift focus midway - remember whatever exposure your child got is good for him or her. Let not continuity become a torture, yet if child is willing, go the whole hog

5.     Am I learning too: So if you are going to put the child into some classes - see if you can sign up yourself for the classes too. It’s not necessary that we learn the same thing, we could ourselves join another class, but when we start formally learning something, it brings a lot of humbleness into us, a lot of acceptance of errors and discomfort that learning brings, and a lot of respect for the learner's efforts. Highly recommended!

      

Do you need IQ Test? No Thank Q.

The average intelligence test only focuses on the verbal, visual, and mathematical skills of the student; it can hardly be considered an accurate interpretation of a student's real intelligence level.

Dr. Gardner defined intelligence as consisting of three components:
- Ability to create an effective product or service that is valuable to one's culture
- Set of skills that enables an individual to solve problems encountered in life
- Potential for finding or creating solutions for problems, which enables a person to acquire new knowledge
Dr. Gardner, who has become a world-renowned authority on the topic of MI, derived this theory based on extensive brain research, as well as interviews, tests, and research on hundreds of individuals.
His conclusions became the foundation for his MI theory in that intelligence is not one inborn fixed trait that dominates all a student's skills or problem-solving abilities, but rather each person has different parts of their brains that may be more highly developed than other parts.
While these different parts of the brain are interconnected, they may work independent or in concert to help a student learn depending on the educational environment and the child's preferred intelligences.
With this in mind, Dr. Gardner identified eight different Intelligences that every person would have, to varying degrees. These intelligences are verbal/linguistic, math/logical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist.

- Albert Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read.
- Beethoven's music teacher once said of him, "As a composer, he is hopeless".
- A newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because he had "no good ideas".
- Abraham Lincoln entered the Black Hawk War as a captain and came out as a private.
- Thomas Edison's teachers told him he was too stupid to learn anything.
- And last, but not least, Louisa May Alcott was told by an editor that she would never write anything that had popular appeal.