Source: Nov 23 2016 : The Times of India (NaviMumbai)
____________________________ Reliance Foundation School-English Medium, Lodhivali. ____________________________
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Monday, November 21, 2016
Making math fun: Schoolteachers to use coins, blocks & counting beads for hands-on learning
Nov 21 2016
:
The Times of India
(NaviMumbai)
Making math fun: Schoolteachers
to use coins, blocks & counting beads for hands-on learning
|
Vinamrata Borwankar | Mumbai:
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In an attempt to make
mathematics fun for students and improve the quality of teaching, the
state has decided to introduce tools for hands-on learning. According
to a government resolution issued by the school education department,
schools will have to procure tools for students that will help them
understand mathematical concepts better.
The state has suggested the use of 13 tools such as counting beads, mathematics mats, geo boards to learn geometry, scales and measuring tapes, notes and coins, measuring tapes, scales, jodo blocks for class I to V students. “Various surveys have own that students lag be shown that students lag behind in language and mathe matics.
Poor performance in mathematics is due to fear among students for the sub ject and one of the main reasons for this fear is the current teaching methodology ,“ said Nandkumar, secretary , school education department. “If we want students to not fear mathematics, their concepts have to be clear. This can be done if we use tools and demonstrate. Some teachers are already trying to use tools, but are not yielding results because the tools are not scientific. Teachers need to review what they are using and learn new techniques that work with students today ,“ he added.
Schools will have to purchase or create one set of these tools for every six students.“The tools might cost Rs 4,000-Rs 5,000, but will help students learn much better than they do today . Once parents see the change, they might be willing to assist schools in buying the tools.Schools could also seek funds from local government bodies or corporates as part of corporate social responsibility ,“ said Nandkumar.
Teachers will have to undergo a three-day training before they begin to use the tools in classroom. The department has asked schools to fill out forms to seek slots for workshops once they have the necessary tools in place.
Teachers have welcomed the move. “Activity-based learning is necessary to teach students better. It will help them understand concepts and not fear the subject,“ said Anil Bornare, a teacher.
The state has suggested the use of 13 tools such as counting beads, mathematics mats, geo boards to learn geometry, scales and measuring tapes, notes and coins, measuring tapes, scales, jodo blocks for class I to V students. “Various surveys have own that students lag be shown that students lag behind in language and mathe matics.
Poor performance in mathematics is due to fear among students for the sub ject and one of the main reasons for this fear is the current teaching methodology ,“ said Nandkumar, secretary , school education department. “If we want students to not fear mathematics, their concepts have to be clear. This can be done if we use tools and demonstrate. Some teachers are already trying to use tools, but are not yielding results because the tools are not scientific. Teachers need to review what they are using and learn new techniques that work with students today ,“ he added.
Schools will have to purchase or create one set of these tools for every six students.“The tools might cost Rs 4,000-Rs 5,000, but will help students learn much better than they do today . Once parents see the change, they might be willing to assist schools in buying the tools.Schools could also seek funds from local government bodies or corporates as part of corporate social responsibility ,“ said Nandkumar.
Teachers will have to undergo a three-day training before they begin to use the tools in classroom. The department has asked schools to fill out forms to seek slots for workshops once they have the necessary tools in place.
Teachers have welcomed the move. “Activity-based learning is necessary to teach students better. It will help them understand concepts and not fear the subject,“ said Anil Bornare, a teacher.
State: Score 40%, not 35%, to pass scholarship exam
Nov 19 2016
:
The Times of India
(NaviMumbai)
State: Score 40%, not 35%, to pass scholarship exam
|
|
|
Mumbai
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
|
Class V and VII students who
will appear fo the state scholarship exams will have to score 40%,
instead of 35%, to pass, and no studen will be declared `fail'.
According to a recent go vernment resolution, repor cards will not
mention `pass or `fail', instead the Maha rashtra State Council of Ex
aminations will pronounce i the student is eligible or ineli gible for
scholarship.
Starting this year, class V and VIII students will take the scholarship exam, instead of class IV and VII students as re quired by the RTE Act. The state has also brought abou changes in the exam pattern and marking system this year Students will have to take two papers of 150 marks each in stead of three papers of 10 marks and score above 40% to be eligible for scholarship.
The government resolu tion also said that CBSE and CISCE board students wil continue to take the exam, bu will not be eligible to receive the scholarship money .
Starting this year, class V and VIII students will take the scholarship exam, instead of class IV and VII students as re quired by the RTE Act. The state has also brought abou changes in the exam pattern and marking system this year Students will have to take two papers of 150 marks each in stead of three papers of 10 marks and score above 40% to be eligible for scholarship.
The government resolu tion also said that CBSE and CISCE board students wil continue to take the exam, bu will not be eligible to receive the scholarship money .
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Sports play a crucial role in developing life skills amongst children: Nita Ambani
Sports play a crucial role in developing life skills amongst children: Nita Ambani
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Nita Ambani, Reliance
Founder Chairperson of Foundation, strongly believes that every child
must have the right to education and right to play .Education and sports
are the two bedrocks of any society and both complement each other to
foster a child's holistic development.Education empowers the youth to
make choices and chase their dreams.
The foundation has launched and
partnered with various initiatives in
sports, with focus on developing talent at the grassroots level, and has
used these activities as a motivator to raise their aspirations and
enhance the spirit of learning and leadership.Through its multiple
sports initiatives, it has already reached out to over seven million
children and youngsters across the country .
Two years ago, they launched the Reliance Foundation Young Champs Programme with the aim of helping young Indian footballers develop their talent. Through their grassroots initiatives, they have scouted and selected 41 talented children from across the country , and awarded them with residential scholarships to receive world-class football training as well as quality education at the foundation's school. In a short span of two years, these champs have shown the promise of excellence, winning 91 of the 107 matches played at the state and national levels. They hope that in a few years from now, they will be able to represent India in football on the global platform.
On the occasion of Children's Day , Nita Ambani says, “I wish every child a very happy Children's Day .At Reliance Foundation, we would like to reach out to millions of children in our country through our grassroots initiatives in sports.Sports play a crucial role in character building and developing life skills amongst children. I believe that India has no dearth of sporting talent. We are a nation with 50 per cent of the population below the age of 25. What is needed is a conducive environment for them to grow and blossom as sportspersons.“
Sports provides physical fitness and also strengthens the mind. It inculcates values of self-discipline, sportsmanship, team spirit, leadership, integrity as well as promotes a healthy lifestyle.More importantly, it is a great unifier, with its power to remove individual differences of religion, ethnicity , language, and geography and binds people together.
Two years ago, they launched the Reliance Foundation Young Champs Programme with the aim of helping young Indian footballers develop their talent. Through their grassroots initiatives, they have scouted and selected 41 talented children from across the country , and awarded them with residential scholarships to receive world-class football training as well as quality education at the foundation's school. In a short span of two years, these champs have shown the promise of excellence, winning 91 of the 107 matches played at the state and national levels. They hope that in a few years from now, they will be able to represent India in football on the global platform.
On the occasion of Children's Day , Nita Ambani says, “I wish every child a very happy Children's Day .At Reliance Foundation, we would like to reach out to millions of children in our country through our grassroots initiatives in sports.Sports play a crucial role in character building and developing life skills amongst children. I believe that India has no dearth of sporting talent. We are a nation with 50 per cent of the population below the age of 25. What is needed is a conducive environment for them to grow and blossom as sportspersons.“
Sports provides physical fitness and also strengthens the mind. It inculcates values of self-discipline, sportsmanship, team spirit, leadership, integrity as well as promotes a healthy lifestyle.More importantly, it is a great unifier, with its power to remove individual differences of religion, ethnicity , language, and geography and binds people together.
Source: Nov 14 2016
:
The Times of India
(NaviMumbai)
90% of parents want school guidance on bringing up, understanding kids
90% of parents want school guidance on bringing up, understanding kids
|
Vinamrata Borwankar|Mumbai:
|
Lost in the sea of
information, a lot of which may be irrelevant, nearly 90% of parents in
the city look to schools for guidance on how to bring up their young
children and understanding them, a recent survey has revealed. The
survey of 1,600 parents of children up to the age of six years in Mumbai
found that 70% of them do not depend on websites. For, over 57% of them
felt the information available online is not culturally relevant or
personalized.
Alarge number of them depend on traditional ways to learn parenting: 34% often imita te their parents' style, while 25% learnt from their friends and community . Only about 4% always used books, while 49% said they sometimes read up on the issue. Probably as a result of this, most parents want schools to play an integral part in shaping the children and understanding them. While 87% of them felt schools should help them through reading material, seminars and open houses, 67% felt there must be a course in parenting. “The values and morals of the children depend on the parenting style of the parents. The child must be able to understand what is allowed and what is not at all times,“ said Swati Popat Vats of BornSmart, an online parent-toddler programme platform that conducted the survey .
Some schools said they were already helping parents.“We have workshops regularly for parents of students in the pre-primary and primary sections. It helps them understand their child's needs better,“ said Father Francis Swamy , principal, St Mary's ICSE, Mazgaon.
Alarge number of them depend on traditional ways to learn parenting: 34% often imita te their parents' style, while 25% learnt from their friends and community . Only about 4% always used books, while 49% said they sometimes read up on the issue. Probably as a result of this, most parents want schools to play an integral part in shaping the children and understanding them. While 87% of them felt schools should help them through reading material, seminars and open houses, 67% felt there must be a course in parenting. “The values and morals of the children depend on the parenting style of the parents. The child must be able to understand what is allowed and what is not at all times,“ said Swati Popat Vats of BornSmart, an online parent-toddler programme platform that conducted the survey .
Some schools said they were already helping parents.“We have workshops regularly for parents of students in the pre-primary and primary sections. It helps them understand their child's needs better,“ said Father Francis Swamy , principal, St Mary's ICSE, Mazgaon.
Source: Nov 14 2016
:
The Times of India
(NaviMumbai)
Take JEE (Main) to join Navy as officers
Take JEE (Main) to join Navy as officers
|
Rajat Pandit | New Delhi:
|
Class 12 PCM Percentage Now Invalid
The Navy is going hi-tech
with a vengeance.With state-of-the-art warships, weapons and sensors
being progressively inducted by the force, it wants “sea warriors“
capable of handling the intricate challenges of the massive
technological revolution under way .
First, the Navy implemented
plans to ensure virtually all its new officers have B Tech degrees,
apart from the traditional military and leadership skills, when they
graduate from the sprawling Indian Naval Academy (INA) at Ezhimala in
Kerala.
And now, it has been decided that the shortlisting of candidates aspiring to join the force through the 10+2 B Tech cadet entry scheme will be based “only on JEE (Main) ranks“. Consequently , the PCM (physics, chemistry , maths) percentage obtained in the Class XII board exams will not be valid for this scheme any longer. “Different state examination boards have gone berserk in awarding high marks in Class XII. We were finding the quality of candidates coming for the SSB (services selection board) interview or training ve ry uneven,“ said a senior officer. “The JEE (Main) ranks, which the CBSE has agreed to share with us, will be a better benchmark. With the government approving the move, youngsters will have to appear for the JEE (Main) in 2017 to be eligible for the January 2018 course at INA,“ he added.
As was earlier reported by TOI, the first direct-entry batch of B Tech officers graduated out from the INA in May 2013. Since then, the Navy has been tweaking the three officer entry schemes after Class XII. First are the naval cadets who undergo the three-year course at the triservice National Defence Academy (NDA) at Kadakwasla (Pune) after clearing the UPSC exam and SSB interview. These cadets, who number 78 every year, get commissioned as officers with B Tech degrees after another year of intensive training at the INA.
Then, there are the around 110 cadets who directly joined 110 cadets who directly joined the INA for the four-year B Tech programme after clearing UPSC exams in two batches every year. Under the third and largest scheme, around 120 cadets will now be shortlisted for the SSB interview on the basis of their JEE (Main) ranks. “In effect, one has to take either the UPSC exam or the JEE (Main) to be eligible,“ said an officer. All this has become necessary because the Navy needs a cadre with advanced technical expertise to handle the sophisticated weapon systems in the pipeline. “As per the plan, the Navy will have 212 warships, 458 aircraft and helicopters by 2027,“ said another officer.
And now, it has been decided that the shortlisting of candidates aspiring to join the force through the 10+2 B Tech cadet entry scheme will be based “only on JEE (Main) ranks“. Consequently , the PCM (physics, chemistry , maths) percentage obtained in the Class XII board exams will not be valid for this scheme any longer. “Different state examination boards have gone berserk in awarding high marks in Class XII. We were finding the quality of candidates coming for the SSB (services selection board) interview or training ve ry uneven,“ said a senior officer. “The JEE (Main) ranks, which the CBSE has agreed to share with us, will be a better benchmark. With the government approving the move, youngsters will have to appear for the JEE (Main) in 2017 to be eligible for the January 2018 course at INA,“ he added.
As was earlier reported by TOI, the first direct-entry batch of B Tech officers graduated out from the INA in May 2013. Since then, the Navy has been tweaking the three officer entry schemes after Class XII. First are the naval cadets who undergo the three-year course at the triservice National Defence Academy (NDA) at Kadakwasla (Pune) after clearing the UPSC exam and SSB interview. These cadets, who number 78 every year, get commissioned as officers with B Tech degrees after another year of intensive training at the INA.
Then, there are the around 110 cadets who directly joined 110 cadets who directly joined the INA for the four-year B Tech programme after clearing UPSC exams in two batches every year. Under the third and largest scheme, around 120 cadets will now be shortlisted for the SSB interview on the basis of their JEE (Main) ranks. “In effect, one has to take either the UPSC exam or the JEE (Main) to be eligible,“ said an officer. All this has become necessary because the Navy needs a cadre with advanced technical expertise to handle the sophisticated weapon systems in the pipeline. “As per the plan, the Navy will have 212 warships, 458 aircraft and helicopters by 2027,“ said another officer.
Saturday, November 12, 2016
CBSE amends rules to prevent rechecking of answer sheets
CBSE amends rules to prevent rechecking of answer sheets
- Puja Pednekar, Hindustan Times, Mumbai |
- Updated: Nov 11, 2016 20:37 IST
The central board amended its affiliation by-laws to drop the
practice of re-checking of answer sheets and will only continue with
verification of marks after a student challenged the board's selective
re-evaluation policy in court.
(Pic for representation)
Students in the Central Board of Secondary
Education (CBSE) affiliated schools will not get their answer sheets
re-examined from the upcoming Class 10 and 12 exams. After a student
challenged the board's selective re-evaluation policy in court, the
central board has amended its affiliation by-laws to drop the practice
of re-checking of answer sheets and will only continue with verification
of marks.
As of now, the board provides re-evaluation facility Class 12 students for 10 of the roughly 250 subjects, if a student is not satisfied with marks. The practice began in 2014 and doesn’t extend to Class 10 students.
According to the notification for amended by-laws dated October 3, which was uploaded on its website on Friday, rule 61 (iv) “for Senior School Certificate (Class 12) examination may also apply for re-evaluation in a manner prescribed by the board from time to time” has been revised to “no candidate shall claim or be entitled to revaluation of his/her answer book(s).” Only the rules allowing verification of marks — in which marks are tallied and number of supplements is verified — continue to remain the same.
The notification states that the rules have been changed as per the recommendations of the examination committee held on May 13 and approved by the governing body meeting on June 29. In August, the Delhi High Court had directed the CBSE to re-evaluate an answer sheet for political science exam after a student complained that the board was against it, even though verification of the answer sheet revealed mistakes.
Schools and students called the move regressive as they are concerned about the transparency in the evaluation process. “We study a lot for the exam and then we hear about things like peons checking answer books in some schools or other discrepancies in corrections. If re-evaluation is scrapped, there will not be any accountability left,” said Yashwini Vanjani, a Class 12 student of CBSE.
Similarly, Avnita Bir, principal, RN Podar School, Santacruz said it will be a huge loss to the students. “Lots of students apply for re-evaluation. This year too students had applied for math. Some kids marks had increased in the process,” said Bir.
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/cbse-amends-rules-to-prevent-rechecking-of-answer-sheets/story-cjoRuNwtyrfKGp0pJyrvIK.html
As of now, the board provides re-evaluation facility Class 12 students for 10 of the roughly 250 subjects, if a student is not satisfied with marks. The practice began in 2014 and doesn’t extend to Class 10 students.
According to the notification for amended by-laws dated October 3, which was uploaded on its website on Friday, rule 61 (iv) “for Senior School Certificate (Class 12) examination may also apply for re-evaluation in a manner prescribed by the board from time to time” has been revised to “no candidate shall claim or be entitled to revaluation of his/her answer book(s).” Only the rules allowing verification of marks — in which marks are tallied and number of supplements is verified — continue to remain the same.
The notification states that the rules have been changed as per the recommendations of the examination committee held on May 13 and approved by the governing body meeting on June 29. In August, the Delhi High Court had directed the CBSE to re-evaluate an answer sheet for political science exam after a student complained that the board was against it, even though verification of the answer sheet revealed mistakes.
Schools and students called the move regressive as they are concerned about the transparency in the evaluation process. “We study a lot for the exam and then we hear about things like peons checking answer books in some schools or other discrepancies in corrections. If re-evaluation is scrapped, there will not be any accountability left,” said Yashwini Vanjani, a Class 12 student of CBSE.
Similarly, Avnita Bir, principal, RN Podar School, Santacruz said it will be a huge loss to the students. “Lots of students apply for re-evaluation. This year too students had applied for math. Some kids marks had increased in the process,” said Bir.
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/cbse-amends-rules-to-prevent-rechecking-of-answer-sheets/story-cjoRuNwtyrfKGp0pJyrvIK.html
Global science exhibition comes to Mumbai
Nov 12 2016
:
The Times of India
(NaviMumbai)
Global science exhibition comes to Mumbai
|
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Where: Nehru Science Centre, Worli. When: On till November 13, 10 am to 6 pm. |
Mumbai is playing host to a
first-of-its-kind interactive science exhibition organised by Bayer,
which was inaugurated by Richard van der Merwe (Senior Bayer
Representative, South Asia) on November 10 at the Nehru Science Centre.
The opening day saw enthusiastic participation from over 700 people
including school students, teachers and general public across various
age groups. In 2013, Bayer celebrated its 150th anniversary globally and
ever since has been organising its interactive global exhibition
-`Science For A Better Life Tour' -to commemorate this milestone. The
exhibition has travelled to 45 cities in 22 countries across the world
and witnessed participation from nearly 2,00,000 visitors in major
cities such as London, Shanghai, New York and Sydney .
In India, the
theme is `Making Science Make Sense', which is the brand's flagship
educational initiative that promotes science education through fun
experiments. At the exhibition, visitors can gain fascinating and
informative insights into how science enriches our daily lives.
The exhibits on display are taken from real-life, tangible examples and
demonstrate how Bayer, through research and innovative products, is
committed to human, animal and plant health. The exhibition offers
school students an educational excursion to discover natural sciences,
biology or applied chemistry , try out something new, understand
scientific relationships and consolidate knowledge learnt in school. In
addition, visitors can also attend sessions by experts like Prof
Shashank R Joshi (Padmashree awardee) on `Diabetes and You', Ashok
Rupner on `Trash to Toys', Rujuta Diwekar on `Nutrition for a Better
Life', Dr Aniruddha Mahindrakar on `Eye Health' and Shailesh Sansare on
`Young Innovation'. To add to the fun and learning, the exhibition also
has an interactive motion magic wall, science shows and contests and
Origami workshops. So, don't wait, here's your chance to experience,
experiment and explore science!
Where: Nehru Science Centre, Worli.
When: On till November 13, 10 am to 6 pm.
http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31840&articlexml=Global-science-exhibition-comes-to-Mumbai-12112016105005
Where: Nehru Science Centre, Worli.
When: On till November 13, 10 am to 6 pm.
http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31840&articlexml=Global-science-exhibition-comes-to-Mumbai-12112016105005
Ashwin Sanghi on writing and going beyond 13 Steps
Ashwin Sanghi on writing and going beyond 13 Steps
- IANS, New Delhi |
- Updated: Nov 09, 2016 14:23 IST
Ashwin Sanghi’s latest book, 13 Steps To Bloody Good Wealth, was released on October 28. (HT Photo)
What started off as a stand-alone has now expanded to a 13-book series. Now, Ashwin Sanghi, one of India’s best-selling authors, says his ‘13 Steps’ primers might even go beyond that number. In fact, three of the books are already in the pipeline.
The second book in the series, 13 Steps To Bloody Good Wealth (Westland/204 pages/Rs 150), was released on October 28.
How did the series expand?
Sanghi says he was “pleasantly surprised” at the enthusiastic response he received from his readers to the first book, 13 Steps to Bloody Good Luck. “One of them, a young man from Pune, wondered why it wasn’t possible to demystify life’s daunting subjects into 13 Step solutions,” Sanghi said.
The author has written several best-sellers (The Rozabal Line, Chanakya’s Chant, The Krishna Key, The Sialkot Saga) and a New York Times best-selling crime thriller, Private India, together with James Paterson,
For example, could one teach students how to study better? Could one teach salary-earners how to improve their financial position? Could one teach new parents how to bring up their children better?
“The young man’s e-mail really got me thinking. I figured that it should be possible to invite co-authors who are domain experts to provide the research and content. That content (coupled with my storytelling and editing) could result in immensely readable books,” Sanghi said.
Over discussions with his publisher, it was decided that the issues that worry most people are health and wealth. So, it was decided to work on these projects first.
The first book was a solo effort. For the second, he roped in serial entrepreneur Sunil Dalal, with whom he has been friends from their days at Cathedral & John Connon School and St Xavier’s College, Mumbai.
“Having observed the process-oriented approach and dogged discipline with which he endeavoured to build his family’s fortunes, I suggested that he write a book outlining the 13 Steps to wealth creation. Sunil has an uncanny ability to explain financial matters in simple and uncluttered statements that are devoid of jargon. In that sense, Sunil was a natural choice,” Sanghi said.
A passage from The Sialkot Saga that describes an event in 1978.#BlackMoney
Dalal, however, will not be partnering with him for future titles because most of these would fall outside his domain expertise. As of now, three co-authors have been signed up for additional titles in the series.
The 13 Steps series is a WIP (work in progress) and it took a year for the second book. If this pattern is followed, it would take another 11 years for the final book to come out. So it would be pretty hard to maintain a complete set.
“You are absolutely right. There are three titles that are being worked on as we speak. It is our aim to release 2-3 titles in the series every year. Our effort will be to demystify concepts that sound complicated for all segments of readers. And BTW (by the way), we won’t stop at 13 books!”
Why 13, to get over the superstition associated with the number?
“Thirteen was used more as a tongue-in-cheek idea because in popular perception it is associated with bad luck. When it came to this next book, I thought about it long and hard. We all grew up in a world where it was common to go to the store and buy, say, a dozen apples or a dozen eggs.”
“I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be great if we offered something just that little extra over a dozen? It would be like the icing on the cake... just enough to give the reader a broad understanding of the issue with a little more. So the format of this book is precisely that. 13 Steps. Not a dozen. Just a little more,” Sanghi said.
What then are the 13 Steps to Bloody Good Wealth?
Define what wealth means to you; Make a plan; Beat inflation; Plan your expenses; Create additional income streams; Harness the power of compounding; Build assets, not expenses; Make the Wealth Trinity your friend; Have an asset allocation strategy; Understand asset classes; Knowledge, focus, patience, review; Leverage good debt; Tax saved is income earned.
Titles that are currently being written or edited are 13 Steps to Bloody Good Health, 13 Steps to Bloody Good Marks and 13 Steps to Bloody Good Parenting. Titles that are under discussion with potential co-authors include books on marketing, cooking, social media, meditation and writing, Sanghi concluded.
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/books/ashwin-sanghi-on-writing-and-going-beyond-13-steps/story-sc6Cig3TTzWAbxnRTsU9PI.html
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