Educate & Illuminate

How to Defeat Exam Fever?

2008-02-28T02:10:00.000-08:00

EXAM FEVER is the virus which is spread among students from long back. Exam time is a period where students and parents are anxious, spend sleepless nights. Students worry about exams for days during and before exam days. Exam tests student knowledge of subjects which they studied and learned over the academic year but due to exam fever they can't perform to their best.

Many students experience unpleasant, negative thoughts during the exam periods, by which they loose concentration while preparing and as well as while performing in the exam. Concentration plays a very important role for students; students should study with no disturbance and with peaceful mind. Best way is to follow timetables made by you considering all factors like sleep time, relax time or eating time check all your routines and prepare a good timetable which can be followed. Concentration comes automatically when you are healthy and happy, so be happy and healthy during exams.

Some students are confident till they enter into the exam hall, but as they look into the question paper their mind is blank for some time as they think about the questions which they can't answer or for which they didn't prepare. This is a mistake done by many students they check the whole question paper once its in their hand, it's a wrong step specially for those who get sacred or afraid of not doing well seeing the whole questions. I agree student should be aware of questions to mange their time for lengthy answers, so best thing to do is check 2-3 questions, answer them and then check whole paper, choose best possible questions to answer them. This way student can gain some confidence as he already answered few questions.

Parents can be very helpful for students who are afraid of exams. Help them to revise, making notes, briefing points and conducting mock tests. Try to break up the difficult chapters into points, so that they can understand and study easily. Foremost thing that parent should take care is to see their child is fresh and taken good food during exams especially on the day of the exam.

ALL THE BEST …………

CBSE Xth Board Exam Schedule / Dates

2008-02-21T03:53:00.001-08:00

Saturday,01st March, 2008 10:30 AM
ELEM. OF BUSINESS - Code:154
INTRODUCTORY I T - Code:165
ELEM BOOK-K & ACCY - Code:254
TYPEWRITING-ENG - Code:354
TYPEWRITING-HINDI - Code:454

Monday,03rd March, 2008 10:30 AM
SOCIAL SCIENCE - Code:087

Wednesday,05th March, 2008 10:30 AM
URDU COURSE-A - Code:003
PUNJABI - Code:004
TAMIL - Code:006
SINDHI - Code:008
MARATHI - Code:009
GUJARATI - Code:010
MANIPURI - Code:011
MALAYALAM - Code:012
ORIYA - Code:013
KANNADA - Code:015
ARABIC - Code:016
TIBETAN - Code: 017
FRENCH - Code: 018
PORTUGUESE - Code:019
GERMAN - Code:020
RUSSIAN - Code:021
PERSIAN - Code:023
NEPALI - Code:024
LIMBOO - Code:025
LEPCHA - Code:026
BHUTIA - Code:095
SPANISH - Code:096
KASHMIRI - Code:097
MIZO - Code:098
URDU COURSE-B - Code:303

Friday,07th March, 2008 10:30 AM
BENGALI - Code:005
TELUGU - Code:007
ASSAMESE - Code:014
HOME SCIENCE - Code:064

Tuesday,11th March, 2008 10:30 AM
MATHEMATICS - Code:041

Friday,14th March, 2008 10:30 AM
ENGLISH COMM. - Code:101
ENGLISH LNG & LIT. - Code:184

Monday,17th March, 2008 10:30 AM
HINDI COURSE-A - Code:002
HINDI COURSE-B - Code:08

Wednesday,19th March, 2008 10:30 AM
COMM. SANSKRIT - Code:122

Thursday,20th March, 2008 10:30 AM
MUSIC KAR.VOCAL - Code:031
MUSIC KAR.INS.MEL. - Code:032
MUSIC KAR.INS.PER. - Code:033
MUSIC HIND.VOCAL - Code:034
MUSIC HIND.INS.MEL - Code:035
MUSIC HIND.INS.PER - Code:036

Monday,24th March, 2008 10:30 AM
PAINTING - Code:049

Tuesday,25th March, 2008 10:30 AM
SCIENCE-THEORY - Code:086
SCIENCE W/O PRAC - Code:090

Thursday,27th March, 2008 10:30 AM
SCIENCE-PRAC. SKLS - Code:086

Boarding School’s Pros and Cons

2008-02-15T05:02:00.000-08:00

Parents that relocate often due to work have a problem with their children's education continuity that's the reason they opt for Boarding schools. But most of the parents are in dilemma whether they should or shouldn't send their kids to boarding school. Boarding school has its pros and cons like any other school. Let's have a glance on those factors.

Students of boarding school are very self-dependent, disciplined and well educated as student has to take care of himself other than just studies. Though boarding school can't provide the love, nurturing, and watchful eye of a parent, still most of the parents prefer boarding school as they feel education is important.

Each child has different mentality and family background, and due to this they face compatibility problem resulting homesickness. Homesick is a word which all students are aware, as they go through that one or the other day.

Boarding school Cons

Lack of well-rounded social exposure
Inferiority complex from seeing others excel in academics and sports
Possibility of falling into destructive groups or cliques
Lack of well-rounded social exposure
Homesickness and less bonding with parents

Boarding School Pros

More self-reliance and time management
Teachers get to know and understand the students and teach them well
Lifelong friendships and traditionally stronger social networks
Better opportunity for self-assessment through extra-curricular activities
More opportunities for teamwork and to explore interests and potential

The boarding school debate is endless. Decision to send kid to boarding schools should be based on a thoughtful analysis of the kid in question with unique challenges associated with growing up away from home.

Parents Play a Vital Role for Childs Psychology

2008-02-13T01:47:00.000-08:00

My friend Sindhu is a Counselor for school kids. Thought of sharing some experiences of her while counseling and teaching. First let me tell you about Sindhu, she is my friend from class 1, she is a very active girl from childhood. Sindhu was the first person to contact if her friends/classmates had some issues, she always uses to have some or the other solution for the issue. May be that's the reason she took this profession and doing with efficiency.

She shared some of hers counseling experiences with me, according to her primary class students are very tuff to counseled. They are very innocent by which we can't explain her in a matured manner we need to be very patient with them. One boy of 1st STD failed in his exams due to health problems he was a good student. He was forced to repeat his class, he wasn't ready for that, and he wanted to sit with his friends of his previous year class. He was disturbed and was loosing interest in studies; he stopped talking with others in-fact with his parents also. Sindhu counseled him with great difficulty as he is innocent, in first 2-3 sessions he dint even look up, slowly he got close to her and was very comfortable with her. She at last convinced that child and soon he was like before happy and joyful.

Parents play a vital role for Child's mentality but most of the parents are working and have very less time for their kids. They feel lonely and develop bad habits like smoking, drinking especially teenagers. One girl was addicted to drugs, after counseling sindhu came to know most of her friends do the same when they feel lonely……that's really pity. She had conversation with all her friends and had a successful session; she helped them to explain that parents work for them to give them better life, she took them to orphanage to show how kids are alone no body to take care and they are much better than those orphans. She had a separate counseling for parents, she told them the situation and explained them to spend some time and talk with them at least on weekends by which kids understand them and cooperate.

Counseling can be defined as interpersonal, theory-based process of helping children who are physically healthy but have developmental and situational issues. As I mentioned earlier parents play a vital role for child's psychology mentality, so parents should take care of their kids and talk with them as much as possible. Be a tutor to your develop child's psychology. Counselors do their part but parents are the ones who are close to kids.

Computer - A Blessing or Curse

2008-02-08T06:01:00.000-08:00

Computer has become a part of luxury for one and all, from kids to old people all have some or the other need from computer. Couple of years back personal computers was found very rarely in houses where as today you can find PC in about 2 out of 5 homes, the ratio has increased drastically. Internet was unknown to common people, now without internet our lives will halt as we need internet for almost in all arenas it might be banking, paying bills, emails, online booking for trains, or booking tickets for movie. Earlier if we wanted to have pizza/burger we had to compulsory need to go to bakery, now it's just a few clicks away you can order online and enjoy it at your home in no time.

PC is proven to be best buddy for youngsters and teenagers; they spend all their leisure time on computer. They love browsing, chatting, and playing games, in fact cricket scores, news, weather, latest gossips and more all are available on internet that's the reason they spend most of their time on system.

Computer knowledge is must for all, as children enter into elementary school they are taught computer basics, as they grow their knowledge is broaden. Parents also teach them to use computer for each and every work as they feel it's the best source to develop knowledge. In our childish days we use to play with friends but now kids are completely dependent on PC, instead of playing games like hide-n-seek they prefer playing computer games.

"Computer - A Blessing or curse" this is the argument which will never end, It has got its advantages and disadvantages in different perspective.

Your Thoughts Are Welcome!

Jack of all Trades, But Master of None – Today’s Generation Kids

2008-02-06T22:36:00.000-08:00

Today’s competitive world demands smart kids who are active and intelligent in their respective fields, but many of today’s parents look in a different perspective – they want their children to excel in almost all fields they think or know about and ready to do what so ever that will help their children meet to their expectations. Whether it is school or academy for dance or sports, parents look for the best source for their children.

Parents feel proud if their kid is known in school by all teachers and co-students and are ready to do pay a huge amount to develop special interests or talent in their kids. This sometimes leads to forcing children to do things which they are not interested or handle multiple tasks.

Children are innocent, they don’t understand the world, and they just want to be in their world of happiness. And for kids happiness means playing with friends, going out with parents to malls, chitchatting, asking stupid questions, playing pranks and many more small things which are big for their world. But now for this generation they don’t get time to do all those, tight schedule is the reason behind that.

From the time they wake-up in the morning till they sleep, kids are busy with their schedule. Apart from studies they need to go for extra curricular activities like dancing, painting, sports (tennis is the latest craze in India, all thanks to Sania Mirza) etc.. Though many of the children don’t like it parents force them to do. Children tend to loose interest in all including studies and many students live in their own world competing with himself and the competition is in which field he will be perfect.

“Jack of all trades, but master of none” is what today’s generation kids, so parents should understand it and try to make out one talent instead of forcing them to do all. Especially the things which kids love to do, at least till they are mature enough to understand this competitive world.

Quiz based educational service on TV, first time in India

2008-02-05T21:26:00.000-08:00

Television is watched by kids continuously through out the day when they are left alone at home or when they are restricted to play out door with friends or on their leisure time. Many of the parents are worried about this issue as they think TV is the source where child learns beyond his age, for instance he watches movies, reality shows or serials which includes criminal and adult programs. Children generally learn the things which they observe and try to do it practically resulting increase in child crime.

Children watch shows which are not suitable & unnecessary for their age, they loose their innocence and act more mature which is very harmful for their personality and social development.

TV is the reason students getting low grades as it takes time away from reading and homework. Generally parents allow kids to watch TV in holidays and try to stop them watching in school days, which is really a big headache as TV is very addictive and kids continue to watch TV on school days which effect on their Academic performance.

Taking this as point TataSky which has over 1 million of subscribers has partnered with 24x7guru.com which is an online assessment tool provider for school children to introduce interactive self-assessment tool for the children of age group 7-11 yrs. Its Quiz based educational service which covers GK, Maths and Science. This quiz can be easily taken as it can be accessed with the help of remote, after the quiz individual score cards and correct answers are also given to them by which they can learn the correct answers for the questions which they were wrong.

Television is a powerful medium for children to learn apart from the entertainment. Through TataSky’s tool every day child can learn around 50 different questions which will help them to enhance their knowledge, it can be GK or academic subjects like Mathematics & science. Indians are tending more towards Online facilities like banking, business developing and now lately on online Education. That’s the reason for programs like TataSky and 24x7guru have been coming up.

Outcome of a novel initiative

2008-01-21T01:10:00.000-08:00

Outcome of a novel initiative in Destination NASA 2008 challenge:
* Son and his friends have started discussing their textbooks, Science and Maths discussions are now a common affair among children.
* They spend their time on the Internet more productively, learning additionally from the internet.
* Knowing how they fared in Maths & Science by taking self-assessment tests online through www.24x7guru.com.
* They are now a highly motivated and confident set of individuals.
* Parents and Teachers are also keen and constantly involved in guiding the children to achieve their cherished goals.
* Finally, all (children, parents & teachers) have got themselves equipped to face the NASA stars.

When you wish upon a star, it makes no difference who you are.

2008-01-17T01:41:00.000-08:00

I was going through the latest BillionBeats ePaper, the fortnightly ePaper brought out by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. I really like it for it is some positive fortnightly news that we can do with and not just that, it's also a source of several interesting quotes.
One such quote from the Dec 26, 2007 issue says 'When you wish upon a star, it makes no difference who you are. Anything your heart desires will come true'. While the line may not always hold good but its implication are a plenty and definitely a thought-provoking quote.
When it comes to wishing for the stars most of us are pretty good decision-makers, however though most of those decisions end up in the negative. How often do we put down innovative ideas, instead a small re-work on such thoughts could have made it a success.
It's fine to be realistic but its best to be realistically optimistic. I wouldn't like to sound preachy in this post but instead would like to cite examples to illustrate the quote in a better context.
Here, lets take the instance of the Destination NASA Challenge 2008, where 10 lucky students get to visit NASA along with a parent/guardian/sibling and a teacher.
Something special for children to look upto, enabling them to work towards their desires. Besides motivation (which the contest truly has) they also need your support and encouragement.
It might give them a competitive edge if they're brilliant in Science & Maths at school but sometimes the best minds in Science & Maths aren't always the toppers, so every child stands a good chance. This coupled with inspiration and positive thoughts can go a long way in giving the child the impetus to do well.
As a guiding force, parents & teachers can also help children in planning and organizing their lessons. But avoid forcing them into your decisions, instead you could include them in the discussions. This way children not only feel important but also responsible for the decisions taken.
Therefore, it every sense anyone of us could wish for the stars. To turn this wish into reality we need to challenge ourselves more often.

Destiny Destination NASA

2008-01-11T06:40:00.000-08:00

At 8 - We grew up in a neighborhood where most elders weren't too fond of children. Cliched isn't it. But behold, we children weren't all that nice as well - Brats were what we were call then.
We hit tennis ball on-the-fly and into the soup (or should I say sambar) and then even before someone yelled or came out, we were off.
Then there were occasions where threw wet tissues from the terrace ensuring that it had a safe landing on one's head.
Yes, besides being pranksters, most children also have ambitions of reaching for the sky and making it big.

At 16 - Here came the celebrations, a long and hard cricket match finally won. With the tennis ball as a match souvenir we strolled around the park splashing Cola & water on each other (couldn't get sambar this time around).
This was after all the Blue-Star tournament finals, one of the biggest tennis ball tournaments in Chennai. The winners here take it all and no tissue boxes could savage the sweat and tears that downed during the matches.
We felt we had truly reached for the stars.

At 24 - The News includes:
BCCI bowls out Cricket Australia (not much of champagne or sambar)
Ponting and team Australia shed no tears (no need of tissues as well)
But what's contest is our desire to reach for the sky or stars. Now I realize that children have an opportunity to experience the sky, stars, etc. at the best possible site - NASA
Parents and teachers this time under the supervision of Children also get to visit NASA and experience the hub of Rocket Science. The challenge is organized by an e-learning portal 24x7guru.com, and was launch by Bollywood actor Aamir Khan.

More information on the challenge can be found here.

Destination NASA videos & sound bytes

2008-01-09T06:10:00.000-08:00

I was doing my bit of browsing when inadvertently stumbled across Destination NASA 2008 Challenge videos and sound bites. Besides the homepage www.24x7guru.com, here are a few other sites where one can find videos of Destination NASA –

http://news.pressmart.net – here you have 3 videos labeled ‘Destination NASA’, ‘Aamir Khan’s Destination NASA’ and ‘24x7Guru.com’
http://www.epaper.timesofindia.com – here you find the DN video as well as a Site Capture banner that speaks about the DN challenge.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=destination+NASA&search=Search – it has half a dozen relevant videos.

DN sound bytes:

I want to go to NASA too. Why is it just children, it’s so unfair.

That is precisely why the DN contest not only entitles the winning student to explore NASA but also gives them an opportunity to take both a teacher and a parent or older sibling along.

Why NASA?

It’s all about aspiration, for every 10 children who want to be a doctor, engineer of a lawyer, today, there is one who wants to be an aero-space engineer, resources like a visit to NASA is a boon for these children.

On demand, shall try and search for a few more.

En route Destionation NASA

2008-01-07T01:47:00.000-08:00

One never ceases to learn, for all education is in essence a journey to wisdom. It all begins in one’s childhood, the time when the brain’s is supposedly most active having higher grasping powers. The children of today are further complimented by guiding peers and exposure to pursue their specific interests. An added advantage here is that newer methods have suddenly found their way in learning as well.

Taking the example of the ‘Destination NASA Knowledge Challenge’, a pan India contest launched by a popular self-assessment portal www.24x7guru.com, which has decided to take deserving students to the experts and help them experience learning at NASA – a monumental feat considering NASA has often been labeled the epitome of science and technology.

The Destination NASA contest had been launched by Aamir Khan, the Bollywood actor of Taare Zameen Par fame. Through this Knowledge Challenge 10 meritorious students will be selected from a series of multiple-choice questions based on their respective class syllabus to visit NASA.

The challenge has been extended over 975 schools across 12 cities with participation of over 1 million students. The initiative has been taken with the objective of encouraging kids to polish their fundamentals and rewarding them for excellence. The tests are being carried out with optimum usage of software and technology spread across all examinations centers with computers.

Of the 130 contestants selected for the grand finals, based on their scores -

The Top 10 winners would be eligible for a trip to NASA accompanied by a parent/ guardian and a school representative. They would also have the opportunity for a one to one meet with the revered Bollywood actor, Aamir Khan. The remaining 120 would receive gifts as below:

20 LG Desktop

30 Apple IPod Nano

30 Cannon Digi Camera (each)

40 Casio G shock watches (each)

If you want to know more – ask school authorities about it or simply click here Destination NASA.

Indian way of learning a big hit in Japan

2008-01-04T07:21:00.000-08:00

Here’s an interesting article I read in the ToI (dated 3^rd Jan 08). We have all along believed the Japanese to being the pioneers of intellectual brilliance and rapid learning. The Japanese have had a huge technological lead among its neighbors, so much so that there was hardly any competition from the developed world as well.
Infact till recently, its visionary management concepts and diligent workforce help steer the Japanese economy beyond comparison. A few notable sectors that still dominate the World markets include its Automobile and Electronic goods industry.
Historians and Experts have always considered Japan to be the region’s most advanced nation. But over the last few years the Japanese have been gripped by the fear of being taken over by the ever-growing Indian and Chinese economies.
A red alert has been sounded in the Japanese academic circles last Month after the announcement by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, whose survey placed Japan in the 10^th place in Maths skills (a drop from the first place in 2000) and 6^th place in Science skills ( a drop from the second spot).
To counter the drop in standards many parents have started to prefer Indian schools in Japan, as they believed in the Indian way of learning that focused on Maths and Science basics. It was bitter pill, especially when it was the Japanese education that was once praised and popular for their emphasis on learning at an early age.
With tremendous growth in Indian education standards and its technology-aided tools (e.g. www.24x7guru.com) for youngsters, Indian way of learning is here to stay for long time.

Learning is fun

2008-01-01T23:55:00.000-08:00

As the quote goes ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. But what if work was play and hence fun for Jack. We ought to this give this a thought.
I remember during my school days, there were occasions when the entire class was excited about the subject and deeply engrossed in its activities. Those activities included field trips where one found rare genre of flowers, fruits – differentiating then on the color, edibility and region of prevalence. These were rare moment and the class wanted more such activity learning.
Interactive learning gives a child room to understand concepts better. It’s essential that both teachers and parents include this in their child’s learning process and adding the many self-assessment aided tools that have come up. They may include CDs and web portals such as www.24x7guru.com that help children with self-assessment tests and further briefing them on the solutions.
Therefore, interactive classroom aid and regular assessment are most rewarding and should be made the academic backbone of every growth. These methods also help us customize teaching according to each child’s potential.

Kids love challenges - get them involved and see the results

2007-12-27T01:15:00.000-08:00

We have just returned from the impressive movie 'Taare Zameen Par'. It being such a thought provoking movie, that it not just inspired my children to do their best in their field on interest but also gave me a better understanding of how to inspire my children.
We parents generally tend to favor the academically better performing kids and neglect their other sibling. Personally we too had this experience, with my daughter usually getting all the accolades for doing well in her studies. However I should say my 10 year old son is a very creative person and it was only now that we came to know that he also enjoyed challenges. If you tell a kid that he would get an XBOX 360 if he scored above 85% you can be rest assured that he would do whatever it takes to get it. Not just that, he would also ask you for his next possible prize. :))
Recently I learned from his school about a new competition organized by www.24x7guru.com, that sends 10 deserving students to NASA along with a parent and teacher after a testing them on their subjects. This seems to be a very transparent tests, primarily based on 3-10 class syllabus and based entirely on merit. Now not just my son but even I am spending as much time to help him reach the goal of being a part of the team that visited NASA. It seems to be the talking point in his schools and our neighborhood as well.
An added bonus here is that if he was successful in the competition, he's also sure to fare well in his Maths and Science exams. Kudos to such challenges, hope this is just the beginning of kids of perform at their peak.

Give your children the best of opportunities

2007-12-20T05:05:00.000-08:00

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF, FC Barcelona and its foundation Fundacio Futbol Club Barcelona last year had announced a public alliance and kicked off a five year global partnership to extend the work of the club and benefit orphans and vulnerable children in the developing would.

“Barcelona shows us that sports can be a powerful, positive force for children,” Ann M. Veneman, UNICEF’s Executive Director, said, describing the landmark alliance with the Club as a “priceless” donation.

Sports can be a great equalizer and motivating factor for thousand kids. Sports can both teach and ready numerous children. Such initiatives from International organizations and also the corporate community that gives back to the society, go a long way in helping causes.

Children are the future, developing and molding them is the best way for the World to go forward. Children and youngsters must be kept busy and given opportunities to do well.

An initiative which all of us can relate to is a recent ‘Destination NASA 2008’ challenge that encourages children to do well in Maths & Science. 10 winners will have an opportunity to go NASA along with a teacher or parent.

A promising future for Indian school kids

2007-12-19T01:57:00.000-08:00

The other day I was reading an article in Yahoo! that spoke about Indian school children being more global than the British kids. A survey was conducted by the British Council and the researchers interviewed more than 4000 children aged 11-16 in 10 countries. These children were asked a range of questions to ascertain their international outlook, attitude towards languages learning and other international affairs.
India had emerged second closely behind Nigeria and at the bottom of the list was the UK. Most of the children with the exception of US, UK & the Czech Republic believed themselves to be the citizens of the World and then their respective country.
Also another question on the most powerful countries in the next 10 years, India and China were the biggest gainers, with India ranked 7th and China 2nd.
Martin Davidson the chief executive of the British Council said: ‘Our schoolchildren cannot afford to fall behind the rest of the world. For the UK to compete in a global economy, it is vital that we encourage our young people to have an interest in and engagement with the world around them.’
However the department for Children, Schools and Families in the UK said the figures ‘hid a huge range of positive activities’ in British Schools.
All said and done, it’s a fact that we in India owe a lot to the British system of education. With the system as a base we developed ourselves even further with a lot of activity in the last 50 years. Those were the years when many visionaries were born and were also the time India had skyrocketed in the field of education, at times quite literally.
From India’s first man in space to the satellite launches, the nation had put its best minds to work and compete with the best. Initiatives by organizations and sponsorships have also given children the necessary exposure. A recent competition doing the rounds is one by www.24x7guru.com that would send 10 children along with a parent and a teacher. More information can be got in their website.
Concluding should say Indian children have all it takes to reach the top, and it augurs well for the future of this great nation.

Cute Japaneese Kid Singing

2007-12-17T06:12:00.000-08:00

Mathematics - learning Algebra

2007-12-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

My 7^th standard twins have difficulties in Algebra. While they are good at geometry, exponents and number theory, its algebra that bring their scores down.

Having gone through their exam papers, they do not make mistakes in adding and multiplying. However when it comes to sections of factorizations and concept of variables they all get confused.

I believe Teachers and Maths tutors need to stress on fundamentals, as Mathematics can be mastered only if the roots are strong. Also children have to be taught the differences between fractions, whole and real numbers.

As students go to higher classes a major part of their syllabus is going to be on algebra, with Linear equations and Matrices being included.

Well the answer to the issues faced, besides getting the fundamentals one has to also practice a lot. You generally find that the diligent students to have a natural inclination to do well in Algebra.

So parents get as many rough note books for your children, give them regular tests and also ensure that you correct them. This has to be done periodically and as an additional activity besides the regular homework.

In today’s age there are also other ways of getting your children to take Maths practice tests. I read about this article just as many others on an online self-assessment site that tests children between classes 3-10 in Maths and Science.

This is a good initiative, it will not only help children to do well in their school examinations but also the site (www.24x7guru.com) which includes contests such as ‘Destination NASA 2008’ will be highly motivating factor of students to do well.

We are the World; we are also its Children

2007-12-13T04:54:00.000-08:00

Children, Children we are a lot better. Let us put recent incidents of the Gurgaon shootout behind and use our energy to be the best.

Here are my short-term goals -

Learn to communicate effectively in English
Score well in my upcoming tests
Play football for an hour everyday
Take part in Destination NASA challenge*
Read books and watch a movie* in the weekend
Learn something new from the Internet
Plant a seed everyday

* Destination NASA challenge is a contest where we have to take a few online tests based on our Maths and Science school books. 10 winners will go to NASA along with their parent and teacher. This test is based on merit and conducted by www.24x7guru.com

* The movie I plan to watch is ‘Taare Zameen Par’ which talks about pursuing your dreams. Its motto is that every child in this world is special and must be encouraged. Aamir Khan's acting in the movie, which is also produced and directed by him.

Experiences of a parent, teacher and tutor

2007-12-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

I play the roles of a teacher, parent and at times a tutor as well. Multi-tasking is not a child’s play and a lot more hectic in my field of expertize. However I am delighted the fact that I am able to mentor children gives me great pride.

A few things that I have noticed with children (especially talking about those in elementary and high-schools) is that they have so much of energy. They can play an outdoor sport, go for their music classes, do their homework, use the computer and yet have the energy to sulk about the food they are served.

I have realized over time and also a few unsuccessful experiments, that children of today actually like to be quizzed on their interests, most prominent of them are computer games and their other learning skills. Make sure you talk to them about stuff they are interested in or really good at.

My 11 year old son likes gadgets & gizmos and is very ambitious as well. Only last week he was talking about wanting to develop computer games, and late yesterday evening he spoke to me about his interest in spaceships.

We parents sometimes take a casual approach towards our child’s aspirations. I have been guilty of it quite a few times. However, in our defense I’d say most of the kids are fickle and keep changing their mind that more or less depends on peer pressures.

However all said, recent developments in my son has surprised me. These days he shows real interest in Maths, reads snippets on space expeditions and has also asked a lot of questions.

I realized the reasons for the sudden change in his attitude, he is getting ready to go to NASA. Yes, I mean it. He has enrolled in this ‘Destination NASA Challenge’ conducted by an online self-assessment site www.24x7guru.com . It seems to have been the topic of discussion in most schools and children seem to have taken a very keen interest in it.

After this I have immediately decided to check out all details and share it with his other cousins and friends. All our children, rich, not so rich, studious, no so studious, etc. need to be given a chance. The contest has begun and these are multiple-choice questions based on Maths & Science syllabus from classes 3-10.

Concluding I must admit the prospect of going to NASA along with my child excites me as well. Would it not be an amazing experience? So parents and teachers, our tasks additional would include to regularly check for the latest in education and other opportunities.

A special thanks to Aamir khan for promoting child education.

2007-12-11T07:07:00.001-08:00

The long wait of Aamir Khans debut as a director-cum-actor is finally over. He is back with a new film ‘Taare Zameen Par’, in which Aamir himself plays the role of a teacher helps a student who hates studying. Also produced by Aamir Khan, The film is a very sensitive story about childcare and Aamir says that the film is dedicated to all children.

Taare Zameen Par is Aamir Khan’s gift to every child with a powerful message for parents and teachers on their attitude towards the mentally disable children with time, patience and care.

‘’Almost every member of the cast and crew of this film has been a part of ‘Taare Zameen Par’, due to the emotion of having been moved by the script and wanting to be a part of the telling of this very important story. All of us together have made a film that has enhanced our sensitivity towards children and we hope the same for everyone who sees it. ‘’ Says Aamir.

It has been never easy for a children oriented movie to get a big hit in the box office and not all producers will be interested in such script. I wish with all my heart that Taare Zameen Par becomes a big hit in the box office. If it becomes a big hit then many directors will become eager to make more movies on children.

Inspired by the Aamir’s initiative of promoting children education in his film, 24x7guru.com – a leading provider of self assessment test to Class3 to Class10 students in association with Radio Mirchi has announced the launch of ‘Destination NASA Knowledge Challenge’ contest (http://www.24x7guru.com/frmDestinationNASA.aspx).

The contest will hunt for 10 smart kids, who will win a chance to visit NASA, America along with their parent / teacher. The Knowledge Challenge program will be conducted in schools across the nation and will be spread over a period of 2 months starting November 27, 2007 and culminating on February 8, 2008.

Good Luck!

Candid thoughts from a Science teacher

2007-12-11T07:05:00.000-08:00

I grew up from a little child being totally awed by the Television and its transmission. Little did I know in the years to come there would be an equally or even stronger media of learning via the Internet. Learning never ceased in me, even with the years of experience I have in the field of education. I had often sought inspiration in Science and keenly follow latest technological developments.

Being a teacher one has to an independent mind and bring in newer ideas that will keep students thinking. A teacher’s job (I can speak for science teachers) should be to teach students fundamentals through concept learning thereby laying a strong foundation for the student. This can be realistically done when children are able to relate to what they learn.

For example when I was teaching my students on rocket propellants I had to talk to them about the world of space voyages and NASA. Expectedly I had many enthusiastic students and it was one of my most interesting classes, with a record student participation in the discussion. However I should say we hardly covered much syllabus that day and I happened to be quizzed by our proactive Principal on the day’s lessons. He was not impressed when I told him about the long conversations we had and the student participation. Being the principal behind many successful students and national ranks, he had his own agenda for success and wasn’t in a mood to give in to newer ideas. I had also forecasted on how such discussions would inspire children and take them deeper into Science and there were several long-term benefits associated with it. Quite obviously his defense was that a huge chunk of children already loved Science, referring to the many engineering courses and colleges we had in the country.

Now I didn’t feel the need to convince him more and therefore in class keep my conversations limited to the syllabus and once in a while answer a few inquisitive non-subjective queries from students. Students do come up with topics with the potential of deviating from the syllabus but I promptly tell them to keep those discussions for the break or ones to discuss at home. I feel sad for them as now I don’t discuss but only talk to them about good Science programmes on television and other internet sites which they would find useful.

For example, the other day I came across this article from Times of India that spoke about a ‘Destination NASA Challenge 2008’. It’s conducted by an online self-assessment website called www.24x7guru.com where a series of tests are conducted across the country. The challenge is for students from classes 3 to 10 (based on their existing CBSE or ICSE boards) and 10 lucky students get to visit NASA along with a teacher and parent. This challenge has sure caught up with me and my students. There days we quietly discuss in breaks and post-classes on the preparations for the challenge.

I should say such initiatives are motivation for all - parents, teachers and students most importantly to perform. Honestly speaking nothing else will give our Principal, Management or me more joy that having our students to visit NASA.

Interesting NASA picture

2007-12-07T05:09:00.000-08:00

ORBIT NEW ESA: CYDONIA

Courtesy: cyberspaceorbit.com

Popular NASA websites for children

2007-12-07T04:47:00.000-08:00

An interactive website NASA Kids' Club
Online Learning centre for young astronomers StarChild
Children's Museum NASA & Space science exhibits museum4kids
Fun facts about Earth, Space & technology The Space Place
Education Multimedia Adventure for Children Adventures of Amelie Pigeon project
And now there is Destination NASA Challenge 2008 by 24x7guru

Education service through Television

2007-12-07T04:29:00.000-08:00

Tata Sky along with 24x7guru.com has started an educational service on the DTH platform, adding another value add service to their earlier 'Active Wizkids'. As not all households have access to computers and Internet, this collaboration will help 24x7guru penetrate a larger mass thereby making learning interactive to more number of children.

With the same format as on the website www.24x7guru.com, children can have access to 50 new questions with answers each day on their Tata Sky television set. Children can go through the question set and assess their knowledge by comparing with the answer sheet. 24x7guru occupied with the Destination NASA Challenge 2008 will also provide the content for Tata Sky education service.

Online assessment tests for school children

2007-12-06T05:55:00.000-08:00

Online assessment service that students between classes 3 and 10 can subscribe, to assess their strengths and weaknesses in Mathematics and Science.

Test to be the Best using 24x7guru.com and Destination NASA is yours.

Aamir khan at Destination NASA Challenge 2008 launch

2007-12-06T05:49:00.000-08:00

Test to be the Best

2007-12-06T04:27:00.000-08:00

Strong on Fundamentals, understanding concepts and tackling problems with confidence will make you skilled. It’s often said that skilled sailors aren’t made in smooth seas but skilled sailors always use the best.
Test to be the Best and we talk about www.24x7guru.com

Students from class 3 to class 10 can now measure their true depth of knowledge, beyond memorized exercises by testing themselves in self-assessment tests.

The benefits include:

Taking a test anytime, anywhere, at your own pace within a broad timeline
Getting the flexibility to pause a test and complete it later
Have instant results with complete solutions and feedback on performance with test scores being graphically represented.
Trace performance over a period of time to give detailed analysis of growth in a subject.
Remember these tests already taken by 2 million students offline.

And the winner is YOU. Here's what to expect –

· A visit to NASA along with a parent and teacher.
· Winners also get to meet popular actor Aamir Khan
· Desktop PC (20)
· iPod Nano (30)
· Digital Camera (30)
· G-Shock Watches (40)

Taare Zameen Par - Every child is special

2007-12-06T02:10:00.000-08:00

Taare Zameer Par is a story of an eight year-old who lives in a creative world filled with wonders. His interests include colors, kites, fishes, dogs, etc. things that most aren't able to appreciate in him. It's a journey where Ishaan (the eight year old) doesn't get anything in class, sent to a boarding school to get disciplined and there he meets his teacher Ram Shankar, the guru who transforms lives.

24x7guru.com and its Destination NASA Challenge 2008 is similarly going to transform especially by bringing learning Maths and Science into vogue among Children.

24x7guru and Radio Mirchi, Supported by Aamir's "Taare Zameen Par" are all set to inspire the next Generation of explorers through Destination NASA.

Tips to ease your child's home work

2007-12-05T07:37:00.001-08:00

Let's reduce the burden of homework and give Children time for interactive learning & other knowledge building exercises.
1. Set a regular homework time. This may need to be somewhat flexible to cope with outside activities, but should be as regular as possible. This time should be free from television and other distractions.
2. Back up rewards. This is especially important if homework has been a problem. Successful completion gets a rewards; working too slowly or refusing to finish means the loss of a privilege.
3. Know how often to give rewards. Especially as your homework routine gets established, rewards should not need to be given daily. You can have your child work all week toward a reward on the weekend, for example.
4. Follow through. It doesn’t matter how your child resists a new routine, you need to keep it up. Children know when they can talk their way out of something. If you can stick to the new routine, they will adopt it. A few days of battles over homework, even if the battles are severe, are better than month after month of battles over homework.
5. Be there for your child. Kids often have questions about their homework. While you want them to understand how to do the work, you can help them understand what the question is really asking or show them how to follow the examples to answer a problem. Doing all the work or even most of it limits how much your child is really learning.
Courtesy: http://www.indiantopschools.org

24x7guru common FAQs

2007-12-05T06:09:00.000-08:00

1. Tell me more on 24X7guru.com?
2. What are the Minimum System Requirements necessary for running 24x7guru.com?
3. What are the subjects on which these test packs are available?
4. Please brief us in detail about the benefits of 24X7guru.com.
5. Do I have to attend any lectures?
6. Do you offer the subscriber any kind of certificate?
7. How many tests are available per chapter, per subject?
8. Can you tell me about the off line application of 24X7guru.com?
9. How does this application work?
10.What are the advantages of the offline application?
11.What is synchronization?
12.How do I change my password?
13.I forgot my password, what do I do?
14.Can you tell me about the pricing structure of 24X7guru.com test packages?
15.Can I cancel the subscription?
16.How does my account get activated after I have made the payment?
17.Whom do I contact in case I have any trouble with payment and activation of my 24X7guru.com account?
18.Whom do I contact in case I encounter any technical difficulties navigating through the website?
19.Whom do I contact in case I have a content related query?

Click here for the answers.

Feedback on online tests received

2007-12-05T05:54:00.000-08:00

One of the main contributions that IT has brought into Education is the Online tests. These tests have students to a great extent by providing course ware, practice tests and well as student backs. All this making the ultimate aim of doing well in tests.
Among the many features, ones such as competitive adaptiveness to competency of the student is intuitive and help in understanding the level of study. Another aspect of online tests is its powerful reporting, instant test results with strength & weaknesses and improvement tips all add to the challenge.
Following up with the posts on the 'Destination NASA', the www.24x7guru.com website is one such concept of an Online self-assessment tests for Maths & Science.

Aamir Khan launches Destination NASA challenge

2007-12-04T08:27:00.001-08:00

Check this space for more...

Launch of interactive self-assessment tool of 24x7guru.com on Television in partnership with Tata Sky

2007-12-04T07:21:00.000-08:00

Coming back to the story making headlines 'Destination NASA challenge 2008', here's a recent news clip that I had read in the Times of India. As Sekhar Gupta of the Indian Express once said, the future is what the Times group believes and does. Quoting from the Times:
"Forty-six year old Hyderabadi, Sanjeev Gupta, director Learnsmart

India

, announced a tie-up with Tata Sky to reach out to millions of students through the web with a self-assessment teaching -learning tool. 24/7 guru.com, the leading provider of this programme made the announcement in Hyderabad on Friday at the Taj Deccan.

Conceived as a quiz based service, the programme covers math, science, and general knowledge for students between classes 3 and 10 of CBSE and ICSE syllabi, giving them the opportunity to identify their strengths and areas of improvement through scientifically designed assessment tests. On subscribing, 50 questions are made available to the learner followed by instant feedback on scores as well as diagnostic reports giving adequate explanation. The students are given a fair understanding of where they have gone wrong and what needs to be corrected. So, what's new for the learner in this package? Sanjeev Gupta says, “The special feature of the package is that we are introducing the litmus test, a diagnostic and testing tool which assesses the student's ability. There has been no testing tool so far." Very importantly, he says,"This tool emphasises conceptual understanding and retention and not role learning where the emphasis is on memorising information which is easily forgotten.” He adds, “So far teaching has been in a physical form through tuition, tutorial, or parental guidance, but now we've made it available on the web so we have a larger customer base.” Tata Sky will beam the programme everyday. The content for the programme will be provided by 24/7 guru.com and Tata Sky will give them the market penetration reaching out to 1.2 million homes immediately and to 1.5 million by December through Direct to Home (DTH). “So it is a win-win situation not only for both of us and also for the students," adds Gupta on a note of conclusion."

Kalpana Chawla - A tribute

2007-12-04T07:02:00.000-08:00

When talking about the Indian heritage astronauts who have made us proud, none of us can forget Indian's first woman astronaut in space 'Kalpana Chawla'.
Kalpana Chawla (7 March 1962 - 1 February 2003) was one of the seven members who died in the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster.

Unlike Ms. Williams, Kalpana did her schooling and her under graduate studies in India. Ms. Chawla did her graduate studies at the University of Texas, Arlington and a decade later joined NASA in 1995. In 1998 she was selected for her first space mission. During her first space mission she traveled over 10.4 million miles in 252 orbits of the earth, logging more than 360 hours in space.

Kalpana Chawla always held high regard for teachers, so much so that she carried a white silk banner as part of a world wide campaign to honor teachers. Kalpana Chawla has inspired several young Indians aspiring to be astronauts. Her activities included funding and supporting the economically backward (yet intellectually brilliant) children and help them realize their dreams was appreciated by many.

To conclude, here's what her brother, Sanjay Chawla, remarked "To me, my sister is not dead. She is immortal. Isn't that what a star is? She is a permanent star in the sky. She will always be up there where she belongs."
Lets all now look upon the stars and achieve the 'I M Possible'.

NASA astronaut's record breaking feats

2007-12-04T06:43:00.000-08:00

We had spoken about Sunita Williams's visit to India but its worth mentioning her record breaking feat as well.

She holds 3 distinct records for female space travelers, they include:
longest space flight - 195 days
number of spacewalks - four
total time spend on spacewalks - 29 hours 17 minutes

During her space odyssey some her possessions that made news included some samosas, the Bhagavad Geeta and a small Ganesha idol.

On April 16 this year Ms. Williams took part in the Boston Marathon from space and she completed it in 4 hours and 24 hours.
She became the first astronaut to run a marathon in orbit.

Here's fodder for some more discussion on the NASA astronaut.

NASA scientist Sunita Willams India visit

2007-12-04T05:37:00.000-08:00

Talking about Indian children going to NASA, turn the tables and we are remember of NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams's recent trip to India (her ancestral home).

My friends weren't pleased with the hype and coverage being given to Ms. Williams during her India trip. It probably spurred from the fact that Ms Williams is an American citizen and a patriot.
However lets get things straight and consider the positives her influence and the media coverage has had. It has benefited so many people, those spread across regions and communities. For them her nationality and loyalty all seem so negligible considering what they can learn from her. Her visit goes beyond the interest in her recent space odyssey, it was also advice that she gave as sound bites that made news.

Every sentence uttered by her made sense, and though not all of it were rocket science, it always felt good to be hear her views.
She spoke often about how beautiful planet Earth was from space and how it was the responsibility of every individual to ensure it remained that way.

However there was one word of advice that seemed so relevant to today's aspirants. It was the one given to the Space Science PG students whom she had interacted with.
She said "One may or may not get an opportunity to become an astronaut. But the important thing is to strive and shine in one's chosen discipline of study."

Kids today don't need words as much motivation as they need inspiration, kudos to Sunita Williams for playing her part in both.

Destination NASA

2007-12-01T02:16:00.000-08:00

Dear Mathew,
Nice to hear from you, even more as I am early into Blogging activities.
Thanks for the information, I had just enough time to go through the site and know more on its NASA Knowledge Challenge 2008.
A minor correction, the 135 participants mentioned in your message will be selected for the final round of tests and 10 of these children will be adjudicated as National Winners. They will be eligible for a trip to the NASA facilities in USA. Each winning student can be accompanied by a parent and a school representative, all this at the expense of 24x7Guru.
The other 120 students will receive exciting prizes as below:
Desktop PC (20)
iPod Nano (30)
Digital Camera (30)
G-Shock Watches (40)

Now for the information of other Parents and Teachers here is more on the contest:

Destination NASA Knowledge Challenge 2008 is a nationwide knowledge assessment program that will discover meritorious students based on set of multiple choice tests. The Knowledge Challenge program will be conducted in schools across the nation and will be spread over a period of 2 months starting November 27, 2007 and culminating on February 8, 2008.

A few questions you may ask:

Who are eligible for the tests and prizes?
Children from classes 6-10 and have subscribed to 24x7guru.com are eligible. Those who haven't subscribed to 24x7guru.com or Destination NASA are also eligible for prizes provided they register for free.

What would the tests be on?
Ideally your Children wouldn't need any additional brushing up, as the syllabus would be based on their respective class syllabus but still I'd suggest children read more and also take some practice tests to have an edge over today's competition.

Other contest details and test information can be gathered at the following URL http://www.24x7guru.com/frmDestinationNASA.aspx

Friends, Let me know your thoughts.

As a parent, here are my views

2007-12-01T02:12:00.000-08:00

I thought of sharing this interesting story of how I noticed a dramatic change in my son’s attitude towards academics, especially the maths and science subjcects. My son Mohit is so fascinated by aeroplanes, that he says that he wants to fly planes when he grows up. But at the same time I had no clue on how he would be able to pursue his dream, as his performance in Maths and Science subjects were very poor. All my efforts to get the concepts into his head were in vain. He was interested in studies and spent most of his time on his favorite video game.
I heard of this website 24x7guru.com from one of my friends and thought of giving a try. I subscribed to the package. I never knew that Mohit would be interested. But now I see that he spends more time on 24x7guru and within six weeks he has got all the concepts clear. Instead of playing his favorite game on the pc he is now addicted to assessing how he had bettered his performed on these subjects daily. Now I have enrolled him for the NASA Knowledge Challenge 2008 conducted by 24x7guru.com. I am eager to see him in the top 135 who would be visiting NASA.
Mathew

Dr. Kalam - Scienitst, Statesman & an inspiration

2007-12-01T01:30:00.000-08:00

Over the last few years, I must say Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam (Ex-President, India) has made a big impression on not just our youth but also our humongous teenage population. For a nation, whose last children lover & hero was Jawaharlal Nehru , it was refreshing to have someone in today's times that so many children admire.
Dr. APJ a scientist as a recent President of India, is now devoting more time to Nation-building and knowledge sharing. His website includes Vision 2020 missions, messages to the Youth as well as an EPaper. His message for all of us is 'Knowledge is the most powerful resource for the Nation building.'
You can find more on the website www.abdulkalam.com
For now let's just say 'Salaam Kalam'

Parents, Teachers and wellwishers - here is the reason

2007-12-01T00:58:00.000-08:00

During my times education and the entire learning process were simple. You needed to write what Exam paper asked, and yes marks for were deducted for anything out of sync with the book's content. The child's performance was evaluated based on how much he/she remembered. As a Teacher you had the role of imparting the right kind of education pertaining to their prescriber syllabus and as a parent it was simpler to get the children to learn from their notes.
Today there may not be a sea-change in the way our children are learning but imparting education has become broader and more technology savvy. Its cited that most of the children today learn not just from their school & friends but also learn a lot from the Internet & Television.
Now this might scare most of us, considering it was always felt the internet as well as television has a lot of explicit content not good for the child. But fear not, these medias are a lot more useful and if used optimally can give your children an edge in their learning.
Parents, Teachers and Well-wishers, it's time we join hands and learn the latest & the best ways of imparting education to our Children. Schools needn't worry as an the age-old concept has worked in past and will always be the biggest contribution to the knowledge industry.
This Blog is the baby of such a dream and will try help us (Parents, Teachers and well-wishers) share such information on education.