Tag: <span>Schools</span>

01 Jun

How to Participate in Mathematics Competitions in Primary Schools
Posted in Education by anshbookstore on June 1, 2023 @ 8:38 am

Introduction
Taking part in a mathematics competition allows students to sharpen their problem solving skills and serves to generate interest for mathematics amongst them. Annually,there are various mathematics olympiads which primary school students can participate in and some of the more prominient ones are listed in this article.

The Asia Pacific Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools 2009 (APMOPS 2009) is organised annually in April -May by the Hwa Chong Institution-Aphelion Consortium. There are two rounds to this mathematics competition for 6th graders.

The first round of the competition is usually held in April and is conducted across the different centres across the Asia-Pacific region. The contest held in Singapore is commonly known as Singapore Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools (SMOPS).

Awards for SMOPS
Students compete for the following awards in the SMOPS.

1) Top 10 individual prizes, awarded to the top 10 scorers.
2) 3 Honourable Mention Team Awards and 5 Honourable Mention Individual Awards.
3) Top 3 school awards, given to the three schools with the highest combined score of its top three students.

In addition, students who are ranked amongst the top 10% or top two hundred participants(whichever is lower) will be invited to write the second round of the contest known as the Asia-Pacific Mathematical Olympiad (APMOPS) 2009. This year’s contest was held on a Saturday, 30 May 09.

APMOPS 2009
During APMOPS, students get the opportunity to interact with other mathematically talented students from the various countries. They also compete for the forty individual prizes which will be given out on afternoon of 30 May 09.

Format of the APMOPS Contest
The APMOPS contest challenges students to complete six questions within two hours.
No mathematical tables or calculators are allowed for the contest. Students have to show all the workings for each question. Each question carries 10 marks and the total score is 60 marks.

National Mathematical Olympiad of Singapore (NMOS)
The NMOS is a competition organised by the NUS High School of Mathematics and Science. This competition is designed to spur interest amongst students for mathematics. This competition is usually held in the months of July-August and welcomes students in Primary 5 and below to participate to challenge their mettle with other mathletes. Various awards are given to students who managed to achieve quality scores in competition. Usually the registration begins in May of every year.

American Mathematics Contest 8(AMC 8)
The American Mathematics Contest 8 is the first of a series of mathematics competitions organised by the Mathematical Association of America and is administered by Maths Oasis Pte Ltd in Singapore. This International competition welcomes students who are interested in mathematics and enrolled in grades 8 or Secondary 2 and below to participate.

Students get to challenge themselves with mathematics that is beyond what they usually encounter in school and they can experience a wide spectrum of topics available in Middle School Mathematics. The multiple-choice format of this competition makes it attemptable by many students. Students need to complete 25 questions within a forty-minute period and there is no penalty for wrong answers.

Annually, more than a hundred thousand students participate in the AMC 8 contest.High scoring students in this contest can look forward to challenge themselves in higher levels contest such as the AMC 10. AMC 12 or American Invitationa lMathematics Examiniations. These are the various mathematics competitions and olympiads students in Singapore can participate in annually from the primary school levels onwards.



Source by Penny Chow

25 Feb

Catch ‘Em Young: Should Entrepreneurship Be Taught in Schools?
Posted in Education by anshbookstore on February 25, 2023 @ 6:42 am

Just a few days ago I was reading a column by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas Friedman in which he stresses upon the need to get millions of American kids, not just the bright ones, excited about innovation and entrepreneurship again. This in order to prepare a million new businesses that won’t simply give brief roadway occupations, but steady jobs that keep America on the cutting edge. To accomplish that, Friedman further made a suggestion – ensure every American kid knows about National Lab Day, get the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship to every middle and high school teacher and bring every classroom to view the documentary movie “Ten9Eight”.

Though a little dated (first published in NY Times in 2010), it found resonance (most parts of it) with me especially in these times of the much talked about demographic dividend, creating more jobs and the craze for startups in India. Friedman clearly was alluding to getting younger people in school, into the fold of entrepreneurship and being “innovation ready” – meaning that along with their mortarboards, they receive the critical-thinking, co-creation and multi-tasking abilities and collaboration skills that will help them invent their own careers and in turn create more jobs.

Friedman’s viewpoint provides cues to deal with India’s current manpower story. By 2020, about 60% of India’s population of 1.3 bn will be in the working age group of 15-59 years. It is estimated that by 2025, India will have 25% of the world’s total workforce.

India it seems, can also do well to engage with teaching entrepreneurship in schools, in order to build bridges between the young minds of today and job seekers of tomorrow. Various surveys have highlighted the need of teaching entrepreneurship from school level in order to create a competitive workforce which is beyond grades.

Experts argue that unless we introduce entrepreneurship as a school subject – like math, science history or geography – most young minds would remain unmindful of an undeniable fact for long, that jobs are best created, not consumed. According to Steve Mariotti, if entrepreneurship education can create jobs, encourage students to stay in school, and provide economic rescue for people in low-income communities, why aren’t we teaching it in every school.

Many are of the perspective that entrepreneurship learning- how to identify opportunities, how to work around issues, how to encourage innovation, how to overcome barriers, how to form winning teams, how to place risk in context, how to balance a mix of innovation and tradition, how to develop social, emotional and vocational skills- is best taught in the formative years of education. Some of the leading experts are also of the view that teaching entrepreneurship from a school level can be the long haul blue print for the most ambitious Make in India campaign.

Meanwhile, the government too has been quick to realize that entrepreneurship is one of the answers to sustained economic growth and job creation.. Efforts are being made to introduce entrepreneurship at the high school level, by offering it as an optional vocational subject in classes XI and XII by the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE). Some schools in India have already taken the step forward in integrating entrepreneurial and life skills development into formal school curriculum at the elementary level.

However, the path to taking entrepreneurship to schools is paved with unique challenges. Given the barriers of the Indian education system it is important to address concerns like curriculum design, trained teachers, should it be optional or mandatory, should it be in-house or outsourced among others.

Whether entrepreneurship should be taught in schools may remain a moot point for a while but unless we develop a comprehensive ecosystem and an entrepreneurial mindset starting from school all the way up to the industry, we may remain a country of job seekers. Watching “Ten9Eight” meanwhile may not be a bad idea after all.



Source by Atul Raja

21 Nov

Types of Special Education Schools and Classrooms
Posted in Education by anshbookstore on November 21, 2022 @ 5:50 am

There are a variety of special education schools and programs in both a private and public settings. Since every child has unique requirements, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. With proper planning and support, your child’s education can be a positive and successful experience.

Full Inclusion Classrooms

In this type of setting, a special needs child will learn right alongside other children that do not have a learning disability. The child is not singled out as being different, since none of the other students know about his or her special needs. There is usually a special education teacher present in the classroom right alongside the regular teacher. The teachers will share tasks and instruction – helping all students.

Inclusion classrooms allow each student to learn at their own level and pace. Even children who don’t qualify for special services, but are struggling to keep up, will benefit from this type of classroom. Although this type of learning works well for most children, some will have trouble dealing with the stimuli of a regular classroom full of students.

Self-Contained Classrooms

Self-contained classrooms are separated so that a special needs child can receive more one-on-one instruction. These types of classrooms usually group together a small number of children with similar learning needs. Depending on the size of the school, the ages and levels of the children within the class can vary.

Most education experts feel that spending time with peers is an important part of learning. Because of this, some special-needs children enrolled in self-contained classrooms will share equal time in a regular classroom each day. Depending on the child, a Paraeducator may accompany him or her while in the regular classroom.

Children who need one-on-one help in order to keep up with grade-level work, but do not need the structure of a self-contained classroom, may benefit from a resource room placement.

Out-of-District Placement

In cases where a special-needs child requires a higher degree of classroom structure and instruction, an out-of-district placement may be the best option. These types of classrooms can be in residential, private, or public special education schools. In order to participate with funding from the State Board of Education, the family must go through an application process first.

Private Special Education Schools

Private specialized day programs and residential programs are generally for children who are not succeeding in any of the other types of special education classrooms. Although, sometimes education services in the private sector will also serve infants, toddlers, or even adults.

Before choosing a private school program for your special needs child, you should visit and spend time there. This will allow you to get a genuine, first-hand feel for the school in order to decide if the atmosphere, activities, courses, opportunities, and provisions will meet your child’s needs.

Other things that you may want to consider are staffing, facilities, healthcare services, visitation policies, meals, and how well supervision is handled.

Your special needs child deserves the best education available to him or her. Don’t forget to ask for your child’s input during your research and planning process. Once placement into one of the special education schools has been made, continue to monitor and be involved in your child’s education and care. And remember, you can always make changes if something is not working out.



Source by Andrew Stratton

25 Oct

Parivartan Education Services – Education Facilitation Online Services For Schools
Posted in Education by anshbookstore on October 25, 2022 @ 4:20 am

Inside School

Today school education sector is primarily motivated by performance and the intense competition. Categorically speaking, the two important levers of performance displayed in the diagram are performance and feedback into the cycle.

Though not clearly visible, Indian education system is prone to the following gaps:
o Limited feedback of performance
o Lack of awareness of varied aspects of education
o Absence of competitive environment due to small peer size
The primary opportunity for a caring parent to know about his ward is ‘Parent – Teacher Meeting’. Except such meetings, limited platforms exist where the parent can be abreast of regular information about the education of his ward.

Gone are the days when the child used to grow in the cozy and safe environment created by the localized and limited awareness of parents and school faculty. Today, the child is highly exposed to the stiff competition very early in life. If the exposure to the competition is sudden, then it leaves the student confused and clueless about the way out of this situation.

The most important component of any performance appraisal is the peer size and the kind of peer group. Constraining one self to a small group in school adds to the limited growth of the child. Consequently, when the scope of competition suddenly increases during the board exams, the student finds himself out of place. In view of the mentioned concerns, we bring on table a host of services which converge on a single platform to facilitate the efforts of the student for his preparedness for the forthcoming challenges in the competitive environment by plugging the existing gaps in the existing educational framework.

With inputs from the school, we wish to enter into the GeNext of Learning, which will provide an opportunity of global assessment, best-in-class mentoring of the student and the best possible core learning services. Our introductory services of ‘Inside School’ to bridge the existing gaps in the education system are with the help of our three premier services – dWand, Waig and samaWesh.

dWand

What it is?
The milestones of Class X and Class XII Board examination marks hold extreme value in our life. In the ever increasing cut throat competition, any lack of awareness of the competition takes you out of competition.

Need for Parivartan

As mentioned earlier, today a student is assessed on the basis of his performance with regard to the peer group in his school alone. In spite of the true competition being among a widespread national student community, the scope of such benchmarking is near to nil. So, dWand brings the Parivartan by grading the student against students of many other premier schools in the same class. The portal provides full flexibility to the student/ parent to decide the parameters of comparison with respect to school, geography, subject etc.

With a comprehensive set of statistical tools complemented by historic data from the school, we promise to answer all of your questions to provide a judicious and correct method of evaluation.

Waig

What it is?
Caring for one’s beloved kid was never so easy! Waig, the new generation solution puts an end to the distance between you and your child when he/she is at the school. Waig will mark the end of era which had written communication as the only mean of communication.

Need for Parivartan

Because of different existing constraints there are limited opportunities of interaction of parents with the school in regard to the feedback of their ward. The existing feedback reporting is unable to bring the desired result because of the large time gap between the occurrences of activity and reporting. Waig brings the Parivartan of online tracking of all the school activities. With the real time information flow, the update of school activities becomes instantaneous and error free.

With the help of indigenously developed software, schools will have the access of data entry on a PDA/ Computer in the classroom, which translates into summarized SMS everyday for the important messages.

samaWesh

What is it?
We are living in a world where integration of various points is not just a need, but a necessity. Same theory has found wide acceptance in schools too. Samawesh brings to you integration of various learning opportunities at a single place – school. Defying the traditional constraints of schools to provide the curriculum education by the teachers of the school, Samawesh promises to bring learning services of various kinds which would include focused sessions/workshops for specific courses which are normally not covered in school curriculum.

This helps in creating more awareness for the child about the developments in other schools. Also, this would help the school to know about the functioning of the other good schools. It will lead of replication of best practices for learning followed in other schools.

Such integration of services learning opportunities under a single umbrella will create a unique positioning of the school, and attract the best of talent.

Need for Parivartan

Presently the single source of knowledge and information is the school teacher alone; thereby limiting the all round development of the student to a small group. samaWesh brings the Parivartan of sessions and workshops by best faculty from different parts of the nation in your school. Also, it introduces better knowledge exchange of the present faculty with a more experienced faculty.



Source by Ahaskar Kumar Pandey

10 Mar

Should the Teaching of Mathematics in Secondary Schools Be Resource Based?
Posted in Education by anshbookstore on March 10, 2022 @ 10:19 pm

Traditionally, the teaching of Mathematics in secondary schools rarely included the use of resources other than a text book. This was “satisfactory” because most of the student body was academically included. In today’s jargon, using Gardener’s learning styles; they were most likely maths-logic learners.

The prevailing pedagogue was “Chalk and Talk”. In simple terms it was lecture style approach followed by lots of worked exercises from simple to harder (more complex) examples. There was little or no attempt to teach problem solving skills needed to solve unfamiliar problems.

With the introduction of all students into secondary education in the mid twentieth century, the steady raising of the school leaving age and the expectation of parents that their offspring get the opportunity to seek university qualifications mathematics teachers had to work with students who could not learn just with the “Chalk and Talk” approach. Many able learners found that Mathematics seemed to have no real life meaning to them and they sought, when allowed, to leave their Mathematics classes for other subjects.

The “Chalk and Talk” approach did not help the slow learner to absorb the Mathematics that they needed to survive as a citizen in modern society. Behaviour problems abounded in Mathematics classrooms.

It became obvious to teachers and administrators and syllabus writers that vast changes needed to be made in the teaching of Mathematics. In Australia, corporations were crying out for problem solvers. They found Mathematics graduates were not. This prompted syllabus writers to look at the teaching approaches that would not only lead students to become real problem solvers but pedagogue that would enhance the learning of those who were not maths-logic learners. This also meant that assessment procedures should reflect the ways in which particular topics were taught.

Added to all of this was the advent of the calculator, (four operations, scientific and graphics calculators) which meant that much more in the way of real life problems could be incorporated in a mathematics lesson. The computer added further to this. At the same time, the time allocated to the teaching of Mathematics was being reduced particularly in secondary schools with other subject disciplines gaining that time.

The technology revolution meant there were topics in the Mathematics syllabus that were redundant and thus removed. The field of Mathematics had expanded. The study of probability and statistics had expanded dramatically and was widely used in the community. Consequently, many new topics were added to the syllabus to reflect modern developments in Mathematics and its use in the community.

Many of these new topics were not conducive to “Chalk and Talk”. Some required a hands-on approach; others needed the use of multi-media; and still other required the use of technology. Internet became a valuable resource for real life problems. Technology often allowed the teacher to work at greater depth in less time with their students.

Some of these resources could be used successfully in non-traditional assessment items. These assessment techniques often allowed the non-maths-logic thinkers to gain greater success.

More importantly, more students were beginning to become more interested and more successful in Mathematics. Teachers began to see less behaviour problems in their classrooms and greater on task work by students.

Thus it became obvious to educators in Mathematics that the pedagogue required to teach Mathematics to all students in secondary schools required Mathematics department to create their own set of physical resources to create the best possible learning experiences for their students. So the answer to the title of the article “Should the Teaching of Mathematics in Secondary Schools be Resource Based?” must be an emphatic “YES”.



Source by Richard D Boyce

03 Jan

Grading System in Indian Schools
Posted in Education by anshbookstore on January 3, 2022 @ 8:33 pm

The Indian education system has taken a step forward towards reviving the education system with the introduction of grading system in session 2009-10. It will help in reducing the pressure on students during exams. In the last five years the meaning of education has changed for students from imbibing knowledge to merely scoring marks, resulting in myriad forms of education policies.

As per reports, every day more than 17 students aged between 15-25 years commit suicide in India due to non-performance in the examination or an entrance test. Watching young children of the country succumbing to the undue pressure of scoring high marks is horrifying. One of the points to note here is the thinking of the society, which puts lot of pressure on students to ‘to perform’.

This pressure from schools, parents, peer groups and society takes away the youthfulness of a child. Further, a health report also supports that this often causes health hazard such as fatigue, body aches, eye weakness, stress and in more severe cases, depression (neurotic/psychotic.) Looking at today’s education scenario, the Central Board of Senior Education has introduced educational counselors and child psychologists in schools to boost the confidence of young students and mentally prepare them for the board examination. This method has helped in reducing the stress and making them comfortable with the examination.

Understanding the board exam system in India and its relation with students is of great importance in present times. While coping with the expectations of school, parents and society and keeping pace with their talent, students face a lot of hardships. Thus, the implementation of a grading system and abolition of board exams is really a boon for students.

Adoption of grading system in India, the grading system was introduced in 2008-09 from class I-VIII, reducing the exam stress. Extending the concept to class IX and X has further reduced the pressure, giving students an opportunity to explore other avenues. Following the US model, the implementation of the grading system is to bring in more practical education than the current theoretical method. This model prescribes a varied range of opportunities, providing children of all levels a platform to showcase their talent and pursue their interests traditionally; class XI students were given subjects as per marks scored in Class X. This system often disappointed students if they scored low. Moreover, if a student didn’t get the required percentage due to poor scoring in one subject, then the entire percentage gets affected. The grading system will give students relief. It will provide ample opportunities to students to excel in their choice filed.

Its implementation will help an average student to cope with the stress though leaving a lot of toppers to question it. Students will be evaluated on a 9-point grading system, which will diminish the difference between a student scoring 99% and one scoring 91%. Both students will get the A+ grade. To make the grading system a success, parents and teachers need to acknowledge children’s special assets and encourage them pursue their interest.

The grading system by HRD minister – Kapil Sibal has brought in a new wave of transformation in the Indian education system. He put India up on the ladder of the global education system. The HRD minister commenting on the system said that it would provide a standardization of excellence at the school level.



Source by Amanpreet Singh

25 Jul

How Principals Should Manage Stress in Schools
Posted in Education by anshbookstore on July 25, 2021 @ 7:15 pm

Picture this. Your district supervisor walks through the door ten minutes before classes are to begin for the day, requesting an on-the-spot inspection tour to see how you manage stress in school. You rise from your desk and lead the way confidently.

Stepping out of the office, you see halls flowing smoothly with students. You hear amiable voices on the air, and feel a comfortable peace. Despite the smile tugging forcibly at the corners of your mouth, you maintain dignity as you lead the supervisor down the hall. At each room, you pause, open the door, and present a serene atmosphere. You don’t even hesitate at the bathrooms, certain that not one of the five senses will be offended.

You’re in a dream, right?

No, it is reality – the kind of reality I learned to create when I myself had the privilege of serving as a principal, and managing stress in school.

Breakthrough Ways to Manage Stress in Schools

Principals should manage stress in schools, but how can they? With drugs, weapons, and a host of more common stressors, how can you be expected to manage stress in schools? How can you even master every technique to manage stress in schools?

Let’s look at some breakthrough ideas that will get you started. For the sake of global readership, I will purposefully use simple English.

1. Courage of Convictions

Top principals have the courage of their convictions. They believe firmly that a principal should manage stress in schools. They exercise the courage of that conviction.

Make it a priority to manage stress in school. Set a goal as to when and how stress in school will be controlled. Let nothing and no one deter you from meeting that goal.

2. Be Proactive

Thinking principals are proactive about learning to manage stress in schools. They don’t wait until stressors create mass anxiety. They expect to manage stress, and set out to do so.

Take action to manage stress before it is born or in infancy. Look for ways to avoid stress. Meet it head on. Enlist school personnel and students in proactive efforts.

3. Manage Your Example

Successful principals manage personal stress, and expect to control stress in schools. The best way to help students and school personnel control stress is by practicing stress management techniques yourself.

Get control over your schedule and workload. Force yourself to take a 5-minute break every hour to stretch and breath deeply. Maintain a tidy office with peaceful pictures and soft, peaceful music.

4. Manage Your Atmosphere

Capable principals recognize the importance of a positive atmosphere in managing stress in schools. They know noise and confusion are stressors that need to be controlled.

Reduce noise in hallways and bathrooms by piping peaceful classical music over your public address system. One school that introduced classical music to a building full of rough, rowdy students cut noise dramatically, and brought tangible peace to the daily atmosphere. Use positive words and phrases on signs, serene wall hangings to manage stress in school.

5. Manage Safety

Wise principals recognize that one way to manage stress in schools is to provide security and safety. They seek to address all areas, including, but not limited to bullying, hazing, drinking, terrorism, violence, drugs, and playground or campus safety.

Assess your school’s security needs. Ask students to anonymously list safety issues that concern them. Ask parents for their perspective. Have an independent consultant assess your school. Then take action to control safety in and outside the school. Reducing safety issues is a great way to manage stress in schools.

6. Clarify Expectations

Distinguished principals, like great corporate CEOs, clarify expectations for students, teachers, and other school personnel. They provide written job descriptions in addition to regulations, knowing that when everyone knows what to do, it helps manage stress in schools.

Students, especially, are likely to respond positively to written job descriptions, rules, and schedules. Draw a parallel to the work world, and point out that your school is a workplace for all concerned. When everyone does what it expected, according to their job descriptions, things move smoothly and you manage stress in schools.

7. Concede Control

Clever principles know that a vital human desire is control. A lack of control is a stressor. The more control you can concede to students and school personnel, within reason, the more able you will be to manage stress in schools.

Concede a measure of control in matters such as discipline. Let students choose between staying after school, tutoring a younger student, or reading to very young students. Concede a measure of control in academic goals. Students who set their own goals with guidance will work with less stress than those on whom goals are forced.

8. Make Neon Boundaries

As expert principals, you know that boundaries are vital. Much as students may feign annoyance, they are more peaceful with boundaries. These need not be fences or walls, but make behavioral limits shine as brightly as though they were tangible, high walls painted in neon.

Bravely put in place inescapable limits on unwanted behavior. Practice zero-tolerance with a loving manner – tough love. Students and teachers who have clear boundaries, and remain within them, have less stress. It takes a firm hand to erect those boundaries, but they will prove indispensable in your efforts to manage stress in school.

The eighth point is perhaps the most powerful tool in your effort to manage stress in schools.

You probably know about the “boundaries” study done many years ago with a kindergarten class. The school playground in the study was surrounded by a chain link fence. The children were permitted to play anywhere on the playground, and did so – right to the fence itself. Each day, they ran and played happily, using every inch of the large playground.

Then, the fence was removed. The children went out for playtime as usual, but soon became stressed. They sat or stood near their teacher. When she urged them to run and play, a few moved away, but not far. Some began to cry, and clung to their teacher. When she again urged them to run and play, several did, but no one went far from the teacher. The big playground had become frightening because they no longer knew where the boundaries were.

How do principals manage stress in schools? There is a wealth of ways, but these should get you started.



Source by Anna Hart