Americans fear Math and Indians fear the competition

The educational news headlines across the United States today are about the PISA (Program for International Students) results and what can be done to improve the Math and Reading abilities of American teens. 

I did my engineering in India and MBA in the US and I have a first hand feel of average American students screaming out in distress when the professor happens to write a formula on the board and God forbid if it has variables and even worse if the variables are Greek alphabets..while the average International Students in the class will exchange quiet "there they go again" glances. But that is just the average population. In fact, there are some super smart Math ( Science, Economics...you name it) wiz kids too, the thought leaders and the geniuses who are better than the rest of the world - the only problem is that they are not always idolized and glorified like the sports stars and pop icons who seem to capture the imagination of the nation. In short, it is not cool to be a genius in the US. The Americans import a lot of these uncool geniuses from China, India, Russia, Poland and have absolutely no problem doing it, while they continue to cry hoarse about exporting low skilled, low paid jobs to China and India!

Indian students on the other hand, famously from the land of Aryabhata and Shakuntala Devi, don't bat an eyelid as they dive into complex mathematical problems and effortlessly do Math in their heads, remember their times tables and other formulas - Math is child's play and it is worn on the sleeve - proudly, like a badge of honor!

So I looked through the PISA results to see where India stood in the ranking. I started looking in the space above the United States - No, I looked below the United States - No. I looked at the bottom of the table - No - where was India? Apparently India did not participate in the tests. Why? The last time India took the test in 2009, it ranked at the bottom of the table, worse than Kazhakstan and Moldova, so India backed away from taking the test in 2012 explaining that Indian students were not prepared - Really?

2009 to 2012 was not sufficient to prepare students who inherently enjoy Math - at least with a focus on Math and Science to start with? Do we see a pattern here? Why does India lose in cricket to Pakistan even when it has a better team? After 50 years of Independence and with a population of over 1 billion, why does India still not have a single gold medal at the Olympics? India is supposedly one of the oldest of civilizations- why aren't there enough Nobel laureates? India once considered herself better than China and now China is topping the PISA ranking in Math, Science and in Reading. Does India get cold feet when she sees competition?

Speaking Mandarin like the Chinese

My little niece who is three, talks to her parents in Tamil and effortlessly switches to English when she talks to me over Skype, because I am in the US of A! I do speak Tamil, but we encourage her to speak in both languages because it is an essential skill to have in a global economy.

Indians, Singaporeans and other former English colonies have used our ability to communicate in English to our advantage as we maneuvered the global stage and have attracted several offshore jobs that require a working knowledge of English.

And now as China catches up at the world stage, it is commendable that the CBSE board has chosen to hire Chinese teachers to begin teaching Mandarin in some Delhi Schools.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/CBSE-to-get-25-Chinese-teachers-for-Delhi-schools/articleshow/26060289.cms

I always wished we were taught English by the English and French by the French, but thanks to the complexity of the Mandarin language we finally get to learn a foreign language from a native foreign speaker. I think it is a wonderful idea and wish CBSE students will take advantage of the opportunity.

Learning a foreign language not only provides an advantage in later years, but it also stimulates brain development and increases sensitivity to cultures different from ones own from a very early stage. Keep it up CBSE!

Are your student's really reading their textbooks?

As teachers, we put in a lot of effort picking the right textbooks for our students. Parents pay a lot of money buying these textbooks. Educators put in a lot of research to get the right content to the right audience - but how can we ensure that our students are really reading? 

Wouldn't it be nice to just know if our students have opened their textbooks and how far they have progressed and if they have hit a road block somewhere? Just so we can intervene, if required and at the right time. Teachers with a lot of experience will agree that a little nudge here and a little pull there and a pat on the shoulder for the good students - all go a long way in keeping students engaged.

With the advance of technology, what was once a distant dream is finally becoming a reality for teachers.

Here is a New York times article that talks about professors in Texas heaving that hoorah.

"They know when students are skipping pages, failing to highlight significant passages, not bothering to take notes — or simply not opening the book at all."

And PROJECT SIKSHA is bringing it to our own doorsteps here in India!

Educated does not always mean 'Employable'

India has a large number of schools and colleges and Indians love education and the accumulation of educational degrees and diplomas, but a degree is not always sufficient to make a living!

See this recent article from the Hindu. Even some of our famed engineers are unemployable!

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/many-engineering-graduates-are-indeed-unemployable/article4585211.ece

We should not only impart learning to our children, but also teach them the 'Art of learning'. They need to understand the need of the day and be able to provide solutions. They need to be independent thinkers. They need to be confident and they need to be driven to act!

I am a big believer in the power of technology and social education. As we get our students comfortable with this concept, they will be able to adapt to any new situation.

Link to our product " PROJECT SIKSHA"

Developing Problem Solving Skills

Unlike certain other skills, Problem Solving Skills are not something that we are born with. It is just a methodical approach that is acquired through training and practice. And unlike memorizing solutions to specific problems, learning the skills to problem solving develops confidence and capability in an individual to solve many such problems

1. Define the problem :

Albert Einstein said, “If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it,” 

What was true for Albert Einstein is true for most of us too. At least that is step 1. Students should learn to define the problem accurately. They need to learn to take a deep breath and focus their attention on the problem to be solved. Then try and eke out all the available information, the different pieces of the jig saw that would later need to be put together.

2. Use previously acquired General Knowledge:

General Knowledge is always a good thing to have. Knowledge of basic math or science or knowledge of similar situations which have been resolved earlier provide confidence and direct the thinking process

3. Critical Thinking:

And finally, the ability to think critically. This is the key to solving most of life's problems. By developing an ability to questions assumptions, to identify the logical from the improbable, to complete a what if analysis in the mind, to process the available information and infer students are truly equipped to face the world and that includes exams. And that is the right perspective.

Are your students intrinsically motivated?

Are students motivated by the desire to score high marks, called 'extrinsic motivation'? Or are they motivated by a genuine interest in the subject i.e. intrinsic motivation? 

Research has shown (Ref: Tools for Teaching by Barbara Gross Davis) that when children grow up being extrinsically motivated, they tend to always look outside of themselves for approval and as one grows up, this may not be always easy to find. But, when students are intrinsically motivated, they actually learn more and can apply the knowledge better, which in turn leads to self fulfillment and confidence. 

There are a few ways in which schools can improve intrinsic motivation:

• Shift emphasis from cut-off grades to providing customized, student specific, positive feedback ( I was delighted to see the CBSE adopt CCE and am a big supporter of this initiative)
• Allow student input and provide sufficient flexibility in courses, so students have a sense of control ( as being introduced by our PROJECT SIKSHA initiative)
• Change with the times. We are in 2013. Make your educational tools and techniques relevant and interesting.
• Listen to students. Let them have a voice and let it be heard. Teachers and Schools are here to help students not to control them.

I would love to hear your opinions. For private comments / questions, please email enquiries@jnccapital.org

Co- Scholastic Education

All parents remember the first days when they bring their screaming kids to school and slowly sadly walk away entrusting them to the care of teachers and schools. Then one year passes and another and one fine day, the children have grown up and are ready to leave school, leave home to go to hostels or take up jobs. In all this time, what exactly do they learn?

They learn their alphabets and math and dissect a few frogs, but is that enough education when they leave behind their parents and childhood teachers to face the world on their own? They may become engineers or doctors, but how do they deal with life? How do they interact with their peers? How do they handle life's highs and lows? What impact do they make for their nation? A job or degree does not define a human being, but his character. It is perseverance that leads to a successful life. It is adaptability that leads to a happy life.

Life in the coming years is going to be full of choices, changes and high stress situations. It is our responsibility as educators to equip our students in life skills that will help them survive in this increasingly complex world. We have to teach them values, so they remain grounded and grow up to be responsible human beings.

Welcome to my blog on co-scholastic skills. Hope you will follow me and give me your comments and share your experiences in this area.