Think left and think right! Think low and think high! Oh the thinks you can think if only you try!!!

28th January,2014

6.00 P.M

We have almost crossed January and are about to enter the busy exam period (for parents and children alike). While I still am jittery, about exam time, today in the times of the CCE, the wide ranging expressions found regarding it -right from extreme worry to complete relaxation- are also a cause and food for thought.

Ever since the abbreviation CCE(Continuous and Comprehensive evaluation, for the uninitiated) came into our everyday lives, it has come to haunt us(as I am sure all educators and parents will testify!!!)  positively or negatively depending on how it has affected us, elders' lives. I would like to repeat we have reacted to its introduction by the CBSE, first on the basis of its effect on our lives - read, increased workload for teachers and for parents too in most cases! -  and then bothered to think the hows and whys of it.

Neither advocating it, nor going against it, though, I do feel something did go wrong, as the output we desired from our children was just not there (hence the felt need of reform came about ) .While thinking about all this, my mind went back several years in time to something my father used to tell me.He used to say, "Beta whatever marks you get in exams,what I want is that you should be intelligent.Intelligent enough to be able to handle life and the challenges it throws before you." (which, at the time seemed an excellent way out for me,as I was certainly not a top scorer! )

Well, to me, his words seem to be the gist of what today's educationists are aiming for.This brings me to the topic of my deliberations today ie thinking skills.Teaching children thinking skills is the in thing today.Daunting the term may sound, the skills certainly, are no rocket science as they say.

Easier to develop these, if parents too work along with the school.Forgetting the technicalities till my next post, sample the below mentioned : 

THINKING SKILLS

• Activity:TURN TABLE ; SKILL FOCUS - Creative Thinking - FLEXIBILITY 

Change the given shape into different ,creative objects or people. While drawing you can turn the page to face any direction.

Following are two sample responses from students of class I.                                                                   

An Angry Face!

                                                                            

A pair of Pants !

.Activity:How Can You Use it! (Classes I and II ) ; Skill Focus: Creative Thinking- Fluency                                                Take a paper clip , hold it , feel it , bend it , reshape it. 

        How many different uses can you think of  for a   paper clip?

Answers varied from a hair band, to a bracelet, to ...........! I was as  fascinated as I am sure you will be too.

Here is another one which I am sure all are going to love.After coming back from a shopping trip to the mall, tell your child to sort out the shopping in groups of your choice-Clothes/accessories/food items/bakery/vegetables/perishables/... .Works as a thinking skill builder ,as well as vocabulary builder, as well as ....?

I am exhausted with the never ending list of possibilities.So I invite my readers-young parents/others(and I am very thankful to them for such an overwhelming response- specially my dear students) to give their ideas so that we all can benefit. 

 Happy Thinking!!!