THE TRUE STATE OF SCHOOL EDUCATION

It was really shocking to learn about the stampede in a government school in Khazoori Khas and the subsequent deaths of a few innocent children that followed in the aftermath.Rather than announce a few thousand rupees as compensation and wash their hands off the matter our policy makers should hang their heads in shame over the fact that the state of government schools even in the national capital is in shambles and children are not even receiving the basic conducive environment for receiving education.The visuals shown by the television channels were very disturbing specially the pictures showing the complete waterlogging of the school compound by normal rain.The shameless administration was comforting itself with the fact the school building did not collapse.If our ministers can stay in five star comfort at the tax payers expense even for pettty work then do not the country's future deserve basic sound infrastructure and committed teachers to enable them to realise their dreams?

IT IS TIME FOR DEEP INTROSPECTION AND DRASTIC ACTION AGAINST THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MESS.

How insensitive we are!

today morning on my way to cie,a saw a visually challenged lady on metro station.she seemed to be very annoyed with the checking authorities for they kept her waiting for long.so annoyed was she dat she started hitting on the ground very hard with her stick and in the process hurt herself.i waited 2-3 min.4 her to calm down,then asked aunty where do u wanna go?she replied "are yeh log itna pareshan karte hain,itni der kyon hame checking ke lie khara karte hain,mujhe bahut gussa aa raha hain,meri taang (leg) me bahut dard ho raha hain" i asked her to calm down n have water.she refused.i held her hand and started comng down the stairs,she was in such a hurry that i got really scared and repeatedly said 'aunty dheere (slow)'.then we got into metro,we got a seat.after being comfortably seated for 1-2 min.she told me that she has to get down at gtb ngr,n 2 days back nobdy helpd her in gtng down,metro doors closed and then she had to get down at the next stop.she said "koi itni help bhi nahi karta".i asked her if she wrks smewhere,she said"haan,kaun khilata hain,apna kaam kar rahe hain to kha rahe hain".i found her a little better.i asked if her leg was fine now.she smiled n said ,yes.then we kept conversing.she had to get down at vidhan sabha as train terminate on vishwavidyalaya.with full smiles,she said "bye,thank you,hope to meet u again".was very happy to see a smile on her face,nothing can be more rewarding than this.we as selfish humans tend to pass by many such people everyday but dont bother to feel their pain.how could we all be so insensitive?

First day in school

first day in school is always being very excited .A new student or a new teacher both feel butterfly in their stomach. 3rd of september when i went to school after a long gap of 5 year i saw nothing was changed in the school . The school was same ,student were making the noice , they were running here and there , student were gossiping about teachers ,about their new crushes and more things . They were doing the the same things which we used to do in our school time. I saw my image in them, i felt as if i was doing all those thing. BUT now time has changed . I went to school as a TEACHER not as a student. I was nervous.When i interacted with my LEARNERS i came to know that they were excited to see me and expected a lot from me.Then i realized my importance, my nervousness all gone. Now i feel good and excited

how caring are we??or rather, how aware???

A very thought provoking incident happened to me in the evening today. I was coming back home from a visit to the temple when I noticed an old lady with wrinkled skin, wearing an old worn out sari and with almost complete white hair, with high power spectacles sitting at the bottom of the temple stairs. She was sitting all alone watching the passersby with a small container in front of her meant for alms. She also had two bananas and some 'prasad' from the temple. Having clearly formed an idea about her, I felt a strong inner urge to go and ask the lady about how she managed to go about life, and so I went to her. She became defensive in an instant and did not want to speak to me at all. She told me to go away and mind my own business, quite literally. She did not want to have any sort of communication at all, at which I felt quite startled. A few passersby were staring at me, seeing a young girl trying to deal with an old lady all alone for whom no one had the time or botheration, let alone care. But I persevered. I asked her about how she managed to procure food(at which she blatantly and quite harshly asked me ''KYA TUM MUJHE KABHI KHANA DENE AATI HO?'' at which I felt utmost guilty), about who took care of her, where was her family, her husband and others. After a little polite coercion, she replied that she was a widow and her only daughter was married in some small town and that she was all alone in Delhi with no shelter.The temple authorities fed her and gave her a place to sleep at night, but that too wasn't everyday as I was able to gather. I was unable to understand her fully well as she was speaking in some local dialect of hers most of the time, interspersed with Hindi. But what I did manage to understand was that she had a tough life with no one to even bother about her. And as a result she had become defensive towards the society at large. Her expresssions showed deep levels of dislike towards regular people whom she sat and watched all day long on that bottom stair of the temple. I wanted to continue to know about her but I was forced to abandon my attempt as she was not willing to go on, sensing that I may possibly want to force her out of that place which she was occupying, maybe by reporting to the police or whatever!!
This incident has left me totally shaken. I, with all the facilities that I have, was stumped by that old lady trying to make ends meet. I, who live in all the comfort of the world, was not even able to think about a way by which she managed a single quarter of her day. It was completely incomprehensible to me. Her manner was so unexpected that I am still in a daze. I don't know what she thought about me, about my behaviour towards her that why should I come just out of the blue and start talking to her. But, irrespective of whatever she thought, it is my belief that we should start questioning. Questioning, not only about others' thoughts, but thoughts of our own to begin with. We must get out of our coccoons and start being more sensitive towards our surroundings which we have claimed it to be our right to be so taken for granted. I am thinking of her right now as I prepare to retire for the night, about where she is going to sleep? Will she have a proper bed?Will she sleep on the street?That too in this never ending sweltering heat with no security to speak of!! How did she manage all this time, all these months? A plethora of doubts and questions start to implode in my mind and I find it hard to digest the whole situation.What are your views on this issue? Please do have your say!!
Peace!!

the school experience programme

First of all congratulations to all of us for being poised to enter into yet another phase of our lives and perhaps the most important one right now which is as already mentioned- The School Experience Programme. All of us have been alloted our respective schools and I am sure most of us are happy with it (though there might still be some apprehensions among some of us). But anyway, heres wishing everyone all the very best...may everyone find joy in their experiences!!!
Peace!!

movie recommendation

In order to understand our profession a little more better, i would recommend everyone to try and watch a French movie( with English subtitles) called '' The Class". Released in 2009 it is also known as '' Entre les Murs'' which literally means ''between the walls''. It is based on the autobiographical novel by Francois Begaudeau and it explores his journey as he tries to teach his high school students belonging to multi-ethnic backgrounds in a difficult Parisian neighbourhood and how he faces challenges in everyday classes.
It's a film which shows the current school scenario in contemporary France and at times we might not be able to relate to it.But I still think it is worth watching as i feel that it would add to another dimension to our perception of the minds of our future students.

the aftermath of the CIE election for me

Of course as Rohit said, the elections were a success and i enjoyed being a part of the whole procedure of electing our CIE Panchayat.But what followed on that fateful evening for me and for so many of other Delhiites, is nothing short of a mini tragedy.
The much needed rainstorm was followed by a series of mishaps on the roads of Delhi, especially central Delhi roads and key roads like Ring Road, ITO to name a few. I being a regular traveller on the Yellow line metro service, alight at Central Secretariat station and take a bus home. But on that unfortunate day(at least for me), due to the rains, the Raisina Road caved in,leaving a big gaping hole in between, and at the very place that is my bus stop. Imagine my plight when I saw the scene in front of me at 6.30 pm. For the first few seconds I was left stunned as to ascertaining my options of reaching home safely as all roads were blocked with the traffic barely moving. Added to this were the confusions of buses, vehicles and people. But I saw a small ray of hope when a lady standing next to me asked where I wanted to go and I learnt that our destinations were the same and her car was coming to pick her up and she had her 2 year old son with her. I thanked my stars as I thought that this was an end to my problems for the day. But fate had something else in store for me. I hopped on into the car with her and her friend who was driving the car told us that he would be taking the Shanti Path route to our homes as he also lived in the same area as us. So we set off(in what is to be called snail pace traffic,boohoo!!). After much cribbing and even more cranking up we finally entered Shanti Path. I looked at the time, it was 7pm. This was the beginning of our sojourn at that place for the next three and a half hours. The traffic barely moved. There were many horns honking, buses breaking down, cars hitting each other and their drivers getting out to have verbal fights and to cap everything the humidity filling up the air again after the rains. We thought that the situation was temporary and we would be out in some time. But this was not to happen. So we waited patiently for some more time. Eventually, our drinking water ran out and the little baby started to cry as there was no milk to feed him. Imagine our plight, especially the child's mother who could do absolutely nothing to pacify her child. Her friend who had an exceptionally helpful nature went in search of some shop where we could get something to eat and we were fortunate to find one. So he brought us a packet of biscuits from some roadside shop which was miraculous in that sort of a situation. So we kept ourselves busy for the time being trying to keep the baby from crying but to no avail.
Being at the back of Rashtrapati Bhavan(Shanti Path), there were security jammers placed,making it difficult for us to make or receive calls on our mobile phones. My family members were trying to reach me, but couldn't do so at once. It took them and me quite a while to contact one another. Somehow, we also got to know that Rahul Gandhi was also stuck in the same place as us( some consolation!!) The traffic kept crawling about an inch every 15 minutes, and finally we reached Teen Murti roundabout at 10.30pm and we were freeeee!!!hurray!!
After achieving our freedom our primary objective was to find some milk for the baby. So uncle stopped at the first milk kiosk he could find and bought flavoured milk, which thankfully the baby accepted immediately and after sometime, fell asleep. We were extremely happy at finally reaching our homes safely and a bond was formed between us.
So, this was the aftermath of the CIE election for me. Some might think that it was no big deal and I may have just made a mountain out of a molehill(some people have actually said this to me) But trust me, this was an experience that makes me ponder.. ''Are we really making progress or are we regressing in the name of development of our country??Where a rainstorm of an hour or two led to a chain reaction of so many mishaps that it has become a matter of shame even to mention them, what with trees getting uprooted and blocking the roads, pavements and roads caving in, traffic snarls, jams and a truckful of unending woes. Where are we actually headed??''
P.S. sorry if it's a little too long, but I felt the need to vent out my feelings on the current scenario!!
Thank you!!

ELECTIONS IN CIE

It was really heartening to see almost 80% turnout for the elections to the Panchayat of CIE on August 21 2009.This shows the level of awareness and enthusiasm among the students and their appreciation for the democratic process. If this enthusiasm could be replicated in the national general elections then India would be a much better country and the quality of the representation in our legislatures would improve immensely.Another aspect to be considered is that the elections were held in a very cordial atmosphere with the absence of any bad blood.This is the basic thing which is absent even in the DUSU elections and needs to be rectified immediately.

Father, Dear Father

Dear Papa,

This is in answer to your letter about my transgression. Yes, my first rank slipped to the second. You advise that I should think first before studying, before answering the papers. Yes, the operating word ‘think’ did make me reflect and these are the results of those reflections.

Father, we’ve never really been close and I can’t really say you’ve been my friend, philosopher and guide, yet, I would like you to be aware of my thoughts. They are very important to me. You are highly educated and you provide well for your family. But in your Departmental Store, do you apply Pythagoras' Theorem or Newton’s Law of Gravity? For that matter, does your doctor friend? Or your lawyer brother?

Papa, my grandfather speaks of a carefree and beautiful childhood. Of days spent in plucking mangoes and guavas from their ‘jameen’, of picnics on the banks of the river where the men cooked mouth-watering food, of playing marbles and gilli danda. From his talk, it seems, studies were an ancillary subject; and living and experiencing, the major subject. Father, is he fibbing? Or, is it possible that the world has turned topsy-turvy in just about 70 years?


Papa, my grandmother is semi-illiterate. Yet, she is at peace with her pots and pans, her flowers and garden, her Bhagavad Gita and scriptures. My mother, highly qualified, is highly strung, tense and nervous. Do you think literacy makes us restless, afraid, and frustrated?


Oh Papa, last week my rose plant almost died. Some pests. I asked my Biology teacher what I should do to save it. And she was cross. She said, "Go ask the guy who keeps the gardening things. He’ll tell you." We learn about pesticides but we do not know to use them. Oh father, it matters not to me why the apple does not fall upwards, nor do I care what Archimedes did. What matters to me is that my rose plants remain healthy; when there’s a fuse in my house, I should know how to do something about it; I should know how to make a desk for myself from my carpenter’s tools. Instead, I learn about hypotenuse, relational square roots…

Papa, once I asked my grandmother how she got to be so wise. Do you know what she said? By living and experiencing. And she laughed as though I had asked something which was so obvious. Are we living, Papa? Or is life by-passing us? What I fear is that if I were to meet Newton face to face, I would fail to recognize him, so busy am I learning about him! You know, just like that boy Vinu, in the award-winning film. He prattles on – The Hibiscus is Red – a hundred times, but in his book, he colours it yellow. Are we missing out on the essence of life, Papa?


Anyway, Papa, do you know where I lost that quarter mark that brought about my fall? It was a fill-in-the-blanks.

I held that I was invited to tea and my teacher was adamant that he was invited for tea. A matter of grammar.

And Papa, if he says George Bush is the President of India, it will have to be so. If he says the sun rises in the west, so be it; and if he says the earth is flat, it will be so, it will be, my Papa. At least on my papers. My first rank is at stake, you see. Still, my dearest Papa, I shall keep your advice in mind and strive not to lose any quarter marks.

As always,
Yours ever obedient son
Rahul.

P.S.: Your eyes will not see this anguished plea, my father. This was only to lighten my over-burdened heart. It is not all arteries and muscles. It feels too.


(Source: Class VIII English Textbook, pp. 29-31; SCERT Delhi)

----------------

I really liked the spirit of this piece. Some issues I identified: parental pressure, the importance of making the curriculum more relevant to the child, the emphasis on one and only ONE correct answer, and rote learning vs. understanding.
And I have to admit, I was surprised to find this in a school textbook. But then, I also wonder, if this "chapter" is also simply read out, the difficult words underlined and looked up in the dictionary. I wonder if students really think about this from a deeper perspective; I wonder if they can relate to it. And what they then do about it. I wonder if the teacher asks them their opinion, and whether they feel the same way as Rahul. Whether they would go a step further and actually let their fathers see this anguished plea, whatever may be their concerns.

I wonder how many Rahuls we have in our schools.
None would be one too many.

-Astha

HOW DOES TAMIFLU WORKS..?

hii..friends as all of us are now well aware of SWINE FLU..there are several drugs coming to the market..one of which is TAMIFLU..which has being widely used in majority of the cases..so it'll be interesting to know about its functioning..
Its an antiviral drug marketed by Swiss pharmaceutical company 'ROCHE' it belongs to the group of drugs called neuraminidase inhibitors and can shorten and lessen the severity of both Type A and B strains of flu as well as bird flu. It targets the neuraminidase protein which is present in the flu virus cells.The neuraminidase protein helps the virus to break through the cell walls so it can move on to the other cells and replicate itself.
Tamiflu inhibits the neuraminidase protein ,so that virus cannot leave the cell and cannot infect the other cells. Eventually the virus dies.

NEED OF HOUR :VISION

When a tragedy strike we ques. WHY?
We live insensitively and continue our chase of materialism and affluence.when we go into root cause of of the problem we find following is the cause -
[1] LACK OF CHARITY-Absence of a higher vision
[2]LACK OF PURITY - Greed ,violence,anger ,ego
[3]LACK OF UNITY -Status,standard
A VISION GENERATES THE BEST IN EVERY FIELD.
To handle the root cause of our problems ,we must ignite our mind by
-spirituality integrated with education
-individual growth
-constructive endeavour.
Lastly,
THINKING IS THE CAPITAL. ENTERPRISE IS THE WAY. HARD WORK IS THE SOLUTION

SWINE FLU

Swine flu is an infection caused by a virus. It's named for a virus that pigs can get. The virus is contagious and can spread from human to human. Symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. The 2009 flu pandemic is a global outbreak of a new strain of a influenza A virus subtype H1N1. Transmission of the new strain is human-to-human,with cooked pork products safe to eat as the virus can't be transmitted by eating foods.The CDC[Centers for disease control and prevention] has noted that most infections continue to be mild—similar to seasonal flu—and recovery is extremely quick.People at higher risk of serious complications included people age 65 years and older, children younger than 5 years old, pregnant women, and people of any age with underlying medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, or a weakened immune system (e.g., taking immunosupressive medications or infected with HIV).Certain symptoms may require emergency medical attention. In children signs of respiratory distress, for instance, those might include blue lips and skin, rapid breathing, excessive sleeping, seizures and significant irritability that includes a lack of desire to be held. In adults, shortness of breath, pain in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness or confusion may indicate the need for emergency care. In both children and adults, persistent vomiting or the return of flu-like symptoms that include a fever and cough may require medical attention.

PREVENTION:There are antiviral medicines you can take to prevent or treat swine flu. There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. You can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza by:
#Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
#Washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. You can also use alcohol-based hand cleaners.
#Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
#Trying to avoid close contact with sick people.
#Staying home from work or school if you are sick.

*Then there's yoga guru Baba Ramdev's herbal cure to prevent swine flu- a drink concocted from giloye ( Tinospora cordifolia ) and tulsi ( sweet basil).Also stuffing ghee up your nose or massaging your feet with mustard oil are among the many traditional remedies being suggested to fight H1N1.

THE H1N1 SCARE

To avoid the hysteria created over Swine Flu the reporting on the issue by both the electronic and print media should not be overdone and be within permissible limits of acceptance by the General Public.Attempts at sensationalisation must be done away with.In addition coercion if necessary must be resorted to to make the private hospitals who refuse to carry out Swine Flu testing fall in line.These private hospitals must be served an ultimatum by the government immediately.Only then will it be ppossible to successfully fight the disease.

SWINE FLU....

hi frendz...
No wonder; we-the humans are trying our level best to tamper and disturb nature as much we can .....at it goes by newton that every action has an equal and oppposite reaction..so nature too gives her reply and that too in a unique way- CALAMITY,EPIDEMICS.....the latest on cards is -SWINE FLU. today i came across an article-"H1N1:FACTS ON FLU"in TOI.. many of us might be knowing in a betterway but i wish you to go through this as it was really given an concise way....
WHAT IS H1N1?
SWINE FLU-respiratory disease caused by influenza virus type A.also known as H1N1.its now a fully human virus..
HOW DOES IT SPREAD?
Though droplets that fall when one coughes or sneezes..these particles an be inhaled ortransferred to others via hard surface such as doors, keyboards..etc
CONCERN?
SYMPTOM OF VIRAL ARE RELATIVELY MILD but they can become at times severe too...
WHO has shown a mortality rate of 0.4%
WHO ARE MOST AT RISK
people with:
chronic lung and kidney disease.
neurological disease
diabetes
asthma problem..
REDUCING THE RISK...
Try to carry tissues..
Throw used tissues in bin.
cleaning ur hands
Cover ur nose and mouth when you sneeze..
IF ONE HAS SYMPTOMS:
Stay at home.
Can call at -2392-1401
Visit..http:mohw.nic.in
TREATMENT OPTIONS..
paracetamol-REDUCE BODY TEMPERATURE..
antivirus-TAMIFLU REDUCES RISK of pneumonia,makes u less contagious if taken within 48 hrs of onset of symptoms..instead of killinh antivirus prevent bacteria from multiplying..
vaccines- globally two vaccines are in pipene for testing in their fin
al stage.
YOGIC TOUCH ;
BABA RAMDEV..Suggests that tulsi and giloyi (tinospora cordifolii) could help in preventing Swine flu...
looking forward to have some more valuable inputs from your side related to Flu...
Neetika

Top 6 Keys to Being a Successful Teacher

The most successful teachers share some common characteristics. Here are the top six keys to being a successful teacher. Every teacher can benefit from focusing on these important qualities. Success in teaching, as in most areas of life, depends almost entirely on your attitude and your approach.
1. Sense of Humor
2. A Positive Attitutude
3. High Expectations
4. Consistency
5. Fairness
6. Flexibility

An effort to connect people...............

Realy its a commendable job by nitika n aastha to give us an epitome to share our thoughts n remain connected 4 at least nine months of course duration.They have tried to link we 32 people with the same thread n giving us an opportunity to share our views ,thoughts ,ideas n experiences of our daily life.As the name of blog itself depicts about some sort of connection, so i suggest all my friends to come to this blog n share their feelings n remain connected.Right now i have nothing interesting to share bt in future i wil come up with my ideas.I have taken my first step by signing in to d blogspot.

NEW FOUND PASSION FOR BLOGGING

I would like to heartily thank Rashmi Ma'am,Neetika and Aastha for taking up the initiative of creating a blog for our class so passionately.Before this happened I had the notion of blogging being a so called HIFI innovation meant only for the truly computer savvy which I am definitely not.But now I realise that it can be mastered easily and also that it is a wonderful means to share your ideas with many in a short span of time in an effective manner.If I have already gained so much from this class in such a short span of time then it is certain that by the time I leave CIE I would have added several dimensions to my personality which will enable me to have a successful and fulfilling career in teaching.

As a Teacher Learner

it has been a very good experience at CIE till now, the B.Ed batch is very much diverse as it comprises of students of different disciplines, some are Masters and some are Bachelors in their subject, its very uniqe to be a part of it. everyone thinks that teaching is a very simple & easy profession but its a wrong perception because Teaching is a very challenging profession that requires patience and hard work. i hope CIE will help us to do good in our teaching career.

CIE: AN UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

It has been quite an enlightening experience for me in the short time spent at CIE till now. Through the various components of the B.Ed curriculum I have realised how much effort, committment andc devotion goes into the making of a truly successful and respected teacher.Teaching can definitely not be labelled as a poor cousin of the other professional courses as is the common refrain.Teaching is surely not for the casual and weak hearted.

None as blind as won't see?

A few days ago, I was having lunch in one of the classrooms at CIE. Two girls walked in and sat beside me and my friends. I had seen both of them around, but wasn't familiar with them. So after the usual "Aapka kya naam hai, Kahan rehte ho, Kaunse teaching subjects hain?" (Oho! Science student ho!) and "Paper five mei kya option liya hai," the conversation turned to matters of food. Among other things, one of the girls mentioned that her religion forbade her from eating pork, but that eating fish was acceptable. One of my friends asked her why this was the case. The girl replied that it was okay to eat fish because fish didn't have blood. For a second, I couldn't believe my ears. I looked at her, expecting a more complete and less absurd explanation. But she was silent. Her voice carried conviction. But to me that conviction was disturbing and scary. My first instinct was to rush and tell her the "scientifically proven truth," that fish do indeed have blood, a heart, the works, and yes, I know this, not from a textbook, but because I have dissected fish. But before I had a chance to say anything, she and her friend abruptly walked out for a drink of water.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I didn't see her again, until yesterday. I realized then that it wasn't as simple as "telling someone a fact." Here was a classic case of faith versus science. This girl firmly believed what her faith told her. All the science in the world can sometimes fail to shake that faith.
I don't know what she would think if she did indeed witness a fish being cut. Would she continue to eat fish? Or would she stop? It's as much an individual's dilemma as it is the entire faith's. This is sensitive territory, so I should tread with caution. I think faith and scientific objectivity have their own places; what we accept as truth must meet our standards of logic and reason. And since we live in a society and belong to particular faiths and religions, we must also conform. To what extent is a moot point.

I suppose all it is, is a fine balance.

-Astha