‘Quoted’ conversation A few days ago, I had a discussion with my wife about where quotes come from. An innocuous enough topic turned into a profound analysis of what is education. My wife subscribes to a weekly online newsletter of an author; quotes was a topic in one of the…
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Changing situations As the months of 2020 roll by, we continue to sail through a pandemic-affected world. The statistics are both encouraging and disastrous, depending on which news articles one reads. However, life is going on and we all are finding ways to adapt to the new normal. I had…
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“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Isaac Newton Keeping curiosity alive This famous quote by Newton has been an inspiration to many students of Science, I am one among them. Two years ago, in July 2018, I had started to learn something…
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The ubiquitous ‘e’ Most of us in the English-speaking world know that ‘e’ is the most used letter of the English language. If you do not believe me, try writing a sentence without the letter ‘e’ in it. You will succeed, but the difficulty you will face will prove my…
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New dimensions of normalcy The global pandemic has driven the whole world to a new normal in all aspects of life. The phrase ‘new normal’ has become the buzz word, and well on the road to becoming a cliché. However, that is not the topic of discussion in this article.…
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The joy of un-learning and re-learning Phonetically, the letter ‘e’ in the word CHOICE is silent. I was amazed to learn this interesting fact only last week. During my early childhood days, I learned that the English alphabet had 26 letters, A to Z. I also learned that each letter…
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Based on my own teaching experience and observation of child psychology, I describe below what I consider are 3 major distractions in the process of bringing up children in the 21st century. In the current global pandemic situation and altered nature of our lives, I find these more relevant than…
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Number literacy begins as early as kindergarten. Kids sing and dance while learning numbers. Trust me, everything seems blissfully easy and fun at that stage of life for most kids. I remember singing this rhyme with actions “One two buckle my shoe, three four shut the door…”. I also remember…
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Lock-down as a trigger The lock-down and quarantined existence over the last few months has given us opportunities to re-evaluate our habits and life choices. I have been continuously reflecting and introspecting. I have re-evaluated many things – my daily routine, my work schedule, my eating habits, my socialising activities,…
View More It is time to think ‘alternative’
The need of the hour This story is from a few years ago. I was looking through some of my old writings and found this one. It makes a lot of sense now because teaching and learning are transitioning into new modes, unfamiliar to both teachers and students. Engaging students…
View More Learning the meaning of facilitation