Schools should generate Intellectuals, not Databases

Many parents and teachers encourage students to store as much data/information as possible in their tiny brains and ask them to replicate what was taught in the class. If they're doing so, then they are just killing creativity in students and preventing them from acquiring new skill sets.

It is imperative on all the parents/teachers community to encourage students to become intellectuals, but not databases. Students remembering much of the data is of little or no use in the current competitive market. Generating innovative ideas with a presence of mind is essential for the current volatile environment.

The conventional education system, which might have had yielded good results in the past, is not good enough for the 21st century. The current conditions demand the need for new learning methodologies which could enable curiosity and creativity in children by allowing them to actively participate in the learning process.

After delivering a session/class on a concept, teachers should explain its real-life applications. For instance after Congruent Triangles concept in Geometry, the teachers should explain where and why they are used. They have application in construction of buildings and bridges to provide stability and strength (Example: Kap Shui Mun Bridge in Hong Kong and such others).

Once the session is complete, teachers should assign a task to students to find few more real-life applications and encourage them to explore why they were used.

This type of learning process would enable student participation and create curiosity in them. Students will spend time to think about the concept and try to play with some ideas which in turn will help them develop lateral thinking and problem solving skills.

It is in this respect, all educational enthusiasts – be it the parents, teachers or school management - should mould students as intellectuals, but not just the repository of content, and help them to do well in school and beyond.

Read online math and science core concepts with well-illustrated examples and real-life applications at www.wonderwhizkids.com

Read more

Tips to excel in science core concepts

Students often worry about how to remember the concepts of science. Though they pay attention in the classroom and adopt various learning methods, they fail to get the desired results. Even if students understand the topics in the class, they fail to retain it because the Human Nervous System doesn't store the relevant information perceiving it as insignificant. If the concept is illustrated with examples and/or real life applicantions, the “insignificant” information would turn “significant”.

To attain excellence in any subject and achieve the desired result, it is imperative to have the knowledge of core concepts along with its real time applications.

Students should implement the study plan in such a way that it should compliment classroom learning of any concept, identifying or observing its applications in real life, and then solving the relevant practice papers.

For instance, you were taught the concept of “Kinematics” in the class today. First off, you would need to understand the concept, then try finding its applications (How Kinematics is applicable in real life like calculating Speed, Velocity, Acceleration of a moving object and such others). Then revise the concept and try solving the relevant problems.

In another example, let us assume that the concept of “Biochemistry” was taught in the class. Identify/find its uses/applications like how it is helpful in real life. You'll come across many examples including “Biochemistry in Medical Applications” and such others.

Once you understand the concepts, try to Read as many relevant examples and applications as possible. This will allow you to get an in-depth knowledge of the concept which in turn will help you remember it.

It is worth recalling a famous quote on education by Martin Luther King, Jr. here, "The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education."

The emergence of e-Learning technologies has made readers anywhere-anytime access to their desired topics. Learn math and science core concepts with well-illustrated examples and real-life applications here - www.wonderwhizkids.com

Read more

Essence of Reading and Writing

We see many video/audio content going viral on WWW (World Wide Web) and asking readers/students to subscribe for such content. Some students are being misguided and attracted that the videos are very interesting and help them stay focused and understand the concept better. If you believe in such a theory, then a famous quote is worth mentioning here.

"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body"

I would like to highlight the essence of reading and writing over watching video/audio academic content in this article. Would like to explain the essence in two versions - General and Biological.

General Version: Like exercise helps your body gain strength and resilience, reading makes your brain imagine the scenarios and the consequences that improve your intelligence and thinking ability. 

You wouldn't be using your brain when watching the videos and in fact the ability to imagine new thoughts would be reduced. But reading makes you generate thoughts and ideas relaxing your mind, body and soul while improving your knowledge and wisdom.

When reading and/or during lectures, try to take short notes - you'll find yourself remembering things well enough and in fact better. Short notes enable you to remember important things, while the revised notes would allow you to remember the complete topic.

Biological Version: The human nervous system can be connected into many sub systems and possess separate space for recognizing various functions including video, audio, language and such others with each having its own process. All the functionaries inter-communicate to recognize and remember things. An emotional response would be generated when we look at a video that would then be transmitted to the language space to remember things verbally.

Reading will enable heightened connectivity (even after couple of days) in the left temporal cortex, an area of the brain associated with receptivity for language. You may tend to forget the concept on a later date if you fail to take the notes.

"Noting down" of such conversation/reading bridges the gap between the various bits of information heard/read thus enhancing the chances of remembering the topic.

Note: The advent of innovative technologies including e-books, e-learning and digitalization made readers anywhere-anytime access to many topics/content avoiding the need to carry the books along.

Subscribe to learn online Math and Science here - http://goo.gl/eY1KD0

Read more