Self Study ? - Whats it all about ? What are its Benefits and Strategies ?

Students appearing in Board Exams in ICSE, IB and CBSE Boards need to remember that ‘Self Study, Self-Exploration, Self-Empowerment are the virtues of great education’. In the competitive world of today, students need to learn as much as they can, from anywhere and everywhere they can.

A great number of ever-growing online courses and internet encyclopedias have made Self Study easy for students. Hence, best possible use of the internet is the solution of many a problem.

What is self-study:

With the number of fresh educational technologies cropping up every day, education is no longer confined to traditional classroom teaching only.

Self-study or Autodidacticism, as it is called, is education without the help of traditional masters or institutions. An autodidact is free to choose his space, time, topic, rhythm as well as study material he needs to concentrate upon, thus resulting in better absorption of knowledge and its output.

For students of different Boards, it is important to indulge in regular Self Study. Self-study, contradictory to the general opinion, is complimentary to classroom studies.

Therefore, when done in consonance with each other, they bring wonderful results.

Benefits of Self Study:

Self-study is applauded for being extremely effective. Once back home, when a student searches online about the topics he has been taught in school, it enhances his ability to gather further information about those topics and retain them effectively.

In senior classes it is especially important for students to do so. Various projects need to be studied using different online sites to collect further information.

It can also help in enhancing transcripts. There are online classes covering wide range of subjects like Mathematics , physics, Chemistry, History, Political Science etc. Various lectures, quizzes, mock test papers are available online that a student can complete on his own.

Hence, self-assessment can be done easily so as to assess how much one has studied and what else has to be learned further about any topic. Self- study gives an edge to a student over others due to his in-depth knowledge of the subject.

Further, students may prefer to go beyond their prescribed curriculum to explore the areas of their interest. Once academic aid is sought and found in one subject, an increased interest to explore other subjects may follow.

In doing self- studies a student can explore his area of interest or his requirement along with the choice and pace of the subjects and topics he has been taught in classroom.

Self-study is a time saver, time being important as well as limited for students. A student can choose to do self-study from the confines of his home rather than getting tuitions from far off places. Another reason for its popularity is the advantage of it being cost effective.

Strategy to do self-study:

Self- learning seems to be a challenge in the beginning but with the passage of time, it becomes satisfying, effective and more systematic.

A determined and self-disciplined approach can make studies a lot easier and more interesting. A convenient time, space and schedule is required to do the learning all by oneself.

Also, a correct format and a proper schedule is required to take advantage of the plenty of online techniques available at the internet. Realistic goals need to be set up adjusting the workload accordingly.

Different tasks must be scheduled or rescheduled on daily or weekly basis to make learning fun.

While studying two things must be taken care of. Firstly, a proper technique needs to be followed during studies. Short breaks must be taken at regular intervals to make retention easy and break the monotony.

It is important to keep the mind open and fresh while taking new lessons or doing assignments. Secondly, school studies need to be followed up the same day through self-studies. This will help in absorbing the concepts easily and firmly and will not require any cramming up during exam time.

A self-disciplined approach towards the studies makes one an independent intellectual thoroughly read and confident of his knowledge.

Self-study is an excellent way to develop deep insight into the areas one would like to explore. In addition to being affordable and convenient, self-study seems to be more effective than classroom teaching where a single teacher teaches a large group of heterogeneous students with different set of problems to be solved within a given time frame. It does not help in solving individual doubts.

With self -study students can go way ahead of their school curriculum and excel in their field of interest. Schooling does not need to be done necessarily in school. Studies done on your own can quench your thirst for knowledge.

An easy access to information technology makes self- study an important and effective tool to keep one a step ahead of others.

Remember, no one can defeat you except your own self ignorance. Self-learners develop themselves as much as they wish.

As the saying goes “Genius is the ability to independently arrive at and understand concepts that would normally have to be taught by another person’s an ocean of knowledge is available at the click of the button that can be explored as much as possible".

Though it is unlikely that Classroom studies will ever be replaced by online studies, yet students should make optimal use of the available resources and blend the two, thereby optimizing their results in examinations.

we have Clarefy has designed various types of study packages keeping in mind the students involvement in self study model. You can visit us at www.clarefy.com

Its now or never in Robotics sector .. A future booming sector with millions of job vacancies

Are you in the queue to apply for jobs with uncertainty in mind? Are you a BTech or MTech pass-out searching for a job in these uncertain economic crisis where placements are evaporating with closure of hundreds of firms? Still dreaming of your traditional job format and old career growth strategies. Then you may be late. Just switch your subject in your sector and start re-fueling your dreams. Simply, change to Robotics. A new booming sector with millions of vacancies in the next 5 years.  

Keeping the future possibilities, we at Clarefy have designed a customized online certification course on Robotics. The course also includes live training and case studies with internships. Its an offer beyond thought for all those who wish to frame their careers with new dimensions.

Know more about the course here

 

A course in robotics trains and educates a student in the field of artificial intelligence, computer-aided manufacturing, computer integrated manufacturing system, computational geometry, robot motion planning, digital electronics and micro processing. Robotics is an essential component in many modern manufacturing industries. As the industries increases, scope for robotics also increases.

Robotics is the branch of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science that deals with the design, construction, operation, and application of robots,as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing. These technologies deal with automated machines that can take the place of humans in dangerous environments or manufacturing processes, or resemble humans in appearance, behavior, and/or cognition.

One can expect jobs at manufacturing industries, NASA, private industries, automobiles, appliance and industrial tools. Candidates may pursue higher degrees in MS, ME, M.Tech in Robotics and Ph.D in foreign universities.

Our course Includes Introduction of Robotics, Basics of Arduino Board, Basics of Embedded C programming, Analog and Digital data reading, Button depended LED, Ambulance sound creation, Keyboard Controlled LED, Character Analysis, Servo motor rotating, Ultrasonic Sensor based program, Bluetooth based programming, Tank Level Controlling project.

Live Online Training with number of mock tests and test cases including 24x7 doubt clearance.

Register for free at https://www.clarefy.com/clarefy-e-exam/Registers

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Analyze and Fix the roots of the Problem...

Listen to a story, “You and a friend are having a picnic on the bank of a river. And you've just laid down your picnic blankets, you're about to have your meal when you hear a shout from the direction of the river. You look back and there's a child thrashing around in the water, apparently drowning. So you both dive in, you fish the child out, you bring them to shore. Just as you're starting to calm down you hear another shout. You look back, there's a second child splashing around again, apparently drowning and so back in you go. You fish them out, then there are two more children who come along right behind and so begins this kind of revolving door of rescue, where you're in and out, and fishing kids out and it's exhausting work. And right about that time, you notice your friend is swimming to the shore, steps out, starts to walk away as though to leave you alone, and you cry out, "Hey, where are you going? I need your help. All these kids are drowning" and your friend says, "I'm going upstream to figure out who's throwing all these kids in the river."

And that is the problem with most organizations. We are too focused on our own work and trying to quickly solve any issues that come up in order to just keep moving forward - we reward busy work. The result is an endless cycle of putting out fires as they come, when instead we should be able to recognize recurrent problems so we can get to the root cause. If we can find out how to fix the systems that cause the problems in the first place, we would save so much time and energy. 

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Strategies to promote empathy in children.. The third one may be difficult

We do know that when children learn to be empathic early in their development, it can lead to much stronger empathy skills later in life as they become adults who treat others with kindness, respect and understanding. Empathic children can become empathic parents, spouses, co-workers and friends.

Empathy is not a fixed trait; it can be fostered. It can be encouraged and cultivated by empathic siblings, as well as adult caregivers. But empathy does take time to develop.

1. Model how to value feelings

First, whenever possible, show warmth and empathy towards children.

Children are watching others to learn appropriate ways of behaving and interacting, and are known to be influenced by the behaviours they see around them. You can be a good role model by acknowledging and valuing others’ feelings, and showing understanding and sympathy when someone is sad, upset, distressed, frustrated or in need of help.

When children show negative emotions, acknowledge how they feel. Provide nurturing until they signal they are OK to move onto something else.

Young children sometimes need help understanding what they are feeling, so label the emotion for them. For example, if they are crying, say: “You seem upset. How can I help?”

2. Connect feelings, thoughts and behaviors

Second, when talking about feelings, connect behaviors with the feelings for children so that they understand cause and effect.

For example: “Max is feeling sad because Oliver took his toy. What might help Max feel better?”

Teaching kids about cause and effect can also be done through stories, play-acting or reading books. Talk to children about the thoughts, feelings and behaviors of the characters. What might the characters do next?

Connect these scenarios with the child’s own experiences. For example, if the character is sad because she misses her parents, connect that feeling to a time the child also expressed sadness for something similar. This helps the child more clearly understand the connection between feelings, thoughts and behaviors.

For older children (aged five and up), ask them to step into the mind, or take the perspective, of another child or adult: “How do you think they are feeling? Why might they be upset? What could we do to help?”

3. Build a ‘climate’ of empathy

Third, as a family, or as a classroom, put a focus on working together to build a “climate” that encourages children to be empathic and understanding with their family and friends.

If your child, or a child in your classroom, is struggling with empathy, try to set them up for success by creating opportunities to be empathic and highlight for them how being kind can benefit everyone involved:

“That was very kind of you to help your sister when she lost her favourite toy. I bet she’ll remember that and want to help you when you need it!”

This will foster more of the same types of behaviour in the future.

Strong empathy skills can set children up for success in life. Parents, teachers, caregivers and even siblings can play a powerful role in helping one another achieve this success.

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The Learning and The Process

Learning is the process of acquiring new, or modifying existing, knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences. Some learning is immediate, induced by a single event (e.g. touching a live electric wire), but much skill and knowledge accumulates from repeated experiences. The changes induced by learning often last a lifetime, and it is hard to distinguish learned material that seems to be "lost"
from that which cannot be retrieved.

Human learning starts at birth (it might even start before) and continues until death as a consequence of ongoing interactions between people and their environment.

There are many different learning types and approaches to learning. To learn effectively it is important to tailor your study habits to your own needs and approach, this often means choosing techniques that work for you and evaluating them from time to time to determine if you need to try something new. Basically, We learn by:

▪ Doing something (Concrete Experimentation)
▪ Thinking about it (Reflection)
▪ Doing some research
▪ Talking with others and applying what we already know to the situation
(Abstract Conceptualisation)
▪ Doing something new or doing the same thing in a more sophisticated way
based on our learning (Active Experimentation).

Importance of Learning
Any kind of growth or personal development requires a very fundamental skill: Learning.

Learning is beneficial emotionally, financially, physically and socially. An educated
public improves society as a whole. The greatest power of all lies inside the mind,
and with everything that we learn we strengthen the mind, thus strengthening our
personal power.

“Knowledge is Power” - Sir Francis Bacon

By Hariram Krishnan
Mentor & Executive Coach

THE HIDDEN CURRICULUM & CLAREFY MODEL

Parents often think and make their children focus on academics alone. But we at clarefy, after research, found that after a particular stage, the academics are seldom needed by the children to be successful and happy. Its the life skills that should be integrated during the study life of every child. It includes a set of skills which can make an holistic growth in terms of emotional intelligence, positional intelligence and much more. We call this as the Hidden Curriculum.

Hidden curriculum refers to the unwritten, unofficial, and often unintended lessons, values, and perspectives that students learn in school. While the “formal” curriculum consists of the courses, lessons, and learning activities students participate in, as well as the knowledge and skills educators intentionally teach to students, the hidden curriculum consists of the unspoken or implicit academic, social, and cultural messages that are communicated to students while they are in school.

The hidden-curriculum concept is based on the recognition that students absorb lessons in school that may or may not be part of the formal course of study—for example, how they should interact with peers, teachers, and other adults; how they should perceive different races, groups, or classes of people; or what ideas and behaviors are considered acceptable or unacceptable. The hidden curriculum is described as “hidden” because it is usually unacknowledged or un-examined by students, educators, and the wider community. And because the values and lessons reinforced by the hidden curriculum are often the accepted status quo, it may be assumed that these “hidden” practices and messages don’t need to change—even if they are contributing to undesirable behaviors and results, whether it’s bullying, conflicts, or low graduation and college-enrollment rates.

Register free at www.clarefy.com and make your child an overall winner in this career and life.

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9 Tips to cope with your children during quarantine period. The 9th Tip may be difficult for you

1. Keep Calm and Carry on:

Keeping calm requires us to be aware of our own anxieties, restrictive beliefs and habitual behaviors that act as personal barriers to a sense of inner peace. Self-inquiry and reflection helps you to establish what these ideas and actions are.

2. Create a timetable:

Structure a week for your child that replicates a school week. Set them a timetable with start and end time, with breaks in between. Map out the learning they will be doing. Factor in movement breaks. If you’re not confident or have time constraints to do this effectively, outsource this service.

3.Make it work for you!

Depending on the age of your children, they will need your attention throughout the day. If this is the case, and your work allows you to, you could divide your working hours throughout the day. Perhaps work a few hours in the morning, some in the afternoon and then in the evening.

4. Create Bonding Exercises

This is a great time for bonding self care and doing fun stuff that everyone can enjoy.

1) Make shampooing and conditioning time fun and educational.

It's cost effective and benefits your hair, using ingredients we all may have already at home. Make a Coconut Milk deep conditioning treatment or Egg conditioner (with any leftovers)

2) Look up for what fruits and Veg are good for healthy hair growth.Then make smoothies!

5. Be honest

Tell what was going on in the world - but his school informed him and he came home one day last week very distressed and worried. Considering that the virus is something that is spoken about everywhere we go, it is likely your child already as an idea of what's going on and will understandably be concerned.

6. Work out Together!

Try and get children involved with your daily activities. If you usually do a morning work out; let them do it with you. You could also try finding new methods of relaxation such as deep breathing, mindfulness or meditation. As well as being great ways of calming the mind and relieving stress, they are all activities children can get involved in too.

7. Be Intentional

Be intentional about spending quality time and eat together
Bake together with the children, let the children choose recipes and get them involved in the whole process and measurements can help children learn about maths and measures. Cuddle together and watch their favorite movies.

8. Have a Learning Mindset

Set the mindset for learning. Every morning set daily targets and have motivational quotes to enthuse your child. Where possible display these on the wall, to create a positive environment for learning.
Allow your child to be creative, explore and ask questions. You don't have to know all of the answers but it promotes the critical thinking

9. Listen!

We all know that children ask a lot of questions and as parents we can easily zone out ignoring the constant nagging sounds of “Mummy, mummy, muuummmmy!…look what I can…” (Daddies get it too), However, its always important, but more so now during these time of uncertainty that our children feel heard, so practice those active listening skills.

Emotional intelligence plays a major role in handling a child during these periods of emergency and quarantine. Access your emotional intelligence at http://www.clarefy.com/eit


So, having read all these, get ready to handle your child in an emotionally intelligent way. If you still have a problem, you can get a free copy of emotional intelligence for parents at www.clarefy.com

Source: Forbes
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Overcoming Fear and Tension in Stuttering - For School Children

Most children talk without much difficulty most of the time. It’s true that children hesitate and stumble over words at times, especially when under stress or fatigue, but they show little concern over such mistakes. What, then, makes your speech different and what can you do to help yourself? Invariably, the child who stutters overreacts to his mistakes. He fears they will occur, becomes tense and feels helpless. During the time that tension is so high, the flow of speech stops or will not start. As you continue to have these tense moments that become different from what normal speakers experience, fear increases to higher and higher levels. You come to dread and perhaps avoid speaking. Many stutterers learn that their greatest enemies are fear and tension. If the battle with stuttering is to be won, fear and tension must be gradually eliminated. Let’s look at some battle plans that have helped quite a few stutterers conquer the majority of their fears, eliminate excessive tensions, and find that speech in most situations can once again come easily.

Conquering Tension. You must learn to substitute easy, slower, more relaxed movements for rushed, tight, forced movements. Typical tension sites are your chest and breath, your throat and vocal cords, jaw, lips and tongue. The practice suggested here can make for success in reducing the fear that follows from blocked movements, so think of these as stages of therapy that you can “put together” for greater effect.

Choose some words that begin with sounds that you think of as being hard—those on which you often stutter. Speech normally begins with a relaxed, unconscious flow of breath. Practice sighing and letting voice come easily. You don’t make voice, it just happens if you will let it. The same is true of sounds you make with tongue and lips. Feel yourself gently close the lips for the “P” or move the tongue to form such sounds as “T” and “K,” then go ahead and say the rest of the word. Notice how little effort speaking takes. Fear has resulted in too much forcing to get words out. You must learn what ‘not forcing’ is, and practice until easy movements become habitual. First, practice at a very soft, almost silent level, then gradually at a normal voice level. Practice the movement gently to make the difficult word begin easier, then work on other words that begin with that same movement.

Assuming that you engage faithfully in daily practice, try a different sound each week. Fear of words lessens as you repeatedly prove to yourself you have a new, easy way of producing them that is becoming automatic. As you practice, be sure not to let the tongue, lips, vocal cords, or breath become tight or touch too hard. No word or speech movement requires conscious effort. Feel the relaxed easy movements into and out of words. Stop and begin the easy movements again for the next word series. Now, you are talking in phrases that are short and that you have confidence you can initiate, if you remember to use the easy beginning you have practiced. Remember, speech sounds better in short phrases with frequent pauses.

By conquering fear-arousal through learning to plan your approach, and then using the easy movements which keep tension from making you feel helpless, you are beginning to control stuttering rather than letting it rule you. Certain speaking situations become easier. At this point you must begin to integrate your success. That is, you are not just having good and bad days, you are creating some successes out of potential failure. That’s what building confidence is all about—and stutterers say time after time, “I talk better when I’m more confident.” When you have created a better performance, you can realistically feel more confidence. The model is then begun for turning ‘bad cycles’ into good ones. You are then able to turn your attention to fluency rather than frequent expectation of stuttering. One of our adult stutterers who successfully went through the above said, “Now I think more about my fluent successes, and does that ever help!”

You appreciate most in life those things you do for yourself. Getting over stuttering takes tremendous self-discipline and desire. We have found that just practicing easy movements without trying to reduce fear is not too successful, since high fear keeps you from remembering the new easier speech movements at the time when you most need to use them. Also, just trying to reduce fear without giving you something to do that is new — and that works — may simply allow fear to creep back into the situation very quickly. 

School Children who stutter should be encouraged to lead positive lives without fear and anxiety. They need psychological care and moral support.

#clarefy

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Children and coronavirus: what we know and don't know

As the number of Covid-19 cases rises worldwide, parents trying to protect their children from the disease can take solace in one thing: the disease has generally been milder in children.

“Its pretty clear from all of the data who is ending up in hospital and who is dying. Severe disease is very rare in children, Its not yet completely clear whether this is because children are not being infected as regularly or do they just not get sick. Some of these children have a large amount of virus but they weren’t very sick,” said Williams.

Last week, there was a paper released from the Chinese Centers of Disease Control looking at people getting sick and who they had come into contact with, which suggested the rates of infection in children are just as common as in adults. The new research also suggested that perhaps the virus could be shed in fecal matter from children.

“People have looked at this a lot for SARS-CoV2 in adults and children and have found viral RNA in the stool, its not currently clear what this means – the secretions from our nose, respiratory viruses go into our esophagus to be swallowed, happens constantly with respiratory viruses,” said Williams, noting that there is evidence of other respiratory viruses in the stools of infected individuals.

“The question is, can it be transmitted to others via fecal material? This is likely most relevant with kids with diapers. All of us can have low level experience exposure of fecal material by poor hand washing but the only time you’re really exposed to a lot of fecal material is when we are changing kids diapers,” said Williams

However just because genetic traces from viruses are found in fecal matter does not mean that contact with fecal matter can make people sick. The viruses could be dead meaning that they can no longer infect people, but can still be picked up.

“This is really in contrast to a virus like norovirus (cruise ship virus) where people shed billions of virus particles in their fecal material and its easily transmitted person to person,” said Williams.

To prove that virus from fecal material could actually infect others, scientists would need to culture it from fecal samples in a special biosafety containment area, but these experiments have not yet been done. So overall, should parents be reassured by this study?

“Yes, I think so. It’s a small study, but every large or small piece of data we are getting suggests kids don’t get severe disease from this virus, although they get infected at similar rates and they might be spreaders of the virus,” said Williams.

However, there are many unknowns about coronavirus, and research is ongoing. Here is what we know now.

Can children catch coronavirus?

Yes. They can be infected with and appear to be able to transmit coronavirus, even if they do not have symptoms. That is why it is important for children to practice social distancing and hand-washing, even if they do not appear ill.

How does coronavirus affect children?

It is generally believed to cause milder symptoms in children, but the specific impacts by age are becoming clearer as the outbreak goes on.

Much of what we know today is based on reports out of China, where the outbreak began. There 2.4% of all identified cases were in children under 19 years old. An even smaller number within this group of children had severe symptoms, 2.5%, or what the World Health Organization (WHO) described as “a very small proportion”. But more research is being done and a clearer picture is still emerging.

Why does coronavirus affect children differently?

That remains unknown. Dr Jay C Butler, deputy director of infectious disease at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, “The phenomenon is very significant,” on a live-streamed show hosted by the Journal of the American Medical Association, but that the mechanisms are “really unknown”.

People aged 60 and older or with existing health conditions remain the most vulnerable to the coronavirus. That includes people with conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory conditions, according to the WHO.


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Download CBSE Class 10 Admit Card 2020

The Board will release the CBSE admit card 2020 for class 10th in the first week of February. It will be released online for private students, while the regular students will have to collect them from their respective schools. It is important to carry the CBSE 10th admit card 2020 on the days of the exam as no student will be allowed to write the exam without it. The admit card contains the exam time table, exam centre, student name, date of birth, CBSE roll number and exam day instructions. Students must keep the admit card carefully till the announcement of the results.

Admit Card CBSE 2020 Exam Download Procedure :

• Visit the official website of CBSE, i.e., cbse.nic.in
• Click on the link “Admit Card for Private Candidates – Examinations 2020” or you can directly visit the page by clicking here “Admit Card For Private Candidates“
• There you will find three options, click on any of the given options from Application No. or Previous Roll No. and Year or Candidate’s Name.
• Then fill the details that are asked and click on proceed.
• You will get your e-admit card.
• Check whether all the details in the admit card are mentioned correctly.
• After checking all the details, take the print out of the admit card and keep it safe with you for future use.

All the candidates are notified that they have to carry their CBSE Class 10th Admit Cards with them, without these Admit cards they will not be allowed to enter the examination premises. Along with the admit cards, candidates need to bring a valid photo identity proof with them.

For latest CBSE 2020 Exam News, register free at www.clarefy.com

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Developing Mental Focus & Concentration among Kids

Staying on task can be difficult, but it can be particularly challenging when you are surrounded by constant distraction and specifically in case of Child it’s really a gigantic task to be on track. In today's always-connected world, diversions are nothing more than a click away. Even during quiet moments, distraction is literally at fingertips. The ability to concentrate on something in our environment and direct mental effort toward it is critical for learning new things, achieving goals, and performing well across a wide variety of situations.

Thus, there is need of improving metal focus & concentration. And, improving our mental focus is achievable, but that does not mean that it is necessarily quick and easy. If it was simple, then we would all have the razor-sharp concentration of an elite athlete. It will take some real effort and one may have to make some major changes to some of the daily habits. Grown up people can improve their concentration with special exercises, however, with children, one needs to use a different strategies. A child can be helped to develop his or her concentration in various ways. These ways will teach the child certain habits and rules that would make it easier to focus and be less restless, while doing homework or carrying out tasks.

Here are 12 simple ways to help a child develop his mental focus & concentration. 

1.     Give Attention to Get Attention - How much attention a child gives a task also depends on whether he is enjoying himself. Many children struggle when asked to do something they don't want to do. The first time you introduce an activity that is more important to you than to your child, you are testing your creativity and flexibility as a parent and teacher. This is where the struggle lies for many parents/ teachers, because kids entering school have to do more structured, repetitive, and academic tasks, such as writing their names or sounding out letters. So the first thing that comes first is giving attention to the kid so that he/ she understands that his/ her attention is important.  

2.     Keep them physically active - Some physical activity, like playing, running or some sports, between study and tasks, would supply a way to vent out extra energy. This would help the child to be less restless, offset boredom and make it easier focus. Research shows that physical activities, such as cycling, playing football, running, etc., are not only good for their body but also for their mind. It helps children focus better on what they are doing. Child development experts say young kids should be able to focus between 4 and 20 minutes, possibly more, depending on the task. But this rule of thumb, just like any guideline for raising children, depends on the situation. And, important focus is ensure that the child has enough sleep at night, and also, some rest during the day and they can practice meditation and yoga too.

3.     Divide a Big Task into Small Chunks - A big task requires too much concentration and discipline, so it would be a good idea to divide it into smaller tasks. This could be applied to homework, housework and learning new skills. Doing small projects, which lead to the completion of a major project, give the feeling of progress and movement, making it easier to focus. A big task that requires time, dedication and focus, might seem intimating and overwhelming, and can awaken reluctance to tackle. A small task seems easier to carry through and there is less resistance.

4.     Reducing Distractions - Unless engaged in something they really like, children might find it difficult to screen out distractions. You need to keep the environment where they learn, study or carry out tasks, as distraction-free as possible. Be especially wary of television, loud music, noises, and anything else that might distract the child's attention.

5.     Reduce screen time - It is not a good idea to watch TV while doing homework, since this distracts the attention. Today mobile phones have become one of the perilous distractions among Kids. Kids are getting addicted to mobile phones which needs to be avoided. Instead of giving the child electronic games to play with, give them traditional, physical games. You can buy them things that propel creativity and thinking while having fun. Allot a certain hour for your kid’s daily screen time when they can watch TV or the internet. In this way, the screen time will remain in check.

6.     Doing Homework at the Same Hour Every Day - Repeating the same activity every day at the same hour, eventually, turns it into a habit. If a child sits down for homework every day at the same hour, after a while, when the hour comes, there will be less effort required to focus. The mind will know that the time for homework has arrived, and would be more willing to study.

7.     Let Children Have Play and Fun - Giving children too many tasks and involving them in too many activities can be overwhelming and tiring for their brains. As a parent/ teacher you should allow them enough time for pleasure and fun, so they don't feel too pressurized and bored.

8.     Play Games that Require Focus - You can train and strengthen a child's ability to focus by playing games that require thinking. There are a lot of such games, which you can find in stores selling games for children such as flintobox child engagement games & activities. Playing games that require focusing, planning and the use of memory combine fun with concentration.

9.     Allow Break before Beginning a New Task - When the child is busy, tell him what he has to do next, but allow a few minutes, till he stops and starts the new activity. This advice is more valid, when a child is engaged doing something likes and enjoys doing, since there would be reluctance to stop what he is doing and start do something else.

10.  Set goals: Develop a habit of setting goals and completing them in time. The goals need to be achievable and divide their study time into various categories to achieve. You can prepare a timetable for all their activities such as play time, study time, hobby time, etc. Set the time for completing a goal, like ten minutes, twenty minutes, etc. This might force the kid to focus, so as to finish the goal within the time limits. However, you should be careful with this, since some children might find setting time limits too pressurizing, and this could cause them anxiety and disturb their focus.

11.  Give daily responsibilities - Depending on your child’s age, hand out responsibilities like setting the table, making a sandwich with you, sorting the cupboard and the like. Thus, simple daily tasks that require order can help improve the child’s mind. And the tasks need to change on a regular basis so that your child does not lose interest.

12.  Appreciate and reward them - When you see your child improving and doing things better, give them a pat or some thoughtful gift. The children must feel motivated while doing a task as they need to feel accomplished when they complete a task. This helps children remain motivated and focused to perform more and better.

Thus, distractions in our modern day work have become voluminous which need a check & balance and in case of kids it’s highly essential.  There are many different strategies that can help minimize distractions, improve focus & concentrations among children. Not all work for everyone, which is why it is required to explore different strategies for the kids based on age and need.

Author
Dr. Ajit Kumar Kar
In-Charge (Learning & Development) @ IMFA Ltd., Judge - Brandon Hall HR Excellence Awards-2019 , Co-Founder - CHRD
www.ajitprofile.webs.com



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How to prepare for Board Exams 2020 .. Know the POMODORO TECHNIQUE

GET ORGANISED
Getting organised is the best way students can save time while preparing for exams. There are three aspects to this:

* Notes
Condense all the information  you need to prepare for the exam in one place. Having all your notes in one place and in easy access can save your life.
* Dedicated Study Place
It is always prudent to have a dedicated place to study which is equipped with everything you need to study. This conditions you to study whenever you sit there and primes your brain to concentrate on your work.
* Time Table
Once you have all your study material organised, it is time to organise your time. Just like a dedicated place to study, having a set time everyday to study primes your brain and puts you in the mood to study.

PLAN AHEAD
Every single student has had that one night of last minute preparation for an important exam and regretted it, only to repeat it. It is always better to plan ahead once you get your exam schedule and prepare a study schedule. This allows you to prioritise certain subjects and smartly organise your time. It might be unpleasant but it makes sense to dedicate more time to subjects you are struggling with. Also, tackling the least interesting subject first, when your concentration is high and then progressing to the most interesting will make things easier.

TIMING
Despite the fact that schools generally operate from 8 am to 2 pm, everyone has a different time of the day at which their concentration is at its highest point. It could be at 5 in the evening or 2 in the morning. Once you have identified whether you are an early bird or a night owl or anything in between, setting a dedicated study time becomes much easier and you are able to use every minute efficiently.

STUDY TECHNIQUE
As with timing, every student has a specific study technique which suits them best. Broadly, there are two different categories of learners:
* Visual Learners
Visual Learners, as the name suggests, study best using visual cues. For these types of readers, highlighting and mind maps are the best mediums to study.
* Auditory Learners
Auditory Learners remember and understand what they hear best. For these learners, recording themselves and listening to the recordings is the best way to study.

POMODORO TECHNIQUE
Spacing out study sessions into small chunks as opposed to cramming in long 10 hour sessions is always better. One technique developed by Francesco Cirillo is the Pomodoro Technique. This involves traditionally 25-minute study sessions separated by 5-minute breaks with every third break being 15-minutes long. This helps you grasp your content better without exhausting your brain. Of course, feel free to play around with the timings to find out what works best for you.

DEVELOP INTEREST
There is nothing better at killing motivation than a lack of interest and no better motivator than a genuine love for the material. Connecting what you are studying with your life helps develop interest because finding its relevance will make the content fascinating and help you grasp the concepts even better.

FLASHCARDS
No matter your grasp of concepts and interest in the subject, some things have to be memorized and using flashcards is the best way to memorize small bits of information. Whether you prefer simple physical flashcards or virtual flashcards, which use spaced repetition software, they always help.

HACK AKRASIA
‘Akrasia’ is a term that dates back to Plato and means ‘lack of command over one’s self’. It is Akrasia that draws you from your Math practice to YouTube videos. One of the best time management techniques is to hack your Akrasia and avoid procrastination. So put your phone away and turn that laptop off.

PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!
One of the best ways to succeed in any exam is to get your hands on past papers and practice in examination settings. Set a timer so that you are under the same time restriction that you would be in during the exam. This will help you familiarise yourself with the examination format and also help you realise how long you take to write every individual answer so that you will not run out of time on D-Day. It also trains your brain to retrieve rather than just recognise information.

RELAXATION IS NOT A LUXURY
One simple fact that students tend to forget is that relaxation is not a luxury. It is a necessity, especially when you are preparing for examinations or your brain will be in a daze. Studying can be mentally exhausting and if you don’t give your brain some rest, it will burn out. But relaxation should not become procrastination. Ensure that you hack your Akrasia and relax in moderation. This is one of the best exam tips.

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CBSE 2020 Expected Questions and Sample Sets

Now its the time for which you have been preparing and struggling since last ten years. Stressed out students and hopeful parents.. Its board exams time.

Registration has already started for sample and expected papers by all those who are believed to appear CBSE 10th Class exam in 2020. Have been designed by subject experts and available at www.clarefy.com


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Tamanna – Try And Measure Aptitude And Natural Abilities

Under the aegis of Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi have developed Tamanna - an Aptitude Test for Senior School Students to enable stakeholders knowing the aptitude of students of classes IX and X. Details about use of aptitude test, dimensions measured in the test, construction and standardization of the test, administration and scoring and understanding the meaning of aptitude test scores are available in the test manual. As a collaborative work, piloting of the aptitude test was done by the CBSE with 17,500 students studying in classes IX and X through its affiliated schools across different parts of the country.

Students, teachers and parents must keep in mind that the aptitude test provides information related to the strengths of students and there is no pass or fail in this test. The test should be taken voluntarily by interested students and must not be used to impose any subject etc. on the students.

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HRD Ministry drafts new National Educational Policy: 19 changes recommended

Aim of National Educational Policy

·        To equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge

·        To eliminate the shortage of manpower in science, technology, academics and industry

·        The Draft National Education Policy, 2019 is built on the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability.

Background work

For this, the MHRD initiated an unprecedented collaborative, multi-stakeholder, multi-pronged, bottom- up people-centric, inclusive, participatory consultation process.

The extensive consultations undertaken across multiple levels of online, expert and thematic, and from the grassroots ranging from village, block, urban local bodies, district, state, zonal and the national level, provided an opportunity to every citizen to engage in this massive exercise.

Changes

1. The committee has proposed to rename MHRD as Ministry of Education (MoE).

2. In school education, a major reconfiguration of curricular and pedagogical structure with Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as an integral part of school education is proposed.

3. The committee also recommends Extension of Right to Education Act 2009 to cover children of ages 3 to 18. A 5+3+3+4 curricular and pedagogical structure based on cognitive and socio-emotional developmental stages of children: Foundational Stage (age 3-8 yrs): 3 years of pre-primary plus Grades 1-2; Preparatory Stage (8-11 years): Grades 3-5; Middle Stage (11-14 years): Grades 6-8; and Secondary Stage (14-18 years): Grades 9-12.
Schools will be re-organized into school complexes.

4. It also seeks to reduce content load in school education curriculum.

5. There will be no hard separation of learning areas in terms of curricular, co-curricular or extra- curricular areas and all subjects, including arts, music, crafts, sports, yoga, community service, etc will be curricular.

6. It promotes active pedagogy that will focus on the development of core capacities: and life skills, including 21st century skills.

7. The committee proposes for massive transformation in teacher education by shutting down sub-standard teacher education institutions and moving all teacher preparation/education programmes into large multidisciplinary universities/colleges.

8. The 4-year integrated stage-specific B.Ed. programme will eventually be the minimum degree qualification for teachers.

9. In higher education, a restructuring of higher education institutions with three types of higher education institutions is proposed-

Type 1: Focused on world-class research and high quality teaching

Type 2: Focused on high quality teaching across disciplines with significant contribution to research;

Type 3: High quality teaching focused on undergraduate education. This will be driven by two Missions -Mission Nalanda & Mission Takshashila.

10. There will be re-structuring of Undergraduate programs (e.g. BSc, BA, BCom, BVoc) of 3 or 4 years duration and having multiple exit and entry options.

11. A new apex body Rashtriya Shiksha Ayog is proposed to enable a holistic and integrated implementation of all educational initiatives and programmatic interventions, and to coordinate efforts between the Centre and states.

12. The National Research Foundation, an apex body is proposed for creating a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.

13. The four functions of standard setting, Funding, Accreditation and Regulation to be separated and conducted by independent bodies: National Higher Education Regulatory Authority as the only regulator for all higher education including professional education.

14. Creation of accreditation eco-system led by revamped NAAC.

15. Professional Standard Setting Bodies for each area of professional education and UGC to transform to Higher Education Grants Commission (HEGC).

16. The private and public institutions will be treated on par and education will remain a 'not for profit' activity.

17. Several new policy initiatives for promoting internationalization of higher education, strengthening quality open and distance learning, technology integration at all levels of education, adult and lifelong learning and initiatives to enhance participation of under-represented groups, and eliminate gender, social category and regional gaps in education outcomes were also recommended.

18. Promotion of Indian and classical languages and setting up three new National Institutes for Pali, Persian and Prakrit.

19. Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI) has been recommended.

The path breaking reforms recommended will bring about a paradigm shift by equipping our students, teachers and educational institutions with the right competencies and capabilities and also create an enabling and reinvigorated educational eco-system for a vibrant new India

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23 'Habits' of People Who Experience Emotional Intensity

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “Feelings come and go.” This motto can be reassuring for someone feeling emotional or overwhelmed by uncomfortable feelings because it lets them know those feelings are only temporary. But for someone who experiences emotional intensity, this phrase might not bring much comfort.

Experiencing emotions with such intensity can be exhausting. It’s tough to control your emotions and even tougher to control the intensity of which you feel them. Some people cope with their emotional intensity through distraction (“I can zone out and create my own little world”), while others are thankful for this ability (“I love to feel emotions truly and deeply; this is what makes us alive”).

We wanted to know how those with emotional intensity react or cope with their emotions, so we asked our mental health community what “habits” they may have because they experience emotions so intensely.

Here’s what they shared with us:

1. “Dissociation. I get so overwhelmed with emotions I literally go numb and my brain shuts down.” — Leena S.
2. 
   
3. “Because I feel things so deeply, I take on the intensity of other people’s emotions. If they’re anxious, scared or nervous, I absorb it until I can feel it physically.” — Jody M.
4. 
   
5. “I often get sucked into games on my phone, I can zone out and create my own little worlds. It distracts me from my emotions so I don’t have to deal with them.” — Dianna M.
6. 
   
7. “When my emotions are intense, I spend money on things I don’t need.” — Amanda S.
8. 
   
9. “I obsess way too much. I meet up with someone and days later, I’ll still be analyzing the details of the day, like the little things they did and said to see if they had given me any hidden insults or disapprovals over my behaviors that day.” — Melissa A.
10. 
    
11. “I can sleep for hours after something that was emotional draining for me. Or if it is a deep conversation with someone, I will need to nap.” — Leesha K.
12. 
    
13. “Meditation. But I love to feel emotions truly and deeply; this is what makes us alive.” — Nadine H.
14. “Overthinking and isolating myself.” — Jolene E.
15. 
    
16. “I scratch my head. Once my emotions and thoughts get going, I make my head itch and it’s always the same spots. I can scratch for awhile before I realize what I’m doing.” — Jordyn O.
17. 
    
18. “Emotional eating, isolating myself, shutting myself down and not talking. If it happens when I’m around people, I’ll hide in the bathroom or somewhere else away from everyone.” — Natalie V.
19. 
    
20. “Silence. I shut myself off and keep quiet so I don’t have the chance to overreact. Music and my headphones are my best friends.” — Juniper R.
21. 
    
22. “When I’m nervous or anxious, I pick at the skin around my nails. I also can’t stop bouncing my right knee up and down.” — Meagan B.
23. 
    
24. “I tend to think everyone’s going to leave me. When it comes to expressing my interests, I tremble and find it hard to articulate words.” — Genkidama K.
25. 
    
26. “When I get bursts of anger, I become very sensitive to any noise, even if it’s just the sound of the TV. I have to sit in a room in complete silence in order to calm down.” — Lisbet F.
27. 
    
28. “Fear. Because of my own intense emotions and being empathic and feeling others’ emotions so hardcore, it scares me. I can’t control the feelings and it gets far too overwhelming.” — Phaedra M.
29. “I shut down and go numb. When I can get out of the situation, I break down and cry.” — Emily H.
30. 
    
31. “I have to disengage from situations and conversations, sometimes abruptly. It can appear rude. But if I don’t walk away I can lose control and let my emotions carry me away.” — Mary C.
32. 
    
33. “I have established grounding locations. When I feel super intense emotions, I drive there and wait it out. It gives me a good routine and a safe place to let my emotions wind down.” — Clara S
34. .
35. “I can’t watch regular shows or most movies. I watch mainly documentaries with a monotone narrator. Shows have too many emotional ups and downs, characters, etc., and it’s too stressful and upsetting for me.” — Christina M.
36. 
    
37. “Crawl in bed, stay under the blanket and sleep.” — Michelle B.
38. 
    
39. “I isolate myself. I can’t handle interacting with people because I take on their emotions as well. Mine are overwhelming enough without anyone else’s being thrown into the mix.” — Sara-jayne
40. 
    
41. “I have to physically distract myself to prevent outward expression.” — Hailey T.
42. 
    
43. “I feel like I can’t trust myself, or at least my emotions. I tell myself, ‘This will pass,’ but in the meantime, I feel like I’m drowning in a deluge of feelings.” — Lauren S.

Whatever habits you may have because of your emotional intensity, just know that you’re not alone. Your

emotions, as intense as they may feel, are valid.

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