Connecting with the computer

Sandhya Sawant
Technology is fascinating. Technology is all around you. But for first time users it can also be intimidating. Here are a few tips to familiarize primary school children with the computer.

The world according to textbooks

Shree Singh
The pen is mightier than the sword and a picture speaks a thousand words. Shouldn’t we then be a little more careful when printing textbooks? We must remember that sometimes textbooks are the only reading material that children may have and they can create strong impressions. Let us be mindful and tell children that a woman too can fly an aeroplane and a man can be a hair stylist.

To tell the truth

Kamakshi Balasubramanian
Truth is central to knowledge. But how do you decide something is true? What are the characteristics of truth? As difficult as it is to define truth, there are certain conditions that a piece of knowledge has to satisfy to be considered true and therefore worthy of being imbibed.

Art on the wall

Jamuna Inamdar
One of the striking features of most Indian cities, these days, is the vibrant art coming up on their walls and pillars. Chances are that every day you are passing by some of these creations. Why not use them to learn something new? From the history of wall art to tribal paintings, to art for a cause there is a lot one can learn from a piece of drawing on a wall.

Discover, describe and draw birds

Adithi Muralidhar
It is the International Year of the Bird and no better time to learn about bird behaviour, habitat, diet and their role in the environment. Here are some activities that you can give your students to help them to get to know their birds better.

From sweets and seeds to atoms and reactions

Yasmin Jayathirtha
Chemical reactions are an important part of the study of chemistry. What should you observe during a chemical reaction? What are the different things that you should note? How do you derive chemical equations? Find answers to these questions in this time’s Let’s Experiment.

My sad story

Subha Das Mollick
Plastic is ubiquitous and it is difficult not to use it in some form or other. But wherever we can let us try and recycle plastic and reduce toxic waste. Otherwise the plastic products we use will end up like the plastic bag in this story adding to the pollution in the environment.

What a math teacher needs to know

S Sundaram
Math is easy to teach, especially at the primary level. It is only basic arithmetic, right? Wrong. It is at this level that you need real math teachers. For it is here that the foundation for math is laid. And if the foundation is not strong, no amount of effort in the later stages will help a child fully internalize the subject.

A singular ten-year journey

Manaswini Sridhar
Variety is the spice of life and therefore when new teachers teach you every year, there are new expectations, excitements, and a much necessary freshness. And yet with a constant teacher comes a thorough understanding, a strong bond, and honest effort. The author recounts her experience of teaching one student for 10 long years.

How I learned about learning by doing

Anwar Jafar Rayma
We are all aware of the famous Chinese proverb—I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand. When working with children we understand how true this statement is. A teacher recounts his experiences of employing the ‘learning by doing’ method in his classroom.