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Ekya / September 11, 2017 Posted by : administrator

“We need to prepare our students for the demands of the future.”

Having started her career as an Electrical Engineer, Ms. Ahlada’s passion for Computer Science brought her to Ekya Schools. Today, she designs the Computer curriculum for Grades 1 to Grade 12 at the Ekya Learning Center. In addition to setting the learning areas of the subject, she also teaches Computer Science at Senior School of Ekya ITPL. With a B.E in Electronics and Instrumentation from Madras University, she also holds an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Tennessee Technological University, a certification in SAS training and a B.Ed.

Working with artificial intelligence a few years ago versus designing the Ekya curriculum, we sit down with Ms. Ahlada and speak to her about her experience with Ekya Schools and her transition into the role of a curriculum developer and teacher. Here are the excerpts:

Q: What do you do at Ekya Schools? How does your day of work typically go at Ekya Schools?

I work as a curriculum developer for Ekya Learning Center. I develop, maintain and update Computer Science curriculum across Grades 1 to 12.  My typical day at Ekya begins at 8 am and ends by 4.15 pm. My daily responsibilities include:

  • Researching digital platforms that are being used in other curricula and their effectiveness in the teaching-learning process for Computer Science
  • Planning the units for each grade level.
  • Designing learning plans.
  • Creating review papers.
  • Creating resource material for the curriculum.
  • Incorporating meaningful technological integration that would encourage the  students in solving real world problems.
  • Evaluating the designed curriculum by assimilating and observing students’ work.

Q: How is the culture here at Ekya? How is it working here and what do you enjoy about it?

The culture at Ekya is open, warm and welcoming. Ekya stands for the ideal, ‘United as One”. Every morning, students are greeted by their class teachers before they enter the class. Teachers are welcomed by the head of the school with a handshake and a warm smile. Students and teachers at Ekya Schools create Social Contracts, where they decide how the behaviour of a class or a team should be.

At Ekya Learning Center, we engage in lively group discussions and share ideas and resources with one another. I enjoy the bonhomie at my workplace and the healthy, intelligent interactions that help us work well as a team.

Q: How did you transition from your previous role to the one you hold at Ekya right now?

My previous jobs include being part of an R&D project where I performed predictive analysis using artificial intelligence mechanisms for power system contingency studies. I had also worked as a data analyst for a short while after which I took a break due to family commitments. I joined Ekya School, ITPL as a computer science teacher in 2012.  Being able to leave on time helped me take care of family needs and I could compartmentalize work and home as two different spaces.

Q: How have you changed as a person, coming in from a corporate fold?

Being a teacher meant engaging with students, collaborating and exchanging ideas and information with them. This was an immense learning curve for me. I began to understand the importance of the teaching learning process, classroom management, the right ways of communication. This experience has helped me become a lifelong learner. I have also taken away important aspects like empathy, teamwork, social responsibility, personalized teaching and incorporated it in my personal life. This was in stark contrast to my previous job where I was tied to a machine for long hours and had a very monotonous work life.

Q: Have you ever seen yourself be part of an educational set-up prior to Ekya? How has the community here help you find your feet?

No. I felt the need to have work life balance and looked at educational institutions as a way of meeting my expectations. After joining Ekya, I found that I enjoyed teaching. Every single day as a teacher is a unique experience with its own set of challenges. My peer group and the vice principal helped me get my bearing with constructive feedback and support. Ekya helped me feel at home and encouraged my thoughts on how the Computer Science curriculum could be changed to better suit our changing world. After five years as a teacher and understanding the needs of students, I transitioned as a curriculum developer. Ekya continues to guide me as I learn new things and contribute to shaping the future of many, many students in a meaningful manner.

Ms. Ahlada believes that we need to gear our education to create innovators and thinkers who can tackle the challenges of an increasingly tech-dependent world.

And at Ekya, we are doing exactly that! Using immersive and experiential teaching methods that help students live the lesson, our schools enable students to explore, understand, build memories and become lifelong learners. And to help them become lifelong learners, we are looking for space explorers, painters and inventors who teach!

We are hiring! If you are considering to become an educator, to make a career switch to teaching – one that is dynamic and multi-faceted, we look forward to your application here.

 

Explore more

Ekya / May 08, 2024

15 English Language Mistakes That You Should Avoid

Although English is a funny language, it has become a global language. It is one of the highest-speaking languages in the world. And to effectively communicate in English is crucial in today’s time. For students, parents, and professionals alike, speaking English confidently and correctly is a necessary skill.  However, speaking in English can be tough, especially for beginners. It takes confidence and knowledge to put sentences together and express your ideas in a language that might not feel comfortable yet. Even as you get better, there are still some common errors in the English language that can sneak into your speech. Most of them aren't a big deal, but sometimes they can cause misunderstandings.  As one of the best CBSE Schools in Bangalore, we’ve identified fifteen common English language mistakes and give you tips on how to fix them, so your next conversation can go more smoothly. 

Not Speaking Enough

One common mistake is not speaking English enough. Many students feel shy to speak English at first, but speaking is one of the best ways to improve your command over the language. Imagine a cricket player who only watches others play but never picks up a bat themselves. They would never get better. The same goes for English. So, don't be afraid to use your voice. Talk with friends, ask questions to teachers in English, or even practice speaking to yourself. The more you speak, the better you'll get. 

Translating from Your Native Language

A common error in the English language many students make is trying to directly translate their thoughts from their native language into English. This is a problem because translations are rarely exact and it takes longer for your brain to do the work. Even if your English is basic, don't worry. Use the expressions and phrases you have learned. Practice using new expressions so they become a part of your regular vocabulary.. 

Emphasizing The Wrong Syllable

Another tricky English language error is emphasizing the wrong syllable. It's like singing a song out of tune. For example, "import" is pronounced as "im-PORT" not "IM-port." Another one is "address" which is pronounced as "a-DRESS" not "AD-dress." These little changes in emphasis can change the meaning of words and make it hard for others to understand.  To improve this, listen carefully to your teachers and make note of how they say the word. The best ICSE schools in Bangalore prioritize proper syllable emphasis in spoken and written English, incorporating it into the grammar lessons. Additionally, you can watch English movies, sitcoms, or cartoons to mimic how they emphasize the syllable. 

Pronouncing Sounds That Aren’t There

Pronouncing sounds that aren't there is a common mistake in English. It happens when we add extra sounds to words. For example, saying "aks" instead of "ask". To avoid this, we need to pronounce words correctly and not add any extra or unnecessary sounds.

Overuse of “Will” for Future

This is one of the most common English grammar mistakes. A lot of students rely too much on the word “will” when composing future sentences. While it may seem like the easiest option, using the more versatile structure of "going to + base form" is actually more appropriate in many situations.  "Will" is best suited for promises, spontaneous decisions, predictions, and future actions beyond the speaker's control. However, when discussing plans for the future, it is more accurate to use "going to". For instance, instead of saying "Tomorrow I will go to the bank," it is correct to say "Tomorrow I am going to the bank."

Adding Unnecessary Words and Missing Necessary Words

Another common English Grammar mistakes that students often make are adding unnecessary words or leaving out necessary ones. These errors can make sentences sound confusing or change their meaning completely. For example, saying "I am agree with you" is incorrect because the verb "agree" doesn't need the helping verb "am" before it.  On the other hand, forgetting a necessary word can also lead to problems. For instance, saying "I looking for a bus to the city center" is incorrect because the word "am" is missing. When talking about something happening right now, we use the Present Continuous tense by adding "am," "is," or "are" before the verb, along with the suffix "-ing." So, a correct version of the sentence would be "I am looking for a bus to the city center." Remember, it's important to use the correct words and structure so that your meaning is clear. 

Saying Incorrect Negative Sentences

Students often make mistakes when forming negative sentences. For instance, saying “I no like pizza" instead of "I don't like pizza." In the Present Simple, to create a negative sentence, we need to use "don't" or "doesn't" before the verb.  It's also important to remember that after "he," "she," or "it," we should use "doesn't" and remove the "-s" ending from the verb. For example, instead of saying "He's not wanting to go," the correct phrasing is "He doesn't want to go." 
  • Using the Wrong Word Order in Questions 
Using the incorrect word order in questions is another common English language mistake. For instance, asking "What you are doing now?" instead of the correct form, "What are you doing now?".  Remember word order is crucial in the English language. In questions, following this pattern is necessary: question word (what) + auxiliary verb (are) + subject (you) + verb (doing) + complement, time, place (now).  Top schools in Bangalore, like Ekya Schools, emphasize the importance of students asking questions in English and providing corrections when necessary. 

Not Using Adverbs

Many beginners don’t use adverbs in their speech. Adverbs are words that describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They add more details to a sentence and make it more interesting. For example, instead of saying "he ran fast," we can say "he ran quickly." Adverbs help us paint a clearer picture of what is happening. So don't forget to use adverbs in your speech to make it livelier and more descriptive.

 Missing Comma in a Compound Sentence

Not using commas or pauses in a sentence while talking or writing can lead to confusion. It becomes difficult to distinguish between different thoughts or ideas, making the overall communication less clear. A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction like "and" or "but."  For example, instead of saying "I went to the store and I bought some apples," we should say "I went to the store, and bought some apples." By using a comma, we can indicate the pause between the two independent clauses. This helps our listeners understand our thoughts and ideas more effectively. So, don't forget to include commas in compound sentences when you're speaking or even writing. 

Faulty sentence structure

Faulty sentence structure is a common English language error that arises when a sentence is not properly constructed. This can make the sentence difficult to read and understand. An example of this error is using too many commas, which can make a sentence disjointed and confusing. Another example is failing to use proper subject-verb agreement, which can make a sentence grammatically incorrect. To avoid this error, it's important to practice constructing sentences with clarity and precision. 

Lack of pronoun

A common error in English is forgetting to use pronouns. Pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition. For example, instead of saying "John went to the store," just say "He went to the store." Remember to use pronouns like he, she, it, they, we, etc. 

Unnecessary Shift in Verb Tense

It occurs when there is an inconsistent change in verb tense within a sentence, paragraph, or passage. This can confuse the reader and disrupt the flow of the writing. To avoid this error, you should ensure that you maintain a consistent verb tense, making sure that all verbs match in past, present, or future tense. 

nnecessary or Missing Apostrophe 

An unnecessary or Missing Apostrophe is another common error. For example, "it's" is a contraction of "it is" and should not be used to show possession. Instead, "its" without an apostrophe indicates possession. Missing apostrophes result in incorrect pluralization, such as "apple's" instead of "apples".  

Poorly Integrated Quotation

Lastly, poorly Integrated Quotation is a common English grammar mistake. It happens when a quote is not smoothly integrated into a sentence.  For example, "She said, 'I like pizza.' instead of 'She said that she likes pizza.' To fix it, we need to integrate the quote correctly into the sentence. 

It is okay to make mistakes while learning. However, the key is to learn from those mistakes and continuously improve. Learning English may be challenging, but the rewards it brings are immeasurable. By being mindful of grammar mistakes and actively working to avoid them, you can enhance your fluency and communication skills.  So, embrace the learning journey, avoid common English language mistakes, and watch yourself grow more confident and fluent in English.  For exceptional mastery over English , consider Ekya Schools, one the best CBSE schools in Bangalore. Call 080-49609096 for more information about admissions.     

Ekya / May 07, 2024

What Is IGCSE And Is It the Right Choice for My Child?

Every parent wants their child to have the best education, you are no different. However, when finding the right school for your child, you are often presented with a plethora of options. One such option that has grown in popularity in recent years is the IGCSE Schools in Bangalore. It is a globally recognized board and its curriculum is designed to foster holistic growth among students.  As one of the top IGCSE schools in Bangalore, we will explain what IGCSE is and help you decide if IGCSE schools are suitable for your child.

What is IGCSE?

The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is an internationally recognized board created by the University of Cambridge in England. It caters to 14–16 year olds (usually grades 9-10) and prepares them for further university studies worldwide. IGCSE courses offer a rich curriculum that tailors to individual strengths and nurtures the skills and competencies of students. Here are some of the benefits of IGCSE schools for your child.

Student-Centric Approach

The IGCSE curriculum is student-centric and fosters creativity. Teachers and students contribute equally to the class, making it an enriching experience. Learning is practical, allowing students to understand concepts better through real-life applications. IGCSE schools encourage students to ask questions, share ideas, and learn collaboratively with their peers. This approach nurtures logical and creative thinking skills in students. 

Preparing for the Universities

One of the major advantages of joining IGCSE schools is that the students here are well-prepared for further studies. This is made possible by the extensive knowledge and benefits that come from a globally standardized education. The students are encouraged to become independent thinkers and learners which is crucial for university studies. IGCSE schools focus on understanding and grasping the concepts rather than just memorizing. These are the traits most universities look for in a student. 

A Community Worldwide

The IGCSE program brings together students from all over the world in a global community. Children learn how to be inclusive and empathetic towards different people and cultures. This helps them develop a broad perspective. The program also allows each child to become a part of a diverse and comprehensive global community.

Inquiry-Based Learning

IGCSE courses foster curiosity in students by emphasizing real-life experiences, exploration, and expression. This encourages children to ask questions and research answers, helping them gain a better understanding of their communities and the world around them.

Rigorous Assessments

Top IGCSE schools in Bangalore such as Ekya Schools offer a rich experience for students with thought-provoking assessments. These include a variety of modes such as oral, written, coursework, and practical assessments. These assessments offer questions of different difficulty levels, enabling students to challenge themselves and discover their strengths and weaknesses. By instilling confidence and boosting morale, the IGCSE curriculum empowers students to plan their future educational journeys. 

Choice of Subjects that Cater to Different Abilities

The IGCSE subjects are designed to meet the needs of different students. With over 70 subjects to choose from, including 30 languages, schools can offer a combination that suits each student. Students must select at least 5 subjects, which include: 
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Humanities and Social Science
  • Languages
  • Creative, Technical, and Vocational Subjects Students also have a wide range of 30 languages to choose from, including their mother tongue.

Recognized by Universities Across the World

The IGCSE is the most recognized examination qualification across the world. Students with these qualifications are accepted into several countries like the US, UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, and Singapore. Many universities acknowledge and accept the IGCSE curriculum as part of their entrance criteria. The IGCSE opens up opportunities for further vocational education and serves as a strong foundation for employment. Students with IGCSE backgrounds have the necessary abilities that employers value in potential employees.

In conclusion, choosing the best school for your child can be a daunting task considering the number of options today. However, if you think a strong syllabus and robust curriculum are best for your child, IGCSE schools are the way to go. To find the best IGCSE schools near Bannerghatta Road, look no further than Ekya Schools in JP Nagar. Our goal is to give students a well-rounded education that nurtures critical thinking, and creativity along with academic excellence.Join us and allow your child to delve into the stimulating realm of IGCSE subjects, nurturing their personal growth and development along the way.. We're here to shape future leaders with an inclusive and inspiring learning environment.      

Ekya / May 06, 2024

Common Mistakes When Making A Class Presentation

A successful school presentation demands a lot more than just good content. Presentations are more about expressing and explaining things in a creative manner which involves two important parts- the content in an understandable form and its way of presenting it. The second involves speaking skills, presentation skills, voice modulation, and more. Many aspects of class presentation should be taken into consideration. However, there are a few common mistakes that are often committed during its preparation: 

Not Doing Your Research

Whatever topic you choose to present, you need to have a good knowledge about it. Well, that will only come with good research skills. You can do that by getting help from your teacher, the school library, or the Internet. Research not only helps you with better presentation but will also prepare you to answer the questions asked during the question hour.  

Not Making a Proper Introduction

 Whether the presentation is in front of a small group or you are representing your school, a small introduction about yourself along with the topic’s introduction is a must. This not only gives you a great start but also gives the audience an idea of what the presentation is about. To make your introduction a bit more interesting, you can start the presentation with a quote or some statistics to grab attention. 

Lack of preparation for the presentation

Not preparing well before the presentation day may put you in a difficult spot. It is possible that you will present well but you are internally not satisfied with your performance. Well, one of the best ways to prepare is to at least go through the content twice. Practice in front of the mirror or ask your parents to be the audience during the preparations. This way, you will get to know your weak areas and work more on them. You will be fully prepared to capture the attention of the audience with your confidence and speaking skills. 

Confident Body Language

Confidence is the key to a good presentation. It is not something that will develop overnight, we need to work on it. As per a study, poor body language affects your confidence. You need to understand that your language speaks a lot about your personality. With good content and strong body language, confidence reflects automatically. For class presentations, you can practise hand movements and voice modulation. Another important point that should not be ignored is maintaining eye contact with the audience. Before the final presentation day, it is advisable to practice in front of a mirror.

Not Being Engaging

 If you want your audience to understand the presentation well, then keep it engaging. A presentation full of text will make it boring so, to keep a balance between the infographics and text to make it more interesting and engaging. If possible, minutes of video related to your topic. This will keep your audience entertained. Remember whenever on stage  it is your responsibility to keep your audience engaged sensibly without going off-track. 

Inconsistent Slides

 Presenting slides in a good way demands a perfect framework that involves a lot of things and often focusing on one aspect might lead to ignoring others. Here are a few common slide mistakes made during the presentation. 
  1. Overcrowding the slides: It is one of the most common presentation mistakes often committed by students. You need to understand that for presentation “less is more” fits perfectly. Instead of too much text, visuals should be used. Instead of paragraphs, pointers should be used. Using different colours also makes the presentation interesting.
  2. Reading directly from the slides: Reading directly from the slides only projects you as underconfident and unprepared. Although it might seem a little tempting and an easier option, the best is to make small pointers of important topics on which you want to talk.
  3. Complicated data: Data should be presented in a way that the written content becomes more understandable. For this Pie charts or bar graphs in different colours can be used. 
  4. Not maintaining the hierarchy: Arranging the slides haphazardly
  5.  only confuses the students. It will distract them as there will be less clarity regarding the points. 

Going Off-Topic

Many times you might go off-topic to make your point more clear during the presentation. But as a presenter, you need to understand that class presentations and question sessions should be done within a time limit. For this students need to maintain the flow as per the hierarchy and should have an idea about which points need more explanation than the others. This will only come with a few practice sessions before your final day. 

Not being prepared for feedback and questions

 Once you finish your presentation, allow your audience to put their doubts in front of you. This way not only will your audience get a chance to clarify their doubts but you will also learn to tackle difficult questions. Sometimes, if you have no answer or are in doubt about the question, it is ok to accept and consider returning with better research next time.  As a presenter, you need to keep the flow of your presentation in a positive direction and end it on a positive note. It leaves a good impression on the audience. Keeping a way forward slide at the end is a good way to end. You can also present an idea about a drive you want to start in your school related to some global concern. But make sure everything is related to your topic of presentation. Nothing should go off-track.

If you are searching the internet with terms like- the best schools in Bengaluru or ICSE schools in Bangalore, CBSE syllabus schools consider Ekya Schools. We are among the leading schools in Bangalore, offering the best quality education. Our Understanding by Design (UbD) framework curriculum is designed in a way that caters not just to the academic requirements of a student but simultaneously builds the overall personality of the student.  We encourage students to actively participate in co-curricular and other group activities like presentations. This helps in building confidence and developing skills like speaking skills, presentation skills, tackling questions, and more. We have expert faculty that prepares our students for holistic development. At Ekya, different school clubs also help students develop different skills such as music, dance, coding, debating, and more.  Hopefully, the above information will be helpful.      
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Decoding the role of Growth Mindset in Education

At Ekya, we strongly believe that a person’s ability and intelligence can be honed through practice, hard-work, dedication and motivation. This is why we invest our time and efforts towards creating an environment that promotes and develops a 'Growth Mindset' among the educators and students alike. What is Growth mindset? Growth mindset is a concept that has been developed by Carol Dweck, a professor of Psychology at Stanford University. An individual with a Growth mindset thrives on challenge and sees failure as a heartening springboard for growth and for stretching his/her existing abilities. A student may have the brains and talent but what is more important is his/her ability to be able to stay motivated, display grit and perseverance in completing a task and growing significantly more each day. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishments in every area of work and life. What is on the other side of the spectrum? Fixed mindset, on the other hand is a notion that our character, intelligence and creative ability are inherent qualities – they are static and we can’t change them in any meaningful way. People with a fixed mindset believe that you are either born with these qualities or not, and nothing can change that. They think what they are is predetermined, that which cannot be developed or improved upon. Ms. Dweck notes that such individuals strive for success and avoid failure at all costs become a way of maintaining the sense of being smart or skilled. What does “Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset” seem like? From excerpts of her latest book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Ms. Dweck talks about the difference between the two:
In one seminal study, we offered four-year-olds a choice: They could either redo an easy jigsaw puzzle, or try a harder one. Even these young children conformed to the characteristics of one of the two mindsets — those with “fixed” mentality stayed on the safe side, choosing the easier puzzles that would affirm their existing ability; those with the “growth” mindset thought it an odd choice to do the same puzzle over and over if they aren’t learning anything new.
In other words, the fixed mindset kids wanted to make sure they succeeded in order to seem smart, whereas the growth mindset ones wanted to stretch themselves, for their definition of success was about becoming smarter. How does either mindset react to feedback? Through her research, Ms. Dweck noticed that with a fixed mindset were only interested in hearing feedback that reflected directly on their present ability, but tuned out information that could help them learn and improve. They even showed no interest in hearing the right answer when they had gotten a question wrong, because they had already filed it away in the failure category. Those with a growth mindset, on the other hand, were keenly attentive to information that could help them expand their existing knowledge and skill, regardless of whether they’d gotten the question right or wrong — in other words, their priority was learning, not the binary trap of success and failure. These findings are especially important in education and how we, as a culture assess intelligence. Hence, when we as educators value effort over ability, we are setting a culture of Growth Mindset in our classrooms, making challenges seem motivating and learning more fun. This will enable our students to view themselves as lifelong learners and their personal success will be about working their hardest to become their best.
Ms. Dweck on the importance of picking on such a mindset at an early age
At Ekya, our focus is more on the child's learning than achievement. Yes, we celebrate our success but we value the trials and tribulations that got us there. By adopting the Growth Mindset, we allow our students to love what they do and not hold them back from what they are capable of.

Why 100 mark papers are a thing of the past

The first standard measure for human intelligence was developed in the early 1900s. French psychologist Alfred Binet designed the formal IQ test which was administered in 1905 and measured the mental age of students entering the mass system of education at that time. Since then, the traditional IQ test has undergone several revolutions and scientific understanding of human intelligence has matured alongside. Today, intelligence is hardly seen as a singular ability. Instead, Professor Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence – a theory that suggests there are six types of intelligence - is now widely accepted. Another kind of intelligence strongly predicts lifelong success and that is Emotional Intelligence (or EI). To add to that, context specific traits like grit and perseverance, along with student mindsets contribute tremendously to lifelong success.
Standardized assessments in education over the years
With so many factors at play, what is the best way of assessing student learning? Throughout the 20th century, paper pencil standardized tests have been most common and popular. A standardized test is an assessment that is rigid, has a pre-determined marking scheme and is administered to a large base of students. The 1900s saw the institutionalization of such a test for measuring/selecting almost everything – student learning, employee psychometric, job entrances and even artistic ability.

"Such tests emerged in the post-industrial era when factories and large business units required many labourers but few thinkers."

As a result, a test that told you a little about everyone was preferred to an alternative that told you a lot about one person. This was especially so because the former was more cost effective. Additionally, collecting and analyzing data on individuals placed a heavy demand on time so it was deemed impossible given the lack of technology at the time. To understand the history and application of Standardized tests, please watch the following video: Today, technology has made it feasible to design and analyse assessments that track not one but multiple facets of a child. However, the obstacle now is not one of technology. It is one of mind set. Teachers, policy makers, educationists and even parents often prefer a traditional system where students can be assessed from time to time, neatly marked and then put away until it is time to test them again. The system – as everyone says – has been working. And everyone is not wrong. The system has been delivering what it intended to deliver – a workforce that can fit into neat job descriptions. But the world today is no longer neat. The freelance economy in the US and Europe has grown tremendously in the past decade and 9-5 jobs are shrinking[1]. Add to that the leaps being made in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and one confronts a future very different from the present we find ourselves in. For this reason, when it comes to education, HOW students learn has become as important as WHAT they learn;

"It is imperative that children develop a strong learning process and the right attitude towards learning."

And so, varied assessment systems need to be in place so that children have multiple opportunities to express what they know and understand. This way, each child’s learning can be guided in a way that eventually promotes mastery for all children. A fitting analogy for learning any concept or skill is the scaling of a mountain. The end goal is to get all children to the summit but a single test based approach for measuring learning tells all children to scale the mountain by walking up the same path. It does not allow students to explore other paths where some choose to climb over rocks, others rappel their way up, and still others climb steadily. By giving children varied learning experiences and by using a variety of approaches to measure learning, we arrive at a more holistic understanding of where a child is and where she/he needs to go. At Ekya, the assessment pattern has been developed by taking into consideration these insights. You can read more about our assessment pattern here. Along with formal assessments, students’ capabilities are gauged through assessments like “Project Based Assessments” and “Group Assessments” that not only test for subject understanding but also highlight a child’s resourcefulness, creativity, ability to take concepts from concrete to abstract, ability to work with others, and much more that is not captured by a two dimensional paper pencil test. For more on 21st Century thinking around assessments, please pick up a copy of “The End of Average: How to succeed in a world that values sameness” by Todd Rose, Director Mind, Brain and Education, Harvard University.   [1] According to a report by the McKinsey Global Institute the freelance workers constitute 30% of all workers and this trend is on the rise

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