Learning is a life-long process, there is no end to it. A person who stops learning is equivalent to being dead.
My journey of eight months as an Educator at Ekya, J.P. Nagar has been a sweet and very educational one. There was something new that was learnt every day, that not only impacted me as an educator but as a person on the whole. I have always believed that the kind of people one surrounds themself with, defines the kind of person they are likely to become. And any person that surrounds themselves with the crowd like that of EJPN is likely to undergo a positive transformation. There are new things that we learn, unlearn and discover. At Ekya JP Nagar, every day is a new, exciting day.
In retrospect, my organizational skills have gotten better. At Ekya, the smallest of the details are planned with precision and not simply rendered unimportant. In order to be organized at such a level of precision, it requires one to stay committed to doing the best. With the regular learning audits and observations, I have always been motivated to do my best. I have understood that what I can do is way beyond my imagination. The feedback given to me was valuable and has been instrumental in helping me become a better teacher and provide my students with a wonderful learning experience.
Not all days are good days. I have experienced both highs and lows during my 8 months at Ekya. But the support and encouragement from the leadership team have helped me get over some of the hard days. The teachers in the leadership team set excellent examples for the rest of us to follow, learn from, and model out to the students. They help create a conducive environment for the rest of us to work in. They stay true to the word ‘Ekya’ by creating an inclusive environment for all of us – One never feels left out.
At Ekya, you not only become a better teacher, but also a better person. Some of the practices followed at Ekya, for example – beginning the day with good things, grounding activities, SEE learning has made me a better person. I have become more mindful of my surroundings and the people around me. I am able to navigate through my emotions in a better way and stay positive.
My journey so far has been full of learning and transforming into a better person. Looking forward to many more exciting days, full of learning, at Ekya.
Projects can be interesting!
Blog by Prerana Moolchandani, Grade IX A
Ekya School JP Nagar.
Usually, projects are learning experiences that engage us with research and analysis, supplementing the lessons we learn in our subject areas. These activities help us develop our imaginative and creative side too. It, however, needs a lot of patience and time for completion. Some of us get engrossed in them, while some of us find them to be a burden.
I usually like spending my spare time doing something other than “projects” but my perspectives on projects changed after the project “Meme Creation”. This project was initiated by our social science teacher, Ms. Rupjyoti.
“ Meme creation” was a project whose objective was to help us develop our creativity as well as relate history to current times. This project also served as a medium to explore a topic related to our academics in detail and learn new aspects of it which gave us a better understanding of the topic. We were allowed to choose any topic from our history and civics chapters and present it humorously.
I am a very patriotic person, and therefore I believe that it is my duty to know about our country, its laws, and the constitution. Not just for academic benefit but also out of curiosity, I like studying civics. Hence, I chose the chapter “ fundamental rights and duties.” from civics, blended history into it, and created a “meme” out of it.
My interest in environmental science and ecology made me research the amount of pollution in our country and I discovered that the Taj Mahal in Agra will turn yellow soon due to acid rain and pollution. This persuaded and encouraged me to bring out the issue of pollution sarcastically and hence I chose this topic. Enclosed is the meme I created. Shah Jahan is truly upset that his masterpiece is under threat!!! Spotlighting and emphasizing such topics is important; what better way than humor to create awareness of our fundamental duties towards the environment.
I also enjoyed observing the memes curated by my peers. I must admit that their work highlights their individuality and brings out their insightful nature which excites me to interact with them. Some of my peers chose topics within modern history and the British era, while some of them explored topics related to traditional Indian culture and composite culture. Some liked to emphasize specific personalities like the imperial Mughals or the clever Britishers.
I would like to acknowledge their efforts for this project and make it decidedly, the most fun and memorable project for me.
Indiscriminate use of Social media by students during the pandemic and its impact
Sreepriya Unnikrishnan
Social media addiction among teens and young adults has increased multifold during the pandemic. It is considered a behavioral disorder in which the individuals are totally captivated or trapped by social media and are unable to free themselves from its clutches despite clear consequences and drawbacks. Teenagers engage in some form of social media or other or if not several, on a daily basis (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, Discord, Video games).
This has led to increased indiscriminate and blind consumption of media, increased dependence on social media as a way to feel good, losing out on physical social engagements, causing a negative impact on learning, strained relationships with family and friends.
A very important cause for concern is the decline in mental health as a result of increased Social media addiction and also the fact that Social media is an easy platform for online aggression, cyberbullying, impacting the emotional wellbeing of children. All this has led to a decreased focus on academics and a decline in academic performance.
FOMO or ‘Fear Of Missing Out is apparently “that uneasy and sometimes all-consuming feeling that you're missing out on or not being included in what your peers are doing”, which is another main reason why teenagers are unable to be off social media.
The only way to save our youth from the fangs of social media addiction is not to totally deprive them of their engagement on Social media, but to prevent addiction to it by way of supporting them and guiding them to engage with social media safely, responsibly, and effectively.
We need to remind them to balance their time spent online with chores, homework, spending quality time with family and friends rather than being cooped up in front of the computer or phone screens all the time. It is important to keep a watch on the activities the children are engaged in instead of allowing them to be all by themselves and engage liberally with social media.
While this is indeed an uphill battle, we still can have an influence on the way our children see the effects of social media, helping them make the right decisions.
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