Build your STEM Competency through AI - Part 1

Open any search engine or social media tool, and you'll find AI popping up everywhere. It's tempting to explore it, but there's also a sense of apprehension about the unknown. As a Physics teacher, it reminds me of Lenz's Law, which states that the direction of induced current in a conductor by a changing magnetic field is such that the induced current opposes the change in the initial magnetic field. Simply put, when AI gets close, you may want to distance yourself, but when it's far away, curiosity draws you back in.  

The big question on every educator's mind is how?  Let me start with my humble beginning simply by navigating the net and attending a few webinars. 

The OECD webinar, 'How teachers can use AI effectively' shared some good insights. My friend, Vineeta Garg showed great MS Teams tools under assignments like learning accelerators for reading progress, speaker progress, and search progress to enhance class experiences. Do explore it and hope it supports language learning within your classrooms. 

It is my exploration that revealed to me the magic of AI. 

1. Presentations - I stumbled upon the app, 'gamma ai' and to have it create a presentation for me within minutes was phenomenal. Moreover, it is free and you can create 5 presentations. You can upload your own PPT and get it modified. You can even create websites or documents. You can increase the number of presentations by referral. The link to the app is gamma.app  Initially, I felt like a child playing with it, discovering what more it could do for me. I've shared a small video below, but believe me, the potential is even greater. 

2. Classroom content and assessments - The next AI tool an educator, truly enjoyed is MagicSchool AI. It offers a free version for 15 days and then you need to pay but the benefits are enormous. Create lesson plans on 5E's, create assessments, create rubrics, create questions related to real life in Math, simulate science experiments, address misconceptions, and even access a free course to guide you. My video below will demonstrate the vast benefits. 

3. Video generator - The next app is Pictory AI and it can create a video for your class from scripts, from articles, and also help you edit recorded videos. Many of my colleagues have created videos on the workings of a roller coaster to show the laws of physics. Why don't you dabble in and create some exciting videos for your class? 

I recently conducted a teacher training session at my school, bringing together educators from across the city to share insights on AI integration. The response was overwhelmingly positive. This enthusiasm signals a future where we will cultivate a group of teachers proficient in balancing AI tools with social-emotional learning (SEL). This blend will ensure that education becomes truly inclusive and impactful for all students.

A word of caution: AI can create content and visuals, but it may not always be 100% accurate. As the expert, it's crucial to verify the content yourself. Use AI to help you reduce the effort spent on routine tasks, allowing you to focus more on supporting your students' social-emotional learning (SEL) and achieving their learning goals.

Additionally, be aware that AI-generated images often portray people as attractive and slim, which does not reflect the diversity of the real world. Addressing this bias in your classes is important.

In our next blog, we will explore more AI tools that can help alleviate your workload.

"Navigating Teenage Turbulence: A Parent's Guide to Overcoming Challenges and Building Stronger Bonds"

Consider the scenario in a school. It is an Open House for senior secondary students, and Raj has not performed well in his academics. His assignments are never on time and he idles away his time on his mobile. The parents are called along with the students and requested to ensure their wards are consistently studying. The response you expect is 'YES, we will ensure' but the response you receive is 'Raj does not listen to us, please look into the matter'. 

There is a helplessness expressed by the parents that is so palpable. 

Similarly, when you talk to educators or people in the community, they all voice the same concerns. In the past decade or so, the parents did show some control but over the years, there has been a struggle to cope. How did we arrive here? 

Now let's visit a regular family with young children or a single child in most cases. The child, let's call him Raj is the center of their parent's affection. Both parents are highly protective of Raj and thus everyone else is excluded from ever disciplining the child because they have taken complete responsibility and shielded their ward. So, when the child is sent to school or classes any minor inconvenience becomes a squabble with the authorities. Every attempt to address behaviour or attitude is reviewed as denial or targeting. Eventually, every party involved lays down any claim as peace is preferred. Over a period, everyone begins to accept this behaviour of the parents too because the ward belongs to the parents and they have the best interests of the child in mind.  

Now perceive this from the child's angle. Raj observes that he matters immensely to his parents, he follows his parents and anyone else who claims otherwise is not to be heard. His world has narrowed down to his parents and himself. So, when his teachers say something, the neighbors complain, and the elderly advise he might acknowledge it but he will look to his parents only for confirmation. 

Fast forward by a few years, the parents observe that Raj is spending more time with his friends, he demands electronic gadgets and gets very upset with them when it is not offered. There is a lot of emotional drama when he is denied anything or asked to study. The parents find it very difficult to handle Raj because where he kept them at the centre of everything now they are completely sidelined. His desires and pleasures are all that matter to him. He has begun to care only about himself. 

In fact, the article,  'The Teen Brain Tunes in Less to Mom's Voice, more to Unfamiliar Voices' published on April 28, 2022 - By Erin Digitale resonates with this behaviour “Just as an infant knows to tune into her mother’s voice, an adolescent knows to tune into novel voices,” said lead study author Daniel Abrams, PhD, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. “As a teen, you don’t know you’re doing this. You’re just being you: You’ve got your friends and new companions and you want to spend time with them. Your mind is increasingly sensitive to and attracted to these unfamiliar voices.”

Perceive it from Raj's end. Raj now has friends, he has access to technology, he is consistently on his mobile and social network and confident that his behaviour and attitude are acceptable. His parents have endorsed it. As he grows, he is exploring more and perhaps driven more by hormonal changes. He now perceives his parents as friends rather than an authority and does not appreciate interference. He believes he knows what he has to do. 

 

Today the parents are helpless, and isolated and look up to everyone for support but Raj has already realized that the support team is something he does not need to heed. 

How do we help him reflect on himself when he feels he has done nothing wrong? How do we get him to trust an outsider's advice? 

Here's my view on the issue. 

1. Begin with Positive discipline: Positive Discipline is a program developed by Dr. Jane Nelsen. It is based on the work of Alfred Adler and Rudolf Dreikurs and designed to teach young people to become responsible, respectful and resourceful members of their communities. Positive Discipline teaches important social and life skills in a manner that is deeply respectful and encouraging for both children and adults (including parents, teachers, childcare providers, youth workers, and others). 

One way of instilling it is having your ward intern with NGOs, NPOs, and social welfare departments. The sensitivity inculcated through the case studies is phenomenal. Moreover, it will teach him rigour and resilience. 

2. Modeling of behaviour - Modeling is one way in which behavior is learned. When a person observes the behavior of another and then imitates that behavior, he or she is modeling the behavior. This is sometimes known as observational learning or social learning.

To help Raj, parents need to show Raj that they respect the school policies, and the advice of the grandparents and well-wishers. Only when they start believing and expressing positive thoughts, will the child model it. 

3. Bring in Holistic education - As parents, the focus is more on marks than behaviour and that is where we all go wrong. We have given intellectual quotient so much importance that the other quotients have been negated. My friend Swaroop Rawal talks of six quotients in her YouTube video on 'Holistic Education & the ‘whole’ child'. She stresses AQ and SQ also called the 'Dharmic quotient' to support value education. Every religion teaches harmony, respect for elders and compassion so read some good stories. As parents, we should emphasize school and community celebrating a student's proficiency and talent apart from academic achievement. This mindset shift is mandatory to create a generation of students who care for others, the environment, and themselves. 

4. Seek professional support - Schools have counselors who can observe the child at school and collaborate with parents to offer the right counsel. Parents can also connect with psychologists outside the school premises if they need further support. 

I believe in 'OUR STUDENTS' profusely and have faith in them.

As an educator, I have observed over the years that students today are much more intellectual, committed, and caring in the right environment.  All they need is a nudge in the right direction from us working as a team, and a commitment to balance their time between gadgets, social media, and OTT and building all their 6 quotients as mentioned in the image. 

इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः।
मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः॥ ३-४२

The senses are superior to the gross body, and superior to the senses is the mind.
Beyond the mind is the intellect, and even beyond the intellect is the soul.

THE SOUL REIGNS SUPREME

Lessons from the past - Chola Dynasty

Like every second person, I love movies. Whenever I begin watching them, I am so immersed that my family often complains that my attention towards the movie is so undivided that I do not listen to anything they say or mention. Recently, I watched Ponniyan Selvan and I was hooked. The plot, the twists, the cinematography, and the costumes took me back to that era. The way it was directed, presented, and enacted by the actors was another highlight and I eagerly watched the second part. Moreover, it drove me to learn more about the Chola Dynasty. 

Let me share that I was intrigued by the history shown in the movie but not everything shown in the movie is true. 

Source:https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/pv-target-images/7e25f103214ea7116adf106e3762b591a2b46469377bc310b5983dbeb623a0f4.jpg

So let's explore what we can take from the empire and use it in present-day life. The Cholas ruled from the 9th to the 12th century AD. If you refer to the book, Ancient India by S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Cornell University Library, you learn how the kingdom came to be. 

It was King Rajaraja who ascended the throne in 969 A.D. conquered territories and became master of the Tamil country south of the Pennar. He was so devoted to his work that he did not let a single opportunity pass by him to ascertain power and defeat the Chalukyas. His son, Rajendra took over after him and expanded the empire and successive rulers maintained the glory.  They were excellent at maritime knowledge and capitalized on their supremacy over the seas making them formidable at sea wars. 

The strength of the kingdom was its governance. The administration was highly systematized from an early date. The Head of the state was the king with state officials and ministers as shown in the image. 

For administration purposes, the kingdom was divided into several administrative units called 'mandals' with respective sects of people governing the areas. Different sects of people governed different areas to bring in more regulations. What was most appreciable was that the village councils, 'sabhas' enjoyed autonomy with minimal interference from the king. Further, the courts to impart justice gave out judgments based on evidence. 

This is somewhat comparable to our present democratic government across the world. So why was the governance lauded to date and celebrated even today?  Why do we seek to make movies of the past when the countries today have systems with the latest technology and access to resources? 

If you analyze the information shared, two prominent conclusions can be drawn:

1. Process hierarchy - All the officials were governed by another set of officials and the guidelines were clear where they abided by the rules of the constitution. Training and monitoring play an important role in every system within the governing bodies so that each individual is aware of their roles, their outreach, and the scope and boundary of their powers. Institutions should invest in consistent training and third-party monitoring to get real-time feedback on their performance. 

2. Autonomy and minimal interference - You need to trust the person you have engaged for the role and allow them to experiment and explore. You need to give them a boundary where few errors can be accepted and where no mistakes will be tolerated. For example where the life of any individual is threatened then no lapses will be entertained but an event arrangement lacking coordination or quality can be let off with guidelines and feedback. Allow the person to make decisions and learn from the consequences without a feeling of guilt and remorse as David Ogilvy mentions, "Leaders grasp nettles"

We observe micromanaging by the Heads at many institutions and it does not allow leadership to flourish. In fact most parts of the world, we are experiencing a serious lack of strong leadership role models and we observe people in old age still leading countries. Why do we not see the dynamic youth leading from the front? 

This is a serious concern and the Ministry of Education and educational institutions need to take cognizance. For starters, educators need to create projects for students where they share their leadership icon of today stating the attributes that make the person a great leader and comparing it with a leader of the past. Let the students role-play, criticize, or even rewrite what they felt the leader should have done better. Get students to create portfolios where they conduct research on how to create leaders for the nation with a 10-year plan.   

While closing, I would want to share that movies can be a starting cause but how we use it is all our perspective. I am happy to learn about the Cholas which I never did take seriously during my school days so kudos to the entire movie team. At the same time, post the research, the students could also be asked to review the movie and analyze the facts and the fiction. 

References:

1. Unveiling the Lost Pages of History: The Forgotten Cholas and Other Indian Dynasties......

Read more at: https://organiser.org/2023/06/12/178492/bharat/unveiling-the-lost-pages-of-history-the-forgotten-cholas-and-other-indian-dynasties/

2. Ancient India - https://www.rarebooksocietyofindia.org/book_archive/196174216674_10154712353641675.pdf

We all need a Mentor in life

We walk on our path and there comes a time when we don't know where to look further. There are crossroads at times, obstacles looming over us and sometimes our own insecurities gnawing at us making us stand still. At that time, imagine an experienced, loving individual knowing our strengths and shortcomings walking toward us, holding our hand, and showing us the path ahead. Sounds awesome, doesn't it? Well, that person is our mentor. A mentor who believes in us invests time in us and with their vast background of knowledge shows numerous possibilities to rise. The rise may not always be professional but also personal. 

In 1997, I was going through a bitter divorce and times were tough. My parents were extremely supportive but the barrage of relatives throwing negative remarks was draining us of all hopes and peace. It was not allowing me to think of any kind of future. I felt I was sinking into a hole with no light at the end of the tunnel. I had lost confidence and began doubting myself. Suddenly my friends were no more inviting me, and my presence was not a requisite. At that time, my father called his sister, my beautiful aunt from Kolkatta known for her affable nature and immense positivity to come to Mumbai to take me to her place. She felt a change of place would do me good. Every day, she would share positive things about me like 'You are so intelligent, you can be anything; 'You are much stronger than you think you are; 'You have sharp features, anyone will love your looks'. Her ever-smiling face, seeing the good in people, and her belief that everything happens for a reason started rubbing off on me. 

Consistently, over two months, her words and actions started doing magic with me, I developed an inner strength to face the world with my head held high. I came back to Mumbai, started my studies again, and joined teaching as a profession. With every step, my confidence grew and I started experimenting and exploring moving to leadership positions and teacher training.  Today with my soulmate married for over 22 years and a loving son, achieving a National Award for teachers, I know there is more to come. My relationship with my aunt is ever so strong and sharing a recent photograph where she is beaming with love. 

Over the course of the years, many mentors walked in shaping my professional growth like Usha Bhatia Ma'am, Seema Sheikh Ma'am, and Sangeeta Gole to whom I will always be grateful. 

History has shown that every great thought leader, businessman, and scientist had mentors who inspired them to become the best version of themselves. How can anyone forget Lord Krishna being the ideal mentor in Arjuna's life helping him reflect on his actions and resolve deep-rooted fears, and belief systems, and take control of himself. In the battle of Kurukshetra, he showed the mirror to Arjuna, the best warrior,  saddled with conflicts preventing him from action and delivering. 

Take another example of Oprah Winfrey and Maya Angelou. 

Excerpts from Oprah.com

The woman Oprah calls mentor-mother-sister-friend offers wise words about the roots of confidence, the trouble with modesty and how to do the impossible. Since the moment I opened I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, I've felt deeply connected to Maya Angelou. With each page, her life seemed to mirror mine: In her early years she was raised by her grandmother in the South; as a young girl she was raped; and, like me, she grew up reciting what the church folks called little pieces—a few lines from the Bible that were usually delivered amid shouts and amens from the women fanning themselves in the front pews. Meeting Maya on those pages was like meeting myself in full. For the first time, as a young black girl, my experience was validated. And it still is, only now I sit at Maya's feet, beside her fireplace, hardly believing that, years after reading Caged Bird, she is my mentor and close friend. When we met in Baltimore more than 20 years ago, our bond was immediate. We talked as if we had known each other our entire lives; and throughout my twenties and in the years beyond, Maya brought clarity to my life lessons. Now we have what I call a mother-sister-friend relationship. She's the woman who can share my triumphs, chide me with hard truth and soothe me with words of comfort when I call her in my deepest pain.

The next question is obviously, how do I find this mentor? The Mentoring skills model given below helps us to identify the skills a mentor should have. It explains the skills both the mentors and mentees should display to achieve the maximum from a relationship. 

 

Do mentors walk that easily in life? Well yes and no. Yes, you will have to look and look hard. Sometimes, they are there in front of our eyes, but our busy schedules have prevented us from looking around or even focusing on building our future. 

No, when we feel we already know everything. Sometimes our egos blind us into believing we are already the best or we are too insecure to share that we need guidance. All I can say is that if I am growing, it is because I had great teachers and significant mentors. 

Poem - Cars driving on a highway

Ever wondered how cars moving on a highway are similar to people walking into your life?

Some drive alongside you peacefully for ages;

Some drive past you without a second glance;

Some respectfully  let you overtake, valuing your speed ;

Some annoyingly get into your way for a dumb thrill ;

Some zig-zag undeniably to reach their destination while

Some create tantrums and traffic and slow you down.

Some out of spite  and inner insecurities break all rules;

While some follow the rules so soundly to create a safe haven.

Whether the journey is for a moment or a lifetime, it definitely leaves a mark. 

GLEAM Model of learning -Learnit Conference

The pandemic has been tough on us and most human interactions were virtual. Receiving a call from Mr. Arunabh Singh, Director of Nehru World School to attend the Learnit/Bett conference in January 2022 as a delegate of FICCI Arise came as a blessing. The hopes were high and the emotions were palpable but little did I know that COVID would strike and it would get postponed to 23rd March. 

The next day, I met the delegation and the profiles of most educators are stupendous.The networking and rapport truly inspired and motivated me to explore further learning.

As we entered the Learnit conference, the first thing that touched me was the hospitality and the warmth shared by the staff. We received a detailed itinerary and guidance to reach the venues. There were a series of talks and live sessions to choose from and one session that has stuck with me has been the session by Youth content creation lab. It spoke about a learning design ''GLEAM'' to support equity and excellence within the classroom through the game of Monopoly. This model also aimed to help bridge the gulf between educators and their students. 

So let's view the model through my learning lens.

I am sure everyone reading the blog has played the game of Monopoly wherein the players role is to remain financially solvent while forcing opponents into bankruptcy by buying and developing pieces of property.  How do we use it in the clasroom to ensure that teaching and learning for every level of student is supported?

1. Grade - level - Imagine having your students play the game of Monopoly to learn Mathematics, English, communication, economics and history. They start at a beginner's level to trade money, reaearch the history of the streets mentioned and then move to advance levels of building their empires. They learn strategies and manoeuvres and along the way pick up a gamut of skills. Now tweak the game to replace streets with streets of your own city and ask students to share it's unique history or replace the streets with types of English grammar or with Material structure and function of plants or studying Enduring effects of inequality. 

Slowly and steadily, you have involved all levels of students irrespective of academic, social, racial and gender discrepencies and shared a common platform to increase levels of learning. Couldn't this activity be part of your projects or assignment?

2. Engaging instruction - The educator is aware of the class dynamics and background of each student. He/she is aware of the curriculum to be transacted and creates an environment where rigor is built into the standards. It creates a plan to ensure that every child's progress is accounted. Let's see this through a classroom scenario. 

Ex: As a Physics teacher, I need to ensure that the students in my class learns about the Electromagnetic induction often found challenging by them. I know that in my class of 40, 5 students will grasp the concept easily, 20 will struggle and the rest will not even try. So, I create a plan wherein I introduce the topic using Station Rotation Blended Learning with all student's conducting an experiment and ensure that half have attained the concept. Post that based on student's responses and observations, I split my class into three groups like expert, comfortable and struggling and then for each group I have either a task or human/digital resource or further research to get them going. The aim is to ensure no one is left behind.

Ex: In the game of Monopoly, the rules are the same for all. If you want to win, you move around using the same resources i.e. money, dice and board. Along the way, you will fall or rise or be even but everyday, you will gain more experience and knowledge and improve your moves. Similarly, within the classroom where the the curriculum and assessment intentions are common but the strategies to reach the learning outcomes may differ. 

If you have noticed, I have not used entertainment but focussed on capitalizing resources to build student's intellectual capacity. 

3. Affirming Intruction - The word affirmation means emotional support or encouragement. You have a range of students in your class and often one witnesses biases towards selected students maybe not consciously but unconsciously. 

So in your classroom transactional processes how are you going to ensure that you have supported and valued them to be their better selves? How are you motivating them to build their knowledge, skills and attitudes? How are you supporting them to value humanity and the environment? How are you respecting the students identities and addressing the inequalities?

This article on  Culturally responsive teaching strategies and instructional practices offers some great insight. 

Likewise, in the game of Monopoly or any other game do we let students leave the game midway? Don't we ask them to complete the game? Don't we push them to try and succeed? Don't we applaud their wins and console them on their losses? 

It ight sound easy in a game but the classroom practices could be easily replicate this. You teachers are superheroes and you have already proven that countless times. 

4. Meaningful - If the Knowledge gained within the classroom has no connection to the world outside then it is mere information. This information is meaningless so ensure that every concept within the classroom is interlinked and interdisciplinary for the whole picture to come to light. 

Ex: In the game of Monopoly, the money you use to either rent a property or buy a property has implications in the real world. You also learn that if you traveled the board and lost your money, you are bankrupt and the same theory works in real life. If you keep spending but not earning, guess what?

This model has made me introspect and will definitely incorporate this learning model and hope you do too. For further information, please refer to the GLEAM Model of learning. 

Next time, I look at the board of Monopoly, the vision will be much different from what I was carrying before and isn't that what learning is all about, 'Learn, Unlearn and Relearn' 

 

Why should one travel in India?

My feet itch if I am stationed at home for long periods. It aches for new travel and new experience and I am sure majority agree with me that there is no better therapy than travel. As Ibn Battuta quotes,  

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller” 

With corona policing our lives, the traveling did take a hit. Where we were global travellers, we now became local travellers. The past 18 months gave me an opportunity to glimpse into our culture more deeply as we began visiting rural areas tucked somewhere deep in the heart of the state. Tasting the local food, meeting the local people and listening to their stories resonated an echo that no matter what the difference; urban or rural, educated or uneducated, socially advantaged or disadvantaged, FAMILY came first for all. Everybody wanted to protect and safeguard their family. 

I had never realized the past few decades living in Maharashtra that deep in Igatpuri, would be natural wonders. The place is so untouched and raw that you pray that no one comes and commercializes it. I am sure looking at the pictures, you feel the same. 

    

The past few months, with Covid cases reducing, we took trips to other states and having heard of the Statue of Unity, we first took our trip to Gujarat. The statue of Sardar Vallabhai Patel standing at 182m is a wonder to behold. You feel an immense sense of pride and patriotism observing the hard work put in by all the people to create this majestic place with gardens, cafes and much more. Talking to the people at Kevadia, I realized that this project transformed the small unknown place into a tourist attraction and has created a sustainable livelihood for them. Even in the month of August, under the scorching heat they had numerous visitors and their joy was boundless.

A few days back, I visited Benares and having heard of it through countless history books, novels and grandparents, I was excited and curious. My husband had visited it years back and came back disappointed as the lanes were too narrow and crowded. As I landed, I was greeted by smiling faces and the travel from the airport to the city was smooth. The roads were broad and there was immense construction work happening all around.  With my friends, Tanya and Nivedita and a wonderful host, Utsav Tiwari, we visited the Kashi Vishwanath temple [https://www.shrikashivishwanath.org/] and watched the Ganga Aarti. The entire aarti was mesmerizing as the pujaris showcased complete coordination with their movements. The entire energy was divine. We visited the numerous Ghats, appreciated the heritage passed onto us by our ancestors and ate the traditional, tasty Baati Chokha .  Moreover, Benares is the hub for shopping and every woman will lite up with the vast range of offerings the markets provide. I do recommend Benares for every avid explorer. 

Last week, I visited Rishikesh and Haridwar and the spiritual engagement prevailed. There is something magical about these places as you wish to spend some time going inside than outside your body. You wish to synergize the energies and reflect on the true purpose of your life. The people out here are warm and helpful. If you are travelling this side, do carry proper woolens and immerse yourselves in the variety of activities like rafting, yoga, trekking and much more. It isn't a shoppers paradise but definitely a showstopper paradise. 

India is a treasure trove and every state you visit will offer different experiences. I am eager to visit the North east and other spaces to interact with the locals there and study their cultures and traditions. So even though we fear Covid and its consistent mutations, try to invest in a few trips following all protocols this new year with your loved ones and venture into unknown places. Who knows, you might come back feeling completely rejuvenated and creative and most importantly positive.  Life is beautiful and travel makes it all the more precious. 

As Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes, 

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”