Individualise home assignments
Kulwinder Sandhu
MOST children dislike home work. A study conducted recently on home work in an American university reported that 90% children are intensely negative in their response to home work. Older the child, more negative was the response. Few parents understand the purpose of home work.

CAREER QUERIES HOTLINE

ADMISSION DEADLINE

FORTNIGHTLY QUIZ-134

Lesson in English
By W.L. Gordon

Why do we say that?
A whipping boy

Individualise home assignments
Kulwinder Sandhu

MOST children dislike home work. A study conducted recently on home work in an American university reported that 90% children are intensely negative in their response to home work. Older the child, more negative was the response. Few parents understand the purpose of home work.

The primary purpose of home work is to develop study habits among children. In most educated middle-class homes, home work given to a child is more a punishment for the parents. Children, while asking for parental help, are experts in managing to get parents into doing the work.

Quite a few mothers, in their anxiety end up doing the sums, or dictating the essay or doing the drawings in the practical record notebooks in sheer desperation that their children should get full marks for the assignments.

Parents should try and structure a home environment that encourages learning. During home work time, television should be a taboo, phone calls from friends should be banned and a quiet should be provided so that the children can concentrate.

It is also found that some parents either nag the children to complete their home work or bribe them into doing their work. If the children do not finish their home work or procrastinate past bedtime, let them return to school without the home work completed and face disciplinary or academic consequences. This could teach them an important lesson about accountability. Parents can also encourage their children to do their work with some of their friends.

Studies show that "when two or three children work together, each learns more than he would, if studying alone". But the parents would have to make sure that children are mature enough to spend their time doing work and not playing or talking about other things. It should also be seen that work is being done by each one of them and not one doing the work and the others copying.

Now here are some suggestions for teachers. Assign more creative home work. Do not give too much home work that is rote and drill. Say, for example, if a whole exercise of 20 sums on long division is given as home work, for the child who has understood the concept, the work is too boring and not challenging. Whereas for the child who is struggling with the concept, it is frustrating.

Teachers should find ways and means of varying the assignments in terms of content, length and difficulty level and where possible, individualise home work. It does take more effort from the teacher to individualise assignments, but giving options may be tried. For example, an assignment which has been given uniformly to all children of standard VI when they have gone back to school after their summer vacations is to write an essay on how they spend their holidays.

Supposing, three different topics are given — write an essay or the books you read during the holidays, the places you visited during the holidays, the game you played it would be more interesting for them to choose the topic according to their interest and the essay more original, unique and creative.

Home work should be made into a positive learning experience. As children think that their home assignment should be perfectly turned out, and if it has mistakes the teacher would get angry, they seek the help of their parents or their tuition masters. The teachers should let the children know that the home assignment should be their own work and that it is all right if there are mistakes. Only then it would be possible to identify their difficulties and help them correct their errors.

It is the duty of the teacher to explain the assignments clearly and make sure the children copy the assignments correctly from the blackboard. Just dictating the assignments is not enough as children need to see and hear to get things correctly written in their notebooks. Suitable remarks should be given for home work and not marks.

Specific remarks such as — improve your spelling, improve your hand-writing, do your work neatly, learn your tables etc would be more useful than just red pencil crossing in the assignment. After checking the work each child should be told where he has gone wrong and how to do it right.

CAREER QUERIES HOTLINE

I am doing B.Sc (Chemistry), what is the scope, 
please help

A The IIITs are located at Allahabad, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Gwalior and Kerala. While undergraduate programmes in Information Technology are offered at Allahabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Gwalior, postgraduate programmes are conducted by the institutes located at Bangalore and Gwalior.

The IIITs are autonomous institutes under the M/o HRD, set up by State Governments.

For further information contact: Educational Consultants India Ltd, Ed.CIL House, 18A, Sector 16A ,NOIDA 201301 ( UP). Website: www.iiit.net

Postgraduate Programmes:

Indian Instt. of Information Technology (IIIT), Gwalior, Website: www.iiitm.ac.in

Postgraduate Diploma in Management & Information Technology (2-yr)

Eligibility: BE/BTech/MCA with (60% agg).

Selection: Written Test (objective-type, to assess quantitative aptitude, analytical reasoning, creative and verbal ability, numerical and computer literacy), GD & Interview

Fellowship Programme

Eligibility: ME/MTech/MBA or equiv (1st div).

Working professionals and teachers in technical institutions with 3 years relevant exp. after Masters degree or 5 years exp after BE/BTech can apply for part-time registration.

Selection: Written Test & Interview (Test waiver for part-time candidates with sufficient work ex).

Stipend: Rs 5000/-pm plus contingency Funds; Rs 10,000/- pa. for full-time Fellows.

(Application Deadline: early Feb. Test: March. Interview: May)

Indian Instt. of Information Technology (IIIT), Innovator (1st fl), International Technology Park, Whitefield Rd., Bangalore 560066 Website: www.iiitb.ac.in

Postgraduate Programme in IT (3-sem).

Eligibility: BE/BTech or equiv (1st div)

Selection: Admission Test evaluates the student’s aptitude and intellectual abilities (on the pattern of GRE, GMAT), Interview.

Financial Aid is provided in the form of teaching & Research Assistantships.

There is no separate quota for NRIs or foreign nationals. They too must appear for the entrance exam.

A The Department of Business Economics, University of Delhi, South Campus, offers Master’s in Business Economics (MBE). Modelled on the pattern of Harvard Business School and other leading international universities, the programme follows an eclectic approach with inputs from management, economics and business administration.

The main focus of the four-semester course is on developing strong analytical foundation so that fundamental managerial skills are developed with particular emphasis on the application of these in everyday business.

Some of the subjects covered in the curriculum include Business Finance, Statistics, Micro-and-Macro Analysis, International Trade & Business. To ensure that students don’t miss out on relevant infotech skills, Information Management has been introduced as one of the papers.

Students enrolled for the programme have the advantage of dual specialisation which is offered in the third semester. You can opt for any two of the following: Marketing, Finance, Systems, Regional & Transport Economics and Quantitative Techniques in Business. A compulsory summer training spanning 8-10 weeks gives students the much needed exposure to the corporate ambience, a sort of precursor to the final job you would take up once you join an organisation.

The duration of the programme is 2 years. Eligibility is graduation with 50-60% agg. As with all such courses, admission is on the basis of an entrance test.

For further information, you may contact:

University of Delhi, Delhi 110007.

A Yes it is true that some universities do offer courses in MA without any previous formal qualification through distance learning.

One Open University and three others offer these courses under their Distance Education programme. Here are the details:

Annamalai University, Directorate of Distance Education, Annamalainagar 608002 Notification: April/May.

Bangalore University, Directorate of Distance Education, Jnana Bharathi, Bangalore 560056. Notification: July.

Madurai Kamraj University, Directorate of Distance Education. Madurai 625021. Notification: May/June.

Karnataka State Open University, Pavate Nagar, Dharwad 580003. Notification: May/June.

The duration of these courses is 2 years and the minimum age should be 25 yrs. Also, Annamalai and Madurai University conduct an entrance test for admission to these courses.

ADMISSION DEADLINE

Jul 31 Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL), Senapati Bapat Road, Pune-411004.

Website: schcpune.com

(1) PG Diploma in Hospital & Health Care Management (1yr corresp)

(2) Medico-Legal Systems (1 yr, corresp)

Elig: For (1): Bachelors degree (50% agg). For (2): MBBS/BAMS/BHMS/ Registered Medical Practitioner.

AppIn F: Send Rs 350/- by DD favouring "Symbiosis Centre of Health Care", payable at Pune to the above address. At counter: Rs 300/- (cash).

Jul 31 Pondicherry University, Directorate of Distance Education, Pondicherry-605014.

(1) UG Courses (3 yrs)

(2) PG Courses (2 yrs)

(3) PG Diplomas in 31 disciplines (1yr)

AppIn F: Send Rs 100/- by DD favouring "The Finance Officer, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry" payable at Pondicherry along with 2 typed self-addressed slips to the above address. At counter: Rs 100/- (cash).

Jul 10 Guru Nanak Dev University, Department of Electronics Technology, Amritsar-143005.

MTech Microelectronics (3 sem).

Elig: BE/BTech in Electron & Commun/Comp Sc & Engg/Electron & Electric Commun/Microelecron/Electron & Telecom/IT/Instrumn Engg OR MSc Phy with electron/Elecron (50% agg) with IETE graduate exam (50% agg) or A & B Section exam of Institution of Engineers.

Test: 22 July.

AppIn F: Send Rs 250/- by DD favouring "Registrar, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar" payable at Amritsar to the Co-ordinator MTech (Microelectronics) at the above address. At counter: Rs 200/- (cash).

Jul 13 Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) DN 61, Sector C, Salt Lake City, Kolkata 700091. (G/o West Bengal)

Website: www.iiit.net

PGDIT 2001-02 (18 mths)

Elig: BE/BTech or MCA.

Test: 29 July at 11 centres including Delhi & Kolkata.

AppIn F: Send Rs 800/- by DD favouring "Indian Institute of Information Technology- Calcutta" payable at Kolkata to the Project Manager (IIIT-C PGDIT) at the above address.

Jul 30 University of Delhi, Department of Computer Sciences, Room No 303, Arts Faculty Extn Building, Delhi-110007.

BSc (H) Comp Sc (3 yrs)

Elig: 10+2 with Maths (55% agg).

Test: 14 July at Delhi.

AppIn F: Send Rs 250/- by DD favouring "The Registrar, University of Delhi" payable at New Delhi along with stamped (Rs 18/-), self-addressed envelope (10 x 08 cm) to the above address. At counter: Rs 250/- (cash).

Performing Arts

Jul 25 Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, College of Music & Dance,

1, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi-110001.

E-mail: sbkk@del2.vsnl.net.in

Preparatory, Foundation, Certificate, Diploma & Post-Diploma Courses in Music (Classical Vocal/Sarod/Sitar, Light Music),

Dance (Kathak, Odissi, Bharatnatyam, Chhau); Tabla; Yoga

AppIn F: Send Rs 175/- by DD favouring "Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra", payable at Delhi to the above address. At Counter: Rs 150/- (cash).

Jul 25 Film & Television Institute of India, Law College Road, Pune 411004.

E-mail: ftii@vsnl.com

Diploma in: Direction; Cinematography; Editing & Audiography (3yrs)

Elig: Bachelor’s Degree. (Physics in 10+2 for Audiography).

Test: 19 Aug at 11 centres including Kolkata, Chennai & New Delhi.

AppIn F: Send Rs 300/- by DD favouring the"Accounts Officer, Film and Television Institute of India" drawn on SBI or Bank of India, payable at Pune along with stamped (Rs 49/-), self-addressed envelope (27 x 20 cm) to the above address. At counter: Rs. 300/- (cash).

Jul 03 Delhi Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, C/o NCT of Delhi, Old Gargi College Building, Lajpat Nagar-IV, New Delhi-110024.

Cookery; Bakery & Confectionery; Restaurant & Counter Service; Hotel Reception & Book-Keeping; House-Keeping (1 yr+ 6 mths Industrial Exposure Training)

Elig: Class 10 of 10+2 pattern with English (50% agg).

Age: Below 25 yrs.

AppIn F: Send Rs 160/- by DD favouring "The Principal, Delhi Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, New Delhi" to the above address. At Counter: Rs 130/- (cash).

FORTNIGHTLY QUIZ-134

1.Who recently became the fourth army general to take charge as President of Pakistan?

2.Which city will host the India-Pakistan summit in July?

3.Name the desktop operating system which will be launched by Microsoft in October this year.

4.Where is Narayanhity Palace situated?

5. For the past how many years has India not won a cricket Test series abroad?

6. Which two cities of India and Bangladesh are to be linked via a bus service, following a protocol to be signed on June 30?

7.Who has written the poem 'Unki Yaad Karen'?

8.Name the world's largest handcrafted wooden ship.

9.What is the capital of Rwanda?

10. Expand IPFA.

11. To which state does the Indian star footballer Baichung Bhutia belong?

12. Name this year's winner of the US Open golf tournament.

13. Which organisation recently announced that there will be no home umpires in any cricket Test match from April 2002?

14. Where will be the Goodwill Games held this year?

15. Who recently became the first Indian to drive a Formula One car?

Name..................Class..................
School address.............................

Winners of quiz 133.Total entries received were 697.402 entrants gave all correct answers. The first prize by draw of lots goes to Neeraj Sachdeva, Class XI, Sideshwar Senior Secondary School, Gurgaon.

Second: Kush Sharma,VIII-B, Mount Carmel School, Rakkar Colony, Una (HP)-174303. Third: Mani Pal Singh, VII-C, Modern Senior Secondary School, Patiala.

Answers to quiz 133: Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, Gyanendra, Labour, Hank Ketchman, Mohammad Khatami, X-43A, KC Pant, Smerch ( Tornado ), James Joyce, Buenos Aires, Uttaranchal, Badminton, Bobby Fisher, Jennifer Capriati, Roman Sebrle.

Cash awards of Rs 400, 300 and 200 are given to the first, second and third prize winners, respectively. These are sent at the school address.

— Tarun Sharma

Lesson in English
By W.L. Gordon

WORDS OFTEN MISUSED:

E.g. "The two comedians bandied witticisms."