THE CUBZ ON LEARNING EXPEDITIONS

Whizz cubz the excitement was quite palpable on 18th November, 06.

Let me share the reason why!

That was the culmination day for these Cubz - they were working on their project on some of the famous land marks of Bangalore for days and they were actually going to visit the places for the next three Saturdays. A great Learning indeed!

L to R Back row: Vedant, Yashi, Aakash- Front Row: Rim Jhim, Pooja (Aakash's siter, guest for the day) Tanisha and Ayush

L to R: Vedant, Rimjhim, Tanisha, Ayush, Yashi and Aakash

Proudly showing off their creativity- their hand prints and names at the back of the T shirts. After a lot of discussion we, as a team decided the lay out of the design for the T shirt!

These pictures were taken just before we left for ITPL. They were very excited because of the trip we were about to undertake, they were wearing the T shirts they partly created and the sun hats they made for themselves. They totally owned the project!!

Now to the Hows and Whys and to the Nuts and Bolts !

What did we, as facilitators expect this experience of visiting the famous landmarks in the city of Bangalore, to generate in these children??

These were/are our thoughts and aims..........

Kindling their curiosity, inculcating love of learning and thinking and questioning minds.........That every place has something to offer if only we care to observe and absorb!!

Revti and I have decided to make the whizz cubz explore/experience some of the Habits of mind. This we tried to this achieve through various activities based on MI (Multiple Intelligences.) We concentrated on the processes rather than the results.

Because when we want a 'good result' or 'expect a certain outcome' then the process through which children went through to achieve a 'unique to their ability' result is totally lost. What we certainly concentrated is on what these children have learnt out of that particular experience/event/episode. And then as facilitators we too whole heartedly were involved and enjoyed these sessions.

Succeeded in creating a 'fun filled, learning atmosphere' to which the cubz simply loved to come back to!!

These were some of the Habits of mind we explored with the help of a concept called "JOY EXPRESS" - Basically on Travelling and Tourism.

Some of The Habits of Mind we aimed to inculcate are....

Planning Time management Team work Following rules Effective Communication Creativity Responding Thinking independently and interdependently Responsibility Learning through questioning Decision making Cooperation

As part of their learning these concepts, the Cubz did research on Bangalore city. They zeroed in on Bangalore city's three famous spots. And the biggest thing and most exciting is that they were going to shoot the DOCUMENTARY FILMS on their trips to these places.

The six cubz were made into three teams.

Team one - Vedant and Tanisha - Chose ITPL (International Tech Park Limited) in White Field. This trip was undertaken on 18.11.06 - which is DISCOVERY PART-I.

Team two - Yashi and Rim Jhim - Chose the Bull Temple in Basavan Gudi, Bangalore - This trip was undertaken on 25.11.06 -Which is DISCOVERY PART-II.

Team three - Aakash and Ayush - Chose the St.Mary's Basilica on Queen's road, Bangalore-This trip was undertaken on 2.12.06 - Which is DISCOVERY PART - III.

The planning that has gone in to take up these exciting trips.

• Going through the entire Bangalore city's famous land marks and finally zeroed in some of the very interesting spots. It was a difficult task to choose when you have so much of choice.....but they managed this difficulty! There was a lot of discussion/arguments as to which famous place should be visited first. And finally as a team they could arrive at a single decision. This was really heartening! This was decision making and team work!
  
• The respective teams did research on ITPL, Bull Temple and St.Mary's on the Internet Written down their understandings/findings within a stipulated time. This was Planning, time management, responsible and responding to a need!
  
• Made presentation in the Whizz Cubz sessions to the rest of the team members, either by speaking or drawing or writing. This was Effective Communication and creativity and Interpersonal activity!
  
• They prepared a Questionnaire so that they can ask/interview people in those places, which reinforced their learning. This was thinking independently, interdependently (have to involve the younger team member!)
  
• Contributed to Creating their own 'WHIZZ CUBZ' T shirts. (All their hand prints!!) This was Co-operation and Team work!
  
• Made their own 'SUN HATS' This was total creativity!
  
• Made their own ground rules before going on these trips so that these trips are safe and productive. This was responsibility and following rules!
  
• Acquired the skill of operating a video Camera to shoot the documentary film. This was responding!

.....................GET SET AND GO!!
November 18, 2006

'CHALO ITPL'

Our first day of visiting the famous spots of Bangalore.

Vedant and Tanisha's project.

The Tall ones from L to R: Vedant, Yashi and Aakash. The lil ones from L to R: Ayush, Rim Jhim, Pooja in the pink jacket and behind her is Tanisha.

That was a rainy afternoon but that did not dampen the spirits of these children, only they were irritated that the rain was playing the spoilt sport! But then they settled in to our vehicle 'Tavera' pretty well, with their observation books, pens, snacks and fruit drinks.

By the time we reached White Field, where the ITPL is situated it started raining heavily. We waited for the rain to reduce and then took our umbrellas and left for the Mall at ITPL. The being Saturday it was less crowded. And security being very high they did not allow us to shoot pictures or movie inside the premises. So we went around trying to understand the lay out and it certainly was huge. Its not something we can capture in a two hour visit of a single day. If we have to assimilate and come to a proper understanding of the place we will have to return again and again.

I read this on one of the ITPL buses. "THE WORLD IN A PARK" it left me smiling...yes how true!

The following are pictures we could shoot after stepping out of the premises. These are glimpses of the gigantic ITPL which houses several buildings which are very imaginatively named like, Inventor, Explorer, Discoverer and Creator!

Rain drops on the lens......Pl.dont mind!!

ITPL-View from the windshield of the car on this rainy day!

25th November, '06

'CHALO BULL TEMPLE'

We all assembled at whizz cubz premises at 1.30 pm and set off to see the famous Bull Temple. This was Yashi's and Rimjhim's project and they updated us on the vital information on the temple. They also kept the questionnaire ready so they can ask somebody at the temple for the information they want to further acquire.

Vedant could not join us because it was his school annual day. Tanisha too could not join for she was down with fever.

'We missed you Vedant and Tanisha'

So off we went. Here are some wonderful pictures we clicked at the temple.

Entrance to the Bull Temple - Two granite horns

After a short flight of steps we reach the the main entrance to have the darshan of the bull!

The main diety - Nandi the Bull

Faizal with Cubz - L to R: Yashi, Rimjhim, Ayush and Aakash

Faizal - Answered all the questions that the children asked him about the temple, very patiently. He is a book vendor who sells books about the temple, tourists spots and the information books about the city of Bangalore. He sits just out side the Bull temple. Thanks Faizal for your kindness and time!!

Aakash shooting the documentary on the bull temple.

It was a very enriching experience for us at Whizz cubz.

A note to the parents of these Cubz......

Dear Parents,

Revti and I will present the documentaries shot by the cubz in CDs to each child. Once again we remind you that please do not concentrate on the end product but the process of learning itself. We have opened another exciting window for them i.e of video shooting and we never know who will walk this path to earn a name for themselves in this field. They simply were enjoying the learning process and the ideas were flowing. That's what is important. That they are thinking, feeling individuals.

We respect and appreciate them.

Thank you for your co-operation and for trusting us with your children.

It means a lot to us. :)

With warm reards

Arundhathi

We will be updating this post with our third visit to St.Mary's Basilica very shortly......

Happy Whizz Cubbing!!

Revti and Arundhathi

Multiple Intelligences-WORLD FAMOUS PEOPLE- Their 'dominant intelligences'

In this post we are trying to 'Open a Window' and let you take a 'peek' at Multiple Intelligences! (MI)

Most people, everywhere judge us based on just one or two intelligences, mostly it happens to be 'logic/number intelligence' or word intelligence.

This post is aimed at creating awareness in the readers about the eight multiple intelligences, in fact nine-the most recent being existential intelligence.

Its possible that while reading you might connect yourself to one or more of the intelligences and say-

"Oh! that sounds like me!"

"I definitely seem to be fitting into this!!"

You may be pleasantly surprised- you could be falling into more than one category!!

And if you are already an enlightened reader, then welcome to the club!!

(You are most welcome to share your views by writing comments! You can write even if you are getting to know about MI for the first time, either way will appreciate your views and opinion.....thanks in advance!)

Isn't it amazing to know that we are actually 'gifted' with 'Multiple Intelligences?'

So Read on and discover...........

Do we Value learning?

• Then we ought to value the process of learning as much as the end result of learning. To survive is to create options.
• Educators who insist on the 'right' answers are ignoring the very qualities that have ensured the survival of the human race.
• Humans have thrived because of their willingness to experiment and adapt. They did not always go by 'Tried and true' answers.
• Growing to be a 'smart person' requires exploration of alternate methods, multiple answers, critical thinking and creative insights.
  
  Presenting Psychologist Howard Gardner and his Theory of Multiple Intelligences
  

He identified eight ways that we have of perceiving and understanding the world around us. Each of these ways is a distinct "intelligence" - a set of skills allowing individuals to find and resolve genuine problems they face.

The Following are the eight intelligences.

Multiple Intelligences (MI) impact learning curriculum. Traditional schooling heavily favours verbal-linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences. Children whose dominant intelligences are these can fare very well. But what about children whose dominant intelligences are not these?

Hence Gardner advocates instructional methods which appeal to all intelligences including role playing, musical performance, cooperative learning, reflection, visualization, story telling and so on.......

Surely this will make learning less stressful and more fun!

Will talk about the ninth one -existential intelligence, in a little while........

Here's something interesting! World famous people and their intelligences.........

1. Mahatma Gandhi The statesman/leader who united an entire country.

People Ability- 'Interpersonal Intelligence' The power to interact with and understand people. It includes the capacity to perceive and be responsive to other peoples moods, temperaments, intentions and desires. They have the power to step into the shoes of another person's shoes and view the world from their perspective.

2. William Shakespeare is the grand literary figure of the world. During England's Elizabethan period he wrote dozens of plays which continue to dominate world theater 400 years later. Shakespeare handled high drama, romance and slapstick comedy with equal ease.

Language Ability- 'Verbal Intelligence.' The power over words.These are the journalists, poets, story tellers and world leaders who allow us to see a view of the world through their words. These gifted people can use their words to argue, entertain, inspire or instruct.

3. Wayne Gretzky With the title of "greatest player in National Hockey History", he is the brain surgeon of the Hockey rink.

Body Ability-'Kinesthetic Intelligence' The power over the physical self.These people possess a great ability to control their body movements and hold objects with expertise, skill and precision. They also think kinesthetically and can imagine physical experiences in such a way that it allows them to come up with creative physical ideas.

4. Stephen Hawking The world's most renowned theoretical physicist was the first explain about black holes.

Logic Ability The power over numbers. These people can reason and think in terms of cause and effect, create hypotheses and understand numerical patterns, not just in math but in life. Its all image less, abstract, conceptual way of thinking. These people simply experience a feeling of the relationships of numbers or ideas or have a certain knowing of why something works.

5. Maqbul Fida Husain is recognised as an artist who is constantly innovating and experimenting with new ideas and media. The most recent being cinema using Bollywood superstar Madhuri Dixit and pop star Madonna as his source of inspiration to create yet another vocabulary in the world of art.

Picture ability - 'Visual/Spatial Intelligence' Power over pictures and images. These people have a very precise sensitivity to details and can visualize, draw or sketch their ideas graphically. They can also easily orient themselves within a 3D space. This person sees things that others are likely to miss. He is recognized as an artist who is constantly innovating and experimenting with new ideas and media.

6. Julia Butterfly Hill lived 180 feet high in the canopy of an ancient redwood tree called Luna to help make the world aware of the plight of ancient forests. Julia, with great help from steelworkers and environmentalists, successfully negotiated to permanently protect the tree and a nearly three-acre buffer zone. She came down to a world that recognized her as a heroine and powerful voice for the environment.

Nature Ability/Naturalist Intelligence The power to understand and interact with nature. Not only to have a knack for comforting and calming animals but to also have a green thumb an understanding of how nature works.

7. Amjad Ali Khan was all of 6 years old when he gave his first recital of sarod. It was the beginning of yet another glorious chapter in the history of Indian classical music.

Musical intelligence These people have the ability to recognize tonal patterns and sounds, as well as a sensitivity to rhythms and beats. It encompasses the capacity to recognize and compose musical pitches, tones, and rhythms.

8. Intrapersonal Intelligence This intelligence includes ability to think about thinking. (Meta thinking!) The person likes self assessment, reflection, planning. Enjoys doing tasks in solitude, uses intuition often. They know their strengths and weaknesses (self aware.)

Some renowned people under this category are Socrates, Eleanor Roosevelt and Bill Gates.

9. Existential Intelligence This is the 9th and the most recent addition to the list of above mentioned intelligences.

The power to conceptualize the nature of the world around us and our place within it. These people have the ability to sense and understand that there is a much deeper world around them in terms of the significance of life, the meaning of death, the fate of the physical and psychological worlds and such profound experiences as love or art.

Dalai Lama: Dalai means "ocean" and Lama means "spiritual leader" so the translation means "ocean of wisdom," which has been the lifelong quest of the Dalai Lama to bring to the world through countless speeches, books and political and spiritual meetings with the world leaders.

So we can now perhaps safely conclude that the purpose of education is to recognize and develop these intelligences in individuals and help them reach their goals that are appropriate to their spectrum of intelligences.

When this is achieved, self confidence is up and so is love of learning!!

Its now time for educators and parents to quit asking 'how smart are you?'

But to ask 'in what ways are you smart?

Happy Whizz cubbing!!

Revti and Arundhathi

PS: Pl. do not forget to write your impressions/experience of reading this post! They sure are valuable to us!

Would love to hear from you, hope you enjoyed being here :)

The much awaited, 'FIRST DAY FIRST SESSION'

We delightfully announce the launch of our Personality Development/Life skills center for children Whizz Cubz. It was launched on 7th October, 06, just as planned.

The work flow goes like this

The main theme of these sessions is on planning – which also brings out

• Creative thinking( critical/lateral thinking)
• Team building (Ice breaker activities)
• Intrapersonal Skills (Multiple Intelligence-MI)
• Interpersonal Skills (MI)
• Visual/spatial Skills (MI)
• Communication Skills (MI)
• Listening Skills (an active process)
• Crisis Management (Life Skill)

“JOY EXPRESS” is the concept through which we are exploring the creative and systematic and lateral thinking. Exploration happens through a myriad of funfilled activities based on multiple intelligences.

Our first batch of children ( Ayush, Rimjhim Gupta, Tanisha, Vedant and Yashi) have
gelled into a team, even though they belonged to different age groups. This was achieved through 'ice breaker' games. The sense of belonging to the group also happened because of Oath taking by the group.

L to R: Back row-Arundhathi (facilitator) Vedant and Revti (facilitator)

L to R: Front row- Tanisha, Yashi, Rimjhim and Ayush

The oath of Whizz Cubz

The Oath taking

Meditation time! Helps to calm them down and increased the concentration power.

Children expressing through Spatial/visual Intelligence

Kinesthetic activity (body intelligence) in progress, the camera was no match for the speed of the children during the treasure hunt!

The feed back from children


A special tool we continuously resort to is ' QUALITY CIRCLE TIMES'

Circle time model helps in improving and maintaining high standards of positive behaviour and discipline.

Thank you for visiting us and we hope you enjoyed being here!

Revti and Arundhathi

The conceptualization of WHIZZ CUBZ

Whizz Cubz, finally is born!!
And its a dream come true for

Revti /Founder & Facilitator

and me (Arundhathi) -Founder / Facilitator and Counsellor

Its been in the conception stage for the past 16 months.

It all started with this thought in our minds.

My daughter Yashi was 9 years old and we as parents wanted to give her a strong foundation in values and morals which will cater to her positive growth. And since she is a very active and outdoors person (kinesthetic), it was very difficult to make her sit and learn anything from moral story books or from our epics. Hence Hari (my husband) and I thought it will be a good idea to gather the neighbourhood children on saturday afternoons for the story telling sessions where the children themselves will be the narrators and active participants.

I discussed this idea in the month of June, 05 with Revti who is a very good friend of mine and she supported the idea whole heartedly. We both started looking out for good story books, and also browsing the internet for good material for these informal, saturday afternoon sessions.

Our Journey and Discovery !

We discovered that stories that impart values and morals are only one part of personality development. We started going deeper and deeper to gain better understanding of the subject called personality development. We discovered that its an umbrella that encomapasses a great many life skills. The more we discovered, the more we realized that we needed a formal training in these areas......

We both came to the coclusion that we cannot deal with children casually and informally, if we are to do any justice to them!

To do so without proper skills training would have been disastrous!

Around the same time there was a news paper advertisement of Genie kids, Indiranagar, Bangalore, India which was imparting the necessary skill training we both are looking for. "TRAIN THE TRAINER' popularly know as TTT program.

We invested our heart, soul, time, money and energies in this program which taught us to design the childrens' programs/workshops scientifically based on Multiple Intelligences and productive habits of mind.

We even got the much needed hands on experience in dealing with 4 batches of 15 children each during the Christmas and the Summer vacations at Genie Kids. We could handle these many children with ease because of our training and exposure.!!

A session on leadership in progress at Genie kids conducted by us - An interpersonal activity which tells us about how we human beings are interdependent!

The following picture was taken at the work shop conducted by us on Learning and Memory Skills. The number of children present in this workshop was 80+.

We learnt that much learning happens on behalf of the children in a fun filled atmosphere.

why only children?? The training programs conducted by Ratnesh Mathur, facilitator and director of Genie Kids were full of fun and very thought provoking. We adults in these sessions Personally experenced it.

So I can say with convition that 'FUN' is a prerequisite for learning!

This is meaningful learning!
Another prerquisite for learning is to always put forth thought provoking questions to children and move away. Or when they ask questions, do not provide the answers straight away. The fact that they have asked you the question is proof enough they have started thinking about that particular subject. Let them do the thinking and learn the answers at their pace. In this way they will not only learn about what they want but will stumble upon much more information. We as adults can be part of the research team, but not the solution provider. A Child who is capable of forming relevant questions on any given subject has understood the subject well.

Much learning happens when they ask questions like why and why not. The former fosters analytical thinking and latter creativity - Simultaneous use of left and right brain leading to whole brain development.

This method of learning/teaching motivates the child and there is an eagerness to learn and a desire to excel.

We strongly believe in the saying - there is no learning deficiency, there is only teaching deficiency!

We at Whizz cubz are committed to creating a congenial environment where the child is respected, appreciated and given the space to unfold and bloom!!

Happy Whizz cubbing

Arundhathi