Balaji Sampath's visit to Seva Chakkara
Balaji Sampath (Tamil Nadu Science Forum) visit to Seva Chakkara
Orphanage School
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002
From: "Balaji Sampath" <kb@eth.net>
Hi Presi and others,
Two things - Ganesh did a science expt session at Olcott Kuppam
school and we had gone with a group of our volunteers from HCL to Seva
Chakra. These volunteers will be going there regualrly to help with
the education of the children.
I had some interesting experience wth the kids there that day. The
note below describes this in some detail.
We spent about 1.5 hrs with the kids in the orphanage. There was this
5th kid I was trying to work with on maths. He seemed a bit afraid of
mats at first. I asked him to do 104 - 94. He wrote it down and
started countng on his fingers: 4 minus 4 (said 4). That was because
he counted four on his left finger but removed the four from the right
hand! I think he was a bit scared of my looking into wha he was doing
and the 3 digits were confusing him a bit.
So I asked him to do an easier problem: 24-4. He took about 5 minutes
and then said 20. Then I asked him to do 25-4. He took another 5
minutes and said 21. Clearly he did not make a connection between the
two problems.
So I asked him to close the notebook and do this mentally: 24-4. He
took about 3-4 minutes and said 20. When I asked 25-5, he again took
3-4 mintes to do this and said 20. I asked him how he was calculating
this. He showed me ten fingers, then ten toes and "four kept aside"
mentally. Then surprisingly, he started "countng off" the first for
fingers. Then he counted the remaining 6 fingers with the 10 toes and
the "four" mentally kept aside.
Obviously - the second problem looks different from the first ! He has
now 5 fngers left and 10 toes and 5 kept aside ! Also this is why he
took 3-4 minutes to do this problem.
So I suggested that instead of counting off from the fngers, why
doesn;t he start from the leftover four kept aside. He took a few
seconds to understand what I was saying and then understood. Then
immediately came the answer 20. Then again I asked 25-5, and the
answer came a few seconds later 20. By then we could see is
confidence growing and he wanted more problems to do mentally. We all
started throwing things at him. 27-5, 28-3, 45-3, 94-2, etc - and he
gave answers within a few seconds mentally.
Such a major change within such a short time ! The new voluteers who had come with me were amazed.
Then I asked him to do 104-94. But here he was again a bit confused.
So I gave 24-14. He took some time (a minute or so) and said 19 ! I
was surprised and ased how he go it.
The same 5+5 fingers, 5+5 toes + 4 aside. Then he cancelled the 4 in
14 with the 4 in 24. So far so good. Then what to do with the 1 in
14. So he counted it off from the first finger ! So he had 19 left!
Then I reminded him gently that 14 is not 1+4 - it is 10+4. The 1 was
not one but meant 10. He got it and immediately crrected is answer
and said 10. After that any similar problem, he was able to do.
He still had problems doing these problems written - bt he was able t
do them mentally and had a much better confidence level than when we
started. We tried some things with fractions - but about that later.
The key in this whole exercise was listening to the kid. Most of the
"helpers" and teachers try to teach the kid what they know. They have
the easy task of telling what they know. the kid has the difficult
task of figuring out what the "teacher" knows. It should be the other
way around. We should have the difficult task of finding out what the
kid is thinking and doing. Then it becomes far more easier for the kid
to understand. The principle is not to teach what is right - but
rather to figre out and point out what is wrong. This is dificult on
the teacher - but is exciting and gives a better understanding of
human thinking and of curs also dramatically improves learning in
children.
I went back home feeling happy that at least one kid now feels a part
of maths is easy!
Bye,
Balaji
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