Search Results for: S Sundaram

How my educational ideas developed

S Sundaram
Sundaram started out in the corporate world but soon realized that he belonged to the educational. In his years as a school leader, Sundaram successfully experimented with ideas that he came to develop from experience and readings.

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What’s it about math?

S Sundaram
When it comes to math, fear is the most palpable emotion that students seem to experience? Now why is it that so many students are afraid of math? The answer lies in the composition of the subject, which requires teachers to approach the teaching of math differently. As teachers, it is our job to replace the fear of math in our students with fascination because math has permeated all walks of life and there is no escaping it.

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What a math teacher needs to know

S Sundaram
Math is easy to teach, especially at the primary level. It is only basic arithmetic, right? Wrong. It is at this level that you need real math teachers. For it is here that the foundation for math is laid. And if the foundation is not strong, no amount of effort in the later stages will help a child fully internalize the subject.

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NOT literally speaking

S Sundaram
English is the medium of instruction in most schools in India and despite our children having a decent knowledge of the language, care has to be taken when teaching other subjects through this medium. This article explains how learning mathematics in English can be confusing for children and what we can do to sort this prolem.

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Math too has a history!

S. Sundaram
History and mathematics can evoke strong and extreme reactions though for different reasons. This article suggests how anecdotes from the history of mathematics can be used to enrich the understanding of students and make math more meaningful to them. Actually, the article can provide a chance for history and math teachers to collaborate and make both subjects enjoyable.

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Reinventing math

S Sundaram It was in early January that Teacher Plus asked me if I would be interested in guest-editing a special issue on math to be published in June 2020. I said yes immediately almost without thinking. Only a few hours later did I realize the enormity of the task I had committed to! But a discussion with a few close professional friends and a review of the previous math special issue (published in June 2009), enabled me to draft a road map, draw up a list of topics and possible writers. The main focus was to be on the improvement of the quality and enrichment of math instruction in our schools. After reviewing all the articles we received, we decided to group them under three broad sections. “Policy and Perspectives”. In today’s globalized world, our students compete with the rest of the world and one of the crucial determinants of their success will be their competency in math. There is a need to compare our curriculum and performance globally. It is an accepted fact that the quality of math teaching and learning in India needs a lot of improvement. The national education policy, covering among other things, curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and teacher education, is one of the major instruments that can lead to the much needed improvement. Therefore, there is a need to critique the policy and its implementation. “Pedagogy” which explores various issues related to teaching and learning of math in our schools. It points out aspects of math which have not been fully exploited by the curriculum. Math has acquired a “not-so-deserved” reputation of being a boring and difficult subject. However, the study of math has also given rise to a lot of puzzles, games and pastimes. Math improves deep thinking and deep thinking is pleasurable. Math provides for edutainment! One article even questions if math has been given too much importance in our schools! Finally we have “Practice”. In spite of the bleak landscape at a pan-India level, a number of teachers, educators and schools are making efforts to provide students with rich learning experiences. Many of these efforts are also aimed towards students with disabilities of various kinds. Their motto, “think globally but act locally” needs wider acknowledgement and encouragement. The range of the writers is varied – from teachers, principals, teacher educators and researchers to amateur enthusiasts! Age seems to be no bar to enjoying math, two of our oldest contributors being in their 80s! There is even distribution

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The "Unteacherly" advantage

S. Sundaram
Having become a principal without the necessary “apprenticeship”, I visited many “well known” schools hoping to get answers for many of the issues faced by me.

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Ideas are for free

For this anniversary issue, Teacher Plus asked its contributors to share one ‘Big Idea’ that could transform education, an idea that could be implemented, or an idea that teachers have lived with for long but have not seen it take shape. So, here we offer 25 ideas, big and small, which can be put to work in your own spaces.

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