About: India

This week, we'll talk about god's own country, India. We'll talk about the history, the Geography and people involved in shaping our country. All these factors are the essence of our diverse culture and have contributed to how we live today. Learning about ones own country is always good, and a great way to improve your general knowledge and also a very good conversation starter. It helps when different kinds of people meet you, when you go abroad, and when people ask you about your country, and thus would be a really a useful asset to have in your arsenal. 

India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world, spanning a period of more than 4000 years, and witnessed the fusion of several customs and traditions, which are reflective of the rich culture and heritage of the country. The history of the nation gives a glimpse into the magnanimity of its rich evolution - from a country reeling under colonialism, to one of the leading economies in the global scenario within a span of fifty years. 

Here are what some of the biggest people in the world have said about India: 

"This is indeed India!

The land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendour and rags, of palaces and hovels, of famine and pestilence, of genii and giants and Aladdin lamps, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle, the country of hundred nations and a hundred tongues, of a thousand religions and two million gods, cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of traditions, whose yesterday’s bear date with the modering antiquities for the rest of nations-the one sole country under the sun that is endowed with an imperishable interest for alien prince and alien peasant, for lettered and ignorant, wise and fool, rich and poor, bond and free, the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the world combined."

- Mark Twain

"We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made."

- Albert Einstein 

These are just a couple of the millions of quotes that have been said about our country by some of the most influential people. We should learn about our country, to realize its beauty and rich heritage, that's why this week is all about India. 

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Top 10 uses of Mind Maps

Although still relatively little used is school, students who have discovered mind mapping find it a fun and engaging approach to enhance thinking and learning, and a great tool to manage information and increase productivity. Below are the top 10 uses of mind maps by students.

10. One-place repository of information and resources

Mind maps are great in helping you overcome information overload. Not only can you integrate key concepts into mind maps, but you can also link images, charts, and files in any format so that you have all pertinent information in one place. Mind maps also allow you to attach notes, include spreadsheets, hyperlinks, and prioritize all information. This way, you have access to all important information and resources from one map.

9. Holistic integration of information (personal information management) and knowledge (personal knowledge management) 

Mind maps are great for integrating vast amounts of information from multiple sources in a personally meaningful way. Mind maps require much less time to compose and less time to read because they place emphasis on key concepts and clarify their organization and associations in a way that makes sense to you. As a result, you can process a lot more information into personally meaningful knowledge, better and faster. Furthermore, mind maps can expand or collapse to give you a focused view (details) or a bird’s eye view (general overview). By showing everything — the trees and the forest — in a single view, visual maps help clarify thoughts and tackle complex topics. The accuracy, depth, and cross referencing afforded by mind maps are hard to match with any other tool. Visual representation by mind maps allows for development of a holistic understanding that words alone cannot convey.

8. Personal dashboard to manage tasks and goals

Many students use mind maps to manage their busy lives with a personal dashboard mind map - a one-map summary of your personal life. You can create different branches for different parts of your life, such a school, personal, extracurricular activities, etc. Within this map, you can then add to-dos, with start and end dates, descriptions, and color coding. You can also add goals and subgoals to keep you on track to where you want to be in the near future. With the recent advances in technology, you can now easily access and edit those maps with you smart phones. 

7. Note taking, research, and writing

One by one, old traditions are changing with technology, but note taking by students in schools hasn’t changed yet. Pen and paper note taking in classrooms needs to be reexamined because it still exists out of tradition, not because it’s the best way. The active process of note taking with mind maps eliminates the redundancy of just copying information on paper, which, unlike mind mapping, doesn’t encourage interaction, thinking, creativity, or learning. Once students become familiar with mind mapping, they can use it to take notes in lectures, synthesize lectures with non-lecture information, organize and summarize research work, and prepare for writing assignments.

6. Exam preparation and review

By having all your notes in one place, you no longer have to scramble the night before exam to your class notes, book notes, practice problem notes, and other miscellaneous notes. They’re all in your mind map, organized and connected in a way that makes sense to you, enabling a productive and stress-free review.

5. Transparent thinking

Mind maps are a diagram of your thinking that you can share with your study partners and teachers. For example, students can meet after each chapter to share and compare their mind maps in study groups, which is a great way to share what you know and find out what you still don’t completely understand. Students can also share mind maps though mind map sharing portals and web-based mind map interfaces to collaborate with other students from their personal learning networks outside of school. Students can also share their mind maps with teachers, who can quickly glance over them to provide detailed feedback on students’ understanding of the class material.

4. Improved memory and recall

Mind maps are very effective at bringing together logical, visual, and creative thinking to help you organize and link information, a process that improves memory and learning. When you learn a new concept, you add it to the appropriate place in the mind map, and in order to do that, you have to analyze the patterns, structures, and connections of concepts within your topic. This promotes better understanding, memorization, and recall, as well as the ability to apply knowledge in new situations.

3. Increased creativity through free-form, non-linear thinking

Like your thinking and understanding, mind maps are not static constructs. Rather, they are inherently flexible and constantly changing, encouraging refinement of thinking. Mind maps help you break the habit of thinking linearly and encourage flexibility. This means making use of more visual thinking to link concepts in relationship webs rather than in sequential order. Non-linear thinking enables you to jump around ideas and explore connections between ideas in pursuit of a big picture that is personally meaningful. Non-linear thinking not only helps make sense of existing ideas by finding the missing connections between them, but also helps identify gaps in understanding, and just as importantly, triggers new connections to seemingly unrelated ideas and helps generate new ideas altogether. With non-linear thinking, one can see possibilities that totally elude the linear thinkers.

2. Problem solving, decision making, and taking action

Mind maps are a way to develop logical thinking by revealing connections and helping students see how individual ideas form a larger whole. Their flexible structure encourages new ways of thinking about concepts and ideas and allows for the personal manipulation of information and testing of different scenarios. Mind maps enhance the problem-solving and decision-making process by generating alternative solutions and options, revealing a previously unseen but appropriate action. This will help you get unstuck by helping you generate different perspectives on the problems, resulting in a different state of mind, leading to novel, creative solutions.

1. Transform rote studying into self-directed learning

Through mapping concepts and ideas, students become better learners and thinkers. Mind mapping is a powerful tool because it turns complex information and problems into simple and clear diagrams through a visual representation of key concepts, facilitating comprehension and learning. When mind mapping, students whole-mindedly filter and break down unprocessed information to key concepts (analysis) and then organize and connect key concepts back together (synthesis) in a personally meaningful way. Mind maps enable students to see the connections between ideas they already have, connect new ideas to existing knowledge, and organize ideas in a logical structure that allows for future modification. This is the basis for meaningful learning. This active, self-directed process of learning eliminates the redundancy of most students’ approach to studying, which relies on simply copying and repeating back information. Mind mapping offers enough flexibility to maintain interest and encourage curiosity, and enough structure to keep the learner on track.

Information from: http://visualmapper.blogspot.in/2010/11/top-10-mind-mapping-uses-for-students.html

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Creating a Mind Map

Yesterday, we introduced the topic of mind maps and explained some of its benefits and features. Today, we'll begin learning about how to draw these maps step by step, with images that could help you. 

Drawing Basic Mind Maps

To draw a Mind Map, follow these steps:

1. Write the title of the subject you're exploring in the center of the page, and draw a circle around it. This is shown by the circle marked in figure 1, below.

(Our simple example shows someone brainstorming actions needed to deliver a successful presentation.)

Figure 1

2. As you come across major subdivisions or subheadings of the topic (or important facts that relate to the subject) draw lines out from this circle. Label these lines with these subdivisions or subheadings. (See figure 2, below.)

Figure 2

3. As you "burrow" into the subject and uncover another level of information (further subheadings, or individual facts) belonging to the subheadings above, draw these as lines linked to the subheading lines. These are shown in figure 3.

Figure 3

4. Then, for individual facts or ideas, draw lines out from the appropriate heading line and label them. These are shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4

5. As you come across new information, link it in to the Mind Map appropriately.

A complete Mind Map may have main topic lines radiating in all directions from the center. Sub-topics and facts will branch off these, like branches and twigs from the trunk of a tree. You don't need to worry about the structure you produce, as this will evolve of its own accord.

For more check out: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_01.htm

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Mind Mapping

This week, we'll be exploring one of the most intriguing topics, to help you study. Mind Mapping!
It may sound new to you, but its proven to be a hit for learning and studying, and we want to introduce this truly unique topic and concept to help you study. 

What is mind mapping?

A mind map is a graphical way to represent ideas and concepts. It is a visual thinking tool that helps structuring information, helping you to better analyze, comprehend, synthesize, recall and generate new ideas.

Just as in every great idea, its power lies in its simplicity.

In a mind map, as opposed to traditional note taking or a linear text, information is structured in a way that resembles much more closely how your brain actually works. Since it is an activity that is both analytical and artistic, it engages your brain in a much, much richer way, helping in all its cognitive functions. And, best of all, it is fun!

So, how does a mind map look like? Better than explaining is showing you an example. 

This is a mind map about – conveniently enough – mind mapping itself. It presents, in a visual way, the core elements and techniques on how to draw mind maps. Yes, I know this may look a little too messy initially, but bear with me: once you break the ingrained habit of linear note taking, you won’t look back.

Benefits and Uses

I think I already gave away the benefits of mind mapping and why mind maps work. Basically, mind mapping avoids dull, linear thinking, jogging your creativity and making note taking fun again.

But what can we use mind maps for?

• Note taking
• Brainstorming (individually or in groups)
• Problem solving
• Studying and memorization
• Planning
• Researching and consolidating information from multiple sources
• Presenting information
• Gaining insight on complex subjects
• Jogging your creativity

It is hard to make justice to the number of uses mind maps can have – the truth is that they can help clarify your thinking in pretty much anything, in many different contexts: personal, family, educational or business. Planning you day or planning your life, summarizing a book, launching a project, planning and creating presentations, writing blog posts -well, you get the idea – anything, really.

For more check out:

http://litemind.com/what-is-mind-mapping/

Tomorrow we'll get into further details about this truly fascinating topic. 

Also, you can check out our Facebook page for videos, pictures and really cool articles at www.facebook.com/SkoolShop  and follow us on twitter at @Myskoolshop

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Art as a Hobby

Children naturally love art – painting, drawing, making music, the theater. Physiologically, the human brain consists of 2 parts, the left and the right hemisphere.  The left brain is used in logical thinking and analytic processes.  This is typically what is trained in school work that consists of math, reading and science.  The right brain is used in emotional perception, intuition and creativity.  It is the right brain that is mainly used when a person is involved in creative endeavors such as making art.  

So, there are a lot of advantages for children who take up art as a hobby, as it helps develop this part of the brain, which can give a child a creative edge in the future. Some of the most important benefits of taking up arts for a young child are:

• Stimulates and develops the imagination and critical thinking, and refines cognitive and creative skills.
• Has a tremendous impact on the developmental growth of every child and has proven to help level the "learning field" across socio-economic boundaries.
• Strengthens problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, adding to overall academic achievement and school success.
• Develops a sense of craftsmanship, quality task performance, and goal-setting—skills needed to succeed in the classroom and beyond.
• Teaches children life skills such as developing an informed perception; articulating a vision; learning to solve problems and make decisions; building self-confidence and self-discipline; developing the ability to imagine what might be; and accepting responsibility to complete tasks from start to finish.
• Nurtures important values, including team-building skills; respecting alternative viewpoints; and appreciating and being aware of different cultures and traditions.

(Source: Young Children and the Arts: Making Creative Connections, 1998, Introduction)

• Plays a central role in cognitive, motor, language, and social-emotional development.

• Motivates and engages children in learning, stimulates memory, facilitates understanding, enhances symbolic communication, promotes relationships, and provides an avenue for building competence.
• Provides a natural source of learning. Child development specialists note that play is the business of young children; play is the way children promote and enhance their development. The arts are a most natural vehicle for play.

For more benefits, check out : http://www.artsusa.org/get_involved/advocacy/funding_resources/default_005.asp

So, taking up arts as a child has tremendous benefits and there are so many different forms, like theater, painting, drawing, sketching and many many more choices for each child to have a unique taste.  

We hope you look into this hobby and begin loving it!

Also, you can check out our Facebook page for videos, pictures and really cool articles at www.facebook.com/SkoolShop  and follow us on twitter at @Myskoolshop

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Sports as a Hobby

Yesterday. we spoke about the importance of hobbies for young children, and today we'll be talking about why sports is an amazing hobby to have. 

Playing sports offers children more than just physical benefits. Sports typically help kids academically and socially as well. There are tons of sports to choose from, football, cricket, lawn tennis, table tennis, swimming, basketball, squash and much much more. One of the best parts about taking sports as a hobby, is that you can play whatever is fun for you and what you enjoy, and are not limited to a choice of two or three options. 

The amazing benefits of sports, when started at an early age are:
1) Playing sports is fun. It gives you something to do and a group to belong to. 

2) Research has found that kids that play sports, are more likely to have a positive body image and higher self-esteem. They also are less likely to be overweight.

3) Physical activities are a good way to relieve stress in children and clear the tension as well as  reduce depression, if any. 

4) Sports help develop discipline. Children learn to set goals and then work to achieve those goals. They learn that by working hard they can accomplish the things that they want to.

5) Kids who play sports quickly learn that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. They learn to be a good sport in both situations. It also helps them learn to deal with disappointment and go on.

6) Statistics show that kids who are involved in sports while in high school are more likely to experience academic success and graduate from high school.

7) Sports help develop teamwork and leadership skills. Kids quickly learn that they have to work together as a team to win the game.

8)  Motor skills, strategic thinking, and even math skills are learned by playing sports. Students develop strategic thinking as they figure out plays and the best way to get around a player or score a goal. Math skills are used as they calculate scores and stats.

9) Apart from these reasons, being involved in sports is really good for your body. Playing a sport is better than any workout in the gym, as you are doing so many things at once. Keeping your body fit and healthy is vital for everything you may want to achieve in life. 

These are just some of the reasons as to why you should take up sports from a very young age. 
Remember to keep healthy and come back tomorrow for other hobbies you could take up. Get Playing!!!

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Hobbies for Kids

Often overlooked, hobbies are really helpful and useful to children in nurturing them, and allowing development of mind and thought. There are so many beneficial hobbies a child can get into like stamp collection, listening to music, singing, dancing, picture collection, taking photographs, playing an instrument, sports, drawing and painting etc.

There are obvious advantages of nurturing a hobby. Developing interest on a particular aspect is helpful to create an orientation in the later life and getting involved in a particular activity provides children with the necessary physical and mental exercises.

Today, we'll look at the benefits of hobbies and how parents can contribute in selecting the hobbies, and beginning tomorrow, we'll talk about some really nice hobbies. 

Benefits of Hobbies:

Hobbies are certainly beneficial and they are never a waste of time and resources. Experts suggest that every kid should get involved into one or other hobbies. Hobbies help kids to be disciplined and cultured when they nurture a special hobby. It increases the concentration level of kids as many of the hobbies require mental activities like thinking and making decisions.

Hobbies also increase the creative and innovative thinking of children and helps them look for "out of the box" solutions. Also, after a period you can see what your child is excelling in. It maybe sports, art, dance or photography. Thus, children can pursue this further and become the next big thing in that field!! Who knows? Anything is possible. 

Most of the really successful people in sport, dance, art, crafts, music and other such professions have begun practicing since when they were small kids, and that's what separates them from the rest. So, all children should start early, and who knows what their future lies in. 

Your child could be the next Federer!

Choosing the Hobby:

Parents need to show interest in choosing a hobby for kids and also encourage them to nurture the hobby by not losing the interest after a while. Observe the kid to learn what he/she is interested into and help them to develop a hobby matching to their interests. It is a mistake to force kids to get into the hobby of parent's interests. Buy them the essential tools to go on with the hobby. If possible get involved in the activities of kids to assure them that you encourage their hobbies and are interested in it.

Now, we know about hobbies and their importance! Come back tomorrow for some awesome hobbies for kids. 

Also, you can check out our Facebook page for videos, pictures and really cool articles at www.facebook.com/SkoolShop  and follow us on twitter at @Myskoolshop

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