All of us commit mistakes knowingly or unknowingly due to reasons such as ignorance, peer pressure, etc. But we remember that if we said or did something wrong as kids or teens, we were either ridiculed or punished. Sometimes, we were also bribed to act right in return for things we loved. But did it really teach us a lesson? Not at all!

Behaviour corrected with punishments, ridicule or even bribery is a negative reinforcement. Kids will avoid doing wrong only to save themselves from the punishment or for favourable gain. Once the reinforcement is removed, the behaviour might be resumed. Instead, if we morally reason out with the wrong by focusing on triggers that caused the action, rationalize to children how such actions can impact their personality and the wider society and advise them to stay on the right path irrespective of whether they knowingly or unknowingly committed the mistake, we can make them understand why they shouldn’t commit the mistake to make it non-repetitive for the future and secure their welfare.

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Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam credited his Science teacher, Shri Siva Subramaniam Iyer who recognised Kalam’s intelligence and encouraged him. The well-known billionaire, Bill Gates, ranks among the most famous dropouts of Harvard’s who founded the Microsoft Corporation. He always acknowledged his Maths and Drama teachers who so encouraged and motivated him in school that he went on to become the sixth richest person in the world and pledged to give away 95% of his wealth to charity. These are but a few examples of teachers who, backed by a keen vision, helped their students become valuable gems of society.

Teachers who are visionaries see their profession as a mission. In fact, teaching is both a call and a choice in life and so should not be looked upon as a job to merely earn a salary. Teachers in turn educate their students not only for earning a livelihood or for gaining wealth and comfort but largely to help them live a meaningful life, i.e., to be persons of value and vision. Teachers stimulate their pupils to be creative and innovative in life. Albert Einstein once said, “It’s the supreme art of a teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” Teachers use their expertise and skills to the maximum for the benefit of their students.

Our country is blessed with many great visionary teachers who have made innumerable sacrifices for the sake of their students. All the effort and hard work teachers invest in bringing out the best in their students are rarely acknowledged or appreciated. They can hardly be paid back in mere words or random acts of gratitude. Their greatest reward is the joy and pride of seeing their students become persons of character and nobility.

Every year we observe Teachers’ Day on 5th September. On this auspicious day, the editor and the staff at The Teenager Today reverentially salute all the teachers across the country! And as a mark of appreciation and admiration for them, we dedicate the September 2022 issue to all teachers past and present! May their immense sacrifices and selfless devotion to ‘teaching’ per se ensure the blossoming of the potential in each child for the betterment of society and country! Happy Teachers’ Day!

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The concepts: Traditional learning, Correspondence/Distance Education, Online learning, let’s get to understanding the basics.

Traditional learning is synonymous to classroom learning; students and teachers get together in real time. Distance education refers to ways in which education may be delivered to students in remote locations, which allows students the flexibility to learn without being physically present on the campus. It is designed to offer students who cannot commit to on-site study, the opportunity to pursue education in non-traditional formats. Distance education may include online degree programmes, correspondence courses, CD-ROM education and many others. All course materials are given to the student via mail or electronic means so that they can master the materials at their own pace and time and which does not involve a specific timetable. Distance education may not necessarily include any face-to-face interaction with the teacher, but this method has surely changed in modern times to inculcate a few features that the online education model of learning has to offer. Hence, online education these days is often seen as a part of distance education and sometimes they are used interchangeably.

The only point of difference between distance education and online education is that online education evolved due to the current advancement in technology. Students who own or have access to PCs can pursue an online degree by completing course work via the Internet. Online education specifically offers a far more interactive environment than the traditional correspondence model does. The teacher and the student can have a face-to-face, simultaneous interaction during live chats in virtual classrooms. They could be geographically isolated, yet they can have a quasi-face-to-face environment, enhancing academic rigour through discussion boards, email, instant messaging, e-libraries, cell phone applications, teleconferences and weekly assignments. Students enrolled in these programmes receive and submit course work online and interact with fellow students and faculty by email or through other forms of electronic communication.

Distance/Online education has gained popularity over the last decade thanks to technological advancement and has benefited many who cannot educate themselves further due to various reasons. Yet students are often plagued with doubts when opting for distance/online education. Often apprehension sets in is because they are not clear on the pros and cons of distance education and whether it is right for them.

There are quite a few advantages of distance education; the following pointers will help you consider if distance education is worth a shot.

1. Opportunity for lifelong learning: Many people have families to support and cannot leave full-time work for a full-time education. Distance learning is perfect for people of all ages who want to gain knowledge or add a certification to help them gain a competitive edge at their workplaces or for those who want to learn a new course and don’t want to get back to regular schooling.

2. Study at your own pace, flexibility option: Distance education works on the methodology of finishing the course within a stipulated period of time. Course materials are handed over to students at the onset of the programme. Since everyone learns at a difference pace; distance education gives students the option to decide how much they study each day.

PLUS!

• Disadvantages to distance learning
• Which method of distance learning is right for me?
• Distance learning in India
• How do I identify a genuine university from a fake
• Admission procedures for distance learning
• Top 10 Open Universities in each career category

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Knowledge is power (K-Power) and more desirable than wealth when it is applied in the right place, at the right time and in the right manner. Knowledge and experience expand as you journey through life and keep you empowered and growing. This empowerment happens when you make use of the knowledge and experience you have gained over the years.

Alvin Toffler, an American futurist, says, “Knowledge is intangible yet it is the most important property today. It can be used by many people simultaneously to create wealth and to produce still more knowledge. And unlike factories and fields, knowledge is inexhaustible.” Learning is a lifelong process which enriches your life. Knowledge expands your horizon, develops your intellect, enhances your health and wealth, and enriches your social and family relationships.

“Learn everything you can, anything you can and from anyone you can. There will always come a time when you will be grateful you did,” says Sarah Caldwell, the famous American opera conductor. Reading and listening enhance your knowledge. Those who have good books as their companions will have wisdom as their mentor. If you are a willing learner everyone with whom you associate will teach you some lessons for life. Developing all-round knowledge and at the same time acquiring specialized knowledge and skills along with hard work and perseverance will facilitate in realizing your wildest dreams.

When you stop learning, you stop growing. If you do not want to learn, no one can help you and if you are determined to learn, no one can stop you. So continue learning, deepen your knowledge and keep growing.

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We are in the 21^st century. Just saying that brings a kind of mystique and excitement even today, as it did, when we made the great leap from the 20^th century into this one — a feeling of exhilaration as though we have crossed some barrier into a ‘brighter age’.

This ‘brighter age’ has a lot of expectations associated with it, dreams for the future, hopes for success — both individual, national and global. Today, the main factor of production is ‘knowledge’, the main enabler is ‘technology’; information is freely available via the internet. This has brought with it great unpredictability in terms of our future as well because the nature of jobs is rapidly changing with the use of technology, and if one skill is useful today, it may no longer be useful tomorrow.

Given these rapid changes, the focus on technology, and most importantly knowledge, only one thing to ensure that we are not left behind is the ability to learn.

Learning has always been a part of our lives, since the dawn of humanity — we can learn anytime, anywhere, whether we go to school or not! However, it is only since the last 200 years or so that we have started going to ‘school’ in order ‘to learn’. This suggests two things — that learning cannot happen anywhere other than school, and that only what is covered in school is to be learnt. We know that this is not true. However, it makes what happens in school extremely important, because we spend a good six hours of our day there!

Kaavya loved school when she was in Class 1. Teachers used to make them draw, paint, write, make things, sing songs, dance… but now, it is all about sitting and listening to the teacher, writing and cramming from the textbook, and loads of homework. So, what can be done to make Kaavya more engaged?

Converting Information or Content into Knowledge
A lot of the class time involves working with information or content — either from the textbook, or from notes. Moreover, we are required to reproduce the words of the textbook during exams. When learners do not engage with the subject matter, it is easily forgotten.

Engaging with subject matter only occurs when learners are active. The first thing is to relate what we learn to our lives, to what is happening in the real world, and to other subjects. For example, learning about equations in Math should be related to real world situations such as when a vendor weighing vegetables stops adding vegetables when the scale balances. Another way is to encourage the famous ‘why’ question, as well as ‘how can I…’ and discuss the ways in which the information can be used, thereby converting it into knowledge.

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