Some children learn things more easily than others. This puts before us two logical questions. One is if they have a superior mind and the other if they are born with an aptitude that others lack. One’s answer could be better students use better learning methods.
Do we have a method to make all students better performers? Sure, by a half part method. What is this half part method. First part from the teacher and the rest part from the parents or near ones.
Here is a story. There once lived a landlord who was very rich and wise. He was very kind, pious and highly practical. He had three sons. When he became old, a fear caught him as like any other father. He feared if his children would fight for his wealth after his death. To avoid such a condition he made a will, according to which only the partition be done. The first condition was to divide his 17 elephants among his sons, so that the eldest son should get half(½) of the elephants, the second one should get one third(⅓) and the youngest one should get one ninth(1/9 )and each should look after the elephants well as he did. The partition of his other wealth could be done only after this. Soon he died. After his death the sons decided to divide their father’s wealth as directed. But they didn’t know how to. They approached many wise men to get the wealth divided. None of them could do it and some even blamed that the rich man made an off sensed bill. Finally they approached their king who too failed to divide as directed. The king asked his courtiers to get this puzzle solved and added that anyone who solved would be rewarded. Weeks and months passed and nobody turned up with a solution. The sons setoff to find someone who could help them.
They wandered length and breadth of the country in vain. They were very unhappy and tired. They rested under a huge banyan tree and discussed over and over for a solution. An old mahout who was sitting there asked why they looked so unhappy and pale. They told him the whole story. After hearing the story he assured them of executing their father’s will. The three brothers were very happy. They along with the mahout who was riding on his elephant reached their home. The news that a mahout reached to solve the ‘puzzle will’ spread over the whole locality. Many people gathered to see the process. The king with his courtiers also arrived there. The mahout saluted the king and asked permission to proceed with the partition process. The king granted him permission. All the seventeen elephants were made to stand in a row. The mahout asked the brothers to let his elephant also stand at one end of the row till the partition ends. Now altogether eighteen elephants. He asked the eldest of the brothers to take his share, which was half the elephants and to keep on the other side of the row. He didn’t come forward as there was the mahout’s elephant also. The mahout asked him to obey his rule and take nine elephants. He obeyed and took half of eighteen which is 9 elephants and kept on the other side of the row. The second brother took ⅓ part of eighteen which is 6 and was also kept on the other side of the row. The youngest brother took 1/9 part of eighteen which is 2 and kept on the other side of the row. The mahout asked the brothers to take their elephants out of the row. They did so. 9+6+2 = 17. Now only mahout’s elephant was there in the row. He took back his elephant which was the eighteenth. The brothers were very happy. The king gave the mahout very valuable presents which he humbly refused telling that he did his duty to his fellow men and that duty needs no pay at all.
Those who achieve in life, learn things first. Then they analyse what they have learned, summarise, and review their summary. This analysis and summarization of the information, result in their understanding what they are learning better than those who simply read and reread their textbooks.. They will also employ some kind of mnemonic to enable them to recall what they have learned. High achievers will look for some connection with the information they are learning, and what they already know. They will think laterally to make a mnemonic connection. They might connect numbers they have to remember to a number they already know, like their telephone number, street number, birth date etc. Very high achievers will utilise a mental filing system.
A high achiever won't learn rules and facts by rote, but will try and make sense of the rules, so there is less rote learning with high achievers. High achievers want to understand the information. They will look for rules, and even make their own rules if no rule is taught.
Many students often recite or read information over and over until it sticks in the mind which is a very inefficient method of study. This method is not only unpleasant and inefficient, but with each repetition, the level of concentration decreases. Instead information has to be learned word perfect which will make the students understand what they are studying and what is the purpose of study. We have to develop materials which enable students to use strategies easily and naturally of their own. Thus these learning strategies let students analyse the informations they are studying, summarise, and enable them to recall the information, even under pressure. These methods only can develop lateral thinking skills, which will enable them to use the information at the required time in the required way.
** The story cited above comes to which group. Judge yourself and let us asses.
No comments:
Post a Comment