THE CHALLENGE OF OUR TIMES...!
For the first CIA, for the II year Phil/Tam class, this January, I gave them quite an easy task, or so they thought.
Students were asked to just look at the essay "Respect for Life" from their text book and write it down in their answer sheet. In simple terms, I was giving them a chance of scoring good marks, but on one condition - every spelling mistake will cost them five marks.
Condition given and topic given, I asked students to turn off their mobile phones, and start their test. the enthusiasm of the students knew no bounds. All were joy personified.
Then, I started my observation. I could see students happily talking away, discreetly accessing messages from their inbox, a surreptitious glance, now and then in the direction of the teacher, curious students - trying, albeit in an adventurous way, to call back their 'dear ones' who had given at least a dozen missed calls by then, by eluding the gleaming eyes of the teacher. At the 'call of duty', many finished off their test as soon as their hands could get them out, and placed their answer sheets on the table.
Then, I started the valuation. The first paper that I valued had 52 spelling mistakes!!! One student had 'scored a century' in spelling mistakes, crossing 122!!! Almost awhopping seventy per cent of the class had failed...!!
I was surprised! Just around three pages of text numbering about hardly a thousand words was given, and just one student had written without any spelling mistakes - Lenin Mark. The next in tow had five mistakes, followed by the third student, who had got about eight mistakes.
One thing we can clearly understand from the situation is that, students today, lack the power of concentration. As Eliot says, "Distracted from distraction by distraction." Thanks to modern technology, there are ample things that lay claim to the mind of the student, especially during class hours, including his/her mobile gadget.
Among these artful distractions, the art of teaching has really become a challenge for the teacher, especially at the College level...!
"How are we, the teaching community, going to make the student concentrate in class?" is the million dollar question in our times, and most appropriately, the Challenge of our Time...!!!
Nothing like failing a year to correct that!!! I flunked 4th grade, but second time around I became one of the best spellers in the class!! and that has held me ever since!! Many times I would remember where I saw the word, and just 'read'it and spell it off that! Like a business in town, now all called cafe's but it's big sign across the top said "Restaurant" and I could see that and spell it from there!