One of the presentations at this week’s school assembly by
Form 9 was on the use of technology, especially Facebook. In the quick survey which was done it was
clear that almost every secondary school student, some in the primary school
and almost every teacher is on Facebook. Until it is replaced by a newer
version therefore, Facebook is a part of everyone’s life, whether we like it or
not. For many parents – many of who have
FB accounts too – there remains a big
discomfort with the way your(usually teenage) child is using it and using technology.
The assembly seemed a
good time for students to reflect on how we are to live life in a Facebook
world and I am using this newsletter for the same purpose. I shared with
students how as a teenager I was often in trouble with my parents for endlessly
being on the phone with friends. Facebook
allows sharing and chatting with friends
– but in a somewhat different way. A phone conversation is public – ie everyone
can see you are on the phone and this makes it controllable by parents. But on
FB, a parent or an adult can be fooled
into thinking that a child is completing homework or doing an assignment on the
laptop. The ‘chat’ window can be quickly minimized to create the wrong
impression of hard work.
Challenges of
Parenting
This is why it is so essential that we develop in young
people the self- discipline to monitor themselves. Because the freedom given by
blogs and wikis and social networking is also its biggest challenge. Adults can
only supervise and discipline to a limited extent. If a student does not
understand the importance of concentration for quality, he or she will always
have a chat or comment on status in the midst of writing an essay. And there is
no way parents or teachers can prevent this.
It is therefore more important than ever before for us to
focus on creating a sense of personal responsibility, of self- monitoring. To
understand that it is fine to be on FB but also sometimes to not log in. In
other words it has become very important is for a young person to understand
how they learn, what helps their learning and what restricts it.
Our Learning Culture
at Pathways
It is for all these reasons that we focus on teaching self-
discipline and also self -reflection.
Parents of Form 6 and 7 will soon receive an invitation to the Student
Led Conference in December. The primary school one follows later in the academic
year. Throughout the school students write reflections on learning areas or on
their own progress. They are encouraged to set personal goals and targets for
themselves. I would be interested in hearing back from parents and students on
any thoughts you have on this subject. Please feel free to email me at
shalini.advani@pathways.in
Events Past and
Upcoming
It was wonderful to see a number of Pathways families at the
Kahaani festival. Over the two days there were over two thousand people at the
various events. We hope to promote culture and performance on an ongoing basis
at Pathways.
On our children’s day celebration, I was proud to see the
care with which our senior students organized a special event for the children
of Hazipur village school. This included sharing lunch with them and a sports
events at which prizes were awarded.
The Inter School tennis event gave an excellent focus to
this sport. This week we are happy to host the District Level Inter School
Squash tournament. Meanwhile inter-house
soccer tournaments are beginning.
Also beginning next week is the Readathon, a way of
encouraging reading for a cause. And today we are looking forward to welcoming
the Australian writer and illustrator Frane Lessac who is part of Bookaroo and
is coming to school to talk to students from Form 5, 6 and 7.
A reminder to please fill in the form for the Parent
organized Food Festival on 20th December, if you are able to participate. Our
students thoroughly look forward to being spoilt and fed by their parents!
Shalini Advani
School Director
