Workshop on Mind Mapping and Memory Skills

To awaken the brain in slumber a workshop was conducted for the students of Grade 10 by Mrs. Cheryl Ong an associate trainer with Integrative Educorp Pte Ltd. The workshop was conducted on the 28th of September which lasted for four hours with a power point presentation on ‘Mind Mapping and Memory Skills”.

The first half of the workshop dealt with ‘Mind Mapping’. Mind Mapping is a technique which helps to organize thoughts and ideas and helps to present information with maximum impact. The technique developed by ‘Tony Buzan’ helps to encourage learning through multiple intelligences. Mind mapping as a powerful graphic representation was explained in detail and its uses were also highlighted. Students were also encouraged to create their own mind maps for the topic given.

The second half of the workshop dealt with techniques to enhance the memory. Different techniques like Mnemonics, chunking, visual representation, linking system and peg system were introduced.

The four hour workshop was indeed very fruitful and the students gained an insight into the world of Brain. The highly interactive session left one wondering over the intricacies of the Human Brain and also helped build confidence that learning comes naturally and can be improved with regular practice.

Suresh R. Naik B. E. (Telecommunications) is Ex-Group Director of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He has played one of the key roles in India’s satellites programme. He was involved in building more than 15 satellites, including Bhaskara and satellites in INSAT and IRS series. He has given many talks on this subject in India & abroad. He has been honored with awards for outstanding contribution in the field which includes Lifetime Achievement Award also.

We organized a Dental Workshop on 17th October, 2006 for our Kindergarten students in association with Singapore General Hospital.  The motto was to imbibe the importance of hygiene amongst them. The Workshop was conducted to reinforce the Oral Health amongst the students. Children were explained the importance of regular dental checkups, balanced diets, fluoride injury prevention and brushing which are all important for healthy teeth. The session culminated with viewing of a movie clip and a singing session in which all children participated enthusiastically.

We also had a Grow Workshop on 25th November, 2006 by Health Instructors from GROW ABOTT Co. for our students of Kindergarten and Class I. Children were taught about healthy habits and the importance of drinking milk. All the students were given goodie bags by the company.

Mr. Sathi Kannan, who is currently working as Senior Manager with Emerson Process Management, gave an illuminating lecture to students of Class VII & VIII. He talked about the application of Maths in everyday life.

Dr. Debashis Chatterjee, a Harvard Scholar, Business Professor and Internationally acclaimed author, conducted workshop for self leadership for Teachers of DPSIS.  He heads the global centre for Leadership and Human Values at the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (IIM). Prof.Chatterjee’s professional career has been a rich blend of professional and academic experience in India, USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and South Africa. Dr. Chatterjee was twice Fulbright Fellow at the Harvard University and MIT. He has also taught in the MBA programmes at the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota and at the Harvard Graduate School of Business. His recent books, Light the Fire In your Heart (Full Circle) and Break Free (Penguin) focuses on creating a cognitive model of wisdom leadership.

Ratna S. Khemani, eminent educationist, writer, social scientist and Founder Director of Centre for Personality Development, Pune, visited DPS International School, in the month of July and conducted a 2 days workshop on personality development and communication skills. Her interactive sessions with students, teachers and parents dealt with the physical, psychological and emotional aspects of an individual, stressing the importance of a harmonious balance of all these aspects for a well-developed personality.

Her session with students focused on relevant contemporary issues such as, stress management, time management, examination preparation and efficiently dealing with peer-group pressure. The session highlighted the need to equip our students with special skills and competencies to enable them to successfully deal with their often stressful and demanding schedules. There was a concomitant focus on personal health and hygiene and the session ended on a high note of personal empowerment.

Ms. Khemani also addressed the parents of students who’d attended her workshop and discussed strategies of responding to the changing needs of children in the modern world.

Her interactive session with the teachers was a well-attended one and enlivened with personal anecdotes. Her statements on the importance of harbouring a liberal, accommodating and inclusive world-view were especially insightful. Teachers were invited to participate in discussions on discipline, teacher-student interaction, the role of the teacher as mediator and conveyor of values. The workshop proved to be a memorable one as Ms. Khemani eschewed a didactic, moralistic approach and encouraged dialogue and active participation.