Reflection Sunday 19th January 2025

Session No. 142

Mr Raghu Pandey,  the founder of iMature.in, led an insightful session focused on preparing students for the future in the context of AI readiness, internet maturity, and digital citizenship. 

Key Points from Mr. Raghu's Session:

1. AI Readiness & Future Careers:
   Mr. Raghu discussed how AI will disrupt traditional career paths and job structures. He explained the importance of students developing essential skills to thrive in an AI-powered world, including:

   • Continuous online learning is needed to stay adaptable and acquire new skills.
   • Online Reputation Management to effectively showcase their abilities and secure opportunities.
   • Mastering the "4 C's"—Critical thinking, Creativity, Communication, and Collaboration—is key to success in human-centred roles, even as AI evolves.

2. Online Safety and Internet Maturity (FAST CAR Method):
   Mr Raghu stressed the importance of students practising internet maturity and adhering to online safety practices. The FAST CAR method for online safety was highlighted:

   • Firewall, Antivirus, Strong Passwords: Basic tools for securing devices and personal information.
   • Trust with Caution, Confidence, Avoidance, and Reporting: Guidelines for online interactions while avoiding cyberbullying and antisocial behaviour.
   • Never Share Physical Location Online: Encouraging students to protect their privacy.
   • Be Cautious of AI-generated content: Always verify the credibility and source of information found online, as AI-generated content can sometimes be misleading.

3. Digital Citizenship Skills:
   Mr. Raghu emphasized the importance of developing digital citizenship skills, including responsible, ethical, and safe use of technology. He discussed how these skills are essential for navigating the digital world and balancing emotional and moral growth in an AI-driven society.

In conclusion, Mr Raghu's insights provided a clear roadmap for ensuring students are ready for the future and well-prepared to responsibly navigate digital citizenship's challenges.

Book Reading

Chapter 14, "Misal Pao," from My Name is Cinnamon by Vikas Joshi

What skills does Cinnamon demonstrate while interacting with others in the chapter, and how do these skills help him navigate his relationships?

This question encourages us to reflect on Cinnamon's communication, empathy, and adaptability as he interacts with those around him.

How do the characters in this chapter use practical skills to express themselves or contribute to their family and community?

This question explores how specific skills, such as cooking, can represent personal expression and connect individuals to their culture or traditions.

In what ways does the chapter illustrate the difference between academic skills and life skills, and why might both be important for personal growth?

This question considers the value of academic achievements and life skills (such as social interaction, resilience, and emotional intelligence) and reflects on their balance.

How does Cinnamon’s perspective on the value of skills evolve throughout this chapter, and what does this reveal about his character development?

This question invites us to reflect on Cinnamon’s growth and how he came to understand the importance of various skills—both practical and personal—on his journey toward self-discovery.

Power of a book in a child's hands - Nishan Karki

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island.” ― Walt Disney

The book, one of the sources of knowledge, is of great importance to us. Students need books to learn, teachers need books to teach, and other people need books to acquire information and knowledge. Initially, we all need books to gain knowledge and gather information. A book may be small, but it has the power to change a person. We must never underestimate the power of books.

 

Roald Dahl, one of the most prolific modern writers, in his poem Television, has laid emphasis on the importance of books to children and has gone against devices like television. Following are a few lines that I have extracted from the poem.

"Oh, books, what books they used to know,

Those children living long ago!

So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,

Go throw your TV set away,

And in its place you can install

A lovely bookshelf on the wall.

Then fill the shelves with lots of books,

Ignoring all the dirty looks,

The screams and yells, the bites and kicks,

And children hitting you with sticks-

Fear not, because we promise you

That, in about a week or two

Of having nothing else to do,

They'll now begin to feel the need

Of having something to read.

And once they start -- oh boy, oh boy!

You watch the slowly growing joy

That fills their hearts."

In this poem, Roald Dahl says that the children living long ago knew about many books. He begs and prays for the parents to throw their TV set away and install a lovely bookshelf on the wall where the TV was kept before. They must fill the shelves with a lot of books, which will make their children ignore the dirty looks of TV. When the TV is removed, the children will scream, yell, bite, kick, and hit their parents with sticks. But the parents need not be afraid because in about one or two weeks, the children will have nothing to do, and then they will feel the need to have something to read. Once they start reading, the slowly growing joy will be seen in the children, which will fill their hearts.

 

So, Roald Dahl has beautifully described the importance and need of books for children. It will help children increase their imagination. It will help to improve their creativity too.

 

"The best addiction is being addicted to books." This addiction will help us gain, not lose. It will prove to be an asset, not a liability. So, all people must read books, whether young or old.

 

Nishan Karki

Pestallozi Children's Village Society

Image courtesy- Canva

Benefits Of Reading - Avni Kochhar

Reading is an activity that may have evolved over time. Reading first became popular in ancient Babylon around 2000 BC.

Reading is understanding it better and comprehending its meaning more fully. This, in turn, allows for understanding written texts independently of oral communication. This also allows people to read more rapidly and with less effort than without reading comprehension. In more straightforward language, reading benefits both body and mind; it's all interconnected! 

At My Good School, all of this is nothing! One hour of weekly reading boosts your confidence, creativity, and critical thinking! 

Remember the 6 C's: Critical thinking; Creativity; Collaboration; Communication; Character; and Citizenship.

Avni Kochhar
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Enjoy the essence of boredom! - Rishona Chopra

Being bored is something which many of us consider something which should not happen. As my mother fondly says- "An empty mind is a naughty one. " 

Being bored is quite good, and utilising that time of boredom well is a talent. 

The first thing that most of us do when we are bored is either pick up the phone or a book. Which is better? None. 

Just doing nothing boosts our creativity for many things. I was just lying on my bed doing absolutely nothing, and this really humourous idea came to my mind for a novel. 

This doesn't mean we should never do anything, but it simply means that we should take a break sometimes just do nothing. 

Therefore, we must take a break and learn to get bored without actually being bored!

Rishona Chopra
Grade VII
Gyanshree School 

Annual Day at School - Arav Agarwal

After reading the chapter The Annual Day At School from the book My Good School: Where Passion Meets Education by Sandeep Dutt, I just flashback, remembering my annual days and the joy and happiness everyone used to get after participating in the Annual Day. 

We all love annual days, and so do I. We, as children, wait eagerly for such fun-filled events. We have skits, voiceover, dance, music band, and speeches on our yearly days. Also, the students get the opportunity and have fun organizing and planning the annual day along with the teachers. 

I still have memories of my Annual Day when I was in Senior KG. I was given the role of Narendra Modi and was to give a speech of Narendra Modi, and the theme was women empowerment. I still remember that parents were clapping in between the lecture. I also remember that after the Annual Day, when I went to School, a few children and parents used to ask me that are you, Narendra Modi. Also, a few parents asked my mother if, are you Narendra Modi’s mother. So, this was my memorable experience of my Annual Day.

We used to have a theme each year for our annual day. I am also missing my Annual Day for two years. As mentioned in the book, Annual days help us identify our skills and strengths, and I was able to identify my skills and strengths through my annual days. Also, it is mentioned in the book that students should get the rightful opportunity to showcase their creativity and talent, which everyone does beautifully on our School’s annual days. 

Annual Days were so much fun for my friends and me, and we used to enjoy them a lot.

Name: Arav Agarwal

Grade: 5C

Billabong High International School, Thane

Empathy - Anusha Jain

Anusha Jain, IX-D, Ahlcon Public School
I am very fond of reading, and Harry Potter is my favourite series.

My Empathy Collage

The highest form of knowledge is Empathy. It is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, feeling with the heart of another. Empathy is an action we take to benefit someone after keeping ourselves in someone else's shoes. It will help to shape a more civil society and a humane world. 

The concept of Empathy is not limited to other humans. Empathy towards nature, our surroundings, our animals, and, most importantly, towards ourselves is essential. My collage below is all about my feelings and emotions related to Empathy.

Be a Dreamer - Shambhavi Nautiyal

Shambhavi Nautiyal, VII-D, Ahlcon Public School

I am a keen story writer and reader. I try to learn as much as I can and remember those stories to rejuvenate myself and not lose hope in the end. I am a big fan of K-pop as the music soothes my soul and makes me feel effervescent. The 17th-century films helped me learn values and set my beliefs.

Reflecting on Chapter 7, Be a Dreamer from the book Is Your Child Ready To Face The World? by Dr Anupam Sibal.

I read the chapter ‘Be a Dreamer’ from the book ‘Is your Child Ready to Face the World?’ and it said that Dr Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream for his nation to be racially equal, and so I thought that I too must have a dream and ambition for my nation. Hence, I have come up with postulation of our country with an optimistic motive. 

My dream for India in 2040 is that we would be free from illiteracy, poverty and unemployment. I hope we shall benefit from all the schemes and programmes our government has launched. The international organizations we have joined, such as the United Nations, are supposed to improve our country’s economic and environmental state. Through this drawing (below), I envision India’s technology and environment both to become stable and sustainable. Nowadays, it’s difficult for technology to be efficient and at the same time harmless for the environment. I also ideate that the youth who go through education, designed according to the national education policy, will help us solve the problem. This drawing shows the time when we’d be thanking our government for forming the new NEP 2020 and joining the United Nations for the Sustainable Development Goals, as the outcomes would be drastic. This will change our youth’s lives a lot.

My Drawing

Freedom - Samaira Gupta

“Freedom means self-determination. Freedom is not just what makes dreams come true; it makes dreams possible. Freedom is essential because it leads to enhanced expressions of creativity and original thought, increased productivity, and overall high quality of life. 

Freedom for me is art. I can do art whenever I want. It's like I am inhaling the colours and exhaling them on the canvas.

Name: Samaira Gupta

Grade: 5C

Billabong High International School, Thane

Cooperation - Dakshita Sirvi

Cooperation is the special bond between two or more persons to maintain creativity in their work. It means working together to achieve a common goal.

Cooperation and competition both play an important role in our life. Competition forces us to improve our services and products hence benefiting us. But cooperation makes us work together and faster, it increases our patience and makes us compatible with our partners.

We all know that one plus one is two hence greater than one this means working in a group makes your work greater and complete it faster. Eg. If I have to find a book in a library alone it would take me a long time but if I along with my friends find it together then it would be found in less time. However, in comparison cooperation is more effective than competition. It benefits not only a single person but the whole society. So everyone should be taught to co-operate not to compete.

Dakshita Sirvi

Class IX B

The Fabindia School 

(Graphic made by Garima Kanwar of Class V )

Cooking is Love - Kesar Sompura

Cooking is a good hobby which I have. I cook many dishes at home; I also bake cakes of different flavours like chocolate, vanilla strawberry etc.

I can show my creativity through, and I really enjoy cooking. I love to try new dishes. In the beginning, when I didn't know how to make dishes, I started watching dishes from YouTube and tried to make them so. I used to stand with my mother in the kitchen and watch how she cooked. It is a good activity to engage our minds. I love it because cooking gives me a chance to be creative. Cooking is one of the best ways to learn important life skills. I love to mix flavours and taste them. It's fun to cook. I bake a cake on the birthday of my family members. 

Kesar Sompura

Class VIII B

The Fabindia School