Showing posts with label graphic novels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label graphic novels. Show all posts

Monday, May 18, 2009

The New Age Classroom

Classrooms have undergone quite a transformation from the open air ones under shady trees to the ones with benches, air conditioners and whiteboards. The appearance may have gone through a radical change but classroom culture has been more or less the same.

Teachers have been so used to reading out from lengthy textbooks, writing copious notes on the board and lecturing endlessly. No wonder retention of knowledge is such a challenge for children. But things are now looking up. A revolution has hit the world of education. Schools have taken to a newer approach of teaching and children seem to love it.

Instead of dreary, black and white textbooks that repulsed children, schools are introducing textbooks with bright images and engaging content that encourage interactive learning. The mechanism to deliver education has been modified such that children can better relate to it. The comic characters in these text books are sketched to teach children everything right from the most practical subject science to most theoretical one i.e. history.

For a long time, comic book enthusiasts have argued that comic books make more than just a fun read and the new age classroom has now confirmed their belief. The use of comics to teach kids is proof enough that edutainment is the way to go as far as delivery methods are concerned.

Today, as one enters the new age classroom, it is not an uncommon sight to see children learning through educational movies and games. This change has made learning fun for the children, their teachers and parents. What is truly wonderful is that these fun learning methods have seen remarkable success.

Not only do the children enjoy the new age classroom and its teaching techniques, but they also understand and remember better. A lesson learnt through movies, audios and comic books has a much better recall value. In the new age classroom, every student can crack every exam with zero stress. Now this is what we call innovation in education.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Education with Entertainment


Does it have to be a battle for the mother to get her son to study? Do board exams have to scare students? Do text books have to be boring? And do stereotyped final exams have to be the only way to test children?

Today, we are dealing with a world of change. And no, we need not accept the same old teaching practices only because that’s how they have been. From parents to teachers to students, everyone is ready to explore innovative and efficient ways of learning. The concept of interactive learning has arrived and is here to stay.

Schools are changing their conventional ways and adopting edutainment. Contests and quizzes are replacing the exams that once intimidated students. Children are taught self-analysis and self-assessment instead of rigidly evaluating them. Gone are the days when board and competitive exams were considered the only means of testing a student’s knowledge.

We have all identified the need to educate the young ones if we are to envisage a better future. If education is to fulfil its purpose, it needs to be in keeping with their preference, interests and the changing times. If textbooks bore them, how are they going to learn from them?

Mexus Education has been one of the first to identify and welcome this change in traditional learning methods. It’s new NCERT curriculum-based Iken Books are signs of tectonic shifts in the field of education.

Studies have proved that children learn faster from story books and comic books, besides enjoying them more. This is precisely why educators are moving to the use of comic text books, creatively designed curriculums and innovative education.

We stand at a point where change in education is inevitable as much as it is desired. Comic books that teach, movies that educate and free online games that test are becoming a part of the classroom. And there’s no denying that they are doing a job better than the dull text books of yore.

Comics and Exams

The last few hours before an examination are intense for both kids and their parents. While parents are busy making sure their kids have revised every bit of their study material, kids are plain bored with the excessive cramming that is happening. They would like to do nothing better than pick up their favourite comic and unwind.

This gets me to think what a great tool the comic book would make at the time of exams. With just a little effort, comic books can be designed innovatively such that they become one of the ways to prepare for exams. The creative content in comic books is said to have better recall value than the conventional text books. Kids are sure to remember chronology, time-lines, name of places, historical characters when presented in the form of graphic books.

Think of young children discussing Science, Geography and maybe even History with the same interest as Superman and Batman, quizzing one another using their Iken Books and acing tests just like that!

Not only can this revolutionize learning methods, but also the process of revision. The otherwise boring question banks that kids usually skip in their text books can be replaced by fun games and tests. Even the last minute revisions seem less stressing.

While recognizing the need to innovate learning, Mexus Education has turned to comic book resources, Iken Books and other comic text books to teach children. A welcome change for teachers, parents and definitely for the students.

From time immemorial, the image of a child hiding his comic inside his text book speaks of his disinterest in studies. But today, the winds of change have come; urging us to open our minds to newer methods of preparing for exams. Kids need no longer hide those comic books for the day has come when parents will be happy to see their kid with comic book in his hand. And as for the kids, they’ve always enjoyed it!

Learn while having fun

What is the one thing that children seek all the time? Every hour and every day? Be it dusk or dawn. Come rain or sun… Undoubtedly, it is Fun. The element of fun is very crucial to a child’s development and learning. In fact, a lot of early learning takes place through sheer play and joy. After all, fun is the most fundamental need and birthright of children - of all ages!

In that case, what a dream it would be for students if they were told that they could actually learn while having fun! How ecstatic would they feel if their learning pattern were to undergo such radical changes so as to facilitate studying without stress? What a delight it would be if the students were offered a simplified learning management system whereby they would not even realize that they are learning and playing together?

There’s good news here. Introducing Axiom Education – an edutainment resource to commence your journey of fun learning! For Axiom has pioneered an innovation in education and revolutionized the learning methods of the NCERT curriculum. Based on the primary principles of simplicity and pleasure, Axiom Education has created educational content which is enjoyable and everlasting. Axiom has formulated a creative blend of entertainment and education, which it strongly believes will be the future of education. “We must make learning fun so that kids yearn to learn…at all ages and all levels!” This dictum has driven Axiom Education to design efficient and inventive system of learning.

So, what, you may ask, is this new learning method?

Behold! This innovative and efficient way of learning is known as Iken books! Learning through Iken books serve as a unique educational experience. By making learning fun, memorable, amusing and engaging, Iken books make education come alive!