Oceans on Earth Day

“In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught” – Baba Diom, Senegalese Environmentalist

The first Earth Day was celebrated on 22^nd April 1970. Causa Proxima for that was the devastation caused by 1969   Santa Barbara oil spill that killed millions of fish and thousands of sea mammals and birds. 47 years later, millions of people from hundreds of countries around the world are celebrating Earth Day today.

We are concerned about global warming, pollution in our neighborhood, vanishing rainforests and damages done to the terrain.  We should.   However, there is also another part of planet earth that needs our immediate attention- our oceans.

(An islet in French Polynesia)

Why are our oceans so important?

Oceans cover  71 percent of earth’s surface and is home to millions of marine organisms.  From single-celled bubble algae to blue whale, the largest animal on earth, millions of species call oceans their homes.  But we live on the land, how are our lives dependent on Oceans?

Let us start with oxygen.   The first image that comes to your mind would be that of a tree. Trees provide us oxygen to breathe.  However, they are not the major source of it. Rain forests provide us 28% of oxygen in the air. Trees and plants of other areas add another 2% to it. The rest of it is produced by sea plants- consisting of tiny algal planktons that help produce 70% of the oxygen we consume. In simple words’ if we ruin the marine flora, we all will choke to death.

Next vital element of life is water. You got it already! Water in the land is maintained by the water cycle. The water of the ocean evaporates and forms clouds and rains on the land.

The third essential is food. Seafood is an important source, but the story doesn’t end there. All our food sources, plants and animals need water to grow and absorb nutrients and without the water cycle, we just won't have any form of food to eat.

In a nutshell,   apart from sunlight, every single essential for life on earth is dependent on oceans.  Ruin them and ruin the life on this planet.

Christmas tree worm

 How safe are our oceans?

Sadly, not very. The increase in  atmospheric carbon dioxide is a major threat,  causing an alarming increase in ocean acidity, which is a threat to all life forms including planktons, the lungs of our planet. Many sea creatures such as the beautiful coral to sea bottom-dwelling clams are under serious threat.  Pollution, plastic pollution, in particular,  is another serious threat.   The increase of oil, mercury and pesticide pollution is yet another. Destruction of mangroves and over fishing adds to it. It is time we seriously do something.

Plastic and other marine debris in Hawaii Beach

 What can we, as individuals do?

A lot. Let us identify the important ones.

•  Reduce your carbon footprint to slow down ocean acidification. Save energy in every way you can. Habits as simple as switching off lights when you exit a room helps. So do buy locally produced vegetables. A google search should get you dozens like these.  
• Never buy products with microbeads. These get into the sea and cause serious hazards to sea life. Called the plastic soup, micro beads are the worst form of marine plastic pollution. Next time you buy a cosmetic product , check and avoid the ones that contain micro beads.
• Use less plastic and turn to  recyclable  materials.
•  Do not litter on beaches.
• Do not buy fish that are below minimum legal size. Catching juvenile fish prevents them from breeding, causing a fall in their population.
• Do not buy ornaments made of endangered or threatened marine wildlife. This includes corals and turtle shells.
• Spread the awareness and be aware of ocean pollution and its devastating effects.

“The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites one family. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. The earth is sacred and men and animals are but one part of it. Treat the earth with respect so that it lasts for centuries to come and is a place of wonder and beauty for our children.”

Chief Seattle

All pictures in this blog post are from Wikimedia reproduced under creative common license.

Budding Talents

“There is not a particle of life which does not bear poetry within it” 

Gustave Flaubert     

           

This school year had been spontaneous so far. Past weeks had been hectic for us librarians as we had to welcome new students to the library. With these students coming to the library, we had to deal with more requests for library services and facilities. They require assistance and instructions on selecting a book, locating it on the shelf, using the library software and maintaining discipline in order to keep the decorum of the library. Most of these days we were busy orienting the Grade 4 students on all these matters.

As part of the information literacy program, I was introducing the different genres and sub-genres of literature to Grade 4 E students. With every genre and sub-genre described, they were asked to give an example of each and they came out with excellent examples. They talked about their favourite fiction and non-fiction books vehemently.

When it came to poetry I was curious to know how many of them were really interested in poetry. Kids usually love small poems, onomatopoeia, limericks and haiku. I believe some of these might even inspire children to create their own poetry. I asked the class if anyone has written a poem. To my surprise, two girls raised their hands and told they had. I asked them if they can recite it for the whole class. Saiyette Aima and Yvonne Marie Abraham came up with these beautiful poems upon my request.

Saiyette Aima

https://vimeo.com/214627538

Yvonne Marie Abraham.

https://vimeo.com/214636089

Until I heard this I never knew how much thrill a child-made poem could bring. I have no doubt that anyone who hears these kids will agree that they beautifully depicted their emotions. The candor and unique phrasing in the poetry are admirable. Children have the most vivid imagination and hence the best poets. 

One of the sheer joys of being a librarian are moments like these. Spending days with students, books and technology is quite enterprising. 

Authors talking about Literacy

Listed below are short videos of authors talking about literacy. This has been released by The Library of Congress. Please watch the videos. It explains views of different authors on the importance of reading and how it benefits one to shape his/her life.

Lois Lowry

Lois Lowry is known for her book The Giver which was inspired by her own life. She visits her father in a nursing home. He has lost all his past memories. Seeing him she feels that once memories are erased there will not be pain anymore. The book The Giver is based on this where she depicts a society where the past is erased from the inhabitants and they all live in a peaceful co-existence.The flaws inherent in such a society is brought into details later in the story. A society cannot exist without a connection with the past and lasting human relationships.This book has recently been made into a movie. The ambiguity of its ending is another interesting factor of the story. The reader is left to decide the ending of the story according to his/her imagination. This book is a great read for anyone who loves to read about a dystopian world like George Orwell's 1984.

Margo Jefferson

Raina Telgemeier

Riana Telgemeir is the author of the graphic novels Smile, Drama, and Sisters. There is no need to introduce this author to children as she is famous for these three books. Except for Drama, Smile and Sisters are true stories which she has taken from her own life.

Posted by Sreevidya Devanand

Kindness In Small Packages

It is the beginning of the new academic year and we had cartons of newly arrived books in the library that needed to be sorted out, labeled and arranged on the shelves for the students and staff. I was sitting in a corner of the library doing this work when Ms. Madhur approached me with three girls. She told me they were there to help me with the work. I thought they might help me with two or three cartons of books.  Still, that would be a great help when we were running short of time.The children sat with me and I gave them careful instructions on how to do the work and what each one of them should do so that the work gets finished fast.

The kids were very enthusiastic, full of vigor and positivity. I started feeling positive too in their gracious presence. They were amazed to see the wonderful collection of books. We slowly started a healthy conversation about books, the things we like to do the most, how we spend our free time and so many other small things which usually doesn’t come to our mind but having a great impact on how we reflect ourselves as persons and in a group. I personally don't believe in the stereotyped question: what do you want to be when you grow up..Children get confused and their tastes and interests change as they grow up. So I asked about their ambitions. One of the girls Harsha who is very humble told me she wants to become a teacher.She always helps her mother and she likes to read Roald Dahl. Itrat, who is very energetic has not yet decided whether she should be an artist or a doctor. She is too much into reading that she finished a Geronimo Stilton while helping me. Her brother who was with us for some time is dreaming about his life as a scientist and is quite interested in farming. Kwaish, the third child surprised me by telling that she wants to become the prime minister of India. I was so enthralled to hear all this. Such wonderful dreams these kids have. Children are much more than what we think they are. I could see the spark in their eyes when they spoke about their dreams and ambitions. They do have a clear picture of what is happening in the world. I learned so much from them the two days I spent with them. They taught me how to stay calm in times of stress.

Each time I asked them to take a break, they humbly declined to say that they love doing this work more than taking a break doing nothing. In a world where everyone is busy with their own agenda, their own problems, these kids stand out. In a self-centered materialistic world, teaching our children to step beyond all that is a herculean task. The parents of these children deserve great appreciation in that respect.

I could hardly believe my eyes when we finished the entire tasks, the next day, at four in the evening. There were 29 cartons of books out of which we finished 25 in two days. Without out this three children, I couldn’t have made it possible at all. When I thanked them, they smiled and said: “there is no need to thank because these books are for us to read and we really enjoyed the work.” I left the school feeling very positive and radiant.

Acts of kindness come in small sizes and packages. It was a non-premeditated, and selfless act. To me, it was rather a Zen-like experience.  Achievement for a parent is how their kid treats others and how they see and feel about themselves.

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” 

Desmond Tutu.

Posted by Sreevidya Devanand

Welcome to the GEMS Modern Academy Resource Centre

“Access to books and the encouragement of the habit of reading: these two things are the first and the most necessary steps in education and librarians, teachers and parents all over the country know it. It is our children’s right and it is also our best hope and their best hope for the future.”

Michael Morpurgo

               

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the GEMS Modern Academy Resource Centre. We are gearing up for one more successful year with your child. I strongly believe that parents play a critical role in the reading habits and literacy development of their children. Children no matter what their age is, are attracted to works of fiction. Even if they are not ready to accept the world of written words, they will always be thrilled to listen to books that are read to them. It is better to make them involved with books at an early age to inculcate a passion for reading in future. 

As librarians, we can always help them find a book of their choice and interest level and give suggestions on how to go about searching a good book. We expose them to a variety of interactive books and different genres. With our wonderful software Destiny Quest, students connect with peers to swap book reviews and recommendations. Parents can also play an equal role as librarians to develop a child’s interest in reading. See what your child is reading and what they want to read. Check out their book reviews and reports. Reading can be equally fun with non-fiction materials too. Encourage them to read comic books, newspapers, and magazines. It will be great if you can spend some time with your child to read together and ask them to point out words which they find difficult to understand. To flourish as readers students need to think further about what they have read in a book. Just have a small talk about the books, ask them about the characters, themes or the exciting and intriguing plots. That way reading becomes a family activity and most of the children I am sure will enjoy spending time with their parents. And when you ignite strong and positive feelings about your school library you communicate a powerful message to your child.

Keep an eye out. We have some exciting programs and activities planned for your child this year. I hope your child enjoys reading as many books as possible developing his/her reading skills. Looking forward to working with you and your child this academic year. And please leave your valuable comments and suggestions and queries if any. We are always happy to help and hear from you.


Posted By Sreevidya Devanand

Introduction to GMA Resource Centre

About Resource Centre.

At the Resource Centre, we innovate, explore, collaborate and learn together. We thrive to create a generation of confident independent learners. The Resource Centre plays a pivotal role in supporting the students by encouraging them to read learn and write through innovative approaches and learning opportunities. It supports the school curriculum, meets the individual needs of the students, develops their information literacy skills and helps them make informed decisions. The competencies they acquire through information literacy equips them with critical thinking skills and an ability to think beyond the realm of curriculum and textbooks. The Resource Centre also helps in fostering the changes in the education sector which in turn has a direct impact on professional development for the teachers.

Using the Library.

Our services are readily available on all working days from 7 50 am to 4.00 pm. During the summer break (July-August) library will be open from 8 am to 2 pm from Sunday to Thursday. Students and new staff can join our library once they receive their identification card from the school. This card will be valid until the end of the course/service. It is necessary that students should bring the card to borrow books. Students can borrow one book at a time for a period of two weeks. But they can come and exchange the books any time once they finish reading the book. Books after two weeks if not finished can be renewed. If a book is lost it has to be either replaced with another book (which is in good condition) which has the same price as that of the lost book.Students are responsible for handling books with care since they are for everyone to share.An overdue book means a student cannot borrow another book until the book is returned. If a book is lost payment or a replacement will be requested from the parents.

Follett Destiny.

The library uses Follett Destiny Library Manager to manage our library resources. The link can be accessed through my learning portal from student’s and staff’s accounts. We orient the new students at the beginning of every academic year to make maximum benefit from Follett destiny which has a wide range of collection of e-books, graphic novels, databases and other resources that help in curriculum development. It is very easy to navigate and is completely browser-based which means it can be accessed from anywhere you have an internet connection or even from your mobile or tablet. Destiny is more than a research tool. You can rate and put reviews for books, check your issue history, can see the status of a particular book if it is available in the library or not. There are options to search by author, title, ISBN, material type, keyword search, and series. We have both paid and free online databases which will give access to online resources. There is also a wonderful facility to recommend a book to your friends or colleagues.  Another feature which makes this software stand out is that we can search a book according to the Lexile level. Explore the wonderful options that give you fun means of discovery and meaning. Check out a good book from the circulation desk and enjoy reading!

Our Team

You can contact any four of us if help is needed for anything related to the library.

Madhur Khare: madhur.k_mhs@gemsedu.com

Sreevidya Devanand: sreevidya.d_mhs@gemsedu.com

Vaishnavi Gopal: vaishnavi.g1_mhs@gemsedu.com

Shirin Pawane : malbush1@hotmail.com

We are looking forward to continuing to share our learning journey with you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Posted By Sreevidya Devanand

New Event: Makerspace in GMA

Makerspace: Fostering Creativity and Innovation

We are transforming The Resource Centre to start Makerspace from the scratch. Our library will soon be getting transformed with creativity. Let us hope this new event will provide an outstanding opportunity for synergy in our new learning environment.

Feed the Soul: Let Creativity Speak.

A few things make us human beings different from any other species. One of the traits that make human beings unique is the power to think and create. 2000 years ago the famous philosopher Aristotle wrote, “We are rational animals pursuing knowledge for its own sake. We live by art and reasoning.”

Art is creativity and creativity is art. Ever since we learned to write we documented whatever was created in the form of art and writings. This later developed the idea of libraries to provide an organized access to a collection of materials for informational needs of individuals and groups. Libraries flourished all over the world and it evolved from time to time. If we look into the transition of libraries from clay tablets to digital tablets we come to know about the fascinating development libraries have undergone through ages and where it stands now. New tools and technologies have been invented and libraries we see now everywhere is undergoing revolutionary changes around the globe. Libraries are no more a space to stock books and circulate them. They are rather spaces of innovation and creativity. Makerspace is one such revolutionary change in the world of libraries. It is offering vast and exciting opportunities to the world of education.

What is a makerspace?

"A makerspace is a collaborative work space inside a school, library or separate public/private facility for making, learning, exploring and sharing that uses high tech to no tech tools.  These spaces are open to kids, adults, and entrepreneurs and have a variety of maker equipment including 3D printers, laser cutters, cnc machines, soldering irons and even sewing machines.  A makerspace however doesn’t need to include all of these machines or even any of them to be considered a makerspace.  If you have cardboard, legos and art supplies you’re in business.  It’s more of the maker mindset of creating something out of nothing and exploring your own interests that’s at the core of a makerspace.  These spaces are also helping to prepare those who need the critical 21st century skills in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).  They provide hands on learning, help with critical thinking skills and even boost self-confidence.  Some of the skills that are learned in a makerspace pertain to electronics, 3d printing, 3D modeling, coding, robotics and even woodworking,   Makerspaces are also fostering entrepreneurship and are being utilized as incubators and accelerators for business startups."

Source :

https://www.makerspaces.com/what-is-a-makerspace/

The best way for students to learn is making them engaged. Different students have different capabilities. I strongly believe that there will be only very few students even if any who will not love to explore, innovate and create something of their own. They can identify the problems, find solutions, work on it, collaborate and communicate with peers. Difficult tasks which seem impossible will be much easier when it is a collective effort and problems get more structured and can be solved through multiple perspectives. When technology is integrated with foresight and intended for specific goals, it develops the potential of students in their learning in a unique and refined manner. Makerspace is one such technology where learning and creativity come closer together fostering skills and interest in learning.

Look out for some of our exciting and wonderful Makerspace events during this academic year.

Posted By Sreevidya Devanand