Aamina Adil

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‘STEM gender gap has deep implications for future of global economy’

Less than 30pc of researchers worldwide are women

I, myself, was the only girl in my class during O levels and A Levels as I had taken pre-engineering subjects. And as the article says, one of the reasons women don’t enter into these fields is that there isn’t much scope in the job market for them. We need to encourage more girls and women by recognizing their achievements in this field and motivating them that they are no less than the boys when it comes to excelling in this field. 

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The flaws in our education: Why are Pakistani students struggling with mathematics?

The major factors behind students falling behind in maths are lack of proper practice and low-quality curriculum.

The condition of Math and Science education is deplorable and immediate reforms are required to improve the situation

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I think the fear of these subjects is another reason that students tend to stay away from them and end up performing poorly. Instead of being taught and shown the fun and practical side of Math and Science, they are depicted and taught as something very difficult. Thus, students from an early age develop this understanding that these subjects are only meant to be aced by a choosen few. 

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Teachers, Quit Telling Introverts They Should Participate More

There are many ways to accommodate quiet, introverted students without imposing the extroverted norm upon them.

"I'm not saying that you should never try to help your introverted students grow. I’m not saying that you should never challenge them. I’m saying that you should help them participate in ways that work with their quiet nature, rather than against it."

A challenge for teachers is to ensure that everyone is participating in class but also need to accomodate introverts and to think of ways to ensure their participation without pressuring them.

[aaminaadil-blog]

An excellent article about inclusivity. Like we discussed in class, other ways to make sure all children are equally judged is having diverse activities to gauge the performance of the diverse learners in class like having small group discussions, presentations, written feedback, art projects, etc

[aaminaadil-blog]

LUMS Students Mathematics Society - LSMS

The Salam Sessions - Chapter 1 "What is mathematics?” "What is really there to understand in mathematics?” Dr Maqbool started off by describing it in a fascinating way: "What has happened over a...

The LUMS Students Mathematics Society recently introduced the Salam Sessions - students get together to discuss a topic linking mathematics and physics with a faculty member, in the process exploring the beauty of both the subjects. Such initiatives not only help in providing platforms for students to openly talk about what they love but they also honour our unsung heroes (Dr. Abdus Salam) whose names need to be brought back to our classrooms.

[aaminaadil-blog]

A great video to understand the concept of forward and backward mapping introduced in Elmore’s article ‘Backward Mapping: Implementation Research and Policy Decisions’. It is very important to understand that policymakers cannot make decisions on behalf of the public who is facing the problems without consulting them. Backward mapping ensures that the people at the lowest level who are dealing with the issues and have expertise to solve them are the ones in control. In making education policies even, teachers, students and parents should be given the discretion to suggest and implement changes as they are the ones that will be effected in the end.

[aaminaadil-blog]

Wanted to share a few pictures I took today at the Lahore Science Mela organized by the Khwarizmi Science Society under the leadership of Dr. Sabieh Anwar from LUMS. Stalls from various schools and organizations were set up with topics ranging from pendulums to global warming to zoology to spectroscopy. It was heart warming to see little kids demonstrating and interacting with the experiments and eagerly learning about new stuff. Such events are very important for building curiosity among the young generation and giving them an opportunity to explore and understand the world around them!

[aaminaadil-blog]

Review: Abdus Salam documentary is a heartbreaking reminder of how a country suffers when its heroes are ignored - Cutacut

The film documents how Abdus Salam's religious and national identity was important to his scientific discoveries

A beautiful summary of the documentary - Salam - The First ****** Nobel Laureate, for those who weren’t able to watch it yet. I got the chance to attend the screening of the documentary by the LUMS Students Mathematics Society and it surely made me think - what a loss it is for our students and the entire nation in general to erase such a great hero from not only textbooks but everywhere around us. Can we not just concentrate on his contributions to science and to Pakistan without taking into regard his religious identity?

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Flexible Seating—rearrange the classroom space to help meet the diverse needs of your students

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It is important to not just tailor classroom activities to cater to a wide range of skills and needs but also change the space around you for greater inclusivity! 

[aaminaadil-blog]

Science education in schools

When it comes to teaching science, the biggest issue is the medium of instruction

An article that carries forward our discussion in class about the medium of instruction for science education. While the writer points out that students are unable to fully grasp the concepts taught to them in English as they are unfamiliar with the language, he also highlights the consequences of not having words in Urdu language that properly explain scientific concepts like ‘oxidation’. 

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I’ve always found Kungfu Panda to be a movie of profound wisdom for education. Po can be thought of as being differently abled. Master Shifu first tries to teach him kung fu the way he teaches the Five, but then eventually realizes that he needs to play to Po’s unique strengths and realise that they are not in fact weaknesses (i.e. his enormous appetite and bounciness and capacity to handle insane amounts of pain)!

[aaminaadil-blog]

Also, an excellent example of how a student can be guided in ZPD (zone of proximal development). Po had the skill set to master kung fu but needed a mentor who could assist him. Shifu scaffolded Po by showing him techniques, engaging him in activities and games that suited his abilities and encouraging him to believe in himself.

[aaminaadil-blog]

Positive Reinforcement for Class Participation

Kelly Hall uses rewards and encouragement to maintain students' interest, and participation levels rise when she praises their contributions. Kelly has planned a lesson on product analysis that involves a series of short and varied activities to prevent boredom, reducing the need for disciplining and keeping the lesson moving. Her approach earns her respect from the students and behavior expert John Bayley is impressed with her efficient methods.

The video is an excellent way to understand how positive reinforcements can make a classroom more productive and learning more fun. 

[aaminaadil-blog]

This cartoon shows how important grades have become in our education systems, where a child knows that he/she will only be labelled by his/her grades. Such a fixed mind set prevents learning from taking place since the focus is on the end result and not on the process.