“It’s the joy of learning science that makes the subject interesting,” said Nobel Laureate Eric Cornell. He was at the Gear Innovative International School in the City to give away the maiden ‘Nobel Laureate Eric Cornell Science Talent Award’ instituted by the school this year in his honour. The award recognises a student with an innate talent in science and awards him/her with a certificate and a scholarship to pursue undergraduate and post graduate studies.
“Interest in science needs to be nurtured as a talent among students,” said M Srinivasan, principal of Gear Innovative International School. He explained that a consolidated fund under the ‘Nobel Minds Trust’, will soon be created. “The programme is in its formative stages and we still haven’t decided whether students will be awarded the scholarship only if they pursue science,” he added.
Multiple intelligence
Rashmi Ravishankar, a student of Class 9, won the Science Award. “I am thrilled. Especially because I received the award from Eric Cornell. The recognition has inspired me to work harder and pursue science after finishing school,” said an elated Rashmi. She was selected from six students, from Class 5 to Class 10, who were nominees for the award. The group had an interactive session with Eric Cornell, which helped him and the principal choose the winner. Cornell also gave away prizes to achievers in various sports and to teachers for implementing innovative teaching methods in classrooms.
The other highlight of the day was the 14th MI-ACT — an annual exhibition of Multiple Intelligence Activities at Gear. The exhibition included learning aids and materials created by teachers throughout the year in subjects like science, social sciences and languages. The exhibition was an endeavour to help parents understand what the school means by research-oriented and activity-based education.
Students from Class 5 to Class 8 displayed their annual CIPE (Creative Inventive Productive Excellence) projects.
Creative minds
One such exhibit was a mini cement mixer created by Class 5 student Aashish G. The model includes a sewing machine motor, connected by a gear chain to a steel pot apparatus that churns the cement. The project cost him Rs 2,000 and five hours of his time to make.
“My father is a builder and looking at these giant cement mixtures on his site, I felt the need to build a miniature version, which can be used at home,” he said. Nandita Raj, of Class 4, inspired her peers to go green with her handmade paper project. She said, “Trees are a precious resource. My project involves recycling paper.”
‘Don’t study science to win the Nobel’
Eric Cornell urges students to ask questions because learning is not a “chore”.
According to you what is the ideal system of education?
Education is an ongoing adventure. A child should not be pressurised, either by parents or teachers, to excel in everything in school. Learning subjects like science, for example, should not be a chore but should inspire children to ask questions, make discoveries, get involved in exploration, which eventually fosters creativity. Also, when it comes to marks or grades, they are important, but should never be the primary focus.
Tell us something about your student life.
I was an average student. But I never failed to embrace the joy of learning science. What helped me to a great extent was that I was blessed with brilliant teachers. They were my inspiration in school. Like in Class 9, my physics teacher helped me develop an immense interest in physics. Becoming a scientist is not easy. While studying at the university, I did give up once but came back to study physics, a year later. What I learnt is that my happiness was in learning the subject and I did just that. Also, students should never pursue science only to win the Nobel Prize.
Your role models are...
Satyendra Nath Bose who was one of the reasons for me and my colleagues to produce the Bose-Einstein Condensate (which won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2001), my father and Mahatma Gandhi are my icons. Those who make a difference to humanity like inventors of vaccines, which benefit mnankind, are also my role models.
AM