Life skills to empower students

Teachers’ role is crucial in successful implementation of Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), in order to achieve desired aims and objectives of it as stated. While thinking in line with CCE, teachers can begin by having an insight into multiple intelligences, life skills, and designing assessment activities. This will enable them to enhance their horizon of evaluating the learners in terms of CCE. 

Multiple Intelligences

Howard Gardner’s theory calls for assessment methods that take into account the diversity of intelligences, as well as self-assessment tools that help students understand and foster their intelligences. 

With an understanding of this theory, teachers can help students understand and appreciate their strengths, and identify real-world activities that will stimulate more learning. The list of Multiple Intelligence is as follows:

* Linguistic Intelligence: This intelligence includes the ability to use language effectively. Classroom activities: Storytelling, poem writing, journal writing, script writing, role play, creative writing, newspaper reading, public speaking, etc.

* Logical-Mathematical Intelligence: It is associated with scientific and mathematical thinking. Classroom activities: Abstract writing, symbols/formula outlining, graphic organizers, number sequences, calculation, games, Venn diagrams and time lines.

* Musical Intelligence: Involves skill related performance, composition, and appreciation of musical patterns. Classroom activities: Chants, Concept songs, environmental sounds, humming, illustrating with sounds, etc.

* Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence: It is using mental abilities to coordinate bodily movements. Classroom activities: Folk/creative dance, role play, physical gestures, drama, martial arts, body language, physical exercise, mime and sports games.

* Spatial Intelligence: Involves the potential to recognise and use the patterns of wide space and more confined areas. Classroom activities: Guided imagery, imagination ,color schemes, patterns/designs, painting, drawing pictures, mind-mapping, sculpture, brochures, collages, flow charts, molding clay, photography, and posters preparation.

n Interpersonal Intelligence: It is concerned with the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations and desires of other people. Classroom activities: Giving feedback, sharing feelings, cooperative learning strategies, person-to-person communication, empathy practices, division of labor, receiving feedback, and group projects.

n Intrapersonal Intelligence: The capacity to understand oneself, to appreciate one's feelings, fear and motivation. Classroom activities can be on self- reflection methods, thinking strategies, emotional processing, and SWOT analysis.

n Naturalist Intelligence: A good observer, the child is fond of being outdoors and attempts to discover things. The child is good at organising, categorising, sorting, or analysing. Classroom activities: Observation, collecting, identifying, dissecting, nature walks, collecting samples, recording and writing.

Life skills

Life-Skills are the basic abilities required for an individual transact day-to-day situations in an effective way. It enables students to acquire competencies and extend their learning from the classroom to real life situations.

According to World Health Organization core life skills include; decision-making, problem solving, creative thinking, critical thinking, effective communication, interpersonal relationship skills, self-awareness, empathy, coping with emotions, coping with stress, goal setting, assertiveness, and negotiation skills.

Designing assessment activities

Well designed assessment sets clear expectations, establishes a reasonable workload, and provides opportunities for students to self-monitor, rehearse, practice and receive feedback. Assessments enhance student engagement and motivation, particularly when it incorporates interaction with teachers, other students and a range of resources.

Assessment activities should therefore;

* Be valid and be based on syllabus outcomes
* Include criteria to clarify what aspects of learning are being assessed
* Enable students to demonstrate their learning in a range of different contexts
* Be reliable, free from bias and provide evidence that accurately represents a student's knowledge, understanding and skills
* Enable students and teachers to use feedback effectively and reflect on the learning process
* Be inclusive of and accessible for all student.
* Be part of an ongoing process where progress is monitored over time
* Be detailed, transparent and justifiable
* Be carefully planned and structured
* Be consistent with the objectives of the course and what is taught and learnt
* Be helpful for students to learn.

Teacher should keep in mind the above mentioned aspects while designing CCE activity to make the impact of CCE activity on the learners to really count.