We successfully conducted on-line Bebras India challenge 2019 in our school. A total of 1350 students from std 5th to std 9th participated in the challenge. The students were very excited to participate and they took the challenge seriously which is reflected in the school results.Two students stood 4th at the National Level, and 8 more students stood in the top 10 National Ranks. Around 200 students have scored more than 100 marks.
The two weeks of Bebras Challenge was an enriching experience for all of us.We were surprised to see the students who are otherwise restless in the class room, solved each task carefully & with full concentration. Many students who otherwise are not much interested in any activity were involved in thinking to find out solution. It was a satisfying experience for us to watch our students discussing with their classmates and teachers about the Bebras tasks after the competition.
The whole process made me realize that if we change the method of assessment & format of questions, then the exam/competition becomes an enjoyable experience for the students irrespective of their age, gender or aptitude in the particular subject.This is because they get thoughtfully involved in the activity as a whole.
In this era of flooding knowledge,the objective of education has been shifted from ‘imparting knowledge’ to ‘making use of available knowledge for solving the problems’. Bebras challenge worked as a thinking trigger and certainly helped the students to develop their ‘problem solving’ skills. I consider Bebras challenge as the best tool to evaluate their reasoning ability &improve computational thinkingin schools.
As the challenge was also available in Marathi, we informed Shri SaraswatiVidyaMandir about it.Acharya Sir and Head Mistress Mrs. Rekha Jagdale showed interest in conducting Bebras India Challenge for their students. I really appreciate the team of teachers in Sarswati Vidya Mandir that they managed to conduct challenge for their 250 students with only 20 computers.
Thanks to Vipul Sir, Soniya Madam and entire team of CSPathshala for their untiring efforts and ever supportive gesture which keep us encouraged to participate in such activities.
Students Feedback:
Vihang Vidwans (4thNational Rank, Class 8):Bebras Challenge was quite invigorating. The tasks were engaging and stimulating. As Mathematical concepts were disguised as puzzles, they were very enjoyable.
Khushi Shah (4th National Rank, Class 8): The Bebras tasks were quite challenging but I attempted all of them. And the result was just unbelievable, I had never imagined myself among the toppers at the National level. I am thankful to my school for conducting this competition for all the students. I am not a student who is willing to participate in competitive exams, but as Bebras challenge was compulsory, I appeared for it. This exam was not stressful like other competitions, on the other hand I enjoyed solving all the tasks. I am so glad that I did it and at the end it has given me the most memorable moment of my life.
Manisha Girolkar
School Coordinator
Dr. Kalmadi Shamarao High School, Ganesh Nagar, Pune
