Azmir's Blog

99 Best Rumi Quotes: The Ancient Wisdom

2021-02-27T12:19:00.001+09:30

99 Best Rumi Quotes:

1. Silence is the language of God, all else is poor translation.

2. The inspiration you seek is already within you. Be silent and listen.

3. Always remember, you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smatter than you think and twice as beautiful as you ever imagined.

4. Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.

5. The quieter we become, the more we can hear.

6. As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.

7. It is your road, and you are as alone. Others may walk it with you but no one can walk it for you.

8. Raise you words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.

9. See through the eyes of compassion. Listen with the ears of tolerance. Speak with the language of love.

10. We carry inside us the wonders we seek outside us!

11. Gratitude is the wine for the soul. Go on, get drunk.

12. Practice patience. It is the essence of prays. Have patience for that is true worship. No other worship is worth as much.

13. Have patience. Patience is the key to all relieves.

14. Wisdom tells us we are not worthy. Love tells us we are. My life flows between the two.

15. This being human is a guesthouse. Every morning is a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all. Treat each guest honorably, the dark thought, the shame, and the malice. Meet them at the door laughing and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide form beyond.

16. If you are looking for a friend who is faultless, you will be friendless.

17.You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens.

18. When you are everywhere, you are nowhere. When you are somewhere, you are everywhere.

19. The art of knowing is knowing what to ignore.

20. Whenever you are alone, remind yourself that God has sent everyone else away, so that there is only you and Him.

21. Your task is not to seek for love, but to merely seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.

22. Love is not written on paper, for paper can be erased. Nor is it etched on stone, for stone can be broken. But it is inscribed on a heart and there it shall remain forever.

23. Appear as you are and be as you appear.

24. I love my friends neither with my heart nor with my mind, just in case, heart might stop, mind can forget, I love them with my soul. The soul never stops and forgets.

25. Being desirable means being comfortable with your own ambiguity. The most ambiguous reality is that we flash and spirit at the same time. Within everyone, there is light and shadow, good and the evil, love and hate. In order to be truthful, you must embrace your total being.

26. A person who exhibits both positive and negative qualities, strengths and weaknesses, is not flawed, but complete. Life is balance of holding on and letting go.

27. A candle never loses any of its light while lighting up another candle.

28. Do not look back. No one knows how the word ever began. Do not fear the future. Nothing lasts forever. If you dwell on the past or the future, you will miss the moment.

29. Don’t get lost in your pain. Know that one day your pain will become your cure.

30. My dear heart, never think you are better than others. Listen to their sorrows with compassion. If you want peace, do not harbor bad thoughts. Do not gossip and do not teach what you do not know.

31. Do not feel lonely. The entire universe is inside you.

32. The mind says that there is nothing beyond the physical world. The Heart says that there is. And I have been there many times.

33. Don’t be sad because God sends hope in the most desperate moments. Don’t forget the heaviest rain comes out of the darkest clouds.

34. Where the lips are silent, heart has thousand tongues.

35. Whatever happens to you, don’t fall in despair. You can have all the doors closed; a secret path will be there for you that no one knows.

36. You cannot see yet but there are so many paradises are at the end of this path.

37. Be grateful. It is easy to thank after attaining what you want. Thank before having what you want.

38. Silence gives answers.

39.Be grateful for your life, every detail of it, and your face will come to shine like a Sun, and who sees it will be made glad and peaceful.

40. In every religion, there is love, yet love has no religion.

41. You are born with potential. You are born with goodness and trust. You are born with ideals and dreams. You are born with greatness. You are born with wings. You are not meant for crawling, so don’t. You have wings, learn to use them and fly.

42. Last night I begged the wise to tell me the secret of the world. Gently he whispered, be quiet. The secret cannot be spoken. It is wrapped in silence.

43. Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bow of your heart so that fresh green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots so that new hidden beneath have the room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.

44. When love is not accepted, move on. When love is not appreciated, walk away. Hopefully, time will teach what real love is.

45. You don’t live on the earth. You are passing through it.

46.While the mind sees only boundaries, love knows the secret way there.

47. What you are seeking is also seeking you.

48. I said: what about my eyes?

He said: Keep them on the road.

I said: What about my passion?

He said: Keep it burning.

I said: What about my heart?

He said: Tell me what you hold inside it?

I said: Pain and sorrow.

He said: Stay with it. The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”

49. Many of the faults you see in others, dear reader, are your own nature reflected in them.

50. Find the sweetness in your heart, then you can find the sweetness in others’ heart.

51. If you want money more than anything, you will be bought and sold whole life.

52. The eye goes blind when it only wants to see why.

53. When the word pushes to your knees, you are in the perfect position to pray.

54. Be patient, where you sit in the dark, the dawn is coming.

55. Be foolish when you are in love, because love is all there is.

56. If words come out of the heart, they will enter the heart.

57. Be lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone soul-heal, walk out of your house like a Sheppard.

58. And don’t think that the garden loses its ecstasy and winter. It’s quiet, but the roots are down there riotous.

59. The only lasting beauty is the beauty of the heart.

60. You have no idea how hard I’ve looked for a gift to bring you. Nothing seemed right. What’s the point of bringing gold to the gold mine or water to the ocean. Everything I came up with was like taking spices to the origin. It’s not good giving my heart or soul because you already have these. So I bought you a mirror. Look at yourself and remember me.

61. Whenever we managed to love without expectation, calculation, negotiation; we are indeed in heaven.

62. Do you know what you are? You are a manuscript of a divine letter. You are mirror reflecting a noble face. This universe is not outside of you. Look inside of yourself, everything that you want, you are already that.

63. I always thought that I was me. But no! I was you, and never knew it.

64. Beyond the rightness or wrongness; there is a field, I will meet you there!

65. Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop. Be like the Sun for grace and mercy. Be like the night to cover others’ fault. Be like running water for generosity. Be like death for rage and anger. Be like the earth for modesty. Appear as you are, be as you appear.

66. I am the dust in the sunlight. I am the bowl of the sun. I am the mist in the morning, the breath of the evening. I am the spark in the stone, the glen of gold in the meadow, the rose in the nightingale drunk with its fragrance. I am the chain of being, the circle of the sphere, the scale of creation, the rise and the fall. I am what is and is not. I am the soul in all.

67. You sow your worth by what you seek.

68. Take someone who doesn’t keep score, who is not looking for to be richer or afraid of losing, who has not the slightest interest in his own personality. He is free. When you feel a peaceful joy, that’s when you are near truth.

69. Not the ones speaking the same language, but the ones sharing the same feeling understand each other.

70. Our greatest strength lies in our gentleness and tenderness in our heart.

71. To love is human; to feel pain is human, yet to still love despite the pain is pure angel.

72. Maybe you are searching among the branches for what only appears on the roots.

73. Happy is the moment when we sat together with two forms and two faces, yet one soul, you and I.

74. Every leaf that grows will tell you what you sow will their fruit. So if you any sense, my friend, do not plant anything but love.

75. What comes will go. What is found will be lost again. But what you are is beyond the coming and going and beyond description.

76. Don’t grieve for what doesn’t come. Somethings that don’t happen keep disasters from happening.

77. Be soulful, be kind, be in love. Someday our souls will be one and our union will be forever.

78. I know that everything gave you comes back to me. So I gave you my life hoping that you will come back to me.

79. Don’t sit and wait. Get out there. Feel life. Touch the sun and immerse the sea.

80. If someone asks what is love. Answer dissolving the will.

81. Yesterday is gone and took away its tail, Today we must live a fresh story again.

82. When you go through a hard period, when everything seems to oppose you, when feel you cannot even bear one more minute, never give up, because it is the time and place that the course will divert.

83. Why are you so enchanted by this world when a mine of gold lies within you?

84. Peaceful is the one who is not concerned with having more or less. On bound by name and fame, he is free from sorrow, from the world and mostly from himself.

85. Speak little. Learn the worlds of eternity. Go beyond your tangled thoughts and find the splendor of paradise.

86. This silence, this moment, every moment, if it's genuinely inside you, brings what you need. There's nothing to believe. Only when I stopped believing in myself did I come into this beauty. Sit quietly, and listen for a voice that will say, 'be more silent. Die and be quiet. Quietness is the surest sign that you've died. Your old life was a frantic running from silence. Move outside the tangle of fear-thinking. Live in silence.

87. Love is the sea where intellect drowns.

88. You think because you understand one, you must also understand two, because one and one make two. But you must also understand ‘and’.

89. “I looked for God. I went to a temple and I didn’t find him there. Then I went to a church and I didn’t find him there. The I went to a mosque and I didn’t find him there. Then finally I looked in my heart and there he was.”

90. Don’t dismiss the heart, even if it’s filled with sorrow. God’s treasures are buried in broken hearts.

91. Do you pay regular visits to yourself? Start now.

92. You were born with potential. You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness. You were born with wings. You are not meant for crawling, so don't. You have wings. Learn to use them and fly.”

93. This is now. Now is, all there is. Don't wait for Then; strike the spark, light the fire.

94. Whatever leaves the corner of your mouth, trust that.

95. It is love that holds everything together, and it is the everything also.

96. To me nothing in the world is as precious as a genuine smile, especially from a child.

97. One of the marvels of the world the sight of a soul sitting in prison with the key its hands.

98. All religions, all this singing, one song. The differences are just illusion and vanity. The sun’s light looks a little different on this wall than it does on that wall, and a lot different on this other one, but it’s still one light.

99. I want that love that moved the mountains.

I want that love that split the ocean.

I want that love that made the winds tremble.

I want that love that roared like thunder.

I want that love that will raise the dead.

I want that love that lifts us to ecstasy.

I want that love that is the silence of eternity.”

কুকুরের ডাক ও ডাবল মার্ডার

2013-10-08T04:26:00.000+09:30

বেশ কিছুদিন তিমুর সাগর পাড়ে যাওয়া হয়না। বাসা থেকে মিনিট পাঁচেকের পায়ে হাঁটা দূরত্ব। তাই আজ রওয়ানা হলাম। রাস্তার পাশের কোনো একটি বাড়ীর পাশ দিয়ে যাচ্ছি, এমূহূর্তে বাড়ীর ফেঞ্চের ভেতর থেকে একটা কুকুর অকস্মাৎ এমন জোরে ঘেউ করে উঠল যে একেবারে হার্টবিট বন্ধ হবার অবস্থা। রক্ষা শুধু এখানে বাড়ীতে কেহ গার্ড কুকুর রাখলে পুরো বাড়ীর চারপাশেই ফেঞ্চ রাখে। নতুন বা অপরিচিত কাউকে দেখলেই কুকুরে ডাক ছাড়ে। সে নতুনকেই অমঙ্গল মনে করে। কুকুরের এ বৈশিষ্ট্য তার মালিকের বাড়ীর নিরাপত্তা রক্ষায় খুব মঙ্গলজনক, সন্দেহ নাই, তবে বহু পথচারীর জন্য তা ভীষণ অপ্রীতিকর! যাহোক, কুকুরের ডাক শুনে আমার বছর দুয়েক আগের আরেকটি কুকুরের কথা মনে পড়ে গেল। ঐ কুকুরটিকে কোনোদিন আমি দেখিনি, তার ডাকও শুনিনি কোনোদিন ; যদিও কোনো একদিন তার ডাক দেওয়ার হয়তঃ খুব প্রয়োজন ছিল! তবে ডাক না দিয়েও সে একটা লোককে চিনিয়ে দিয়েছিল!

বছর দুয়েক আগের কথা। তখন অন্য এক অ্যাপার্টমেন্টে ভাড়া থাকি। বর্তমান বাসাটি থেকে মাত্র মাইল দেড়েক দূরে। সকাল ৬ টার মত হবে, কলিং বেল বাজল। এত সকালে কে আবার আসল? দরজা খুলে দেখি দু’জন দাঁড়িয়ে আছেন। দ্রুত নিজেদের পরিচয় দিলেন পুলিশ ডিপার্টম্যান্টের হোমিসাইড ডিটেকটিভ বলে।

হোমিসাইড ডিটেকটিভ? ঘুম ভেঙ্গে দরজায় হোমিসাইড ডিটেকটিভ? কি ব্যাপার জিজ্ঞেস করলাম? বেশ বিস্মিত হয়েছি। তারা জানাল, আপনার দু’ বাসা পর গতরাতে যে মার্ডার হয়েছে সে ব্যাপারে আপনার সাথে কিছু বিষয়ে কথা বলতে পারি কি?

‘মার্ডার? আমি তো কিছুই জানি না।’

‘জানেন না, গতরাতে ঐ পাশের বাসায় বৃদ্ধ-বৃদ্ধা দু’জনই মার্ডার হয়েছেন। ডাবল মার্ডার! আপনার যদি সম্মতি থাকে, তাহলে আমরা আপনার একটি পুরো স্টেটমেন্ট নিতে পারি।’

ঐ বৃদ্ধ-বৃদ্ধা দু’জনকেই প্রায়শঃ দেখেছি, যদিও তেমন পরিচয় নেই। বয়স তাদের ৭০ এর কম হবেনা। আমার দু’বাসা পরে থাকে বটে, তবে দ্বিতীয় বাসাটির পরে মাঝে একটা উঁচু দেওয়াল। একারণে তাদের কমপ্লেক্সটা আসলে বেশ পৃথক। ডিটেকটিভদের সাথে কথা বলছি আর অ্যাপার্টমেন্টেটির দিকে বারবার চোখ যাচ্ছে। ডিটেকটিভদের একজন আবার এর মাঝে জানতে চাইলেন, আপনার ঐ দ্বিতীয় প্রতিবেশীটি কি এখন বাসায় আছেন? বললাম, নক করেই দেখুন না? সে উত্তরে বলল, করেছি, কিন্তু কেহই ভেতর থেকে সাড়া দিচ্ছে না। ভাবলাম, সাড়া না দিলে তারা ভেতরে নেই। ইনি তাহলে আবার আমাকে একথা জিজ্ঞেস করছেন কেন? তবে অবশ্য দৃষ্টিটা একটু পরে চলে গিয়েছিল প্রতিবেশীর বাসার কোনায় দেওয়ালের উপর এয়ার কন্ডিশনটির দিকে। ওটি থেকে টপ টপ করে পানি পড়ছিল। তার মানে এয়ারকন চালু আছে। তবে কি তারা ভেতরে নেই? ততক্ষণে আশপাশ দেখে বুঝতে শুরু করেছি, আসলে আশেপাশের সব ভাড়াটেরাই ভেতরে আছেন, এবং ডিটেকটিভদ্বয়ও ইতোমধ্যে সবাইকে নক করেছেন, কিন্তু কেউ দরজা খুলছেন না। এখানে কেউ কথা বলতে না চাইলে, পুলিশ কোনো সুনির্দিষ্ট কারণ ছাড়া তাকে কথা বলাতে বাধ্য করাতে পারেন না। কেউ ভলান্টিয়ারিলি বলতে চাইলে সেটা ভিন্নকথা। তবুও আমার কাছে ব্যাপারটা সাংঘাতিক খারাপ লেগেছে। সবাই দরজা বন্ধ করে নিজেদের ‘কথা না বলার রাইট’ সংরক্ষণ করছে, অথচ এক প্রতিবেশী বৃদ্ধযুগল গতরাতে খুন হয়ে গেছেন, ব্যাপারটা একদম স্বার্থপরের মত মনে হচ্ছিল। তাই ডিটেকটিভটি যখন আবার জিজ্ঞেস করল, আপনি স্টেটম্যান্ট দিতে রাজী আছেন কিনা, আমি হ্যাঁ-ই বললাম, তবে এও বললাম, দেখুন, আমি আসলে কিছুই জানি না, আমি বরং এইমাত্র আপনার মুখ থেকেই শুনছি যে, ঐ বাসায় দু’জন মার্ডার হয়েছেন। আমার স্টেটম্যান্ট আপনার কতটুকু কাজে লাগবে জানিনা, তবে রাজী আছি।

‘অবশ্যই কাজে লাগবে’ একজন মৃদুস্বরে জানাল, ‘আই এপ্রিশিয়েট ইফ ইউ গিভ এন স্টেটম্যান্ট!’

এবার তাদের ভেতরে আসতে বললাম। একজন ডিটেকটিভই প্রবেশ করল। বাকীজন অন্য কোনো বাসায় নক করতে চলে গেল। তাঁরা বেশ তড়িৎকর্মা, স্মার্ট ও কথাবার্তায় মার্জিত। ডিটেকটিভটি একটি বেশ লম্বা ফরম বের করে আমাকে প্রশ্ন করতে থাকলেন। কতগুলো আমার নিজের সম্পর্কে সাধারণ কিছু ইঙ্কোয়ারি। আমি এক ফাঁকে জানতে চাইলাম, আপনারা কিভাবে খবর পেলেন যে মার্ডার হয়েছে? বললেন, ‘তাদের একটি ছেলে আছে, যিনি বেশ কিছুদিন হল তাঁদের সাথে থাকছেন। সেই পুলিশে ফোন করে জানায়, বাসায় তার মা-বাবার ডেডবডি পড়ে আছে, ছুরি মেরে কেউ তাদের হত্যা করেছে!

এরপর তিনি উক্ত বৃদ্ধ-বৃদ্ধার সহিত আমার জানাশোনা কেমন জানতে চাইলেন। তিনি বেশ দ্রুতই কাজ করে যাচ্ছেন আর লিখছেন। কথাবার্তায় তেমন গাম্ভীর্যতা নেই। আমার দিকে তেমন চোখ তুলে কথাও বলছেন না, চিন্তা করছেন আর অধিকাংশ সময়ই তার দৃষ্টিটি ফরমের উপর। যদিও আমি বেশ ভালোভাবেই বুঝি, এসব মার্ডার কেসের ক্ষেত্রে তিনি সন্দেহের তালিকা থেকে প্রতিবেশীদেরও বাদ দেননি। এজন্যই লোকজন কথা বলতে বের হয়না।

শেষের দিকে এসে সরাসরি আমার চোখের দিকে তাকিয়ে কয়েকটি প্রশ্ন করলেনঃ গতরাতে ৮ টা থেকে ৯ টার মধ্যে আপনি কোথায় ছিলেন?

‘এখানে, বাসায়।’

‘আপনি কি ঐ সময় কোনোপ্রকার শব্দ শুনতে পাননি?’

‘না’।

‘একটু ভেবে দেখুন, কোনোপ্রকার শব্দ যা আপনার কানে এসে থাকতে পারে।’

একটু ভাবলাম। তবে একই উত্তরঃ ‘না, আমি তেমন কোনো শব্দ শুনেছি বলে মনে করি না।’

‘ঐ বৃদ্ধ-বৃদ্ধার একটি পোষা কুকুর আছে, যা বাসার ভেতরে তাদের সাথেই থাকে। আপনি গতরাতে কখনও কি ঐ বাসা থেকে কুকুরের কোনো ডাক শুনতে পেয়েছিলেন?’

‘না, তেমন কোনো ডাক শুনেছি বলে মনে হয়না।’

‘আরেকটু স্মরণ করার চেষ্টা করুন, কুকুরের কোনো ডাক গতরাতে যেকোন সময় আপনার কানে এসেছিল কিনা?’

আগেই বলেছি হত্যাকান্ডের খবরটাই পেয়েছি স্বয়ং যিনি আমাকে প্রশ্ন করছেন, তাঁরই কাছ থেকে। নিজের কাছে মনে হচ্ছিল এমন কোনো তথ্যতো তাঁকে দিতে পারছিনা যা তাঁর কাজে লাগবে বলে মনে হয়। অধিকাংশ প্রশ্নের উত্তরেই আমাকে ‘না’ বলতে হচ্ছে। তবুও তাঁর প্রশ্ন করাতে কোনো বিরক্তি নেই।

তাই আমি বেশ কয়েক মূহূর্ত চিন্তা করতে থাকলাম, এমন কোনো শব্দ কি শুনেছি যা মাথার ভেতর লুকিয়ে আছে, কুকুরের কোন ডাক গতরাতে? তিনিও আগ্রহের সাথে আমার উত্তরের অপেক্ষায় তাকিয়ে আছেন।

তবে আবারও বলতে হল, ‘না’।

ডিটেকটিভ সাহেব এবার উঠে দাঁড়ালেন। স্টেটমেন্ট দেওয়ার জন্য আমাকে আবারও আন্তরিকভাবে ধন্যবাদ জানালেন। ফরমটির নীচে সাইন করতে বললেন। দরজার দিকে এগুতে এগুতে বললেন, আমি যাবার পর রিপোর্টাররা হয়তঃ আপনার সাথে কথা বলতে চাইতে পারে। আমি তেমন কিছু না ভেবেই বললাম, ওকে। তবে মজাটা ক্ষণিকের মধ্যেই টের পেলাম। ডিটেকটিভ সাহেব বাইরে পা দিয়েই দ্রুতই কোন দিকে উধাও হয়ে গেলেন।

দরজা বন্ধ করারও অবসর পাইনি। শুধু দেখলাম সাঁই সাঁই করে অন্ততঃ তিনটি টিভি চ্যানলের গাড়ী কোত্থেকে এসে হাজির। এবিসি, চ্যানেল নাইন, চ্যানেল সেভেন। আরও দেখি, সামনের মূল রাস্তায় আরও চ্যানেলের গাড়ী দেখা যাচ্ছে। এর মধ্যে অস্ট্রেলিয়ার নিউজ চ্যানেলের মধ্যে সবচে’ বিখ্যাত, এবিসি (অষ্ট্রেলিয়ান ব্রডকাষ্টিং করপোরেশান), সেটি এসে থেমেছে আমার দরজার ঠিক এক হাত সামনে। দরজা বন্ধ করে দেব ভাবছি, স্মার্ট রিপোর্টার তরুণী ততক্ষণে মাইক্রোফোন হাতে দ্রুত এগিয়ে এল, পেছনে ক্যামেরাম্যানও ততক্ষণে রেডি। সাক্ষাতকার চাই। না বলার উপায় নেই। দেখলাম এই রিপোর্টার তরুণীটির প্রশ্ন ডিটেকটিভ সাহেব থেকেও বেশী শান দেয়া। সে প্রথমেই আমার মনোযোগ আকর্ষণ করল, ডিটেকটিভ পুলিশটি তোমার সাথে ঠিকমত কথা বলেছে কিনা? তোমার কি কোনো অসুবিধা হয়েছে? সে কি জানতে চেয়েছে? আমি তাকে জানালাম, ডিটেকটিভ সাহেব খুবই নাইসলি আমার সাথে কথা বলেছেন। বুঝতে পারলাম, টিভি আর পত্রিকাগুলোর রিপোর্টার এই ডাবল মার্ডারের খবর কতটা গুরুত্বের সাথে নিয়েছে। আর ডিটেকটিভ সাহেবের প্রতিটা পদক্ষেপ তারা ফলো করছে। সে কি করছে, কাকে জিজ্ঞাসাবাদ করছে? এদেশে সাধারণতঃ মার্ডার কেসের ক্ষেত্রে পুলিশ যদি ২৪-৪৮ ঘন্টার মধ্যে আসামী না ধরতে পারে, অন্ততঃ আসামী কে, তা সম্পর্কে যদি যুক্তিসঙ্গত কোনো ব্যাখ্যা না দিতে পারে, তাহলে সেটিকে পুলিশের একরকম ব্যর্থতা হিসেবেই মিডিয়াগুলো চিত্রায়িত করবে। তাই খুন হবার পরে পুলিশ খুনির পেছনে লাগে আর সাংবাদিক লাগে পুলিশের পেছনে। তাই বুঝলাম ডিটেকটিভ সাহেব কি চাপেই না আছেন, তাঁর কার্যে এতটুকু অনিয়ম হলে রিপোর্টাররা তাঁকে ছিন্নভিন্ন করবে। যাহোক, এবিসি’র তরুণী হত্যাকান্ডের ব্যাপারে আমার অনুভূতি জানতে চাইল। আমি কিছু কথা বললাম। এরপর আমি তিনটি চ্যানেলের সাথে কথা বলে ক্ষান্ত দিয়েছি, বলেছি এখন আমাকে কাজে যেতে হবে, এই বলে দরজা বন্ধ করেছি। পরে টিভিতে দেখেছি আমিসহ আরও দুইজন প্রতিবেশীর সাক্ষাতকার তারা নিতে পেরেছিল যা তারা নিউজে প্রচার করে। অথচ আশেপাশে ১৫-২০ টার মত ফ্যামিলি আছে, তবে কিসের ভয়ে তারা দরজা খুলেনা এখন বুঝতে অসুবিধা হয়না।

ঘরে ঢুকেও যেন স্বাভাবিক হতে পারছিলাম না। বারবার মার্ডারের ব্যাপারটা মাথায় ঘুরপাক খাচ্ছিল। কে তাদের খুন করতে পারে? কয়েকমাস আগে আমার বাসায় ব্রেক-ইন হয়েছিল। এগুলো সাধারণতঃ তেমন হয়না। কে যেন ঘরে ঢুকে আমার ল্যাপটপ, একটা এক্সট্রা হার্ডড্রাইভ, ওয়ালেট ও পাসপোর্টসহ বেশ কিছু জিনিস চুরি করে নিয়েছিল। দরজাটা খোলাই পেয়েছিলাম। তখন পুলিশে খবর দিলে তারা ডায়েরী করেছিল।এরপর অবশ্য চোর ধরতে পারেনি। এ ব্যাপারটার কথাও আজ যখন ডিটেকটিভ সাহেব প্রশ্ন করছিলেন, তাকেও কথা প্রসঙ্গে উল্লেখ্য করেছি। ডারউইন শহরকে সাধারণতঃ অষ্ট্রেলিয়ার আদিবাসীদের অলিখিত রাজধানী বলা হয়। আদিবাসীদের মধ্যে কারো কারো এসব টুকিটাকি চুরির অভ্যাস আছে বলে নানা পরিসংখ্যানে উল্লেখ। তাই ভাবছিলাম ঐ বৃদ্ধদের বাসায় হয়তঃ ঐ টাইপের কোনো ছিঁচকে চোর ঢুকে পড়েছিল, কিন্তু বৃদ্ধ-বৃদ্ধা তাকে চিনে ফেলে অথবা ধরে ফেলে, তখন হয়তঃ সে তাদের খুন করে পালিয়ে যায়। কারণ চুরিতে ধরা খেলেও আইনানুযায়ী তাকে বেশ কয়েক বছর জেল খাটতে হতে পারে। এটাই ছিল আমার আমার সলিউশান। তাছাড়া কার এমন কি মোটিভ থাকতে পারে এধরণের বয়স্ক দম্পতীদের খুন করার?

ঐ বাসার পেছনটায় রয়েছে এলাকার সবচে’ বড় পার্কটি। কফি হাতে বসেছি ব্যাল্কুনিতে, দেখি, একদল পুলিশ আর তাদের প্রশিক্ষণপ্রাপ্ত কুকুরগুলো দিয়ে পুরো মাঠটি চষে বেড়াচ্ছে কিসের খোঁজে! বুঝলাম, পার্কটিই কিন্তু খুনীর পালিয়ে যাবার সবচে’ সুবিধাজনক পথ। পুলিশ খুঁজছে পার্কে খুনীটি কোনকিছু ফেলে গিয়েছে কিনা, যেটি কিনা একটি মার্ডার ওয়েপনও হতে পারে।

কিছুক্ষণ পরপর টিভি খুলেও দেখছিলাম, খবরটি প্রচার করা হচ্ছে গুরুত্বের সাথে। নিজেকেও এক অংশে দেখা গেল। ঘটনাটি নিয়ে ফেসবুকেও ডারউইনের লোকাল পেজগুলোতে লোকে নানা মন্তব্য করছে, আইন-পরিস্থিতি নিয়ে কথা বলছে। অধিকাংশেরই অভিযোগের অঙ্গুলী আদিবাসীদের দিকেই তাক করানো।

আর হ্যাঁ, ডিটেকটিভ সাহেব সেই যে বাসা থেকে গেলেন, তাঁর সাথে আর কোনদিন দেখা হয়নি। একটু খারাপ লাগছিল এই ভেবে যে, আমি কেন যে কোন শব্দই শুনলাম না? তাহলে তাকে বলতে পারতাম। কিন্তু কি আর করা, আমি যে কিছুই শুনিনি, তাই বলেছি। সেটাই সত্য। তবে আমাকে অবাক করে দিয়ে ডিটেকটিভ সাহেবের কথা সহসাই টিভিতে প্রচারিত হতে লাগল। সন্ধ্যা গড়ানোর আগেই তিনি খুনীকে গ্রেফতার করতে সমর্থ হয়েছেন। কিভাবে তা পারলেন? কে সেই খুনী? সে কি কোন আদিবাসী?

না। আমাদের ধারণাকে ভূল প্রমাণ দিয়ে করে ডিটেকটিভ সাহেব এমন একজনকে ধরলেন যা বোধহয় এ শহরের কারো মাথায়ই আসেনি। টিভির নিউজগুলোতে ডিটেকটিভের দেয়া সাক্ষাতকার ও ব্যাখ্যা শুনে সারাদিনে এই প্রথম মনে হল, ডিটেকটিভকে দেয়া আমার স্টেটমেন্ট কোনোরকমেই অপ্রয়োজনীয় ছিলনা, বরং তার ঐ সব প্রশ্নের উত্তরে আমার ‘না’ বলা আসলে ঘটনার সাথে সম্পূর্ণই সঠিক এবং সামঞ্জস্যপূর্ণই ছিল। ডিটেকটিভের নিজের কথায় তাঁর অনুসন্ধানের প্রক্রিয়াগুলোর সার-সংক্ষেপে ছিল এইরুপঃ

“ঐ বৃদ্ধ-বৃদ্ধার ছেলে পুলিশ ও অ্যাম্বুলেন্সকে ভোরে টেলিফোন করে জানায় যে, তার মাতাপিতাকে কে বা কারা হত্যা করে অ্যাপার্টমেন্টে ফেলে রেখে গেছে। আমরা তাদের অ্যাপার্টমেন্টে পৌঁছে মৃতদেহগুলো পাই, তবে দরজা বা জানালা ভেঙ্গে বাইরে থেকে কেউ প্রবেশ করেছে বলে তেমন কোনো চিহ্ন পাইনা। বাড়ীর আশেপাশে এবং পিছনের পার্কে হত্যাকারীর মার্ডার-ওয়েপনটি তন্নতন্ন করে খুঁজেও কোথাও পেতে ব্যর্থ হই। আমি আশেপাশের কয়েকজন প্রতিবেশীর সাথে কথা বলতে সমর্থ হই, যাদের প্রত্যেকই জানান যে, তারা গতরাতে ঐ বাসা থেকে কোনপ্রকার সন্দেহজনক শব্দ বা ধ্বস্তাধস্তির আভাষ পাননি। কোনো প্রতিবেশীই বৃদ্ধদ্বয়ের পোষা কুকুরটিকে ডেকে উঠতে শুনেননি। এমতাবস্থায়, আমার দৃঢ় সন্দেহ হয় যে, হত্যাকারী কুকুরটির খুবই পরিচিত ছিল, যে কারণে তার আগমণে সে কোনপ্রকার শব্দ করেনি। এসব আমাকে এটাই ইঙ্গিত করছিল যে, খুনীর অনুপ্রবেশ বাইরে থেকে হয়নি। কারণ প্রতিবেশী, পার্কের মাঠ ও আশেপাশের প্রতিটি জায়গায় আমার অনুসন্ধান করে কিছুই পায়নি, ফলাফল জিরো। এটিই বরং আমার কেসটিকে সঠিক দিকে দেখতে সাহায্য করে। আমি তখন দিনে দ্বিতীয়বারের মত ঐ বৃদ্ধ-বৃদ্ধার ৪০ বছর বয়সের ছেলের সাথে আবারও কথা বলার সিদ্ধান্ত নিই, যে কিনা প্রথম তার মাতাপিতার খুন হওয়ার খবরটি আমাদের ফোন করে জানায়। তাকে আমি তখন পাই শহরের একটি বারে পানরত অবস্থায়। আমি তাকে জিজ্জাসাবাদ করার জন্যই থানায় নিয়ে যাই, যদিও অনেক রিপোর্টার আমি তাকে গ্রেফতার করেছি বলে তখন একটি ছোট্ট খবর ছাড়ে। কিন্তু তখনো আমি তাকে গ্রেফতার করিনি। জিজ্ঞাসাবাদের প্রশ্নজালে সে সামঞ্জস্যপূর্ণ উত্তর দিতে ব্যর্থ হয়। এরপর বেশী বেগ পেতে হয়নি। এক পর্যায়ে সে স্বীকার করে যে, সে-ই তার মাতাপিতাকে খুন করেছে একটি ছুরি দ্বারা। তার দেওয়া বর্ণনা অনুযায়ী আমরা ঐ মার্ডার ওয়েপনটিকেও উদ্ধার করতে সমর্থ হই। খুনীর বেশ কিছু মানসিক সমস্যা আছে, তার কথাবার্তায় মাতাপিতার সাথে তার বেশকিছু তিক্ত সম্পর্কের কথা বেরিয়ে এসেছে। এরপরই আমি তাকে গ্রেফতার করি।’

আজমীর হোসেন

৮/১০/২০১৩

ডারূইন, অষ্ট্রেলিয়া

:: আমি কখনো সেলস্‌ম্যান হতে পারিনি ::

2013-04-29T21:33:00.001+09:30

জানো আমি কখনো ভাল বিক্রেতা ছিলাম না
মুখে একখানা ভালো হাসি লটকে রাখতে
শিখিনি বলে সেলস্‌ম্যানের চাকরীটাও কপালে জুটেনি।
অথচ দেখ, হাসির যে কি গুণ তা নিয়ে কতকিছু যে পড়েছি,
নিজ হৃদপিণ্ডের পাম্পিং ক্ষমতা বৃদ্ধি ছাড়াও এর সুদূরপ্রসারী প্রভাব
অন্যের দেহমনেও কিভাবে সাঁই করে ছড়িয়ে দেয়,
আর তাতেই না কি দারূণ জমে উঠে জগতের বেচাকেনা।
নেচে উঠে ক্যাশবক্স কচ কচ আমি এসব মোটেও অস্বীকার করিনা।

আমি বরং দেখেছি জগতে সবাই হাসতে শিখছে,
তবলার বিটে নৃত্যশিল্পীর পায়ের ঘুঙুর হাসে,
সূয্যিটা সকালে নির্লজ্জ একগাল হেসে উঠবেই,
পাখিরা কিচ্‌ করে হাসে, ফোক্‌লা দাঁতে খুকুমনি ফিক্‌ করে
বান্ধবীরা কথায় কথায় খিক্‌ করে,
এখন দেখি আবার ফেসবুকে মানুষ হাসে ক্লিক করে।
সবই দেখেছি আর ক্রমাগত হাসতে শিখেছি তাদের কাছ থেকে।

আমি আমার সময়ের অনেক হোমরা চোমরাকেও
দেখেছি হাসতে মাইক বাজিয়ে,
হাসছে প্রাণপণে, প্রাণহীনতায়।
কুকুরে মুখে হাসতে পারেনা বলে সেও হাল ছেড়ে দেয়নি,
মোক্ষম শিখে নিয়েছে কিভাবে হাসতে হয় লেজ দিয়ে ।

অথচ আমার আজও সেল্‌সম্যানের কাজটা জোটেনি,
তবে যেদিন তুমি আমার সামনে এসে দাঁড়ালে
আমার হাসি সেদিনও তোমাকে দেখাতে পারিনি।
তবে কি জানো,
মুখ ঝরে সেদিন হাসিটা নীচে না পড়লেও
কন্ঠনালী বেয়ে সেটি উঠে গিয়ে
ঠিক ঠিক পৌঁছে গেল আমার মস্তিস্কের নিউরণে,
সেখানে এক স্নিগ্ধ বিষ্ফোরণ ঘটিয়ে
কিসের যেন আগুন লাগিয়ে দিল
সেই থেকে আমি আর সেল্‌সম্যানের চাকরী খুঁজিনা।

আজমীর হোসেন
নাইটক্লিফ, ডারউইন, অষ্ট্রেলিয়া
২৮.০৪.২০১৩

এটি কোনো গল্প নয়!

2013-04-29T21:27:00.003+09:30

না, এটি কোনো গল্প নয়। ছোট একটি অভিজ্ঞতা। কার কি কাজে লাগবে তা জানিনা। তবে মন চাইল তাই লিখছি। গত সপ্তাহের কথা। সকালের দুটো ক্লাশ শেষ করে ৩০ মিনিট কফি ব্রেক। স্টাফ রুমের বাইরে ছোট্ট একটি বারান্দা। কফি টাইমে এ জায়গাটা চমৎকার। আশেপাশে নানান জাতের গাছ-গাছালি। বাতাস এলে নাচে। এ কলেজের বাগানটি বেশ বড়। আমি এ কলেজে পার্ট-টাইম আসি। দেখি গার্ডেনার (মানে সোজা বাংলায় যাকে বলি ‘মালি’), সেও আজ হঠাৎ এসে আমার সাথে কফিতে যোগ দিল।

‘হ্যালো জেইম্‌স, কেমন আছো’? তাকে বেশ ক্লান্তই দেখাচ্ছিল। হাতে-পায়ে ধুলো। একটু আগেও তাকে কতগুলো ইট-সুরকি-আগাছা ইত্যাদি শাবল দিয়ে ট্রাকে তুলতে দেখেছি। পুরো প্রতিষ্ঠানের সবগুলো গাছের যত্ন সেই-ই করে। তার কাজ ও জীবনের অনেক কথাই কথায় কথায় জানালো। সে একজন লাইসেন্সধারী ট্রেইন্‌ড গার্ডেনার। এ প্রতিষ্ঠানে পার্ট-টাইম করে, এছাড়া আরও দু’টি বিদ্যালয়েও একই কাজ করে। একটি মাত্র ছেলে। এখাঙ্কার একটি স্কুলে যায়। প্রতিদিন কাজ শেষে সে ছেলেকে স্কুল থেকে ড্রাইভ করে বাড়ীতে নিয়ে যায়। কারণ তার স্ত্রী সাংঘাতিক ব্যস্ত মহিলা। ফুল-টাইম কাজ করে বিধায় সময় দিতে পারেনা, সে বাড়ী ফেরে আরও দেরী করে। আরও বুঝলাম তারা বেশ সুখী পরিবার। তার শুধু একটাই আক্ষেপ, গত বছর কাজ করতে গিয়ে হাটুতে বড় ধরনের একটা ইনজুরি খেয়েছিল, অপারেশান করে ভালো হলেও পুরোপুরি যুকিমুক্ত নয়। দীর্ঘশ্বাস ছেড়ে বলল, ‘কিছু কিছু রিস্কি কাজ করার লাইসেন্স হারিয়েছি।'

'তা তোমার ওয়াইফ কোথায় কাজ করে’? সে বলল, ‘এখানে, এ কলেজেই’। আমি অবাক হয়ে জিজ্ঞেস করলাম, তাই নাকি? কই জানতাম নাতো, তা তুমি কোন টিচারের কথা বলছ? আমি তো এখানে সবাইকেই চিনি।

সে তার স্ত্রীর নাম হিসেবে একটি নামের উল্লেখ করল।

কফিটা গলায় বোধ হয় মূহূর্তের জন্য একটু আটকে গিয়েছিল । নামটা শুনে একটু কি ভিমরি খেয়েছিলাম? ঢোক গিলে আবার জিজ্ঞেস করলাম, কি নাম বললে? (মনে মনে হয়তঃ ভাবছিলাম, ব্যাটা ফাজলামো করছিস্‌ নাতো)?

সে আবার একই নামটাই আমাকে জানালো!!

না আমি আর তৃতীয়বার তার ওয়াইফের নাম জিজ্ঞেস করিনি। ততক্ষণে আমার অনুসন্ধানী চোখ চলে গেছে তার শার্টের বামদিকে লাগানো ন্যাম-ব্যাজটির উপর।

কেন জানি পল্লীকবি জসিম উদ্দিনের কথা মনে পড়ে গেল। বিলেতে যে হোটেল-বয়ের বাড়ীতে নিমন্ত্রণ খেতে গিয়ে উপহার হিসেবে সস্তা পাউরুটি কিনেছিলেন। কিন্তু আমার হাতে তো এখানে কোনো পাউরুটি নেই! তবে কি মনের কোণে অজান্তে পাউরুটি জাতীয় কোনো অনুভূতি কি লুকানো ছিল? তা নাহলে আমি তার স্ত্রীর নাম দ্বিতীয়বার জিজ্ঞেস করেছিলাম কেন?

মালির ন্যাম-ব্যাজটিতে ফ্যামিলি নামের অংশ হিসাবে যার নামটি লেখা আছে সেটি এ কলেজের প্রিন্সিপ্যাল ম্যাডামের।

আজমীর হোসেন

নাইটক্লিফ, ডারউইন, অষ্ট্রেলিয়া

১১.১১.১২

স্মৃতিচারণঃ এক রজনীর

2012-05-07T16:58:00.003+09:30

স্মৃতিচারণঃ এক রজনীর

মানুষের জীবনে কত স্মৃতিই না থাকে। সব কিছু কি সবসময় শেয়ার করে সে? কোনটা আনন্দের, কোনটা বেদনার, আবার কোনটা হয় আতংকের। তবে শ্রেণীবিভাগ যেভাবেই করি না কেন, অবশেষে একসময় তা আর শ্রেণীবিভাগ মানেনা। হয়ে যায় যেন অভিজ্ঞতার এক দ্রবণ। সেটা শেষ পর্যন্ত একরকম আনন্দদায়কই হয়।

আজ আমার মনে পড়ছে একটি বেশ আতংকের রজনীর কথা। তখন চট্টগ্রাম বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের তৃতীয় বর্ষে পড়ি। হলে উঠেছি তখন বছর খানেক হয়। হলের একটি রুমে সাধারণতঃ দু’টো বেড থাকে। আমার রুমেও তাই। বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ে তখন খুব সম্ভবতঃ কোন এক স্বল্পকালীন ছুটি। নতুন রুমমেট। সিট পেয়ে অল্প কিছুদিন হলো এ রুমে উঠেছে। আজ অনেক কষ্ট করে তার ডাকনামটা মনে করতে পেরেছি। বাচ্চু। আমার থেকে জুনিয়র। বাচ্চু চেহারা দেখতে বেশ বলিষ্ঠ মারদাঙ্গা টাইপের হলেও প্রথম কয়েকদিনেই আবিষ্কার করলাম সে অসম্ভব ঠান্ডা, ধীরে হাঁটে, শব্দ হয়না, কথা বলে একদম কম। নিজের ডেস্কে বসে বই খুলে নাক ফুলিয়ে কি যেন ভাবে? বাড়ীর কথা হয়তঃ। দেখে মনে হয় বেশ গরীব ঘরের ছেলে। বাচ্চু ঘর-টানা ছেলে, কাজেই একদিনের জন্যও ভার্সিটি বন্ধ হলে সে শহরগামী ৩.২০ এর শাটল ট্রেন ধরবে। চল-চল বাড়ী চল। কাজেই যে রজনীর কথা বলছি সেদিন রুমে আমি একা। বাচ্চু বাড়ী গেছে।

রাত আড়াইটা কি তিনটা হতে পারে। বেশ রাত করেই আমার ঘুম আসে। ছুটি টুটি থাকলে তো কথাই নেই। কানের কাছে মৃদু বাজতে থাকা টেপ রেকর্ডারটা কখন যে থেমে গেছে জানিনা। ঘুমিয়ে পড়েছি মাত্র। ষষ্ঠ কি সপ্তম ইন্দ্রীয়ের তাড়নায় তা জানিনা, সদ্যপ্রাপ্ত ঘুমখানা একদমই হঠাত্‌ ভেঙ্গে গেল। কোনো শব্দ নেই, কিচ্ছু নেই। কিন্তু বুঝতে পারলাম রুমের ভিতর কি যেন একটা আছে। বুঝতে পারছি না। শুধু চোখের কোণ দিয়ে বালিশের উপর মাথা রাখা রেখে এবং মাথাটাকে একবিন্দুও না ঘুরিয়ে দেখতে পারলাম বিপরীত দিকের দেয়ালে কি যেন একটা দাঁড়িয়ে আছে। ভাবছি এটা কি? শরীরের লোমগুলো সব ইতোমধ্যে খাঁড়া হয়ে গেছে। রুমের একটিমাত্র দরজা যা আমার ঠিক পা বরাবর, তা বন্ধই আছে। তাহলে এ ছায়াটা রুমে ঢুকল কিভাবে? গা গির গির করে উঠছিলো। এক অশরীরী প্রেতাত্নার ভয়ে কখন যে আমি মনে মনে কুল হুআয়াল্লা সুরা পড়তে শুরু করেছি জানিনা। তবে মানুষের মস্তিষ্ক দ্রুতই ব্যাখ্যাযোগ্য সমাধান চায়। চিন্তা করে চলেছি, রুমের দরজা বন্ধ, রুমমেট সে-তো বাড়ীতে, এখানে আমি ভিন্ন আর কেউ নেই। অতএব এটির কোনো অস্তিত্ব থাকতে পারেনা। কিন্তু না, এটি-তো আছে! তাহলে কেম্‌নে আছে? ঠিক তখুনি সমাধানটা পেলাম। যে মাথাটা এতক্ষণ এতটুকুও নাড়াচ্ছিলাম না, তা সহসাই পুরো পেছন ঘুরিয়ে যা দেখবার দেখে নিলাম। ভাবতেও পারিনি জিনিসটা ঐদিকে থাকবে।

অশরীরী আত্না আর কেউ নয়, সশরীরে চোর মহাশয় দাঁড়িয়ে আছেন ঠিক আমার মাথার পেছন দিকটার জানালার বাইরে ঝুলন্ত ব্যালকুনিতে। এটি একটি পরিত্যক্ত, ক্লোজড ব্যালকুনি। হল নির্মাণের সময় কেন এটি তৈরী করেছিল জানিনা, তবে এখন সেখানে আছে শুধু জানালা তাও আবার শক্ত রড দিয়ে ঘেরা। ঐ ব্যালকুনিতে কেউ যেতে পারেনা, কোনো প্রবেশ পথই নেই। আর আমি থাকতাম দো-তলায়, ব্যালকুনিতে চোরটা কিভাবে ঊঠেছিলো তা আজও আমার কাছে রহস্য রয়ে গেছে। তবে তার দূর্ভাগ্য যে, হলের পরবর্তী যে বিল্ডিংটি যা কিনা ডাইনিং হল নামে পরিচিত, তার বারান্দায় একটি মৃদু লাইট জ্বালানো ছিল; তারই অতি ক্ষীণ আলো চোরটির শরীরে লেগে আমার রুমের ওয়ালে এই অশরীরী ছায়া উৎপাদন করেছে। সে বড়শীর মত লম্বাকৃতির ছড়ি দিয়ে জানালার গরাদের বাইরে থেকেও আমার রুমের ভিতরের তারে টাঙানো দু’টি জামা (যার একটির পকেটে বিশ-বাইশ টাকার মত ছিল), লুঙ্গি ও আমার নতুন ক্রয় করা জাইঙ্গাটি অপর পাশ হইতে ইতিমধ্যেই হস্তগত করিয়াছে। । এমতবস্থায়, যখনি আমি মাথা ঘুরিয়ে তার দিকে তাকালাম, এবং ভয়ে কিছুক্ষণ আগেও মৃতপ্রায় আমি সশব্দে সজোরে ‘কে, কে ওখানে; চোর-চোর’ বলে চিৎকার করে উঠলাম, তখন আর যায় কোথায়? তবে যায়, আমাকে দ্বিতীয়বার আরেকটি ভয়ংকর উৎকণ্ঠার মধ্যে ফেলে দিয়ে তবে যায়। আমি তাকে শুধু ব্যালকুনি থেকে লাফ দিয়ে আমার দৃষ্টিসীমা হতে তিরোহিত হতে দেখি। বুকটা ধক্‌ করে উঠে। কারণ এ দো-তলা উচ্চতা থেকে নীচে পড়লে যে কেউ অক্কা পেতে পারে, তাছাড়া ওপাশটার নীচের অবস্থা খুবই খারাপ। মানুষজনের কোনো চলাচল নেই, আবর্জনাপূর্ণ, আর সর্বপরি আছে হলের প্রধান ড্রেনটি, যার ভিতর পড়লে চোরটির মারা যাবার সম্ভাবনাই বেশী। একটা সাংঘাতিক অপরাধবোধ জেগে উঠল। হোক না চোর, সামান্য কিছু চুরি করে হয়তঃ বউ পোলাপান নিয়ে একটু সুখী হতে চাইছে। তাই একই সাথে আতংকিত ও উৎকণ্ঠিত হয়ে তাড়তাড়ি জানালের কাছে দাঁড়াই নীচে কি অবস্থা দেখার জন্য। বুকটা সত্যি ধক্‌ ধক্‌ করছিলো, যদি দেখি তার রক্তাক্ত লাশ পড়ে আছে নীচে। কি ভয়ংকর অনুভতি হচ্ছিল তখন বুঝানো মুশকিল!

তবে আমার অবাক হবার পালা। একনজর দেখলাম শক্ত-সামর্থ সুঠাম দেহটি আমার উৎকণ্ঠাকে থোড়াই কেয়ার করে কি সাবলীল অ্যাথ্‌লেটিকদের মত চমৎকার দৌঁড়ে চলে যাচ্ছে। হাতে কিন্তু তখনও আমার কাপড়-চোপড়গুলো ঠিক ধরে রেখেছে (পরে বাচ্চু হলে ফিরলে জেনেছিলাম তারও দুয়েকটি জামা-কাপড় একই সময় চুরি গিয়েছিল)। ততক্ষণে আমার চিৎকারে আশেপাশের রুমের দু’একজন জেগে উঠেছে। সেদিকে অপেক্ষা না করে দ্রুতই রুমের দরজা খুলে সিঁড়ি বের হয়ে নিচে নেমে গেলাম হলের দারোয়ানের উদ্দেশ্যে। আমি তার নিকট পৌঁছুবার পর সেও খানিকটা চেঁচামেচি করল। আমি তাকে চোরটাকে ধাওয়া করতে বল্‌লাম। সে একটুখানি এগিয়ে চোরটির প্রস্থানপথের দিকে তাকিয়ে আমাকে চট্টগ্রামের আঞ্চলিক ভাষায় জানালো-“চোরাইয়া কি আর আছেনা, ইবা এতক্কনত্‌ জোবরা গেরামে হান্দাই গিইয়েদে”। (অর্থাৎ চোর কি আর আছে নাকি, সে এতক্ষণে জোবরা গ্রামে ঢুকে গিয়েছে)। জোবরা গ্রাম বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের পাশে অবস্থিত একটি অনগ্রসর ঘনবসতিপূর্ণ গ্রাম, ঐখান থেকে চোরকে খুঁজে বের করা আর্মির টিম দিয়েও হবেনা। ডঃ ইউনুস এ গ্রামটির কথা মাঝে মাঝে তাঁর বক্তৃতায় বলে থাকেন, ৭৪ এর দূর্ভিক্ষে এ গ্রামের মানুষগুলোর জীবন পর্যবেক্ষণ করেছিলেন, যখন তিনি ঐ বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের অর্থনীতি বিভাগে অধ্যাপনা করতেন।

জানালার গরাদে চোরটা শুধু তার ঐ বড়শীর ছিপিটা আমার জন্য রেখে গেছে। ঐটাকে বাইরে ফেলে দিয়ে জানালাটা বন্ধ করে দিলাম, যদিও জানি আজ রাতে আর সে আসছে না। যাহোক, রাতে আর ঘুম হলনা। ভাবলাম সকালে ডিম-পরোটা দিয়ে জয়নাল মিয়ার দোকানের নাস্তা খেয়ে তবেই ঘুমাব। তার দোকানে হলের কয়েকজন সাধারণ ছাত্রের কাছ থেকে কিছু তথ্য পেলাম। তারা বলল এ চোরটি আরও কয়েকটি রুমে এভাবে চুরি করেছে। অনেক ছাত্রদের রুমে টাকা-পয়সা, চা’য়ের ফ্লাস্ক, জামা-কাপড় ইত্যাদি চুরি যাচ্ছে। হল প্রশাসন তাকে ধরছে না। আরো জানাল, হল-দারোয়ান এর সাথে এর আঁতাত আছে। আবার হল দারোয়ানের সাথেও একগোষ্ঠী আছে যারা এসবের ভাগ-ভাটোয়ারা পায়। বুঝলাম -আরও আছে যে চোর!

একটি কৌতুক

2012-01-12T20:45:00.001+09:30

একটি কৌতুকঃ

(কৌতুকটি ১৪/১৫ বৎসর আগে বিটিভি’র একটি ম্যাগাজিন অনুষ্ঠানে শুনেছিলাম। উপস্থাপক আব্দুল্লাহ আবু সায়ীদের মুখে বলা। কৌতুকের ভাষাটুকু হুবহু মনে নেই, তবে বিষয়বস্তু স্মরণ করতে পারছি। সে স্মৃতি থেকে ভেতরের বর্ণনাটুকু সাজিয়েছি।)

দু'বন্ধু সিনেমা দেখতে গেছে প্রেক্ষাগৃহে। অন্ধকার সিনেমা হল। ছবি শুরু হতেই সিনেমার পর্দার আলো এসে পড়ল। তাতে প্রথম বন্ধু দেখতে পেল তাদের ঠিক সামনের সারির সিটে যে ভদ্রলোকটি বসে আছেন তার মাথায় প্রকান্ড একটি টাক, একটু তৈলও লাগিয়েছেন মনে হচ্ছে, পর্দার তীক্ষ্ম আলো পড়লে চিকচক করে উঠ্‌ছে। প্রথম বন্ধুর মাথায় দুষ্ট বুদ্ধি চাপল। পাশে বসা দ্বিতীয় বন্ধুকে সামনের সারির টাক-টিকে দেখিয়ে বলল, যদি তুই ওর মাথায় একটা চাপড় দিতে পারিস আর উল্টো-মার না খাস, তবে পাবি দু’শত টাকা। কিন্তু সে যদি তোকে পাল্টা-মার বসিয়ে দেয়, তবে তুই আমাকে দিবি দু’শ টাকা। কেমন? এ বাজিতে রাজি?

২য় বন্ধু সাথে সাথেই বলল, আমি রাজি!

১ম বন্ধুঃ আবারো বলছি, ভালো করে ভেবে দেখ। বাজির শর্ত কিন্তু – ওই ব্যাটার চাঁদিতে একটা চাপড় দিতে হবে, তাতেই কিন্তু শেষ না, তার কাছ থেকে পাল্টা মার খাওয়া যাবেনা; যদি মার খাস তাহলে বাজিতে তোর হার, আমাকে দিতে হবে ২০০ টাকা, আর যদি পাল্টা মার না খাস তবেই বাজিতে তোর জিত, আমার কাছ থেকে জিতবি ২০০ টাকা। এখন ভেবে দেখ এ বাজিতে রাজী আছিস কিনা? (মনে মনে ভাবল- তার বন্ধুটি এ বাজিতে নির্ঘাৎ হারবে)।

২য় বন্ধুঃ রাজী মানে পুরোই রাজী। যেই ভাবনা সেই কাজ। এই শুরু করলাম বলেই সামনের সারিতে বসা লোকটার চাঁদিতে ঠাস করে প্রকান্ড একটা চাপড় বসিয়ে দিল, সাথে সাথেই বলে উঠলো, আরে আব্দুল্লাহ ভাই যে, কতদিন পর তোমার সাথে দেখা, আরে তুমি আর আমি যে একই হলে বইস্যা সিনেমা দেখ্‌তাছি!

টেকো দর্শকঃ হতচকিত হয়ে ঘাড় ফিরিয়ে বলে উঠলো, আরে করছেন কি? কে আপনার আব্দুল্লাহ ভাই? আমি আব্দুল্লাহ ভাই না। আপনি ভূল করছেন!

২য় বন্ধুঃ বলেন কি! এতোদিনের পরিচিত আব্দুল্লাহ ভাইকে চিন্‌তে তো ভূল হবার কথা নয়। আপনার চেহারা তো অবিকল আব্দুল্লাহ ভাই'র মত।

টেকো দর্শকঃ বলেছি-তো, আমি আব্দুল্লাহ ভাই না। আপনি ভূল করছেন!

২য় বন্ধুঃ তাই নাকি? সত্যিই অবাক ব্যাপার! চেহারার এত মিল! যা'হোক ভাই, সরি, আপনাকে আব্দুল্লাহ ভাই ভেবে ভূল করে চাপড় মেরে দিয়েছি।

টেকো দর্শকঃ আচ্ছা ঠিক আছে, কি আর করা?

এখন ২য় বন্ধুটি ১ম বন্ধুকে পাশ ফিরে বললো, দে আমাকে ২০০ টাকা দে। বাজিতে আমি জিতেছি, চাপড় দিয়ে তাকে ম্যানেজ করতে পেরেছি, পাল্টা-মার খাইনি।

১ম বন্ধুকে বাজিতে হেরে বিরস বদনে টাকাটা দিয়ে দিতে হল।

অনেকক্ষণ পর আবারো ১ম বন্ধুটি ২য় জনকে বললো, এবার যদি তুই তাকে আরও একটা চাপড় দিতে পারিস আর পাল্টা-মার না খাস -তাহলে পাঁচশ টাকা বাজি। আর পাল্টা-মার খেলে আমাকে দিতে হবে পাঁচশ টাকা। কি, ঠিক আছে? ( মনে মনে ধরে নিল, এবার তার বন্ধুটি পাল্টা মার না খেয়েই যায় না)।

২য় বন্ধুঃ ঠিক আছে। যেই কথা সেই কাজ! চটাস করে তৎক্ষণাৎ টেকোটির মাথায় একটা চাপড় বসিয়ে দিয়ে বলতে লাগল, আরে আব্দুল্লাহ ভাই! তুমি আমার সাথে রঙ্গ করতাছো, ভাব্‌ছো পরিচয় না দিলে আমি তোমারে চিন্‌তাম না ! আমি কিন্তু তোমারে ঠিকই চিন্‌ছি, কতদিনের চেনাজানা মানুষ, পরিচয় গোপন কইর‍্যা তামাশা ,কর্‌তাছো। তুমি-ই তো আব্দুল্লাহ ভাই, হে হে, কও কি খবর-টবর তোমার?

টাকওয়ালা দর্শকঃ ভয়ানক ক্ষেপে গিয়ে উঠে দাঁড়ালেন, কে আপনার আব্দুল্লাহ ভাই? কি শুরু করেছেন আপনি? পয়সা খরচ করে সিনেমা দেখ্‌তে এসেছি, আর আপনি আমাকে কোথাকার আব্দুল্লাহ ভাই মনে করে একটার পর একটা চাপড় মেরে চলেছেন? হচ্ছেটা কি?

২য় বন্ধুঃ আপনি কি বলতে চাইছেন আপনি আব্দুল্লাহ ভাই না? মানুষের চেহারা অবিকল এক হয় কি করে?

টেকো দর্শকঃ বলেছি তো আমি আব্দুল্লাহ ভাই না, আপনি কেন বারবার ভূল করছেন?

২য় বন্ধুঃ সরি, ভাই, ভেরি সরি, অবিকল একই চেহারার মানুষ যে থাকতে পারে, এমন পরিস্থিতিতে কখনো পড়ি নাই। আপনি দেখতে অবিকল আব্দুল্লাহ ভাইয়ের মত। প্লিজ ডোন্ট মাইন্ড!

টেকো দর্শকঃ অগ্যতা রাগ দমন হয়ে বসে নিজের সীটে বসে পড়লেন। ভাবলেন হয়তঃ তার চেহারার সাথে ঐ আব্দুল্লাহ ভাই নামক ব্যাক্তিটির কাকতলীয় মিলের কারণে এই গাধাটা বারবার ভূল করছে।

এবারও ২য় বন্ধুটি মার না খেয়ে বাজিতে জিতে গেল। ১ম বন্ধুকে দিতে হল আরও ৫শ টাকা। সে তো ভীষণ বেজার। কোনভাবেই যে ২য় বন্ধুটি মার খাচ্ছেনা, আর সে হেরেই চলেছে!

এদিকে সিনেমা শেষ। দু'বন্ধু সিঁড়ি দিয়ে দর্শকের ভীঁড়ের সাথে নেমে যাচ্ছে। এসময় দেখ্‌তে পেল তাদের ঠিক সামনের সিঁড়ি দিয়ে ঐ টেকো-টাও নামছে।

১ম বন্ধুটি বললঃ এবার যদি তারে চাপড় মারতে পারিস আর উল্টো-মার না খেয়েছিস- তবে বাজি রইলো ১০০০ টাকার। (১ম বন্ধুটির বদ্ধমূল ধারণা- এবার তার বন্ধুটি কোনমতেই ম্যানেজ করতে পারবে না, পাল্টা-মার খাবেই খাবে। আর তাই বাজিতে জিতে গেলে যা এ পর্যন্ত হারিয়েছি তারচেয়েও বেশি ফেরত আসবে। তাই ১০০০ টাকা বাজি।)

২য় বন্ধুঃ সাথে সাথেই রাজি। যেই কথা সেই কাজ। পটাশ করে বসিয়ে দিল একখানা চাপড় টেকো-টির চাঁদিতে। আর সাথে সাথেই একগাল হাসি নিয়ে বলতে থাকল, আরে আব্দুল্লাহ ভাই, তুমি এইখানে? অথচ হয়েছে কি জানো, সিনেমা হলের ভেতর এক ভদ্রলোককে তুমি ভেবে আমি তার চাঁদিতে দু-দু'টা চাপড় মেরে দিয়েছি। ভদ্রলোকের চেহারা দেখ্‌তে অবিকল তোমার মত। দেখো তো কি কান্ড! অথচ তুমি যে এইখানে!

টেকো লোকটি স্তম্ভিত হয়ে তার দিকে তাকিয়ে থাকলো। এরকম একটি বিব্রতকর পরিস্থিতির আশু প্রতিকার কিভাবে সম্ভব তা আর ভাবতে না পেরে কার্যতঃ সে নির্বাক হয়ে গেল।

এবারও ১ম বন্ধুটির আশা পূরণ হল না। ২য় বন্ধুটি জিতে নিল আরো ১০০০ টাকা !!!

Why Teaching?

2011-11-17T23:28:00.000+09:30

You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself. – Galileo

Well it’s very true, as 'teaching' people can sometimes have devastating effects on their life. It is sometimes wrong to teach anyone but a willing student, people will rebel and are right to. Who the hell is anyone to decide who needs to be taught what? Teaching is wonderful, but only and only when you get the permission of the student themselves to teach them. Anything else is nothing more than dictatorship in a small scale: Overlarding some poor soul because you think you know best. Think of it, how many have regrets in their life because they listened to someone else and not their own hearts? Teacher will appear when the students are ready!

I cannot teach anyone anything, I can only make them think." -- Socrates (centuries before Galileo)

BUT, they are values that we as teachers or parents must pass on to our children. And what if someone says. ‘I never found algebra or E=mc2 within me’. Does teaching come inevitable then?

The truly wonderful thing about teaching is that as a teacher, you facilitate the learning process during the truly "teachable moments. This learning process starts when the student reveals for his/herself the facts being presented. Then, as the student "sifts" through those facts, the amazing learning moments take place as the facts begin to make sense. This process cannot happen unless and until the student begins to validate these thoughts as they relate to life around him or her. The truly great and effective teachers think of creative ways to nurture the self-esteem needed to facilitate learning and make it an enjoyable and meaningful experience.

Good teachers don't simply give information, they inspire students to learn.

Give a man a fish and you have fed him for today. Teach a man HOW to fish and he can feed himself for the rest of his life.

"Many people are good at talking about what they are doing, but in fact do little. Others do a lot but don't talk about it; they are the ones who make a community live." — Jean Vanier.

Best gift to another is to guide and allow him to be independent. Millions of people can look at the same thing, sky, water, and person; and yet, every person sees it differently. We are not all the same and we have our own personal vision. Thinking opposite of someone does not make it wrong or right...it just makes it different, don't let anyone tell you that you have to think like/act/walk/talk, etc... "You" love yourself for who "You Are". if you try to be someone else, you will fail every time! Love yourself!!

Don’t teach or mold a man into someone he can never be, instead, just be there to help him finding and unlock his inner strengths.

Ad Hominem (Argument To The Man)

2011-09-11T01:28:00.000+09:30

Ad Hominem

Well, it’s a Latin word. In English it needs to be explained a little bit. Ad Hominem is an expression meaning “to the man.” An ad hominem argument is one that relies on personal attacks rather than reason or substance. It’s about appealing to one's prejudices, emotions, or special interests rather than to one's intellect or reason. In other words, it’s about attacking an opponent's character rather than answering his argument. [1]

There are three major forms of Attacking the Person:

Ad hominem (abusive): instead of attacking an assertion, the argument attacks the person who made the assertion.

Ad hominem (circumstantial): instead of attacking an assertion the author points to the relationship between the person making the assertion and the person's circumstances.

Ad hominem (tu quoque): this form of attack on the person notes that a person does not practise what he preaches.

Examples:

You may argue that God doesn't exist, but you are just a fat idiot. (ad hominem abusive)

We should discount what Steve Forbes says about cutting taxes because he stands to benefit from a lower tax rate. (ad hominem circumstantial)

We should disregard Fred's argument because he is just angry about the fact that defendant once cheated him out of $100. (ad hominem circumstantial)

You say I should give up alcohol, but you haven't been sober for more than a year yourself. (ad hominem tu quoque)

You claim that Mr. Jones is innocent, but why should anyone listen to you? You are a Mormon after all. (ad hominem circumstantial) [2]

References:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ad+hominem

Barker: 166, Cedarblom and Paulsen: 155, Copi and Cohen: 97, Davis: 80

A Joke

2011-06-17T12:12:00.000+09:30

A Joke

I bought some powdered water, but I don't know what to add to it.

We Use Them Everyday

2011-05-29T01:45:00.002+09:30

We Use Them Everyday

Don’t mistake me that I've ever said you a racist because you using these words. My intention is to identify and indicate those words and that how we’ve been unconsciously using these racial slurs everyday (probably entire life) without knowing them etymologically and how these are racially based.

For these purpose I’ve Googled quite a number a sites and below is the summary of what I’ve found:

1. Hooligans

How it's used: "I was nearly killed on my drive home by a group of hooligans playing paintball on the interstate."

What you’re actually saying: "I was nearly killed on my drive home by a group of dirty Irish drunkards playing paintball on the interstate."

2. Vandals

How it's used: "Some vandals tagged the wall behind the local high school."

What You're Actually Saying: "A horde of dirty godless Germans tagged the wall behind the local high school."

3. Hip Hip Hooray!

How it's Used: "We won the little league game! Hip hip hooray!"

What You're Actually Saying: "We won the little league game! Let's go kill some Jews!"

4. Barbarian

How it's used: "In World of WarCraft, I play a level 60 barbarian."

What You're Actually Saying: "In World of WarCraft, I play a stupid jabbering foreigner."

5. Bugger

How it's used: "The dog peed on my leg again, that little bugger!"

What you’re actually Saying: "The dog peed on my leg again, that little Bulgarian homosexual!"

6. Cannibal

How it's used: "I don't care whether or not the other person consented, all cannibals should be sent to prison. It's disgusting."

What you’re actually saying: "I don't care whether or not the other person consented; all people from the West Indies should be sent to prison. It's disgusting."

7. Gyp

How it's used: "Man, five dollars for a candy bar? What a gyp!"

What you’re actually saying: "Man, five dollars for a candy bar? You're a filthy Eastern European immigrant."

8. Picnic

How it's used: "Wow, look at that! The sun's shining, the bluebirds are singing ... why, I think it's a lovely day for a picnic!"

What you’re actually saying: "Wow, look at that! The sun's shining, the bluebirds are singing ... why, I think it's a lovely day to lynch a black person!"

I DON’T KNOW THE TRUTH, DO YOU?

2011-05-02T01:17:00.000+09:30

I DON’T KNOW THE TRUTH, DO YOU?

Over the last decade the teaching paradigm has shifted from teacher-centric to student-centric learning. The role of teacher is no longer to impart information; students can access that from a wide range of sources. The teacher is guide and mentor.

We have now whole bunch of theories and information on how students learn effectively. It is also suggested that teacher should prepare students for future. Well then the questions come to mind how can be a teacher so sure about future. We know with a little certainty what will happen tomorrow in this world in its socio-economic sphere, bur with less certainty what will happen next week and with no certainty what will happen next month. Then how can we claim that we are preparing students for future and thus they will be to function really well in life when we have neither any idea of the future world nor control it. The techniques we have learnt to solve a problem about a decade ago doesn’t seem quite functional today; the situation will be much more complex after a decade when a student will try to solve a problem with the skill what he/she just adopted today in our classroom, because it will be completely a new problem which was never told or encountered. Then what we can actually teach them?

Probably skills in Information Technology (IT) will remain a basic skill to facilitate learning even in the future, but again IT itself is the one ever rapidly changing technology. IT itself appeared in the technological market all on a sudden and quickly outclassed other existing technologies. Who has predicted two decades ago that IT can do such shift? I see none. It happened suddenly without any prior notice and took over our traditional way doing things, such as banking, education, science, medical, entertainment and even has changed the way we used to live and think. These changes remind us same could happen even in near future. We can’t see it now.

Do teachers control future? What are actually controlling them? – Politics, economy, climate change, recourses, technology and so on. And all these are changing every minute, exponentially.

Perhaps a better way to look at this issue is to improve students’ analysis, synthesis and evaluation capability which are indicated in the later part of Blooms Taxonomy rather than only knowledge and comprehension. The competency of a person in future will be determined mostly by his/her analysing skills to a new situation. We need people who are able to function really well in life and work situations for which they have not been specifically prepared.

The test of successful education is not the amount of knowledge, but their appetite to know and their capacity to learn. – Sir Richard Livingstone, Oxford, 1941.

We all learn best when we are undertaking things that are challenging and worthwhile. We need tasks that are genuinely different (to which we do not already know the answers) genuinely interesting and valuable to students or to the society.

C R I C K E T J O K E S

2011-03-16T03:56:00.006+09:30

CRICKET JOKES CRICKET JOKES

(Collected)

You've seen worse?
The nervous young batsman was having a terrible time and was lucky to still be at the crease. During a lull, he stammered to the wicket keeper, 'Well, I expect you've seen worse players.'
Silence....
First slip added 'he said I expect you've seen worse players.'
'I heard him the first time. I was just trying to think.'

Out first ball
In a country town match, the batsman was out first ball. 'Not like last week,' said the wicket-keeper.
'No,' said the batsman. 'Last week I stayed in and got forty and when I got back all the beer was gone!'

Do it this way
The standard of batting in the local side was very low. Even at the net practice, they couldn't hit a thing. Finally, the captain rushed forward and grabbed the bat.
'Now bowl me some fast ones!' he yelled. Six fast balls came down in quick succession and the captain missed them all. Not to be put off he glared at the team and shouted,
'Now that's what you're all doing. Get in there and hit them!'

How I do it ?
The batsman had a large opinion of his prowess.
He was approached by a club member who couldn't resist saying to him, 'You know, whenever I watch you bat, I always wonder...'
'I know, I know. How I do it.'
'No. Why you do it.'

What sort of coach
The eager young batsman had just scored yet another duck and was apologising to the captain.
'I think I could do with some advice. What sort of coach would you recommend?'
'A long distance one.'

Never played so bad
The disgruntled batsman stormed into the pavilion and flung down his bat.
'Terrible' he shouted. 'I've never played so badly before'
The captain looked up. 'Oh, you've played before, have you?'

Iron nerve
The captain called the batsman into his room. 'We've got some very tough matches coming up,' he said, 'and I wanted to talk to you because we need someone with an Iron nerve, a strong constitution and great skill in the side.
That's why I'm asking you to resign.'

Wonderful shot
The nervous batsman had scored a shaky two and was met at the pavilion steps by the captain, who enthused: 'That was a wonderful shot!'
'Which one?'.
'The one where you hit the ball!'

Bottle of beer
The batsman was having a bad time. He played and missed at every ball and was becoming more hot and flusterred every minute. As the bowler was walking back; the batsman turned to the wicket-keeper.
'Phew,' he said 'what couldn't I do with a bottle of beer.'
The wicket-keeper thought for a moment. 'Hit it with the bat?'

How many great batsmen?
The conceited batsman was at the crease. He turned to the wicket-keeper.
'Tell me, my man, just out of interest. How many great players would you say there are?
'One less than you think.'

Hit on the head
The fast bowler hit the batsman on the head and the batsman danced around in agony, clutching his foot. The opposing captain ran up to help and then said, 'Wait a minute. You were hit on the head. Why are you holding your foot?'
'My corn's giving me hell!' moaned the batsman.

Double hundred
The famous batsman had been in all day. Nothing the home side could do had any effect. As the day's play drew to a close, and the batsman scored two hundred, they were at their wits end.
Then a voice rang out from the crowd: 'Send for the fire brigade-that'll put him out!'

A hostile game
The local game had been a bitter affair, with neither side giving anything away and an unusual amount of hostile bowling. Several injuries were sustained, and after the game one of the batsmen was seen pacing up and down the pitch.
'Ah, I see you're reliving the battle,' said the groundsman.
'No,' said the player. 'I'm looking for my teeth'

Playing on Sunday
George always played cricket on Sunday. This troubled his wife, who asked the vicar 'Is it a sin for him to play on Sunday?'
'It's not a sin,' replied the vicar. 'The way he plays, it's a crime!'

Devils vs Angels
The Devils challenged the Angels to a game of cricket.
"But we've got all the cricketers," said the Angels.
"Yes. But we've got all the umpires!" exclaimed The Devils.

Cricket in hell
A cricket enthusiast died and went to hell. After a few days, the Devil came up to him and said, 'What do you feel like doing today?
You can have anything you like.'
'Well,' said the cricketer, I can't think of nothing better than a game of cricket. Can we do that?'
'Certainly,' said the Devil, and off they went to get changed. They arrived at a beautiful pitch, and the batsman in his new gear took up a stance. Nothing happpened.
'Come on then,' he said to the Devil, 'bowl the first ball.'
'Ah, that's the Hell of it,' said the Devil. 'We haven't got any balls.'

Curate's first game
The shy young curate had been enticed to play in the village team. Although he had never played before, he gave the first ball a resounding whack and sent it out of the ground.
'Run!' yelled his partner.
'Don't worry,' said the embarrassed curate, 'I'll buy you a new ball.'

Bishop & the Vicar
In a small country game, the bishop was taking part and was at the crease. The bowler was the local vicar who sent down a wide ball. 'I say,' called the bishop, 'keep it in the parish, would you?'
The vicar ran up, bowled, and knocked the middle stump out of the ground.
'I think that's about the diocese, my lord,' he said.

Worst spell
In school, the sports master and English teacher asked one of his brighter pupils to spell "bowling".
Back came the answer : "B-o-e-l-i-n." "That," said he, "is the worst spell of bowling I've ever seen."

Great ball
Another famous cricketer was enticed down to a remote country village and took the field to tremendous hand from the crowd. He took his guard and faced the local fast bowler.
Down came the ball and uprooted his stumps. As he walked out he called to the bowler, "Magnificent ball."
"What did you expect?" the bowler growled. "A ruddy turnip?"

The poor slip
A slip fieldsman had a particularly depressing day during which he dropped no less than ten catches all off the same bowler. After the game he was talking to the bowler when he broke off and looked at his watch. "I must go," he said, "I have a train to catch." The bowler looked at him bitterly. "Let's hope you have better luck with that, then."

Stonewaller
The bowler was up against a stonewaller who never moved his bat. Every ball either hit the bat or passed harmlessly by, no stroke being offered.
The bowler turned to the umpire. 'Is he out if he doesn't move his bat?'
'No,' said the umpire. 'But he will be if he does!'

How's that
One of

England

's fastest bowlers was taking a quiet stroll in a little village when he came upon a game of cricket. This being in the age before TV, cricketers were not always recognised by face.
The visiting team was one player short and invited the great man not knowing who he was. The home team was batting first. Soon it became evident that the umpires were more than slightly in favour of the batsmen, when several appeals for catches behing the wicket and leg-before were turned down.
The visiting captain, in desperation, and having used all his bowlers turned to our friend. The Test cricketer, Harold Larwood, marked out a short run-up and came in and bowled his first delivery. The batsman was plumb in front and was about to move.
"Howzzaat!" cried the visitors. But the umpire just shook his head in denial.
Lol, a little miffed, came in again, and there was a loud noise to be heard as the batsman nicked to the keeper. But, once again, to the amazement of the visitors, their appeals fell on deaf ears.
Now, Lol was livid. He marked out his full run-up, told hte keeper to step further back and came charging in at full pace.
The batsman never saw the ball. All he did see was his off stump cartwheeling out of the ground. Lol calmly turned back from his follow through and walked back to the top of his run-up.
On his way,as he passed the Umpire he remarked, "We nearly had him there, didn't we?"

Notice any difference
The bowler had a dreadful match which cost his side the game. All week long he practiced hard for the next game. During the following match, he said to the captain, 'Notice any difference?'
The captain looked at him thoughtfully. 'You've had your hair cut, haven't you?'

Knock his teeth out
In a village match, one of the batsmen received a fast ball which caught him in the mouth and broke several teeth. The next year, in the return match, he faced the same bowler.
'I hope you're not after my teeth this year,' he said.
'No,' grinned the bowler, 'this time it's the stumps I'm after!'

Good enough
In a local game. the visiting side had two fearsome fast bowlers. Everybody was terrified of them , none more so that the opening bat for the home team. He crept , shaking , to the crease and awaited the first ball. The bowler thundered up to the crease and hurled down a scorcher. The batsman waved his bat at it and it was fielded at mid-on. Immediately, he walked for the pavilion. 'Where are you going?' cried the bowler. 'He caught it on first bounce.'
'Looked good enough to me' replied the retreating batsman.

Umpire at the gate
Just before the match, the secretary received a message in his office from the turnstiles. There's an umpire down here with two friends. Wants to know if they can come in.'
'No,' replied the secretary , 'the man's obviously lying.'
'How do you make that out?'
'Whoever heard of an umpire with two friends.'

Bail weight
Did you know that our umpire always checks that the bails are the correct weight?
He takes them to the bail-weigh station.....

Windy day
In a village match, the local squire was at the crease. He missed the first ball of the day which clipped the off stump and the bail fell to the ground. Picking it up he looked pointedly at the umpire. "Windy today, isn't it?" he asked."Aye, Squire," came the answer, "but I'm not, and you're out."

Heckling the umpire
In a local match, the umpire was being jeered and heckled unmercifully from the crowd. At length he walked over to the boundary and sat down next to his chief critic.
"What are you doing?" asked the spectator.
"Well," said the umpire,"it seems you get the best view from here."

No umpire ?
The village teams were ready to begin their match but discovered that they were without an umpire. They decided that they would use a member of the crowd even though he knew nothing of the rules. When he was dressed in his white coat and hat, he went up to the captain of the home side.
"What do I do?" he asked
."It's very simple," said the home captain. "When I shout "HOWZAT!" you simply put up your finger and say "OUT".
When it's our turn to bat, I'll tell thee a little bit more!"

I've been watching you
During the match, the fieldsman positioned just behind the umpire kept trying to distract the batsman as the ball was bowled to him. Several appeals for L.B.W were turned down, and finally the umpire turned to the fieldsman and said sternly:
"I've been watching you for the last twenty minutes."
"I thought so," came the reply, "I could tell you weren't watching the game!"

I can't do anything
The cricketer was visiting the psychiatrist.
Cricketer: 'It's terrible. I can't score runs, I'm a terrible bowler, and I can't hold a catch. What can l do?
Doctor: 'Get another job.'
Cricketer: 'I can't. I'm playing for

England

tomorrow !'

Swallowed his pen
The secretary was frantically phoning the doctor.
'Can you come quickly; doctor? the scorer has just swallowed his pen.'
'I'll be right over. What are you doing in the mean time? '
'Using a pencil.'

Importance of fitness
Two men were discussing the importance of fitness in the game of cricket. Said the fat one, 'When I'm at the crease, my body is highly tuned and as taut as a bowstring. The bowler comes up, bowls and my brain snaps out a command to my body to get quickly behind the line, raise the bat and execute a perfect stroke.'
'Then what happens?'
'My body says: 'Who me?'

Phrenologist
The phrenologist was carefully feeling the head of the father.
'Ah yes,' he said. 'Now that bump indicates a love of children.'
'Love of children?' snorted the father, 'That's where my son hit me with a cricket bat!'

Fit for cricket
'You have to be fit to play cricket, don't you?'
'You certainly do. I get up at five, run for two miles, come back and do four hours of exercises'
'How long have you been doing it?'
'I start tomorrow.'

Good mornings work
The toothless victim was emerging from the anaesthetic. As he came to his senses, he saw the dentist packing up to go to lord's for the afternoon.
'Not a bad morning's work, eh?' said the dentist, cheekily. 'All out before lunch!'

Humorous Definitions
APPEAL- A 250 decibel scream made to overcome the obvious congenital deafness so common in the umpiring profession.
AVAGOYAMUG- The mysterious, almost religious chant that comes out of the mouth of the cricket spectator. Sometimes it can be repeated by the one person 1200 times in an afternoon,especially if the Englishmen are batting.
BLOCK- Taking block, a slow painful ritual involving an incoming batsman, the umpire and a little pitch excavation.A means of postponing the fearful onslaught.
BRADMAN- See God.
BYE- A way of scoring a run or more by cleverly missing the ball.The umpire raises one arm as if he wants to leave the room. The wicketkeeper wishes he could.
CAUGHT BEHIND- Trapped in the turnstiles.
COMMENTATOR- He's venerable.His eyesight is not as good as it was in 1938 but it's remarkable how he can still pick an inswinger or an outswinger from 200 metres. Whats going on in the centre can be a wretched inconvevience when he's just recalling that marvellous incident on the fourth day of the Fifth Test in 1948. He is superb at describing seagulls and most graceful at 5pm when he refers to the long shadows moving across the ground.At 6pm during the suming up he can usually cause a shock by actually referring to the days play.
ESKY- A trade device used for carting refreshments mostly into sports grounds. Many of them are made of plastic foam. In moments of extreme emotion during Test matches it is done to break up your esky and throw the pieces at the players.
EXTRAS- Or in politer circles,sundries.Here we have the collection of no balls and byes. Extras is quite a fellow. Sometimes he is so skillful he is the top scorer of the day.
FOOTBALL- A crude winter game played with an inflated pigskin. It provides much tedious talk in the newspapers, bars and on the airwaves.If particular care is not taken it will get worse and the desire will arise to play it all year round.
GOD- See Bradman.
HORSE RACING- A strange unecessary sport where horses are thrashed into competing against one another. It is used for the sole purpose of interrupting cricket descriptions on the radio.

Ever thought you can make a Movie?

2011-01-24T15:56:00.000+09:30

Do you want to make a Movie?

Or want your students to do so?

You can do it now.

With the help of Windows Live Movie Maker, you can animate your pictures, add an effect you want, insert an audio and lot more, then you can share your video clip on your favourite social networking site. It's easy now!

I have made made one using the Movie Maker program. It's free to download.

My last Graduation Day at the University of South Australia (2009) has turned into a mini film within few minutes!

Thanks to the wonder of Digital Technology !!!!

East and West: A Conversation Between Tagore and Einstein (1930)

2011-01-19T00:07:00.001+09:30

Tagore and Einstein

Tagore and Einstein met through a common friend, Dr. Mendel. Tagore visited Einstein at his residence at Kaputh in the suburbs of Berlin on July 14, 1930, and Einstein returned the call and visited Tagore at the Mendel home. Both conversations were recorded and the above photograph was taken. The July 14 conversation is reproduced here, and was originally published in The Religion of Man (George, Allen & Unwin, Ltd., London), Appendix II, pp. 222-225.

TAGORE: I was discussing with Dr. Mendel today the new mathematical discoveries which tell us that in the realm of infinitesimal atoms chance has its play; the drama of existence is not absolutely predestined in character.

EINSTEIN: The facts that make science tend toward this view do not say good-bye to causality.

EINSTEIN: One tries to understand in the higher plane how the order is. The order is there, where the big elements combine and guide existence, but in the minute elements this order is not perceptible.

TAGORE: Thus duality is in the depths of existence, the contradiction of free impulse and the directive will which works upon it and evolves an orderly scheme of things.

EINSTEIN: Modern physics would not say they are contradictory. Clouds look as one from a distance, but if you see them nearby, they show themselves as disorderly drops of water.

TAGORE: I find a parallel in human psychology. Our passions and desires are unruly, but our character subdues these elements into a harmonious whole. Does something similar to this happen in the physical world? Are the elements rebellious, dynamic with individual impulse? And is there a principle in the physical world which dominates them and puts them into an orderly organization?

EINSTEIN: Even the elements are not without statistical order; elements of radium will always maintain their specific order, now and ever onward, just as they have done all along. There is, then, a statistical order in the elements.

TAGORE: Otherwise, the drama of existence would be too desultory. It is the constant harmony of chance and determination which makes it eternally new and living.

EINSTEIN: I believe that whatever we do or live for has its causality; it is good, however, that we cannot see through to it.

TAGORE: There is in human affairs an element of elasticity also, some freedom within a small range which is for the expression of our personality. It is like the musical system in India, which is not so rigidly fixed as western music. Our composers give a certain definite outline, a system of melody and rhythmic arrangement, and within a certain limit the player can improvise upon it. He must be one with the law of that particular melody, and then he can give spontaneous expression to his musical feeling within the prescribed regulation. We praise the composer for his genius in creating a foundation along with a superstructure of melodies, but we expect from the player his own skill in the creation of variations of melodic flourish and ornamentation. In creation we follow the central law of existence, but if we do not cut ourselves adrift from it, we can have sufficient freedom within the limits of our personality for the fullest self-expression.

EINSTEIN: That is possible only when there is a strong artistic tradition in music to guide the people's mind. In Europe, music has come too far away from popular art and popular feeling and has become something like a secret art with conventions and traditions of its own.

TAGORE: You have to be absolutely obedient to this too complicated music. In India, the measure of a singer's freedom is in his own creative personality. He can sing the composer's song as his own, if he has the power creatively to assert himself in his interpretation of the general law of the melody which he is given to interpret.

EINSTEIN: It requires a very high standard of art to realize fully the great idea in the original music, so that one can make variations upon it. In our country, the variations are often prescribed.

TAGORE: If in our conduct we can follow the law of goodness, we can have real liberty of self-expression. The principle of conduct is there, but the character which makes it true and individual is our own creation. In our music there is a duality of freedom and prescribed order.

EINSTEIN: Are the words of a song also free? I mean to say, is the singer at liberty to add his own words to the song which he is singing?

TAGORE: Yes. In Bengal we have a kind of song-kirtan, we call it-which gives freedom to the singer to introduce parenthetical comments, phrases not in the original song. This occasions great enthusiasm, since the audience is constantly thrilled by some beautiful, spontaneous sentiment added by the singer.

EINSTEIN: Is the metrical form quite severe?

TAGORE: Yes, quite. You cannot exceed the limits of versification; the singer in all his variations must keep the rhythm and the time, which is fixed. In European music you have a comparative liberty with time, but not with melody.

EINSTEIN: Can the Indian music be sung without words? Can one understand a song without words?

TAGORE: Yes, we have songs with unmeaning words, sounds which just help to act as carriers of the notes. In North India, music is an independent art, not the interpretation of words and thoughts, as in Bengal. The music is very intricate and subtle and is a complete world of melody by itself.

EINSTEIN: Is it not polyphonic?

TAGORE: Instruments are used, not for harmony, but for keeping time and adding to the volume and depth. Has melody suffered in your music by the imposition of harmony?

EINSTEIN: Sometimes it does suffer very much. Sometimes the harmony swallows up the melody altogether.

TAGORE: Melody and harmony are like lines and colors in pictures. A simple linear picture may be completely beautiful; the introduction of color may make it vague and insignificant. Yet color may, by combination with lines, create great pictures, so long as it does not smother and destroy their value.

EINSTEIN: It is a beautiful comparison; line is also much older than color. It seems that your melody is much richer in structure than ours. Japanese music also seems to be so.

TAGORE: It is difficult to analyze the effect of eastern and western music on our minds. I am deeply moved by the western music; I feel that it is great, that it is vast in its structure and grand in its composition. Our own music touches me more deeply by its fundamental lyrical appeal. European music is epic in character; it has a broad background and is Gothic in its structure.

EINSTEIN: This is a question we Europeans cannot properly answer, we are so used to our own music. We want to know whether our own music is a conventional or a fundamental human feeling, whether to feel consonance and dissonance is natural, or a convention which we accept.

TAGORE: Somehow the piano confounds me. The violin pleases me much more.

EINSTEIN: It would be interesting to study the effects of European music on an Indian who had never heard it when he was young.

TAGORE: Once I asked an English musician to analyze for me some classical music, and explain to me what elements make for the beauty of the piece.

EINSTEIN: The difficulty is that the really good music, whether of the East or of the West, cannot be analyzed.

TAGORE: Yes, and what deeply affects the hearer is beyond himself.

EINSTEIN: The same uncertainty will always be there about everything fundamental in our experience, in our reaction to art, whether in Europe or in Asia. Even the red flower I see before me on your table may not be the same to you and me.

TAGORE: And yet there is always going on the process of reconciliation between them, the individual taste conforming to the universal standard.

Link: related to this post: School of Wisdom <http://www.schoolofwisdom.com/history/teachers/rabindranath-tagore/tagore-and-einstein>

Mind Without Fear

2011-01-17T03:16:00.005+09:30

Rabindranath Tagore primarily worked in Bengali, but after his success with Gitanjali (won Nobel Prize for Literature, 1913), he translated many of his other works into English. He wrote over one thousand poems; short stories; essays on philosophy, religion, education and social topics. Aside from words and drama, his other great love was music, Bengali style. He composed more than two thousand songs, both the music and lyrics. Two of them became the national anthems of India and Bangladesh.

(This is one of his song offerings: Translations made by the author from the original Bengali)

Mind Without Fear

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up
into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason
has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action---
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Jokes Jokes Jokes

2011-01-14T05:00:00.010+09:30

JOKES JOKES JOKES

Teacher-Student Jokes (Collected)

TEACHER: What is the chemical formula for water?
SARAH : "HIJKLMNO"!!
TEACHER: What are you talking about?
SARAH : Yesterday you said it's H to O!

TEACHER: Why are you late?
WEBSTER: Because of the sign.
TEACHER: What sign?
WEBSTER: The one that says, "School Ahead, Go Slow."

SILVIA: Dad, can you write in the dark?
FATHER: I think so. What do you want me to write?
SYLVIA: Your name on this report card.

TEACHER: Ellen, give me a sentence starting with "I".
ELLEN : I is...
TEACHER: No, Ellen. Always say, "I am."
ELLEN : All right... "I am the ninth letter of the alphabet."

Teacher: "what's the further away,

America

or the Moon?"
Student: "

America

!"
Teacher: "

America

? Whatever gave you that idea?"
Student: "Simple, We can always see the moon from the

india

, but not

america

Son: "Daddy, why did you put your thumb impression on my progress report instead of your signature?"
Father: "I don't want your teacher to think that anyone with your marks could possibly have a father who can read or write."

TEACHER : "Can anybody give an example of "COINCIDENCE?"
PAPPU : "Sir, my Mother and Father got married on the same day, same time."

TEACHER : "George Washington not only chopped down his father's Cherry tree, but also admitted doing it. Now do you know why his father didn't punish him?"
PAPPU : "Because George still had the axe in his hand?"

TEACHER : PAPPU, your composition on "My Dog" is exactly the same as your brother's. Did you copy his ?
PAPPU: No, teacher, it's the same dog !

TEACHER : What do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?
PAPPU: A teacher

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.
The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.
The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah". The teacher asked, " What if Jonah went to hell?" The little girl replied, "Then you ask him".

A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing.
She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."
The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.
She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?"
Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. "Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.' A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher, She's dead."

A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face.." "Yes," the class said. "Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?" A little fellow shouted, "Cause your feet ain't empty."

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: "Take only ONE. God is watching."
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples.

Child: "Why do you send me to school for."
Mother: "To make a man out of you."
Child: "But my teacher makes everyday a cock out of me."

A girl was yelling in the Church after the Chapel: "Oh God! Please make Moscow the Capital of China!"
The priest inquired: "Why must you pray so, my child?"
Girl: "That's what I've written in my answer sheet in the examination!"

When the teacher entered the class all the boys were standing.
The teacher said: 'Now, all of you sit down except those who are absolutely dull and duffers?' All the boys sat down except Rajan.
Teacher: 'Why Rajan? Are you absolutely dull and a duffer?'
Rajan: 'No sir. The thing is that you were standing alone and it didn't look good to me.'

Teacher : "Which is more important to us, the sun or the moon?"
Pupil : "The moon".
Teacher : "Why?"
Pupil : "The moon gives us light at night when we need it but the sun gives us light only in the day time when we don't need it".

Teacher : "Now, children, if I saw a man beating a donkey and stopped him,what virtue would I be showing?"
Student : "Brotherly love".

Teacher: What does your father do for a living?
Student: He is a magician.
Teacher: what is his favorite event.
Student: He cuts people in two.
Teacher: How many brothers and sisters do you have?
Student: One half-brother and one half-sister....

A student burst into his professor’s office and says; "Professor Stigler, I don't believe I deserve this F you've given me."
To which Stigler replied, "I agree, but unfortunately it is the lowest grade the University will allow me to award."

Teacher: Class, who can go to the board and show us the map of the North America?
George: Yes, ma'am.
Teacher: Okay George.
George: Here is the map of North America.
Teacher: Class, who discovered North America?
Class: George!

Teacher: Farai, what are the two days of the week, which start with letter "T"?
Farai: Today and tomorrow Sir.

In the Chemistry class the teacher was describing how August Kekulé, the scientist accidentally discovered a formula to express Benzene.
Kekulé once dozed off in his lab while trying to arrange the six carbon atoms in a particular format alongside six-hydrogen. The scientific community in the entire world had no answer either. Suddenly he had a dream and in his dream he saw two snakes eating each other and suddenly he woke up and tried to write out the formula that way and that was how we got the Benzene ring as we know it today, she said.
The teacher however felt bad finding a girl in the front bench dozing off all this while and pulled her up.
A boy from the rear said: Madam, please spare her; who knows she might come up with another formula for Benzene!

A high school student is in the counselor’s office. “So tell me, what things interest you?
“I’d like to cut people open and run my fingers through their liver and heart!”
The counselor chuckle and after a long pause says, “Well, I guess that means you’ll either be a surgeon or psychotic killer. Tell me more about yourself.” The student paused for a minute and said; “Well, to start with, I’m never wrong.” “Other people adore me and do exactly as I say…or if they don’t, they should.” The counselor smiles and says; “Surgeon it is!”

Dad: Hey son what is 2 x 2?
Son: A tie
Dad: Ok, what is 2 x 1?
Son: An offer

Early one morning, a mother went in to wake up her son. "Wake up, son. It's time to go to school!"
"But why, Mom? I don't want to go."
"Give me two reasons why you don't want to go."
"Well, the kids hate me for one, and the teachers hate me, too!"
"Oh, that's no reason not to go to school. Come on now and get ready."
"Give me two reasons why I should go to school."
"Well, for one, you're 52 years old. And for another, you're the Principal!"

A kindergarten teacher handed out a coloring page to her class. On it was a picture of a duck holding an umbrella. The teacher told her class to color the duck in yellow and the umbrella green, however, Bobby, the class rebel, colored the duck in a bright fire truck red. After seeing this, the teacher asked him: "Bobby, how many times have you see a red duck?" Young Bobby replied with "The same number of times I've seen a duck holding an umbrella."

Teacher to a student: "Can you think of a solution to end unemployment?"
"Yes, sir! I'd put allthe men on one island and the women on another."
"And what would they be doing then?"
"Building boats!"

Sir Ken Robinson, Hammer Lectures

2010-12-15T16:12:00.001+09:30

Sir Ken Robinson- Changing Education Paradigms (RSA Animate)

2010-12-09T12:13:00.001+09:30

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

2010-12-03T06:48:00.004+09:30

Examination as a High-Stakes Assessment at Australian Schools

2010-11-29T22:53:00.005+09:30

Contents:

Introducton

What is a high-stakes assessment?
Constructive Model and High-Stakes Assessment
Disadvantages of Examination: How far it is valid?
An Alternative Assessment: Classroom Assessment

Conclusion

Introduction

A recent proposal by South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) that at Stage 2 (Year 12) all subjects will have a 30% external assessment component set by SACE Board and an external assessor specified by the Board will assess each student’s performance (Future SACE, 2008). It is also proposed that the form of external assessment for each subject might be ‘Written Examination’ and the design, form content and time of examination will be set externally (Future SACE, 2008). This essay tires to lead an explanation of ‘examination’ as a ‘High-stakes’ assessment with an attempt to clarify the negative effects of examination and its overall validity from the constructive viewpoint of learning whether it can be selected as a high-stakes assessment tool as well as to highlight the steep price that our students, teachers and whole education system paying to include it as a major assessment method. An alternative assessment strategy – ‘Classroom Assessment,’ (Buhagiar, 2007) will be discussed again from the constructive standpoint to preserve the true purpose of assessment and learning and thus to get rid of examinations as a high-stakes assessment.

What is a High-stakes assessment?

‘High-stakes’, a term used to indicate those situations where interest in assessment goes beyond the immediate sphere of learning measurement and further than those persons who sit the tests (Keightley & Keighley-James, 2001). When significant educational paths or choices of an individual are directly affected by test performance, such as whether a student is promoted or retained at grade level, graduated, or admitted or placed into a desired program, the test is said to have high stakes. (Keightley & Keighley-James, 2001, p.139).

In addition to the consequences of high-stakes assessment on instruction, student outcomes are also a focus of concern with respect to unintended consequences. Research suggests that high-stakes assessments are more likely to demoralize the motivation of students already under pressure (Clarke et al., 2003; Roderick & Engel, 2001, cited in Keightley & Keightley & Keighley-James, 2001). Similarly, there is a positive relationship between high-stakes assessment and the student drop-out rate: As stakes increase in state assessments, drop-out rates increase (Amrein & Berliner, 2003; Clarke, Haney, & Madaus, 2000, cited in Keightley & Keighley-James, 2001). However, Fuller and Johnson (2001, cited in Keightley & Keighley-James, 2001) advised caution in attributing high drop-out rates solely to high-stakes accountability systems, because there are no empirical studies demonstrating a causal link between high-stakes assessment and drop-out rates.

Constructive Model and High-Stakes Assessment

The expectation from assessment is that assessment outcomes can now be used more accurately to inform the teaching and learning process (McGaw, 2006). From today’s cognitive point of view, learning is no longer seen as a passive, factual recording of information but a reflective, constructive, and self-regulated process (Gipps 1998, Greeno, et.al. 1996, Anderson et. al. 1996, Snow & Lohman 1993 cited in Keightley & Keighley-James, 2001). Venville and Dawson (2004) emphasized on authenticity and validity of assessment for its wider use. ,As a result, assessment developers are being asked to construct assessment items that measure performance in quite complex domains, not all of which are easily understood or readily quantifiable (Delandshere & Petrosky 1998, Wiley & Haertel 1996 cited in Keightley & Keighley-James, 2001).

Learning to be constructive, student-centred teaching approach becomes difficult when assessment agency forces high-stakes assessment into the mix (Passman, 1999). Constructive approach entails trust coupled with potential risks. The high-stakes assessment authority defines the learning outcomes so rigidly that it becomes then impossible for teacher or school to afford the risks. Is it rational to blame our students or their caregivers for social failure which is actually out of their control? Constructive approach of learning requires us to see our students capable of learning but as with different learning styles. Then this leaves us to teach and treat each student differently. On the other hand, high-stakes assessment based on standardised scores assumes that everyone must be exactly like me in order to be successful. We are heading to a time where each one must look just like me where ‘me’ consists of those who define the standards. Thus there is a very chilling effect that high-stakes assessment has on the pedagogy and schooling systems. Passman (1999) argued against the entire business associated with high-stakes assessment and totally saddened when he told us a story about ‘Esther’, a teacher who was excited about what her pupils were doing she was capable of accepting some risks with them, but when came across with the pressure of high-stakes examinations, she abandoned her student-centered teaching model and reverted to a traditional pedagogy only to teach students for the test for scores and grades desired by school and state.

Disadvantages of Examination: How far it is valid?

Deci (1992, cited in Tapper, 1997, p.7) examined that when people are motivated by control or pressure, intrinsic motivation and interest that students have for learning tends to be undermined.

Our growing understanding of assessment as a crucial part of learning helps us turn away from measuring learning towards an assessment which is explicitly designed to promote learning to make it a meaningful and authentic process in which, as opposed to our prior practice that knowledge can be transmitted directly from a knowledgeable head to an non-knowledgeable one, more put trust on the learner’s constructive ability of his/her own experience. At the same time, we came to realize that the ubiquitous existence of conventional type of assessment- examination- in contemporary educational systems (Broadfoot & Black, 2004) affects negatively the teaching-learning environment. Tests and examinations, as a form of high-stakes assessment, definitely have serious adverse effects on a number of counts:

Learning unfriendly: They may divulge what students memorize about what we think they should remember, but do not help us get to truth, meaning, purpose or utility (Ellis, 2001). They can only assess a very narrow range of academic qualities, sudden death, for example, candidates get credit based on only what they perform within the limited and controlled hours of examination; and a noninformative form of assessment, which is, the grade is not conclusive enough to classify what a candidate knows and can do (Desforges, 1989 cited in Buhagiar, 2007).

Curriculum unfriendly: Examinations emphasize recall of factual knowledge with a grave dependence on memory and rote learning (Gipps & Stobart, 1993). They consequently can lead teachers to train students in a narrow range of test-taking skills rather than persuade them to educate a broader variety of high level competencies and understandings (Gipps & Stobart, 1993; Torrance, 1995). Therefore, students build up problem-solving tactics only to pass examinations without gaining the anticipated learning goals (Brookhart, 1999 in Buhagiar, 2007).

Teacher unfriendly: Despite the willingness to engage in student-centric learning, teachers compelled to do what is necessary as to address the test scores - which translate itself a ‘testlike’ teaching program to avoid being publicly embarrassed and humiliated (Smith, 1991).

Student unfriendly: Broadfoot (1996, cited in Buhagiar, 2007 ) argues that examination has a demoralizing effect on most of the students and pushes them out of the system. Students cannot describe themselves completely by examinations. An unwanted side effect of this intrusive process is ‘labeling’ the students based on teacher’s unconscious expectations about what students being able to do. This leads to the realization of the ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ (Rowntree, 1987, cited in Buhagiar, 2007), which is, teacher shows high expectations to some students while showing low expectations to others. This situation can never achieve a productive level of motivation for all students.

Sandra et al (2007) also argues about the high pressure that examination put on students particularly who have disabilities and they reject to accept the challenge of examinations due to their physical and mental shortcomings.

An Alternative Assessment

In order to play a constructive role in the learning process and to ensure validity and reliability of information about the learning outcomes with its complete sense which is seen deficit in the examinations and tests paradigm, Buhagiar (2007) suggested an alternative assessment plan using an umbrella term ‘Classroom Assessment’ which is taking of the temperature of the teaching–learning environment inside the classroom – the place from where it originates. Such assessment ‘has a constructive focus where the aim is to help rather than sentence the individual; thus it emphasizes the individual’s achievement relative to him or herself rather than to others, or in relation to defined criteria’ (Gipps & Murphy, 1994, p.261). Instead of unrealistically seeking equality of educational outcomes, this assessment takes equity in assessment as practices and interpretation of results that are fair and just for everyone (Gipps & Murphy, 1994) and thus eventually turns measuring of learning to a support to learning. Thus, it is about more than just a technical activity, rather it is a human activity that influences, affects and involves many people though out whole learning period of time (Airasian, 2000, p. 22).

Classroom Assessment

Classroom assessment holds trustworthiness that includes: (a) Credibility – which is ensured from a daily ongoing assessment in classroom with the participation of parents, teachers and students in assessment dialogue. (b)Transferability – which demands assessors to identify the context in which a specific learning achievement is demonstrated, thus other assessors or any concerned individuals may judge whether it is transferable to other situations and contexts. (c) Dependability – the assessment method is open to scrutiny and subject to an audit purpose for quality control; and (d) Validity - which relies on the degree to which the applicable constructs are reasonably and sufficiently enclosed in the assessment. (Gipps, 1994)

Classroom assessment takes in to account both the rationales of the teacher and student assessment. Unlike Formative assessment what is used to identify what students have or have not learned and where is their difficulties exist, classroom assessment supports the teaching–learning process’ (Mercurio, 2006; Gipps & Murphy, 1994, p. 260). In addition, classroom assessment has a summative dimension (Harlen et al, 1992) that it is mainly concerned with summarizing information about student achievements at particular times. Since the assessments conducted by teachers are not synonymous with formative assessments, it is a high-stakes assessment that brings long term consequences for students. Through classroom assessment, teachers get repeated feedback on whether and how well students are learning what teachers expect they are teaching. And students are required, through a variety of classroom assessment exercises, to monitor their learning, to reflect on it, and to take remedial action while there is still time left in the semester. (Cross, 1998, p. 6). Similarly, O'Donovan (2005) sees learning as a highly interactive and constructive process where students are not penalized for their opinions and there are no correct format of answers that only determines their capability, rather learning must be highly investigative manner where students will propose based on their prior knowledge and reflection.

Conclusion

Despite the serious adverse effects of tests and examinations as high-stakes assessment over the last decades still examinations is taking place (Cumming & Maxwell, 2004). The negative effects of examinations outweigh the original purpose of assessment of students’ learning achievements and put Principals and teachers are at greatest risk of succumbing to the effects of high-stakes examinations, because they feel greatest pressure to produce satisfactory grades compelling them to compromise their pedagogies and switching them away from the constructivist approach to learning. An alternative assessment as described as ‘Classroom Assessment’, on the other hand, has its broader implications of assessment from the constructive viewpoint of learning in the wider assessment context (Buhagiar, 2007). In my opinion, it should be teachers and principals who should be responsible, and thus need to be empowered, to determine the degree to which external assessments will weight what happens in classrooms and schools. Schools and teachers must include guardians and community individuals in retaining the validity and integrity of teaching against the stress of high-stakes examinations.

References:

1. Airasian, P. W., 2000, Assessment in the classroom: a concise approach, McGraw-Hill, Boston, 2nd edition

2. Broadfoot, P., Black, P., 2004, ‘Redefining assessment? The first ten years of ‘Assessment in Education’’, Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 7–27.

3. Buhagiar, M. A. 2007, ‘Classroom Assessment within the Alternative Assessment Paradigm: Revisiting the Territory’, The Curriculum Journal, March 2007, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 39- 56. Viewed on 22 August 2009 <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezlibproxy.unisa.edu.au/ehost/pdf?vid=22&hid=106&sid=6b094c61-1b6a-4c9e-8067-5b339eeb37ce%40sessionmgr4>

4. Cumming, J. J., Maxwell, G. S., 2004, ‘Profiles of Educational Assessment Systems Worldwide: Assessment in Australian Schools: Current Practice and Trends’, Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, March, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 89-108. Viewed on 22^nd August 2009 <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezlibproxy.unisa.edu.au/ehost/pdf?vid=28&hid=6&sid=23db429b-9bbc-4d2a-8cce-e002903252c6%40sessionmgr11>

5. Cross, K. P., 1998, ‘Classroom research: implementing the scholarship of teaching, Classroom assessment and research: an update on uses, approaches, and research findings,, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA, pp. 5–12.

6. Ellis, A. K., 2001, Teaching, learning and assessment together: the reflective classroom, Eye On Education, Larchmont, NY.

7. Future SACE, 2008, ‘Assessment, Performance Standards and Moderation: Consultation Paper’, May 2008

8. Gipps, C. & Murphy, P., 1994, A fair test? Assessment, achievement and equity, Open University Press, Buckingham

9. Gipps, C. V., 1994, Beyond testing: towards a theory of educational assessment , RoutledgeFalmer, London

10. Gipps, C., Stobart, G., 1993, Assessment: a teachers’ guide to the issues, London, Hodder & Stoughton, 2nd edition,

11. Keightley, J.V., Keighley-James, D., 2001, ‘Negotiating Multiple Interests in High-Stakes Assessment: Getting Inside Construct Validity’, Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia, November 1, 2001

12. McGaw, B., 2006, ‘Assessment in an Era of Rapid Change: Innovations and Best Practices’, International Association for Education Assessment, 32^nd Annual Conference 2006

13. Mercurio, A., 2006, ‘Teacher-Based Assessment at The Upper Secondary Level of Education: An Exploration of The Interaction between ‘Teachers as Assessors’ and ‘Teachers as Moderators’, Paper presented at the 32^nd IAEA Conference,

Singapore

. Viewed on August 12, 2009 <http://www.iaea2006.seab.gov.sg/conference/download/papers/Teacher-based%20assessment%20at%20the%20upper%20secondary%20level%20of%20education.pdf>

14. O'Donovan, N., 2005, ‘There Are No Wrong Answers: An Investigation Into The Assessment of Candidates’ Responses To Essay‐Based Examinations’, Oxford Review of Education, September, Vol. 31, No. 3, pp. 395-422. Viewed on 22^nd August 2009 <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezlibproxy.unisa.edu.au/ehost/pdf?vid=28&hid=105&sid=23db429b-9bbc-4d2a-8cce-e002903252c6%40sessionmgr11>

15. Passman, R.,1999, ‘Experience with Students-Centered Teaching and Learning in High-Stakes Assessment Environments’, Education, Vol. 122, No. 1, pp. 189-199

16. Sandra L. Christenson, Dawn M. Decker, Heidi L. Triezenberg, James E. Ysseldyke, and Amy Reschly, 2007, ‘Consequences of High-Stakes Assessment for Students With and Without Disabilities’, Educational Policy, Sep 2007; Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 662 - 690. Viewed on 22 August 2009 <http://online.sagepub.com/cgi/searchresults?andorexactfulltext=and&fulltext=Consequences+of+High-Stakes+Assessment+for+Students+with+and+Without+Disabilities&src=hw >

17. Smith, M. L.,1991, ‘Put to the test: the effects of external testing on teachers’, Educational Researcher, Vol. 20, No. 5, pp. 8–11.

18. Suarez, T. M, Gottovi, N. C, 1992, ‘The Impact of High-Stakes Assessments on our Schools’, NASSP Bulletin, SAGE Publications, viewed on 21 August 2009 <http://bul.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/76/545/82>

19. Tapper, R. 1997, ‘The Problem of High Stakes Assessment in Public Education’, ERIC, Spring 1997

20. Torrance, H. 1995, ‘The role of assessment in educational reform, Evaluating authentic assessment: problems and possibilities in new approaches to assessment’, Buckingham, Open University Press, pp.144–156.

21. Venville, G., Dawson, V., 2004, The Art of Teaching Science, Allen and Unwin, Crows Nest.

Digital Culture

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Digital technologies have ever more permeated daily life and there is a growing recognition that the use of digital technologies is an indispensable part of school learning. Carrington (2006) argues how life for adolescents has changed radically in the last two decades and notes the ease with which adolescents exercise digital tools and the dis-ease with which school use that same tools. Prensky (2001, cited in Zevenbergen & Zevenbergen, 2007, p.34) clarifies this disparity by using the terms ‘Digital Natives’ who are highly tech-savvy and never been without computers and digital technology, and ‘Digital Immigrants’ to refer the group who have not grown up immersed in digital technologies.

The debate on digital cultures evolves when young students being digital natives bring to schools their habits and experiences of the use of digital technologies and are more likely to seek to use these tools as open ended learning situations over a lock-step practice favored by a teacher who belongs to digital immigrants (Zevenbergen & Zevenbergen, 2007). Moreover, young significantly vary in interpreting and interacting with digital world and ‘there is no single model of early adolescent digital media use’ (Carrington, 2006, p. 10). All these issues challenge the current trend of assessment and pedagogy whether these can assess the multi-tasking competency of students and their preference of graphic images over textual images and games to serious work and their well working capacity when networked with peers through devices. Zevenbergen and Zevenbergen (2007) recognize these as strengths rather than deficits and recommend them to be permitted in assessments. Duncan-Andrade (2004) and Mraz, et al (2003) see this popular culture as an avenue that can offer both teachers and students with access to knowledge and build rapport with each other and society at large.

However, curriculum and pedagogy must ensure to which principles or criteria it will incorporate new technologies in formal learning. Is a popular culture always has to be included in pedagogy? We need to be careful that curriculum and pedagogy must not become ‘a hostage to technological change at the level of artifacts’ (Knobel & Lankshear, 2003, p.94). In fact, technology is not a magic bullet that will dramatically change learning outcomes, but only when it is well managed and accommodated with appropriate level then it facilitates learning; otherwise it can be wasted without finding any direction.

In deed, although adolescents believe that their computers, mobile phones, iPods or other digital detritus with which they surround themselves and also receive ‘informal learning’ (Atkinson & Nixon, 2005, p.389), are extremely significant, this is not necessarily always true. I would point that doing multi-tasks simultaneously does not also necessarily means those are well done or well comprehended. I would also argue that curriculum and pedagogy in middle schools may perhaps be better off showing juvenile that digital technology is an implement, not an essential lifestyle. Before implementing a new technology we must also ensure it does not create a digital divide due to the unequal degrees of access to space and technologies (Lyman, 2004, p.3). Are we so sure at this moment to successfully adjust those tools in classroom environment addressing all concerns involved?

REFERENCES:

Atkinson, S & Nixon, H 2005, 'Locating the subject: teens online @ninemsn', Discourse: Studies in the ultural politics of education, vol. 26, no.3, pp. 387-409.

Carrington, V 2006, Rethinking the Middle Years: Early Adolescents, Schooling and Digital Culture, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, pp. 1-20

Duncan-Andrade, J 2004, ‘Your Best Friend or Your Worst Enemy: popular culture, pedagogy and curriculum in urban classrooms’, Review of Education Pedagogy & Cultural Studies, vol.26, no.4, pp.313-337.

Knobel, M & Lankshear, C 2003, 'Planning Pedagogy for i-mode from flogging to blogging via wi-fi' English in

Australia

Literacy Learning in middle years, vo.139, pp.78-102

Lyman, P., 2004, ‘Digital-Mediated Experiences and Kids’ Informal Learning’, Mac Arthur Foundation, pp.1-17, September 9, 2004. Viewed on August 17, 2009 <http://www.exploratorium.edu/research/digitalkids/Lyman_DigitalKids.pdf >

Mraz, M, Heron, AH & Wood, K 2003, ‘Media literacy, popular culture and the transfer of higher order thinking abilities’, Middle School Journal, Jan, pp.51-56.

Zevenbergen, R & Zevenbergen, K 2007, ‘Millennials come to school’, Middle years schooling: reframing adolescence, Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest, pp.23-38.

An approach to an Integrated Curriculum: My Reflection

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MY INQUIRIES

l What are the characteristics of an ‘integrated curriculum’ in terms of its ‘design’ and ‘delivery’ that distinguishes it from traditional approach?

l What should be counted to an integrated curriculum design?

l How significant are the gains made by students using an integrated curriculum over traditional pedagogy?

l Introduction

Our growing understandings about the educational and developmental requirements of early adolescents suggest that curriculum designs for the middle schools need to be relevant, worthwhile and meaningful to all young learners. Teaching students to turn them into critical thinkers and to improve necessary skills to excel in contemporary society has become an inevitable hub of education. Using an integrated curriculum is an effective way to promote critical thinking in students and engagement in a middle school classroom. A particular purpose of the integrated approach is to change direction from traditional discipline-based Middle Schooling to an acceptable, ‘large world’ focused pedagogy that dissociates from subject-specific learning (Beane, 1991). A curriculum that merges themes from diverse disciplines in a meaningful way to address concerns, questions and areas pertinent to students’ lives is referred to as an integrated curriculum. This essay seeks to answer: How an integrated curriculum differentiates itself in its design and delivery from traditional approach in the Middle Schooling? Who are the beneficiaries from this new approach? What are the strengths it holds that promote students’ engagement in learning? How significant are the qualitative gains made by students using an integrated curriculum over traditional pedagogy? It is also imperative to understand how schools regard Middle Schooling and how the integration of curriculum is incorporated into the educational setting.

l The Rationale and Philosophical Grounds for Integrated Curriculum

Integrated curricula have achieved a great deal of recognition among educators since in the real world people’s lives are not separated into detach subjects; hence, it is only rational that subject areas must not be separated in schools. A particular purpose of the integrated approach is to change direction from traditional discipline-based Middle Schooling to an acceptable, ‘large world’ focused pedagogy that dissociates from subject-specific learning (Beane, 1991). Beane describes a typical, middle school curriculum as one that presents an endless array of unconnected facts that might be connected or lead to a whole picture. He compares this type of curriculum to working on a jigsaw puzzle without a picture (Beane, 1991). Advocates cite many advantages curriculum integration holds in helping students from deeper understanding, see the ‘big’ picture, make connections among central concepts to solve problems, and become interested and motivated in school (George, 1996). As participants of the real world, we follow a similar approach to problem solving, using all the available sources that we have. Curriculum integration not only transcends the boundaries imposed by traditional subject groupings, but it also helps promoting democracy in the classroom - ‘allowing students determine to a large extent what they want to study’ (Paterson, 2003, p. 10). Beane (1995) argues curriculum integration begins with ‘problems, issues, concerns posed by life itself’ (p. 616). However, he emphasizes on projects and activities with real application of problem solving that clearly ‘cross-links between all subject areas’ rather than just an unrealistic amalgamation (Beane, 1996). Pendergast and Bahr (2005) argue that integrated curriculum is basically the amalgamation and wholeness of education, rather than historically demarcated and fragmented subject-specific pedagogy. Indeed, there is no single recipe towards integrated curriculum across the schools, but there is a set of collective philosophies yet to be organized individually and collaboratively by teachers and Middle Schools to facilitate the best learning outcomes (Brennan and Sachs, 1998, p. 5).

l Integrated versus Traditional:

A Comparison between Two Approaches

An integrated curriculum better serves all students in a learning environment than the traditionally demarcated subjects approach. Paterson (2003) reported from his surveys that students who were severely disengaged in classroom and those who had been suspended even 40 times from the school prior to receiving integrated teaching, under new pedagogy, the students paid more attention and spontaneously participated in classroom discussions and improved their grades and attendance. This did not only help improving students’ performance but also created a positive influence on teachers that they became believers in the power of integration, previously in which they had been skeptical (Paterson, 2003).integrated curriculum is about more than just a technical activity, rather it is a human activity that influences, affects and involves students though out whole learning period.

Now the questions arise why this new approach becomes so successful while traditional pedagogy fall behind? What if we have a very ‘Well-Designed Traditional Curriculum’, still an integrated approach offers any better than traditional one? The underpinning point lies in the design of an integrated curriculum. The design allows students engaging in real-world problem solving as they gain knowledge and skills. The design supports students to retain more of what they read, hear, say, and do, because they are given more opportunities to be active learners. It is a curriculum that crosses disciplines is a way to increase motivation, knowledge retention, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills (Musslewhite, 2000 cited in Kaskey-Roush, 2008, p. 23). “Beane argues that an integrated curriculum is more rigorous and relevant than traditional approaches because it challenges young people to think, learn, and tackle issues that are important to them personally” (Paterson, p.11). A mandated curriculum narrows down what you can do with students while an integrated curriculum best meets the students’ needs because it helps them to find their world and to become independent. It benefits both students and teachers. Parents are also pleased as they notice the positive outcomes the integrated design has on their children by stimulating the learners to work harder (Paterson, 2003).

A traditional curriculum, even if it is well-designed, can not present information in a comprehensive manner because it is structurally segregated into different topics, so it cannot make a full sense for real life problems that are not divided into defined topics. Therefore, students miss the connections across various disciplines when they learn subjects separately. Parker (2007, p.1) indicates the issue by questioning, "Is it really possible for students on any given school day to flip a switch in their brains that tells them they are turning off their 'math brains' and engaging their 'social studies brains'?" Their learning is not built on prior knowledge and incapable of providing skills that they can apply in other subject areas or the real world. This method is not only student unfriendly but teachers unfriendly too as they always have to chase up the standardized outcomes. It does not entail ‘trust coupled with potential risks’ which is essential for learning to be constructive. Therefore, despite the willingness to engage in student-centric learning, teachers are forced to do what is necessary to meet the pre determined standard - which translates itself a ‘testlike’ teaching program (Smith, 1991).

l Integrated Versus Traditional: Through the Lens of Constructivism

Constructivist view of learning requires us to see our students capable of learning but as with different learning styles. Then this leaves teachers to teach and treat each student differently. Conversely, traditionally designed subjects based on standardised tests and scores assume that everyone must be exactly like me in order to be successful where ‘me’ consists of those who define the standards and curriculum. Thus, it has a chilling effect on the pedagogy and schooling system where a teacher cannot afford risk of practicing a student-centered pedagogy because learning standards and outcomes are so rigidly defined. In such environment, students build up problem-solving tactics only to pass tests without gaining the anticipated learning goals (Brookhart, 1999 cited in Buhagiar, 2007). An integrated curriculum brings together subject areas in a meaningful way and deals with diverse learning styles. There are many advantages of applying integration including: learning in-depth information, becoming physically involved with education, increase group cohesiveness, focus on individual needs, and motivation children and teachers (Benson, 2004).

l What should be counted to an Integrated Curriculum Design?

Beane (1990, cited in Dowden, 2007, p. 58) established a simple but elegant method of generating subject matter for Middle Years. Beane’s method has two focal questions for students: ‘What questions do you have about yourself? What questions do you have about your world?’ (Beane, 1997, p. 86, cited in Dowden, 2007, p. 58). Students teaming up with teachers, examine these questions within the boundaries of an overarching theme, which they categorize. Beane argues that in this way the process of implementing an integrative curriculum design creates and enhances ‘possibilities for personal and social integration’ (Beane, 1997, p. 19, cited in Dowden, 2007, p. 58). Such design also implicates that when students learn, they do their own integrating. Curriculum design should be based on a democratic philosophy where power is shared between the teacher and students. This democratic orientation is evident in the ‘bottom-up’ approach of the integrative model that is based on a process of collaborative teacher-student planning and a process of implementation that allows student voices to be heard and heeded (Dowden, 2007, p. 60 ).

Undoubtedly, such curriculum integration is a potentially power design, however, if is designed only looking at a way to cut across disciplines ignoring educational goals, it cannot promote progress. It is important an integration of content from diverge disciplines is meaningful only when there are valid grounds for doing so and there are obvious juxtapositions and interconnections between them. Otherwise, as Hinde (2005) indicates, ‘integration for integration’s sake is ill advised’. Similarly, Brophy (1997) discourages any type of forced classroom activity to relate it to a theme which is ‘pointless busy work’ and definitely lacking in value.

Another concern often mentioned by educators that planning and coordinating an integrated curriculum is time consuming. However, my point is that once the outcomes of integration are accomplished, the benefits will far out weigh any drawbacks from initial planning. Note that traditionally demarcated subjects also require planning separately for each occasion while we are counting a single plan for integration.

l PROFESSIONAL PLACEMENT INSIGHTS

n Rhetoric versus Reality: Reflections from Practicum

My school, Y, is for only girls’ educational years 8 – 12 Catholic school located in the northern suburbs of Adelaide. There is a diverse range of students from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds with approximately 650 in total. Their socio-economic condition ranges from low to higher-middle classes. The college consists of two adjacent campuses: Junior Campus for the Middle School (Years 8-10) and senior campus (Years 11-12). The teachers are responsible for teaching subjects in which they are expertise and classes are divided according to subject areas being taught. For example, students under my mentor, Teacher X*, go to different rooms for Science and Math, with other classes coming into my classroom for Physical Education or Contemporary Issues in Science.

Teacher X* is a specialized in science, math and physical education teacher responsible for the Middle Years (8-10) at the school. The rationale of implementing an integrated approach into the pedagogical practice has been discussed with Teacher X*. It is apparent from the discussion that teachers at that school setting use an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary method in their pedagogies rather than a true integrated approach. Also there is an ambiguity in their understanding about the term ‘integration’. They often tempt to refer it as an interdisciplinary, thematic, multidisciplinary etc. As Teacher X* reflected that despite the fact that integrated curriculum is well appreciated in the literature, but still it is lacking in terms of a ‘working definition’. However, Teacher X* also stated that he tries to design lessons where juxtaposition and touch points are apparent among the subject areas and he is optimistic that it provides students gateway to develop skills required for successful transition to their senior school. In regards to outside lives and activities of students, he mentioned that ‘beyond the classroom’ is a program run by the Salvation Army for Year 12 Vocational Studies students, which covers concepts of unemployment, poverty, social justice and active citizenship, but in the Middle Years there is no such program at the moment. Therefore, it is obvious from the observations although the school maintains a broad focus on integrated practices and there are some attempts to interconnect between some subjects, but a real life connection to students are missing. Each course is offered within a specific timetabled period and thus, a true specification of the Middle Schooling integration of subjects remains vague. In regards to Pendergast and Bahr’s (2005, pp. 151-155) six approaches to integration (e.g. synchronized, cross-curricular, thematic, project-based, school specialized and community-focused), Teacher X* outlined that rather than being limited to a strict method, he will apply a culmination of a range of approaches that best match with students’ capacity.

It is evident from the interview that Teacher X* and the school hold the vision of applying an integrated curriculum, but due to the lack of clear direction along with structural and traditionally established method, they cannot afford the risk of switching to a new approach. There is also concern about the capability of teachers who are subjects-based expertise but might not fit well with integrated curriculum.

After analyzing the information gained from the interview along with the literature and material studied at University, it can be seen, a successful implementation of integrated curriculum is quite challenging in the Middle Years of Middle Schooling. Interactions with students during my practicum also indicate that due to the students’ existing biological, psychological, social and cultural changes (Pendergast & Bahr, 2005, pp. 3-11; Hattam & Prosser, 2006, pp. 2-3),) that are taking places in their lives, bringing in sudden changes to the curriculum they are familiar with may rather appear as detrimental to their learning, causing students’ disengagement with my teaching. Therefore, it is imperative that a universal clarification of integration, which is still ‘absent in literature’ (Czerniak et al, 1999, p. 422), and more solid empirical establishments are required to reach the destination.

Teacher X* has emphasized how there is an increasing approval of moving towards integration when creating curriculum in this setting, nevertheless, there are still lack of willingness to break down the conventionally structured timetable and accept for more of an amalgamation of subject areas. Melding the subjects’ boundaries and timetable to reflect a new collaborative approach may be so difficult.

n Implications for Practicing Integrated Curriculum

Integrating curriculum with suitable design that links with real life situations will be the main challenge for me during my practicum, however, I will be also taking into account that it may be only achieved through an interdisciplinary effort, a real integration yet to be determined. Designing lesson plans and activities will be the main concentration because they must meaningfully interlink between topics and they must not be too difficult to achieve by students. These also will be based on students’ prior learning and related to their lives- inside and outside the classroom. Activities (both individual and group) and themes will be designed surrounding their home and school life, triggering their high-order critical thinking, incorporating their interests, sports and work habits as well as linking with digital technologies, a popular culture they are exposed to everyday being as ‘Digital Natives’ (Prensky, 2001, cited in Zevenbergen & Zevenbergen, 2007, p. 34).

As a novice pre service teacher I am fully aware of the fact that I will not be able to incorporate and design the full spectrum of integration during my practicum, nonetheless, I believe I will integrate vital elements such as making connections among students’ home, school and community lives. Moreover, I will try to further delving why such integration which has been seen as positive through out whole Middle Schooling philosophy and literature, but still not active in current pedagogy and curriculum. How can we remove those impediments preventing integration to come to an effect in the classrooms? Certainly Middle Schooling should not be deprived of having its best curriculum design for a long time because of our shortcomings to integrate it. Integration of Middle Schooling curriculum is inevitable to the development of student education. Therefore, I will reflect on the above connotations as challenges that I believe, can be surpassed in the school setting, ensuing in reflection and development of processes that will permit integration to be set up gradually into the curriculum.

In doing so, I will exercise the inquiry questions that Reid (2004, p. 4) highlights so that a teacher can practice to reflect integration of subjects and demonstrate how they can be integrated to create definite cross-curricular and life links. I will utilize these questions in developing my unit plans. My plans will be well negotiated with students and I will make it explicit to the why I think students need to complete the activities, how these tasks can contribute to their learning, what outcomes I am expecting from these tasks and more importantly, how these can be incorporated to make certain meaningful linkages between cross-curricular and life for the early adolescents. I will evaluate each teaching episode by collecting information from them how they have intermingled with tasks, materials and related links I made with their lives. Based on their feedbacks I will reshape and redesign tasks and monitor with continual assessment of students and my plans. As suggested by Pendergast and Bahr (2005, p. 153), I will be emphasizing on projects based because it assists in guiding the class towards processes that will guide onto the currently neglected integrated curriculum method. This example might possibly spark other teachers that integrated method is an effective form of pedagogy for the Middle Schooling.

“The integrated curriculum is a great gift to experienced teachers. It’s like getting a new pair of lenses that make teaching a lot more exciting and help us look forward into the next century. It is helping students take control of their own learning” (Lake, 1991, p. 1). My School has become successful in interdisciplinary practice at the Middle Years. I believe with down-to-earth effort it can develop a true integrated curriculum in the Middle Schools. The school encounters problems from structuring and designing curriculum at the Middle Grades particularly when students are preparing to shift to senior high school, where subject-specific segregation is more obvious. It will not be again irrational to argue that senior high school can also review and integrate the methodology.

l Conclusion

Curriculum integration plays a significant role in the Middle Schooling. Active participation from the students in designing the curriculum and in the classroom leads to an ever greater students’ engagement. Such engagement and collaboration create a highly democratic dimension in classrooms which was imagined by Thomson (2002) using a metaphor, ‘virtual schoolbag’ that can be used to share students’ life experiences and prior knowledge to learn topic as a whole apposed to fragmented ones. Undoubtedly, this atmosphere will contribute to explore students by teacher as important ‘funds of knowledge’ that are capable of providing diversified input into the classroom (Thomson, 2002; Moll et al, 1992). Then the Middle Schooling can get redemption from the blame that ‘it disadvantages students by not using their prior experiences’ (Thomson, 2002). Indeed, there are many ways curriculum can meet the needs of all learners, and the reform should not itself be ‘one size fits all’ (Groundwater-Smith, Mitchell & Mockler, 2007, pp. 56-57). But the gains made by students in integrated curriculum are every bit or maybe even more important than quantitative gains such as standardize test scores (Kaskey-Roush, 2008, p. 26).

l References

1. Beane, J. A., 1991, ‘The Middle School: The Natural Home of Integrated Curriculum’, Educational Leadership, Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 9-13.

2. Beane, J. A., 1995, ‘Curriculum Integration and the Disciplines of Knowledge’, Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 76, No. 8, pp. 616-621.

3. Beane, J. A., 1996, ‘On the Shoulders of Giants! The Case for Curriculum Integration’, Middle School Journal, No. 28, pp. 6-11.

4. Benson, T., 2004, ‘Integrated Teaching Units'. Viewed on 22 September 2009,<http://www.pbs.org/teachers/earlychildhood/articles/integratedunits.html#>

5. Berlin, D., White, A., 1994, The Berlin-White Integrated Science and Mathematics Model, School of Science and Mathematics, Vol. 94, No. 1, pp. 2-4.

6. Brennan, M., Sachs, J., 1998, Integrated Curriculum: Classroom Materials for the Middle Years, Australian Curriculum Studies Association/National Schools Network, Deakin West.

7. Brophy, J., 1997, ‘A Caveat: Curriculum Integration isn’t Always a Good Idea’ Educational Leadership, Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 1-66.

8. Buhagiar, M. A. 2007, ‘Classroom Assessment within the Alternative Assessment Paradigm: Revisiting the Territory’, The Curriculum Journal, March 2007, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 39- 56. Viewed on 21 Septembert 2009 <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezlibproxy.unisa.edu.au/ehost/pdf?vid=22&hid=106&sid=6b094c61-1b6a-4c9e-8067-5b339eeb37ce%40sessionmgr4>

9. Czerniak, C.M., Weber, W.B., Sandmann, A., Ahern, J., 1999, ‘A Literature Review of Science and Mathematics Integration’, School Science and Mathematics, The University of Toledo, December, Vol. 99, No. 8, pp. 421-430. Viewed on 20 September 2009 <http://easstudents.cw.unisa.edu.au/eds/moodle/file.php?file=%2F207%2Fintegration%2Flitreview.pdf>

10. Dowden, T., 2007, 'Relevant, Challenging, Integrative and Exploratory Curriculum Design: Perspectives from Theory and Practice for Middle Level Schooling in

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', Australian Journal of Education, Vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 51-71.

11. George, P. S., 1996, ‘The Integrated Curriculum: A Reality Check’, Middle School Journal, Vol.28, No.1, pp.12-19.

12. Groundwater-Smith, S., Mitchell, J., Mockler, N., 2007, Learning in the Middle Years: more than a transition, Thompson, South Melbourne, Chapter 3, pp. 43-57.

13. Hattam, R., Prosser, B., 2006, ‘Connecting Curriculum with Student Lifeworlds’, paper presented at the International Middle Years of Schooling Conference, Adelaide, August 6, pp. 1-13. Viewed on September 13, 2009 <http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/staffpages/brentonprosser/Connecting.pdf

14. Hinde, E.R., 2005, ‘Revisiting Curriculum Integration: A Fresh Look at an Old Idea’, The Social Studies, Vol. 89, No. 5, pp. 105-111.

15. Kaskey-Roush, M., 2008, ‘How Does Using an Integrated Curriculum Promote Critical Thinking and Engagement In Middle School Student Learning?’, Middle Childhood Education, Summer, pp. 1-60. Viewed on 25 September 2009 <http://www.coe.ohiou.edu/resources/documents/roush.pdf>

16. Lake, K., 1991, ‘Close-Up #16 Integrated Curriculum’, School Improvement Research Series. Viewed on 1 October 2009 <http://www.nwrel.org/archive/sirs/8/c016.html>

17. Moll, L., Amanti, C., Neff, D., Gonzalez, N., 1992, ‘Funds of Knowledge for Teaching: Using a Qualitative Approach to Connect Homes and Classrooms’, Theory into Practice, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 132-141.

18. Parker, D., 2007, ‘Integrated Curricula In Gifted Ed.’ Viewed on 22 September 2009 < http://teaching-gifted-students.suite101.com/article.cfm/integrated_curricula_in_gifted_ed#ixzz0StELwYSz>

19. Paterson, J., 2003, ‘Curriculum Integration in a Standards-Based World’, Middle Ground, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 10-12.

20. Pendergast, D., Bahr, N., 2005, Teaching Middle Years, Allen & Unwin, NSW: Crows, Chapter 10.

21. Reid, A., 2004, Towards a Culture of Inquiry in DECS. Occasional Paper 1, DECS. Viewed 0n 25 September 2009 <http://www.decs.sa.gov.au/corporate/files/links/OP_01.pdf>

22. Smith, M. L., 1991, ‘Put to The Test: The Effects of External Testing on Teachers’, Educational Researcher, Vol. 20, No. 5, pp. 8–11.

23. Thomson, P., 2002, Schooling the Rustbelt Kids: making the difference in changing times, Allen & Unwin, NSW:

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, pp. 1-16.

24. Zevenbergen, R & Zevenbergen, K 2007, ‘Millennials Come to School’, Middle Years Schooling: Reframing Adolescence, Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest, pp. 23-38.

25. Teacher X, Interviewed on 15 September 2009 at the School Y.

Welcome to my blog

2010-11-29T01:11:00.000+09:30

I am Azmir, a Chemistry, Science and IT Teacher who have created this blog to post something that I like to share with my friends and fans.

Mostly I will be posting on pedagogical issues and contemporary issues in our society.

Teaching is my passion, so does interacting with others. I am open to say, listen and learn!

Welcome to my blog!

Cheers!

Azmir