Smile

Smile can do miracles.

A smile can make

The business grow,

A smile can teach

People to love,

A smile can light up

Someone's life,

A smile can bring hopes

To a desperate soul,

A smile 

Can make

Someone

Live

Nadee

Online Teaching and Learning

 

Online teaching and learning has become an essential part in human lives due to the Corona pandemic in the world. Though it was already available and used by a few people for sometime, Sri Lanka was not even experimenting the use of it even in higher educational levels. Many universities all over the world has been using online platforms to conduct their courses but, it was totally new to Sri Lankans until now. This was simply because the narrow mindedness of the people, as a nation and their pride. According to my point of view, Sri Lankans are arrogant and not flexible to the changes happening in the fast moving world. Even the leaders of the country who are the authority are being ignorant and let the people live with this 'frog in the well' concept. But they are smart enough to get their children experience the new trends and use them to be a step ahead in the global community. 

It is inevitable that Sri Lankans cannot live in an isolated life moving away from the technological development happening around. Further there should be a clear understanding about the benefits the younger generation can achieve through an online platform. To give a simple example, Even a student who live in a remote area can access to the courses offered by many universities in the world with the palm of their hand. By maximising these distant learning facilities, the young generation will be benefited and will gain the ability to stand upright in the globalised world. Even in the school level, all the students get the opportunity to learn from one teacher because of online teaching. Further it is healthy for the teachers when compared to the classroom teaching because no shouting involved in it. It is true that it limits the teaching and learning experience to some extent but, it broadens our insights in many ways.    

When I say like this there will be many arguments against this about uneven distribution of facilities, poor technology, wealth and life style of the people, cultural inappropriateness etc. It is true that all these things should be taken into consideration, and these are mostly the faults of the authorities who has power. My question is that, even with all these problems, are we not coping with the Covid 19 situation right now? Each and every school has started their teaching learning proses through an online platform and each and every university is conducting their lectures online and the students take part in these lessons. Even the evaluation is done online using different methods. So if we can have a clear reflection on the things happening around us, we can see even the examinations can take a different shape which can give an authentic account of the real ability of the student. Thus it is like we have been blinded for a long time and Covid 19 has opened our eyes to a new comprehensive world. 

Thus it is left to us to decide weather to remain in our own wells with the 'proud history' we have or step out of the frame and let the future generations feel proud of us, who will be their ancestors, for being creative and innovative. Further we should all realise that for the benefit of our own children what we have to do is to teach them how to use technology effectively, without prohibiting the new trends for them. As adults, it is our responsibility to make our children aware of the new technology and make ourselves updated with its developments without depriving the opportunities of them.  

The Book Worm

 

Books and I have a strong relationship since my early childhood. My parents and the neighbours used to tell me that I used to read books aloud even before I could read letters. For me to perform that miracle, they had to read the same book to me hundred times until I was able to memorise each and every word in every page. So it is fair to say I am a book worm from my birth up to now and I can't imagine a life without them. My parents were very encouraging so it was very easy for me to explore new horizons through books.

My father, who was a librarian by profession, used to take me to his work place, Colombo Public Library, whenever he could. I still remember going to the children's section there following the yellow strip on the floor. Because of him I got the privilege to experience that library and get fascinated by those books. This experience made me love books very much. 

My father not only took me to the library, but helped me select books to read. He actually introduced books and authors to me according to my age. He was the one who introduced me to the 'Little House Series by Laura Ingles Wilder' (Translated by Ganga Niroshini Suduwelikanda) as well as the 'Pichchamala book series by Jayasena Jayakodi'. When he got transferred to our regional library I was able to read a huge set of books like the 'Sherlock Holmes series', 'The Tarzan book series' etc. 

We used to talk about the books we read, how we felt about them and also about new books being awarded every year. I had learnt a lot through those conversations even though I did not realise it then. But I remember how much I loved those conversations at home and how much I miss them since my parents are no longer with me. It was such a pleasure to discuss various topics with them and get to know their insights.

 Not only those days but still I get fascinated by translated books. Those days I did not read English books at all but that was not a problem because of the good translations available. Those translations were so good that I never felt that I am reading a translation. Even now I prefer to read in Sinhala but now used to read books in both Sinhala and English because now I know it is impossible to translate all the books in English language to Sinhala.

I can still recall the way I felt when I read a book. I couldn't have my meals without a book in my hand. (Ofcourse now I don't read a book during meals because it is impossible now). For every special occasion (Christmas, new year birthday etc..) I wanted a book. Visiting the Colombo International Book fair with my mother became a tradition in my life. Those books I collected for the past years now had become a mini library treasured by me more than my own life. I feel proud of myself when I look into those books because they represent my whole life which grows along with time. 

So I am a book worm and will be so for the rest of my life because they give me everything in my life to be proud of myself.

                               

 A stall from The Colombo International Book Fair

           The Public Library Colombo

The Pleasure of Writing Poetry

 

Writing was not at all my favourite in my childhood, specially when it comes to writing in English. Therefore I didn't know my capabilities of writing. I had won essay competitions but deep within me I had a feeling that I am a bad writer. I had always wanted to speak out my thoughts but I never had confidence to stand up and say how I think or feel.

Then suddenly it occurred to me that writing is a way of releasing out my thoughts. It could create a way for me to express how I feel. So I started. I let my bottled thoughts to flow away like a stream. Very strangely it was not prose but poetry that I created. I love poetry but always thought that it was far too standard for me, but now I know that it is the easiest way to express myself. So I wrote.

The feeling of it is unexpectedly satisfying. I was able to say the things which I did not know that existed within me. I had no intention of publishing them or anything but writing and reading my own poems made me rationalise things in my life. When I was reading my own work, I realised that there is a poet within me. 

Through my poems I was able to express my deeper feelings which I could not say verbally. It is very strange that words don't help you to express yourself when you utter them but they will portray you in a piece of paper when you write them. Your writing will make the reader think and feel yourself which a listener might not understand. So I write and now it has become one of my hobbies.