Thursday, October 9, 2014

5/6 Semester Notes



ATTITUDE
Our views about a person, a place or an event and the way we react to them represent our attitude. Our attitudes or judgments consist of combination of our emotions and thought processes, which may be either positive or negative. To be successful and happy in life, we may have to change our attitude. This is called ‘life response.’
Your choice of attitude decides the outcome of your life. Positive attitude helps to cope more easily with the daily affairs of life. It brings optimism into your life so that you can avoid worrying and negative thinking. Positive attitude gives you the ability to inspire and motivate yourself and others.
The positive aspects of attitude are optimism, broadminded/ forgiving nature, patient, cheerful, generous, tolerant etc.
Some of the negative aspects of attitude are pessimism, arrogance, stubbornness, unforgiving nature, narrow-mindedness, revengefulness etc.
Probable Questions
1) What is attitude?/  2) Define attitude./ 3) Explain the term ‘attitude’ in your own words.
4) Write a few positive aspects of attitude
5) What are the positive attitudes that one should have to become successful in life? Explain.
6) Explain what you do in the following situations
           a) You find a villager smoking in a city bus.
           b) You see a boy teasing a girl at the bus stop.
           c) You find a purse with money and a few visiting cards in it.
           d) You are sitting in a bus. An old woman gets in. there are no vacant seats.
           e) Your friend who has studied in an English medium school finds fault with your  
                pronunciation of a few words.
7) Write a few negative /positive aspects of “attitude”.

ADAPTABILITY

Adaptability is the ability and willingness to adjust ourselves to changed circumstances or environment so that we can fit into new situations. It is an essential survival skill. Adaptability helps us respond positively to change and new ways of working. In other words Adaptability is the ability of a person to change himself or herself according to the ever changing situations.
Adaptability brings in far-reaching changes in a person’s life.  The presence of adaptability makes a person whereas its absence will mar him.  Adaptability teaches us the importance of changing ourselves according to the ever changing situations in order to be successful.  It is the ability to change and move forward in spite of difficulties.
The story of a big tree and a tall grass serves as a very good example to understand how adaptability affects a person’s life.  After the strong wind the big tree without adapting nature was destroyed.  But the tall grass with its adaptability survived the destructive strength of the wind. Similarly, a person with adaptability will overcome any crisis whereas a non-adapting person will be ruined altogether.
Probable Questions
1) Define the term ‘Adaptability’  2) How does adaptability help us?
3) Describe briefly a difficult situation you faced. How did you adapt yourself to the situation?
4) Imagine that you have moved to another state. You are unfamiliar with the place, the weather, the local people, the language and the food. How will you make yourself comfortable?
5) How does adaptability affect one’s own life?
GOAL SETTING
Goal is an observable and measurable end result having one or more objectives to be achieved within a more or less fixed timeframe. We commonly use the terms like aim, target, objective etc as synonyms for goal.
Goal setting can be briefly defined as having a clear-cut aim which is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. Goal setting in broad terms is the process of deciding on something you want, planning how to get it, and then working towards the objective. Goal setting is not wishing or dreaming.

Goal setting translates the dream in our mind to reality in life, transforms our lives and makes us achievers. To be successful and happy in life one should have some goals and try to achieve them. Without goals life becomes aimless, miserable and meaningless. Depending upon the time a goal takes to be achieved we can call them short term goals and long term goals. Sometimes short term goals can become part of a long term goal. Our goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound.

The following are the main attributes of goals.  
S – Specific (the goal should identify the objective clearly)
M – Measurable (quantifiable)
A – Attainable (the goal should be something that can be achieved)
R – Relevant (the goal should be something that will be of use to yourself and others)
T – Time-bound (should be achieved within a realistic but definite time period)
Probable Questions
1) What is goal setting?
2) What is the importance of goal setting in one’s life?
3) Explain the term SMART with reference to goal setting.
4) List out some of your goals and check whether your goals pass this SMART test
5) Define your goals and write how you are going to achieve them.

MOTIVATION
Motivation plays a very important role in a person’s life.  Motivation is the need or reason for doing something. It is the force within a person which prompts him to be enthusiastic about his goals. It also makes us move forward to reach higher goals.
Motivation is the force within us that makes us want to do something and continue doing it until we complete it. It also makes us move forward to reach higher goals. All of us have an innate urge to periodically ask ourselves some basic questions such as:
• Do I want to be better?
• What will make me better than my present self?
• Where do I want to be in a year, two years, five years etc., from now?
• Why do I want to be there?
• What will help me get there?
• Who can help me reach there?
• What can inspire me to achieve my goal?
It can be rather disturbing to learn that we do not know the answers to these questions. If we do, we are truly and clearly moving towards our goals. That is what motivation is. Once a person gets properly motivated, no one can stop him from achieving his goals.  But a person without proper motivation is quite unlikely to realize his goals however lofty they may be. Motivation is the driving force by which humans achieve their goals. Motivation is said to be intrinsic or extrinsic.
Some of the following are the motivating factors for students- recognition/ appreciation/ money/family happiness/self esteem etc.,

Probable Questions
1) Examine the following situation and think how you will motivate your brother.
Your elder brother has recently lost his job as the company he was working in is not doing well. He is depressed and has lost interest in looking for other jobs. He does not feel like working, going out or meeting people. List 5 tips/suggestions you would give him.
2) One of your classmates has been getting low marks in a subject in spite of working very hard. As a result he has lost interest in studies and in extra curricular activities as well. Describe what you can do to motivate him.
3) Explain what motivated you to join this diploma course.
4) What are the Factors that motivate you to complete the diploma?
5) Write five to eight sentences on a dream you fulfilled in your life and what motivated you to do it.
6) Write a paragraph on how you are motivating yourself to reach a goal that you have set yourself.
7)  Mention the factors that motivate you
8) Explain the role of motivation in one’s own life.


TIME MANAGEMENT                  
Time management is the ability to use the available time efficiently. Time management includes prioritizing, planning and scheduling our work, monitoring progress and taking quick action to make up for any delay due to things that happen unexpectedly. Managing our time well will make us successful in our personal and professional lives.   
A person who knows the importance of time management uses the time available to him efficiently by prioritizing, planning and scheduling his work, monitoring progress and taking quick action to make up for any delay due to things that happened unexpectedly.
Thus time management is the most important factor for achieving success in life.

Some of the time wasters are: too much chatting with friends, playing video games, watching TV, spending time making unnecessary phone calls, SMSing etc.

Probable Questions
1) List out five time wasters.
2) Identify a few time wasters and suggest solutions to avoid them.
3) Identify the ways in which you waste your time and suggest ways in which you can manage your time in a better manner
4) How does time management lead to success in life?
5) List out a few common time wasters.(November2011)
6) Classify the following activities according to their priority in the time quadrant.
Spending time with parents-chatting with friends.-playing video games-watching TV-reading news paper-shopping-reading a novel-entertaining guests- seeing a doctor when sick-collecting material for project- forwarding an sms

CRITICAL THINKING

Probable Questions

1)   What is critical thinking? What are the factors that contribute to critical thinking?
Ans) Critical thinking is a skill that allows us to think clearly, rationally and without making subjective judgments that may be wrong. Critical thinking skills help us think for ourselves, understand the relevance of ideas and connect them logically, solve problems in a creative and systematic way, and use valid arguments to reason or justify our beliefs. It enables us to use the information we get to understand the world around us better and thus improve our knowledge.  The use of critical thinking skills is therefore very important in all that we do.
The factors that contribute to critical thinking are …
i)                 We should not take all that we see, hear and read as true
ii)               We should wonder about what we see, hear or read and ask relevant questions
iii)              We should look at things from different points of view and analyse them in a systematic and rational way
iv)             We should give importance to other people’s opinions
v)               We should connect all new information to what you already know or to what you observe around you.
vi)             We should not accept everything as it seems without questioning.
vii)             We should ask ourselves if there is another way of looking at something.
viii)          We should look for unstated and implied meanings in all that you read or hear.
ix)             Look for evidence to support what we  think is true.
x)               We should not allow your emotions to help you assess all that you observe or learn.
xi)             We should be objective and use logical reasoning to understand and explain phenomena or experiences.
xii)            We should use your reasoning to examine all assumptions and beliefs.
xiii)          We should believe that there can be more than one way of looking at things or solving a problem. . . . . . .

Creativity
What is creativity?
Creativity is marked by the ability or power to create or to bring into existence, to invest with a new form, to produce through imaginative skill, to make or bring into existence something new.
Creativity does not always mean inventing something new. It is also the ability to combine or change ideas to come up with better products or solutions.

Probable Questions
Think of five unusual or hard-to-imagine uses for each of the following.  
The following are a few different uses for bottle, tyre, brick, CD, rubber ball, pen, tooth brush& scissors
1. BOTTLE       ( November 2011)
  1. Cut the bottle in to two and use the upper part as a funnel.
  2. Use the lower part as a pen holder.
  3. You can draw paintings on the bottle and keep it as a show piece.
  4. Make holes at the bottom of the bottle, connect it to the water pipe and use it as shower or sprinkler .
  5. Use empty bottles with lids tied into one can be used as float while swimming.
  6. Use it as a kiddy/ piggy bank to save coins.
  7. Fill it with colour marbles and keep it as a show piece.
  8. Fill it with mud and use it as a flower pot.
  9. Fill it with colour water and keep it on the table as a show piece.
  10. Use it as an  aquarium to rear small fish.
  11. Use it as a flower vase.
  12. Make some holes and use it as incense stick stand.
  13. Use the empty bottle to fire crackers like rockets.
  14. Bottle cap can be used as wheel for toys.
  15. Fill it with sand and use it as a dumbbell.
2.TYRE
  1. A piece of tyre can be used to make sole for shoes .
  2. they can be used for playing by rolling them.
  3. It can be used as a wheel while making pots.
  4. It can be hung to a tree or roof and used as a swing.
  5. It can be covered with colour papers and used as a show piece.
  6. The pieces of tyres can be burnt and used as torch.
  7. It can be used as a cushion while shifting heavy weights.
  8. They can be used as cushion on sides for boats / ships.
  9. It can be used in gymnastics and also in circus to dive.
  10. Two or three tyres together can be used as seats.
  11. The pieces of tyre can be used as a rope in bullock carts.
  12. Tyre can be used to burn tar while laying roads.
3.BRICK
  1. It can be used as a show piece by engraving pictures on it.
  2. IT can be powdered and used to brush teeth.
  3. It can be used as pillow.
  4. It can be used as grinding stone i.e for sharpening swords.
  5. It can be used to wash utensils.
  6. It can be used to remove scales of fish.
  7. It can be used to keep next to tyre so that the vehicles do not move.
  8. It can be used in the place of dumbbells for exercise.
  9. It can be used in the demonstration of karate.
  10. It can be used to hit others.
  11. It can be used in the place of wickets .
  12. The pieces of it can be used as paper weight.
  13. The powder of brick can be used to draw patterns on floor.
  14. They can be used to build an oven in the kitchen.
4.COMPACT DISK
  1. It can be used as light reflector.
  2. It can be used to draw circles and semicircles.
  3. It can be used to keep cups on it.
  4. It can be used as a lid.
  5. Photos can be pasted on it and hung on the wall as frame.
  6. It can be used as a knife to cut cakes ,bread etc.
  7. It can be used as a wheel for toys.
  8. It can be made into sudharshana chakra in mythological dramas.
  9. It can be used as Frisbee and children can play with it.
  10. It can be cut and made into wings of the fan.
  11. It can be used as a show piece by fixing colour papers.
5. RUBBER BALL
  1. It can be used as a globe by drawing world map on it.
  2. We can use half of it to draw circles and semi circles.
  3. We can cut the ball in to two and make a toy umbrella.
  4. The half of it can be used as bowl for keeping water for birds.
  5. They can be hung as decorative pieces.
  6. It can be used to hit others.
  7. The cut ball can be used as a kneepad.
  8. Make holes in to it and use as incense stick stand.
  9. Make small hole and use it as a kiddy bank.
  10. We can keep a bulb inside and make it as an ornamental lamp.
  11. It can be used as a paper weight.
  12. The cut part can be used as a candle holder.
  13. Small balls can be used as lockets.
6.PEN
  1. Pen can be used as a scale to draw straight lines.
  2. It can be used as poker to make holes.
  3. It can be used as hair clip.
  4. Pen cap is used to write with small pieces of slate pencil.
  5. It can be used as a weapon.
  6. It can be used as atooth picker.
  7. It can be used to sturr liquids.
  8. It can be used as a drill bit to make small holes in the earth.
  9. They can be used as drum sticks to play music.
  10. It can be used as roti maker.
  11. It can be used as a toy bow.
  12. Its cap can be used as a whistle.
  13. Its cap can be used as paper clip.
  14. It can used in the place of bales while playing cricket.
7.TOOTH BRUSH
  1. It can be used to clean combs, windings.
  2. It can be used to comb toy’s hair.
  3. It can be used as a peg to hang something.
  4. It can be used as a pointer.
  5. It is used for dying hair.
  6. It can be used as a paint brush.
  7. It can be used to wipe off white board.
  8. It can be used as shoe polish brush.
  9. It can be used to clean key board and IC boards.
  10. It is used to wash gold ornaments.
  11. The head can be cut and a flower can be attached to stick and used as show piece.
  12. It can be used to clean inner side of the bottle.
  13. It can be used to clean nails.
8. Scissors
 1)     as  a paper weight
2)     as a screwdriver
3)     as a peeler
4)     as a poker for making holes
5)     as a spatula
6)     as nose pliers
7)     to remove staples
8)     to scrape something to remove stains

2) Select ten things that you would like to carry with you on an expedition to the Moon / forest/ desert. Prioritize them and explain your reasons for doing so.
3 ) Had the wheel not been invented, what would we have gained and what would we have missed?
4 ) Design a T-shirt for your college annual day celebrations. Describe it, making sure you include all the details, such as its colour and design and the slogan printed onit. Explain your choice of the slogan. Draw the design.
5 ) Design a drawing board that suits your specific needs. What special features would you like it to have? Draw a picture of the drawing board you design and use your creativity to name it.
6) Imagine that you are a curtain/a cycle/a robot/a mobile phone/a coin/a lathe machine. Write down your thoughts, feelings, experiences, interactions and reactions.

PROBLEM SOLVING

Problems are difficult or unpleasant situations that have to be dealt with and solved. Solving problems and making decisions are very much a familiar part of our everyday lives.  Although some of us see problem solving as a difficult activity, it is both exciting and satisfying to face what seems to be an unsolvable problem and find a way of overcoming it. Every problem has a solution. And you can arrive at it if you use a systematic approach that consists of first defining the problem, then thinking of all the possible solutions and finally deciding the best course of action. Some factors that are important when making a decision on the best solution are whether it is a long term one, whether it is realistic in terms of the resources and time available to you and whether it involves no or few risks.

The following are the steps in the problem solving process
  1. Define the problem
  2. Identify the cause of the problem
  3. Ask what solutions have worked in the past and also ask others for suggestions/ advice
  4. Arrive at alternative solutions either on one’s own or by brainstorming
  5. Rank all possible solutions from the one that seems best in all ways to the one that seems least workable
  6. Select a solution to deal with the problem
  7. Plan how you will implement the decision taken
  8. Monitor to see if your action plan is going well
  9. Check if your problem has been resolved
Probable Questions

1) Mention various steps involved in problem solving.
2) When you face a problem, what do you do?
3) Your college is paying a very huge electricity bill every year, which is hampering the development and academics. Suggest different ways to overcome the problem, explaining the reasons in detail.
4) Imagine that you have been quarrelling a lot recently with a friend and want to make your relationship with him/her better. Write 8 - 10 sentences on how you will handle the problem. You could try looking at it from a fresh angle. For example, first list what you can do to make your relationship worse. Acting in the opposite way may be the solution to your problem.
5) Identify at least five problems in your hostel and suggest solutions.
6) You are organizing your College Annual Day.  Just one day before the celebration you are informed that the chief guest can not come to the function.  How do you manage the situation? (November2011)

TEAMWORK
What is ‘Teamwork’? Define team work.
‘Teamwork’ consists of a group of individuals working together towards a common goal. It is characterized by collaboration and cooperation. Each person puts aside their individual differences and works harmoniously to achieve maximum efficiency.
What are the advantages of team work?
The advantages of team work are:
  1. Team work makes you perform well and gives better results.
  2. Work can be done fast as there will be division work in a team.
  3. New and number of ideas are possible in teamwork. For a single problem you get many solutions and it can be solved rapidly.
  4. A team can handle more difficult and complex problems in the workplace.
  5. It's more a means to a synergistic way of working, where the sum is greater than the parts.
  6. The members share the burden of work depending on their ability.
  7. Promotes the sense of achievement, equity and camaraderie, essential for a motivated workplace.
  8. Members learn from each other. Teamwork shares information and increases learning in the team and in the whole organization.
  9. Team work improves communication and persuasive skills.
What are the disadvantages of teamwork? / What are the problems involved in Team work? Suggest solutions to them.
The following are the problems in Team work.
  1. Lack of responsibility among a few members may lead to unequal participation.
  2. Some members may be less motivated.
  3. Lack of individual recognition.
  4. Conflicts among members may delay the decision making process.
The following are the solutions to the above problems.
       1. Work may be assigned to each member of the team.
        2. The team leader should motivate the members.
        3. The team leader should appreciate the work done by the members and also praise   
            the members whenever they do great work.
       4. The members should adopt give and take policy and reduce their ego so that
           decisions can be taken quickly.
What are the qualities/ characteristics a team player should have in a team? /What are Team skills?
 
 A team player should have the following qualities.
  1. One should be loyal to the team.
  2. One should have communication and persuasive skills.
  3. One should have tolerance and patience and allow others to express their opinions.
  4. One should have helping nature.
  5. One should be cooperative.
  6. One should be ready to share knowledge with other members.
  7. One should have open mind
Probable Questions
1) Think of five things you can do better if you work as part of a team rather than on your own.(advantages of teamwork)
2) What are the some of the problems you could face while working in a team?  Suggest solutions to those problems
3) List a few qualities that are characteristic of a team player.
4) What are the advantages of team work? Explain in detail.
5) Write a few advantages of teamwork.
6) What do you understand by the term “teamwork”?
LEADERSHIP
Qualities of a leader
A leader is one who motivates his or her team, wins the trust of the team members, makes the team members realize their potential, works in collaboration with his team, leads an exemplary life, takes responsibility for failure , gives credit for success to all his team members and shows concern for the team.
Styles of Leadership
There are different styles of leadership viz. autocratic/ dictatorial or democratic / participatory. In autocratic or dictatorial leadership all decision making is centralized whereas in democratic or participatory leadership, the leader takes decision after consulting with his team.
Dr Manmohan Singh is an academic and statesman who has turned into a political leader.  Dhoni is a leader in cricket.  And Infosys Narayana Murthy is a leader with an enterprising nature.
Probable Questions
1) State any four qualities of a leader.
2) Write a paragraph about your favourite leader and analyze his/her style of Leadership
3) What are the different styles of leadership?
STRESS MANAGEMENT    
Stress is a part of all our lives, and we cannot wish it away. It is caused when the demands on us—physical, mental or emotional—are more than what we can comfortably handle. Stress management involves using different techniques to handle it and prevent it from harming us. Managing stress starts with identifying the sources of stress in our lives. We also need to think carefully about our attitudes, habits and way of working in order to reduce the level of stress we experience.
Unhealthy ways of handling stress: We must remember never to turn to unhealthy ways of handling our stress, such as by smoking, overeating, sleeping too much, behaving rudely with others or losing our temper without reason and taking dangerous medication.
Healthy ways of handling stress: Physical exercise, relaxation activities such as yoga, listening to music, reading good books and being in the company of relatives and friends are some positive and effective ways of managing stress.
Stress factors/ stressors
The causes of stress are known as stressors and there are literally hundreds of different types of stressors.  Any event in life that a person finds threatening, difficult to cope with or causes excess pressure can be a potential cause of stress.  It is important to bear in mind that stress is an individualistic, subjective experience and therefore what one person finds stressful another may not.  Stressors can be broken down roughly into either external or internal (or a mixture of both.). Some of the stressors are
Major life changes/ Work place problems/ Relationship difficulties/  Financial problems/ Being too busy/Family problems / examinations etc.,
Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. Stress isn’t always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best.
Probable Questions
1) How does stress affect your health?
2) List out the issues that cause stress and describe how you can manage them
3) Write a paragraph describing about a stressful situation you faced in your life and how you handled it.
4) Suggest a few ways to overcome stress.(November 2011)
Ans: Long-term exposure to stress can lead to serious health problems In order to overcome stress, we must use different techniques to prevent it from harming us.  The first step in overcoming stress is to identify the sources of stress in our lives.  People are likely to pay the price for stress even without knowing it.  Worrying for unknown reasons, sleeping too much or too little, overeating are some of the symptoms of stress.  The second step in stress management is to think carefully about our attitude to the source of stress.  We must cultivate certain healthy attitudes and habits.  A proper work ethic is a sure way to bust stress since most of the sources of stress are associated with work.  When we succeed in putting in proper order our personal and professional life most of the causes of our stress disappear.  One thing to remember is that we should never resort to unhealthy ways of handling stress like smoking, overeating, sleeping too much, or behaving rudely with others.  The third and final step in stress management is to realize the importance of physical exercise and relaxation activities.  Some of the relaxation activities are yoga, music, reading and spending time with relatives and friends. You may feel like the stress in your life is out of your control, but you can always control the way you respond. You can’t completely eliminate stress from your life, but you can control how much it affects you.
                                                          ENGLISH – IV
MODEL QUESTION PAPER (SBTET)
PART – A
Answer all the Questions                                                                   10 X 4 = 40
All questions carry equal marks

1.       Give two reasons why we should change our attitude?
2.       What is ‘adaptability’?
3.       Why is goal setting important in life?
4.       Mention any four factors that motivate you.
5.       What is ‘time wasters’? Mention a few common time wasters.
6.       Find any two similarities between each pair
a)   Bird and Aeroplane
b)   Man and Dog
7.       How do you react when you have a problem?
8.       Do you like to work in a team? Why?
9.       What makes a good leader?
10.   Write four positive ways of managing stress.
PART – B
Answer any four of the following                                                                   10 X 4 = 40
Q.No. 15 and 16 are compulsory
11.   For the first time you are away from home in a hostel. How do you adapt yourself to the hostel environment?
12.   What is your goal and write how you are going to achieve it?
13.   Plan how you are going to spend your two months summer vacation.
14.   Your friend is suffering from sleeplessness and getting irritated before exams. Suggest any five stress management tips.
15.   a) Write what would happen if the Earth lost its gravity.
Or
      b)You are the member of Purchasing Committee of your college day celebrations. You missed buying the champion trophy. Suggest five alternative solutions.
16.  a) Imagine that you are a Scientist.  You are going to create a police Robot. Write any five special  features that you give to your Robot.      Or
  b). Too much technology destroys creativity. Do you agree or disagree. Why?


No comments: