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Tuesday, May 22nd

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Akbar Birbal Chutkule - History of Birbal

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Showroom

Mental Math Abacus for complete brain development

Monday, 09 May 2011 03:12 Kavita Pathak in conversation with Alpa Patel & Kalpesh Patel

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Memphis Mental Math Ancient Math techniques are always fascinating and I recently got a chance to learn more about the Abacus as I sat down with Alpa Patel and Kalpesh Patel, on a rainy Sunday afternoon to learn the benefits of Mental Math Abacus.

What is Mental Math Abacus (MMA)and how is it different from other tutoring programs like Kumon or the Sylvan learning center?
Mental Math Abacus is not just about Math but a complete program aimed at developing the brain using the abacus as the tool. Our brain has 2 parts, the left brain and the right brain. The left brain is associated with analysis, logic and facts while the right side of the brain is associated with creativity, memory and imagination. Most people in the world use the left side of the brain for day to day activity and under utilize the right brain. Our school curriculum often emphasizes on the areas associated with the left part of the brain. Mental Math Abacus focuses on utilizing both left and right side of the brain. MMA is more than just a Math tutoring program, but a comprehensive brain development program.

What are the other benefits of MMA?

MMA aims at overall brain development through abacus and Math skills.MMA relies on manipulations in the brain rather than the arithmetic process of calculations which we all are very familiar. It is able to tap into the right brain resources, there by increasing the speed of calculations. It boosts confidence in Math, kids are able to deal with big numbers with ease and do not find them complex. They get a sense of achievement; it promotes greater mental capacity and improves overall performance in the class as well.

How did you get interested in MMA?

I had heard about the benefits of Abacus and two and half years ago started researching more into it. I wanted to find more if it would help my son who was then about 3 years old. I found that it was excellent for his whole brain development. I researched for about one and a half years and started teaching the basic fingering techniques to my son. He responded exceedingly well and the results were amazing. He was easily doing addition and subtraction with ease and the best part was that he was having fun. I extended my learning to my friend’s children and before long I had a full fledged class.

What is the learning process and how is the Curriculum designed?

Abacus is an ancient Chinese technique used as early as 500 BC used for simple arithmetic like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, square roots etc. Abacus is a tool where the results of calculations are obtained by manipulations of the beads. We train kids to do the arithmetic mentally. Training replaces the physical abacus with an image of the abacus in the mind of the child. Visualization technique helps the child to see the abacus in the mind and perform the arithmetic in mind.

We design the curriculum based on child’s age, need and level based on our research. We have elementary and advanced. The elementary batch is again divided into 2 classes. Our preschool batch is for kids aged 4 to 5 years. The second elementary batch is for grade K-Gr 2. The pre-requisite for elementary-1 is that the kid should be able to read and write the numbers from 0-9. The advanced class is for kids aged 8 years and older. The reason for this is that by 8 years age or grade 3, the child has learned multiplication in the school and can learn multiplication and division using abacus techniques. They need to know multiplication tables up to 9x9 before we use abacus for multiplication. We do not push a child beyond their abilities and at an age to understand the basic fundamentals. There are some exceptions as well where a 2^nd grader knows multiplication tables and with parents request and a little test he/she can be eligible to go the advance batch. In the elementary classes we present the kid with numbers up to 10,000 on abacus and they are able to perform the additions and subtractions in their mind using 0 – 1000, meaning answers are more than 1000. Their calculations are faster than using a calculator with a reliable accuracy.

What about older kids who were not exposed to this learning technique at a younger age? Can they benefit too?

This is not a math tutoring class but a brain development class. Between the ages of 4 to 13 years the brain has tremendous capacity to develop and grasp new techniques and methods. The brain can be trained until 13 years of age and after that it tends to slow down in learning and grasping new methods. We do have a maximum age limit of 13 years. Our kids in the advanced class between ages 8-13 years love this program. They have improved their academic performance, are more confident, improved concentration and better listening skills. This is an excellent program for kids between ages 4-13 years.

Can you provide more information on the number of classes, discounts, location and contact information?

There are two divisions for elementary level. Level-1 is for pre-schoolers and Elementary Level-2 is for grades K-Gr 2. The Advanced class is for kids ages 8-13 years. We are currently enrolling for our new sessions that will begin in June and in Fall.

We are also offering a month long summer crash course for kids’ ages 8-13 years. The first batch begins in June and the second batch begins in July.

FREE TRIAL SESSION

We are hosting a one hour free trial session on May 14^th from 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM. The session is for both the child and the parents. The child will be trained on Abacus or with fingering techniques for an hour and at the end of the hour, the child will perform some basic functions in front of parents. This is open for children of all ages (4 to 13yrs).

SPECIAL OFFER FOR INDYA UNLIMITED READERS ONLY

Sibling discounts and referral discounts are available. A special one touch Abacus tool is ordered from Malaysia. As a special offer, mention Indya Unlimited to get this Abacus tool free of charge when you enroll into the program.

Click here to see testimonials from the parents

CLASS LOCATION

8570 Cordes Circle

Germantown, TN 38139

CONTACT

Alpa & Kalpesh Patel

Mental Math Abacus

901-277-3616

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Kurukshetra the board game

administrator

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An interesting board game that helps players with sharpening their strategy skills.
The game is inspired by the war in Kurukshetra in the epic Mahabharat.
The game is true to the story with attention to minute details.

Learn more about the game at the game at http://www.thekurukshetragame.com/

Available at Hamleys, Landmark, Crossword and neighborhood toy stores or at the game's ebay store.

Click on any of the images to go to the ebay store to buy it online.

The Game Board

The war lasted 18 days and the game lasts 18 turns

The Kaurava Army Unit

The player fights the Kaurava Army units for the first 9 turns

The warrior cards

Build your strategic skills by choosing the deployments of the warrior cards

The Krishna Advice Cards

Krishna Advice cards gives the players the right advice to win the game

The dice and tokens

The dice and the token are true to the age of Mahabharat

Buy it Online on the product's ebay store by clicking here or on any of the images.

Memphis Mental Math Abacus

Thursday, 28 April 2011 02:14 administrator

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FREE 1 HR trial class on

Saturday, May 14^th at 3:30 – 4:30 pm

Limited Seats!

Enrollment for new batches (regular batches/ summer crash course) has already begun

10 students max per teacher

Check out parents’ testimonials, Call us for different course offering

Our 4.5 yrs/ just turned 5 yrs old kids are performing Basic 0-99 additions/subtractions with ease. They are having FUN with Math. They do not want to miss the class. Check out testimonials below.

Our Kindergartner are doing Basic Additions and Subtractions in mind. Work sheet (includes 30 to 40 questions of 3 to 4 rows each) does not take more than 10 minutes for our child!

Parents and children interested in learning more about the program are invited to join us for a FREE one hour trial class.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR INDYA UNLIMITED READERS ONLY

Sibling discounts and referral discounts are available. A special one touch Abacus tool is ordered from Malaysia. As a special offer, mention Indya Unlimited to get this Abacus tool free of charge when you enroll into the program.

Learn more about how Mental Math Abacus leads to complete brain development.

CLASS LOCATION

8570 Cordes Circle

Germantown, TN 38139

CONTACT

Alpa & Kalpesh Patel

Mental Math Abacus

901-277-3616

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

See the video of kids performing Abacus after less than 4 months of training.

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Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.115!

Kurukshetra – An Innovative Game

Monday, 28 March 2011 22:30 Madhura Deshpande in conversation with Arijit Lahiri and Kamalika Bhattacharya

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Have you ever wondered how it might have been to live in the epic ages? What would it be like to experience the greatest saga in Indian mythology, The Mahabharat? Well, now you can!

Ptotem Learning Projects, an up and coming learning initiatives company has created a new board game called Kurukshetra. We at Indya Unlimited had the opportunity to talk with the genius brains behind this concept, the husband-wife team of Arijit Lahiri and Kamalika Bhattacharya. Their passion and pride for the game was apparent from the get go. “Kurukshetra has been a labor of love for us”, declared the duo as soon as we sat down to chat...

What is Kurukshetra and how do you play it?
Kurukshetra is a strategy game that can be played by 2 to 4 players. It is based on the historical 18-day war fought between the Pandavas and Kauravas. Players fight the Kaurava army to become the most successful Pandava general, while strategising with Krishna’s advice through out the game.
Faithful to the epic to the minutest details, Kurukshetra will transport you back to the epic times. Brilliant strategy and shrewd battle field moves kept the warriors alive in the war. Modern day players need to use the same acumen to be a winner.
The game set includes a game board, warrior cards, Kaurava army units, Krishna advice cards, dice and tokens. There are 18 turns representing 18 days of the war. The battlefield is in the center of the board, rimmed by the day-by-day fight schedule. Players take turns playing and the final score to determine the winner is based on soldiers left on the board, victory tokens, and unused Krishna advice cards.
More details about the game can be found at http://www.thekurukshetragame.com
The game can be purchased on Ebay or at Hamleys, Landmark, Crossword and neighborhood toy stores or at our ebay store.

This is an exciting but complicated topic to handle. What was the inspiration and how did you go about developing the game?
We have always been fascinated by Mahabharat, especially the Kurukshetra war. The sophisticated strategy and tactics followed by these ancient warriors are absolutely amazing! There is a lot of learning to be gained from this topic, both for adults and children. And what better way to do that but play a fun game!
This concept has been on our minds for a while now but with full time jobs as Finance professionals, we never had the opportunity to pursue it. Finally, in the autumn of 2009, we decided to give it all. Both of us resigned from our jobs and founded Ptotem Learning Projects to pursue our first love. We conceptualized and designed the game, and now in collaboration with Toy-Kraft have brought it to the market.

What benefits can players experience from this game?
This game is recommended for ages 11 and up. It is a great way for kids to learn about Mahabharat and the Kurukshetra war. The game guide by itself is a nice summary of the topic, very easy to understand for kids. The design is very modern and the edgy graphics will very much appeal to the Xbox gaming generation. For the adults, it’s a wonderful resource to develop critical thinking and strategic thought process. Both young and seasoned business professionals will find it to be a good developmental tool. But above all, its pure fun for the entire family!

Tell us a little bit about your company Ptotem Learning Projects.
Ptotem is a privately held learning initiatives firm, started in 2009 by senior industry professionals from the fields of Business, Instructional Design, HR Management and Psychology.
We have three divisions – Games & Entertainment, Simulations and Assessments. Games & Entertainment division creates board games with a focus on cultural education. The Simulations division specializes in administering online simulations and workshops for training, learning and assessment. Today, we cater to many top-ranked business schools and corporate houses in the country for their learning needs. The Assessments division develops assessments using psychometrics and competitive workshops to map a participant's strengths, interests and styles. The output is used to guide development, career and job-role related discussions.

And last but not the least, Kurukshetra was recently launched in the international market via the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg. Tell us about the experience.
The trip to Nuremberg was very enlightening. We realized that there is a huge international market for mythology-based games. Indian mythology is a relatively novice topic in the global market. We think this avenue is an excellent way to popularize the subject with non-Indian audiences.

We wrapped up the conversation on this exciting note and wished them good luck with the endeavor!

Samiksha Jain

Sunday, 20 February 2011 05:16 administrator

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Samiksha is an artist, poet and web designer. She is born in Rajasthan and pursued her studies in Applied Arts from Sri Venkateshwara College of Fine Arts, Hyderabad. Having a soul of poet, she loves to express herself through visual art using different mediums of painting such as poster colors,water colors and oil colors. She has held few exhibitions of water color paintings in Hyderabad. Being a web designer, she love to create digital painting.