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“CHILD-CENTRIC LEARNING AND CREATIVITY ORIENTED EDUCATION”
BLOSSOM
An unique and enriching experiment: March 8th to 26th, 2010 |
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Instead of a structure built to promote success for a selected few, we must adopt a structure that engages participation in learning by all. The base should be sturdy so that it can last a whole life. The pillars should be broadened and redefined time to time. |
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Yes, Orchid International School believes that the period of elementary school (of class I to class VIII) is one of tremendous cognitive development, shaping reason, intellect and social skills, as well as the skills and attitudes necessary for entering the work place.
Education during this period must be of an integrated character, enabling children to acquire facility in language and expression and to grow in self-confidence as learners, both within and outside the school.
We wish to clarify certain things related to our approach of teaching-learning process and acquisition of knowledge by our students. |
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1. What is wrong with the old methods of teaching? Why are we experimenting and reinventing various aspects of education?
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 When children in their developmental years spend more time in books than in the real world, they have every chance of becoming fragmented. Education ventures into a negative course. It splits a student’s mind into two. A bookish worldview that he memorizes without proper comprehension and the real world that is not in his/ her control due to lack of focus.
Take the example of a typical fourth standard child; he knows how stopping cattle grazing on hilltops can prevent soil erosion but he cannot keep track of his/ her notebook and pencils. Ultimately, he grows into an adult with a lot of knowledge sense but no common sense, “padha likha bevakoof” (an educated fool). Good characters and personalities develop through focus on their development. Instead, a lot is taught which he cannot relate with his/her day-to-day life experiences and surroundings. Dynamic curriculum and innovative methods of teaching become the need of the hour.
As our children come from diverse and vernacular backgrounds so we innovate various methods regularly to evoke the passion for learning and give concrete foundation to their understanding and knowledge. In the year, 2009-2010, following steps were taken to enable the overall growth of our children: |
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Vertical grouping was one such major step where students were grouped according to their academic level and then a concerted effort was made which has been appreciated and received very well by the students and their grasp over English, Mathematics and Hindi has become stronger. Following are few things which became an integral part of the vertically grouped academic plan:
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Learning difficulties were diagnosed and it was addressed through activity based teaching, simplified worksheets and by giving special attention to the children
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Each class consisted less than 18 students so that each child could be attended individually by the teacher.
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Orient Longman cards of CIEFL were used which proved to be extremely valuable.
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Dr Geeta Dalal guided our teachers in guidance and counseling so that they can design and lead activities to meet the developmental needs of children, thus laying the foundation for the necessary attitudes and perceptions towards the self and the world.
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There was a need to evolve everyone in one more area that required fresh thinking- EXAM! [ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION] Following is the gist of our approach toward it:
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In the Indian education system, the term evaluation is associated with examination, stress and anxiety. All efforts at curriculum definition and renewal come to a naught if they cannot engage with the bulwark of the evaluation and examination system embedded in schooling. We are concerned about the ill effects that examinations have on efforts to make learning and teaching meaningful and joyous for children.
The purpose of evaluation is certainly not to motivate children to study under threat. I could surmise that the purpose of assessment is necessarily to improve the teaching–learning process and materials, and to be able to review the objectives that have been identified for different school stages by gauging the extent to which the capabilities of learners have been developed. Needless to say, this does not mean that tests and examinations will have to be conducted frequently. On the contrary, routine exercises and activities can be employed effectively to assess learning. |
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| ASSESSING LEARNERS |
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| We need a curriculum whose creativity, innovativeness, and development of the whole being, the hallmark of a good education makes uniform tests that assess memorized facts and textbook-based learning obsolete. We need to redefine and seek new parameters for and ways of evaluation and feedback. In addition to the learner’s achievements in specific subject areas that lend themselves to testing easily, assessment would need to encompass attitudes to learning, interest and the ability to learn independently. |
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Assessment in the course of teaching
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The belief that assessment must lead to finding learning difficulties to then be remediated is often very impractical and not founded on a sound understanding of pedagogic practice. Problems regarding conceptual development cannot and do not wait for formal tests in order to be detected. A teacher can, in the course of teaching itself, come to know of such problems by asking questions that make children think or by giving them small assignments. She can then attend to them in the process- by ensuring that her planning is flexible and responsive to the learners and their learning.
One does not need special tests and exam to know the level of the children; learning activities themselves provide the basis for such ongoing observational and qualitative assessments of children. Daily observation and review helps in continuous and comprehensive evaluation. |
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Assessment at different stages |
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Classes I and II of the Elementary Stage:
At this stage, according to CBSE and ICSE, assessment must be purely qualitative. Judgments of children’s activities in various domains and an assessment of their academic growth and physical development, based on observations through everyday interactions should be analyzed. On no account should they be made to take any form of test, oral or written. |
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| Classes III and VIII of the Elementary Stage: |
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A variety of methods may be used, including oral and written tests and observations. Children should be aware that they are being assessed, but this must be seen by them as a part of teaching- learning process and not as a fearful constant threat. Rather than examinations, there could be short tests from time to time, which are criterion based. This is exactly what we do.
Term-wise examinations could be commenced from class-VI onwards when children are more psychologically ready to study large chunks of material and, to spend a few hours in an examination room, working at answering questions.
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| B. Now we would like to share with you that we have planned a new programme ‘BLOSSOM’ for the students of Grade-II to V. |
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| 1. What is this ‘Blossom’ all about? Is it a summer camp? |
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 Blossom is a multi sensory exposure to the activities that help in understanding the underlying concept in clearer manner. The communication is tacit with the activity enabling learning rather than facilitator. This approach evokes much subtler and therefore clearer concept formation.
On such a ground rules, skills, concepts and abilities are expected to blossom intrinsically. Following would be done in ‘Blossom’, which basically aims at spreading the fragrance of learning: |
- Children will learn to make picture dictionary, comics and illustration of story.
- They will learn to write different types of poems and stories.
- They will enhance their vocabulary through various activities.
- They will participate in different oral activities to bring fluency in their English and to garner more confidence in their abilities.
- The entire focus of two hrs long English period would be to evoke passion and kindle creativity in the attitude and approach of our children.
- Children will learn one English song everyday in their music period.
- DEAR time [drop everything and read] will become a regular feature of their schedule, which will bring about the desired reading culture.
- Mathematics will be taught through various charts and hands on activities related to Multiple, Fraction and LCM.
- In Science, also children will be doing experiments and activities. Web of Life, Preparing Herbarium, Tree’s autograph, Measuring height of a tree, Dissection of flowers, Water Conservation etc are some of the activities that will be done.
- There will be a special class of Story-telling, Dance and Computer with the same intention.
- Through all this, we will try to lay new pillars of creative and critical thinking alongside Mathematics and Science.
- We wish to implant the seed of learning; the whole plant does not need to be hammered in. As we believe that, the real education inspires children to become learners for life.
- We will expose our children to practical life skills and work experiences of various kinds.
- Assignments and Homework will also be there on a regular basis.
- On Saturdays, either special workshops will be conducted or educational visits to a post-office, airport and fire station will be organized. French, Marathi and Sanskrit workshops have also been planned for them where children will try to learn new languages through various interesting methods.
- Interaction with learned and professionally qualified people will be organized. Our children had a nice discussion with one doctor on Tuesday which stimulated their mind.
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Learning should be self-driven
where the child feels like doing various things
without any compulsion from outside.
Blossom is just one-step towards it.
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