“Getting Children Involved in their own Learning” -Some Experiments in CFSI Shorapur

1. “Getting Children Involved in their own Learning” -Some Experiments in CFSI Shorapur MANTHAN Annual Research Conference July 5, 2012 APU Bengaluru “Child is a natural learner and knowledge is the outcome of the child’s own activity” - NCF, 2005

2. Background • Various attempts made at improving the quality of school education seems to be directed at teachers, education functionaries and even parents. Very little efforts have been done by way of involving the students themselves and participatory learning • In the CFSI program at Shorapur, various experiments have been tried out to understand how children engage in learning, learning of their own. • Some of the interventions are : Children Creativity Workshop Children Project Work Activating library Mela

3. Children Creativity Workshop -Objectives Children creativity workshop is a created space which engages children in various creative activities Objectives • To understand how children learn and engage in the learning process • To create interest among slow learners to help them enjoy the activities • To learn how to handle the large number of students in a child friendly atmosphere ( non-threatnig and fearless)

4. Children Creativity Workshop Training Process A series of training cum production methodology was used to train the Margadarshis to facilitate the process. • Level 1: Margadarshis participated in a creativity workshop and designed the workshop they would conduct for children. • Level 2: This design was executed in schools in 3 areas with Area coordinator leading a team of his 8 Margadarshis. • Level 3: Pair of Margadarshis conducted 3 days workshop in schools with the learning's from level 2. • Level 4: Each Margadarshi Conducted 2/3 days workshop in schools. • Level 5: Each Margadarshi with the school teacher conducted 2/3 days workshop in schools. Towards teachers continuing the process, The training continues…….

5. Children Creativity workshop • Training was intensive to understand the concept and to develop the module for children creativity workshop • By using proven module, have organized children workshops in 250 schools of Shorapur block Components : • Drawing- thread, thumb, paper fold • Theatre - live, image • Clay modeling • Puppetry • out door games, • Songs, • Stories telling and story formation • Mono acting, • Drama Process focus: • Construction of stories, songs etc • Creating dramas, images, clay models • Free space for thinking, speaking and expression • Peer learning • Participatory approach • Sensitivity of equity • Encouraging

6. Learning and challenges Learning: • Children involvement will be more, if we design the activities based on their interest and pace • Lot of activities needed in a day since span of interest of students are less • We can speak to others on corporal punishment based on the interactions with students in three days without punishment and without developing fear- this is the best way to engage with teachers on child friendly atmosphere. • the participation of children improve in a democratic space. Challenges: • It was difficult to deal with students without fear and threat of punishment • Initially we struggled to organise basic logistics like food • Critical role of a facilitator in maintaining equity • It was difficult to motivate teachers to have such activities in their regular classroom

7. Project Work- Objective: The main stream education system is limited in providing space for self-learning to children. There was no opportunity for students to explore and analyze the information. To provide such opportunity, CFSI planed to involve students in a guided project with the facilitation of the teacher. work in 121 schools. Objective: • To provide an opportunity for children to construct their own knowledge by exploring, questioning, interpreting the information in the local context

8. Project Work -Process Process involved: • Training for Margadarshis to understand the concept • Manual on the process was designed and shared • Orienting teachers of identified schools to facilitate the project work. • Group of students were inspired and motivated to take up interesting projects though discussions. • Discussed with students to identify the topic • Students design the project process with help of teacher • Data collected at individual and group level • Compile consolidate and analyze the data with help of teachers and Margdarshis • Discussion on all the projects to derive learning • Editing and printing for wider circulation

9. Project work : topics: Examples of selected topics: • Sources of water in a village, • English words being used by rural people, • LambaniDictionary, • Contribution of GP in my village, • The journey of Kannada sahitya sangha Rangampete • History of a village • Reasons for drop outs • Superstitious beliefs Similar topics dealt dramatically different by groups.

10. Learning and challenges Learning: • Effective peer learning happens in the process of project work • Process of exploration and interpretation led to self learning • Students were able to connect school activities to their life situation while gathering information • Local issues can be addressed by using locally contextualized subjects in the project work. Challenges: • Motivating teachers was more difficult than students, • Difficult to train teachers to facilitate the process

11. Activating Library Reading is the gateway to gain knowledge. Current situation is not really impressive where school either does not have the library or it is inactive. Hence, CFSI worked to activate the library in the school. Process: • Established the library in 175 school by compiling books, segregating books, keeping books in a specified place • Activating libraries – one person responsible, issuing books in specified day, discussion on the books etc. • Established 5 vibrant libraries - run by students, weekly schedule for reading, story telling, story creating, seminars, discussions etc.

12. Activating Library-Learning Learning • It is important for the teachers to use library to motivate students • It is important to have different activities on the library rather than just issuing books • Children likes to read story books • Teachers motivating children to use library, parents asking children to get books from library Challenges: • Scheduling time for library every day is bit difficult • Since reading habit among the general people is less its difficult to build the reading habit among the children • Books interesting, challenging and quenching the childrens curiosity are few.

13. Mela Objectives: • To provide opportunities to hand-on and experiential leaning • To provide lot of scope for trial and error • To make them explore different possibilities to present a concept So far 70 melas have been organized in different subjects – language, history, geography, astronomy, science, metric, adolescent girls, folk etc.

14. Process of mela • One pilot mela organized by CFSI team by involving different school teachers • The school come forward to organize mela with specific subject • Preparation will take place about a month – Concept clarity, design of activity by involving students, creating modules, practice with module, demonstration • In the process of preparation student get experiential leaning, trial and error, learning by doing. • Mela day – different stall are established, around 1000 students and teachers participate, demonstration of activities • Mode of activity – in the form of game wherein illiterates can participate, scope for active participation

15. Mela-Learning • Competencies/concepts are acquired in more effective way through experiential and hands-on learning - retention is high • Concept gets more clarity by repeatedly doing the activity and answering questions from audience • It provides a space for children to act independently with immense self-confidence, students teach( role reserve ) • It gave children the opportunity to be active learners • It breaks the hierarchical relationship between children and teacher. • It’s an opportunity to see learning in a different perspective; to break away from traditional rote methods and focus on understanding and application in a festive atmosphere Challenges: • Sustaining the spirit of experiential learning in classroom • Providing opportunities to understand each concepts if no. of participants are more

16. Way Forward Promoting all schools to have children creativity workshop at school level – at least three times Organize vocation camps for enhancing creativity among students – drop out, irregular and slow learners Children project works are published and share with teacher community and motivate them to have such project in their school Promoting schools to have school level melas Impact study will to be conducted on all three interventions – creativity workshops, project works and mela

17. List of future studies • Creating child friendly atmosphere in creative workshops: Mallesh and Shobha • Designing training for teachers to facilitate project work • Library – reading pattern of children: Guru Moger • Project work- working with children and teachers : Zabeer

18. Thank you Presented by:GuruMoger and Zabeer