Learning through Stories

Sara Hurley, a visiting story teller, performer and educator from the UK, joined the conclave speaking about and demonstrating “Experiential Learning Through Story Telling.” Director of the integrated arts company, Blazing Tales, UK, Sara Hurley first hosted a session for 350 during TTF's Children's Day event “A Medley of Music, Myth and Mirth” and later at the conference turned her focus to a broader perspective, explaining how story telling can be used as experiential learning.

 

Through story telling, children make their own images and narratives which helps ensure whole child learning. It is a democratic art form, it is for the people, and a method that is open to all. She explained, “You need to get inside the story, and make up your own story by stirring the imagination. It is the imagination,” she continued, that is “connected to the complexity of being a human being.”

 

The challenge of story telling is accessing the authentic imagination – not the ideas that the child thinks the teacher wants to hear— but the ideas that remain unprovoked. Using props and pictures helps students feel less vulnerable as they can project their own hopes and images onto the pictures and explore them without feeling exposed.

 

Using an activity to elaborate her discussion, participants imagined being in the classroom and the teacher asks them to find a space in the classroom. Ms. Hurley asked the participants to imagine that they're in the rainforest and asked them to take a step forward into the rainforest. She had them imagine the colours they see, the size of the trees, and as they walk deeper into the forest, feel the temperature change. She asked the participants, “Have you been to this forest before? Is it the first time or do you come here a lot?”

 

Coming to a close, Ms. Hurley asked one participant what he sees. “A tree” he responded. Ms. Hurley asked him to describe the tree or say something about it. The participant says he wants to hug the tree but he is too small.

 

If a group of grown-ups at ICS were transported to a far off rainforest, imagine what could happen with group of school children!

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Safe and Sensitive Schools: 2 ½ years later

The Safe and Sensitive Schools (SASS) project was designed to make selected schools safe and sensitive through embedding policies, spaces and interactions that are positive, constructive, nurturing and collaborative for all – students and staff alike.

Maya Menon, Akhila Doraswamy, Misbah Shahid and Shipra Suneja, members of the TTF team overseeing, coordinating and implementing the intervention, presented the findings of the project at the Excellence in School Education Conclave on 13 November 2011. Following Jenny Mosley's demonstration of how Quality Circle Time works, the TTF team elaborated on the entire project, its different components and the impact in schools.

The 2 ½ year long project, with eleven schools, focused on training the school and the teachers to promote positive relationships among all the stakeholders in the school: heads of school, teachers and students, making schools more safe and sensitive. The project came out of an identified need based on the too common trend of negative language in schools marked by harshness of tone. In these situations, children have difficulty  expressing and sharing their feelings as well as developing empathy and a sense of self-confidence.

Safe and Sensitive Schools - A National Pilot Project from The Teacher Foundation on Vimeo.

A video documentary which captured the essence of the positive interactions during the SASS Project, directed and edited by Gautam Sonti, was screened. A central component, QCT, is being conducted in schools which has helped the students build positive interactions and relation among the class. Teachers discussed how they improved their interactions with students, using rewards and sanctions as opposed to sticks and criticism. They also explained how their overall way of relating to students has changed, being much more friendly and sensitive.
 
The focus was to build self esteem which translated in other areas as well. The whole school behaviour policy helps the systems and processes in schools that helps foster positive interactions and build trust.

The heads who have undergone the programme expressed that they strongly believe that QCT has helped students use their listening skills and the schools have become gentler spaces. The bubble time, in which students and teachers talk one on one, has helped the teachers and students deal with children's individual needs and concerns.

During the presentation, Sujatha Mohandas, Principal, Sishu Griha and Rema Nandakumar, Principal, Chinmaya Vidyalaya spoke about the experience of hosting the SASS Project. Both the heads of schools mentioned that change in the school environment is clearly evident. It is visible in the way students and teachers talk to each other and how the school itself functions.

One can see changes at the schools that have been a part of the project, changes that are subtle but definite - teachers innovatively using the QCT sessions to discuss common classroom concerns and help students think of creative ways to solve them; children delighted to participate and share their thoughts, the teachers in many cases also mentioned that the unity in the class has also strengthened; teachers using positive behaviour management techniques rather than punishments; regular QCT sessions has helped children, especially the quieter ones, to express themselves confidently; and most of the listening and appreciation systems in place.

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The Future of School Education

Starting with a musical performance from the students of Kalkeri Sangeeth Vidyalaya, day three of the Excellence in School Education conclave began on a creative note. The opening panel, chaired by Tara Kini, an independent education consultant, was represented by schools, higher education, the larger society and industry.

 

Barbabra Schmid, the social welfare manager from Kalkeri Sangeeth Vidyalaya a school in Dharwad began the morning's talk. The school empowers, supports and encourages children from socially marginalized backgrounds through comprehensive education which includes academics and music. Taking up the theme of music, Barbara illustrated how the study of music lends itself to improving academic and social development in students and how studying music lends itself to developing a success psychology. She explained that music is not just a recreational activity,it stimulates our brain processes in many ways. Promoting a sense of belonging and acceptance and developing a child's internal locus of control are all central to a child feeling successful.

 

Taking up a different perspective, Dr .S. Ghosal gave a talk entitled “Contemporary design education for the creative industry and economy” where he addressed the need to create value addition for the future.

 

Bringing another perspective to the conference, Dr. Ms.Ajantha Perara from Sri Lanka gave a dynamic and engaging talk entitled “Beauty is in caring for a life- Responsibility of parents and society.” She asked the gathering,: “How often do we say thank you for the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat?” Connecting her passion for preserving the environment with her love for people from all backgrounds, Dr. Perara explained the work she has done with the rag pickers' children in Sri Lanka. Visiting the garbage dumps she has tackled both the environmental and social challenges of these locations. Earning the nickname “Queen of Garbage” she has advocated waste management, recycling and composting. However, she has also brought the children of rag pickers into the realm of formal schooling-overseeing and advocating for their academic success.

 

Mr. Ajay Krishnan of Cisco, a conference sponsor, continued on the theme of opening up quality education for under-served children. Speaking about an exciting technology platform developed by Cisco, Mr. Ajay explained how students in remote rural areas can have access to specialist teachers via a two-way internet connection. An exciting prospect for the future of education in a country with a growing school age population!

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Managing teaching and learning

How can you eat a chocolate without bending your arm? By putting it into each others' mouth!

 

Kavita Agarwal, Director of Academics and Principal of DG Khetan International School, explained the purpose of this small riddle saying it is to remind us to share and grow with sweetness.

An interesting way to begin a session on academic leadership,

Kavita Agarwal continued her talk entitled “Curriculum Management: Managing Teaching-Learning.” She explained that running a school is through planning and management and that effective curriculum management is essential in running a good school. Curriculum can be planned keeping in mind a variety of factors, one of the most effective and significant is a trans-disciplinary approach.

 

Kavita Agarwal continued to explain that excellence in schools can be achieved through effective management of curriculum which involves multiple stages encompassing planning, implementation, assessment and feedback.

 

Concluding her remarks, Kavita Agarwal remarked that “education without a clearcut aim is like a rudderless ship.”

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Bringing Joy to Classrooms

Turning to the role of arts in the classroom, Professor Asha Singh from Lady Irwin College in New Delhi highlighted the importance of embracing arts as the basis of classroom joy. Setting the background, Dr. Singh explained only recently CBSE incorporated the arts in the school curriculum.

 

Theatre, one of many aspects of the arts, is an interactive and expressive experience that allows children to connect with their own realities and learn about other cultures. It is through the arts that “children learn to think, make meaning and nurture their curiosity.” However, as with any teaching strategy, teachers much plan and create intentional experiences for their students. Dr. Singh explained that the methods should be relevant to the individual students' needs. Ultimately, arts are a valuable resource because they empower teacher and link the social reality of students to the school space. Perhaps one of the most powerful roles of arts in schools is that of building bridges for cultural confidence and helping students and teachers develop a sincere regard among themselves.

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Looking Beyond: An inclusive vision for education in India

Starting off the second day of Excellence in School Education, a panel of eminent speakers took the stage and discussed the role of education from a broader perspective.

 

From Tata Consultancy Services, Mr. Venguswamy Ramaswamy (Swamy) spoke about the changing education code in India. Under the gurkul system the aim of education was a life of wisdom, but under the institutional model of education, the purpose of education became that of an employable graduate. However, in today's environment, key attributes include being a problem solver, one who is inventive and entrepreneurial.

 

Speaking to the same theme, Mr. Akhil Shahani, Director of Kaizen, suggested that the purpose of education today is to teach “not what is in every book in the library, but rather how to access that information.” Students are living in a world where information is accessible, and often the challenge is not a shortage of information, but rather an information over-load where they need to make decisions about how credible and reliable information is. Educators, Shahani said face the challenge to “teach smarter since the real value of school is bringing out the talent with the child.”

Mr. Swaspawan Singh, former Representative of India to the UN, gave the final address of the morning's session. He challenged the gathering to define educational success only when there are delivery systems in place to reach the largely impacted portion of the population.

 

He spoke to the teachers and school heads in the room challenging them to “give this generation a larger moral purpose” and make students who are “responsible not just to India, but to the whole world.” These students “have an enhanced sense of global responsibility, whether you like it or not” he commented.

 

Tackling the question about the role of innovation in education, Mr. Singh challenged that innovation will be significant when it comes in the form of increased access to education-reaching those children who are in classrooms without teachers, let alone enough books.

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Are you ready to teach?

In her talk entitled “Relationship between readiness and effectiveness of teachers,” Dr. Umme Kulsum of Bangalore University explored the relationship between teacher readiness and teacher effectiveness. With a sample of 100 in-service teachers in and around Bangalore, she examined how effective teachers were based on their age, sex, marital status and readiness, which she defined as having a teaching and college degree.

 

In her introduction, Dr. Umme explained that lower standards of education are connected to lack of adequate teacher training. In particular, those teachers that are effective are more likely to remain in teaching and even demonstrate greater effort in classroom planning and posses greater enthusiasm for teaching.

She said, “As teachers, we are all striving towards excellence and work towards improve in our teaching.” However, in order to ensure all students are in classes with effective teachers, we need to understand what makes a teacher effective and how to equip those entering the profession with the skills, attitudes and knowledge needed.

 

Although there were some questions about the relevance of the study since the ultimate measure of teacher effectiveness was self-reported by teachers, the presentation raised several important questions among the audience. They asked, what are new teachers learning in teacher preparation colleges? And, is it what they need to know for today's classrooms? What is the relationship between personality and content knowledge in being an effective teacher?

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Expeditionary Learning: creating meaningful learning opportunities

Tara Kini's talk, “Designing a Curriculum Around Expeditionary Learning” discussed how expeditionary, out of classroom learning opportunities, create unforgettable and immeasurable learning opportunities. Children remember expeditions far more than anything else.

 

She explained that expeditionary learning is experiential learning through out of classroom experiences. When teachers plan an expeditionary learning experience, first pick a theme, and then pick the location which best facilitates the kind of learning required for the theme. “[The expedition] is a platform where children can be curious and have tenacity of spirit.”

 

Case studies from DRIK Patashala, a learning centre for urban poor children in Andhra Pradesh. Here the classes are divided into vertical age groups (with three year age bands eg. Ages 3,4, and 5).

She spoke to the question: “How do we build a curriculum for this type of student mix?”

 

Collaborative planning is essential for planning an interdisciplinary unit. Teachers also have to visit the site first, prior to taking students there to ensure where samples can be gathered etc. Also, arrange discussions and visits with people in each location (for instance priests in temple towns, artists etc). Also, students need to be prepared to ask questions – so they must do some research before they go on an expedition.

 

Continuing the discussion, Tara spoke about the syllabus used in the school. All the learning is appropriate to the age group of the students according to McRel levels. She explained ten principles of expeditionary learning which include: the primacy of self-discovery, the having of wonderful ideas, the responsibility of learning, empathy and caring, success and failure, collaboration and competition, diversity and inclusion, the natural world, solitude and reflection, service and compassion. Each and every one of these principles captures endless possibilities for teachers to create learning opportunities.

 

In addition to the joy and curiosity children experience through expeditionary learning, Tara Kini explains, “There is no failure in this kind of learning, everyone is learning together. It becomes okay to make mistakes.”

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Teaching language through story telling

Geetha Ramanujam says storytelling has its roots in the rishis who called it shruthi (or that which is heard). She said storytelling can be used to leverage imagination in the classrooms. The language of storytelling is the basis of all learning.

 

According to her everyone is a storyteller and that story telling can be used to develop all the four skills (LSRW) required to learn a language and at the same time making learning fun.

 

To be a good storyteller, one has to be a good listener. The best stories to tell are those that the teachers are familiar with and have practised often with children. Change in the story should be possible –Teachers can use these changes as opportunities to add unexpected twists. Puppets also can be used to get students involved in the story. She even demonstrated how to use puppets to tell different stories. She emphasized that the audience participation is a very important component of story telling.

 

Teachers can use the various spaces like classrooms, library, playground, lawn under a tree to tell a story.

 

Thus, storytelling is a great tool to teach a language!

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Story Books – Creating Learning Activities

Arvind Venkatadri, Head of Library Programmes at Akshara Foundation, spoke on creating learning activities for children using story books. He discussed the effective use of library and how to attain the MLLS (minimal levels of learning) using books from library.

 

He also spoke about using mind maps to attain MLLS and using group levels of learning, how we can arrive at a logic for structuring student learning. He said we can use story books to teach various subjects in the class. When students are presented with information in an appropriate way, they can get general knowledge and a better understanding from the stories. But, as teachers we need to decide - what to teach from which book? What are the activities that you can make children do? What questions do you ask? How do you ensure learning?

 

Using books for instruction is valuable, but cannot be successful without planning. When deciding on the books, the first thing we need to see is whether the book is grade appropriate. Then we need to ask the right and leading questions related to it from general to particular and then particular to general. Teachers can include many activities like role plays, brainstorming etc.

 

Thus story books can be a treasure trove for various learning activities!

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Schools and Space: Construction for Learning

Kabir Vajpai of BALA (Buildings As Learning Aid) spoke about experiential learning. During his talk, Vajpai discussed how buildings can become the vehicles of education. Instead of buildings guiding what should happen, it should be the buildings themselves that could be learning aids.

 

A video showed how children were using all different domains learning. He showed how students understood measurement by actually measuring the outdoors. Grid boards should be kept inside and outside. He also said that an outdoor map of India could be made by the children which would enable them to create their own landscapes with mountains and rivers.

 

BALA ( Building As Learning Aid) emphasises using the physical school space as a place for learning.

 

During the question session, Vajpai explained that children learn by playing, by imitation, visualising, doing, music art etc. They learn with their peers. In fact, they learn everywhere. He said we must provide students with a child friendly environment and specifically, a board at a height which they can use.

 

Teachers must lay out the space available for different settings and purpose. Vajpai gave specific examples about using the physical space for learning: using milestones, rules, meter rules on footsteps, and numbering pillars for math. Using a grill, teachers can help students better understand number lines and a protractor and a door hinge can be used to teach angles. Lines of symmetry on doors or on floors and fractions can be taught through window glass. Floor or ceiling tiles can be used to help teach patterns and counters can become stationary stores where students can practice math and counting. Even the fan can be used as a colour wheels.

 

When asked how teachers have taken all these ideas, he said the whole range have been taken positively. Teachers have evolved and adapted. In closing, he remarked that principles of using space for learning are universal and not bound by geography or location.

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An exploration into the psychological space for teacher development

Prof. Rajaram, Joint Director of CIET and Head of DCETA & NCERT, spoke about the exploration into the psychological space for the teacher development. Comparing teacher development to a child's walk across a road, he explained: if a child tries to cross a road, he or she naturally reaches out for a hand, and the same holds true for a teacher who has his or her own fears about letting go of a student. These fears and and anxieties of a teacher impinges on his or her interactions with the students. Professor Rajaram emphasized the fact that every human being has a right to learn and be better than what he or she is today!

 

He said that a teaching profession is unique. The beauty of this profession is while it appears to be repetitive, it does not remain the same. How can we dedicate ourselves to the cause that seems monotonous especially when our right to innovate is taken away? Too often, we define a subject by the course that prescribes it – An English teacher does not teach English, but only the English textbook. Hence, we need to ask ourselves, “What is it that we anchor our professional lives upon?” What we remain connected to as teachers: our subject, our love of our students, our belief that we can change the life of a student, or make a difference in our society—these beliefs, and our answer to the question, “Why are you a teacher?” are closely tied to our own philosophy of life.

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Can children in the Indian classroom be taught to think?

The provocative title of Dr. Ankur Madan's talk, set the stage for a fascinating presentation on the role of creativity in the Indian classroom. Dr. Madan, assistant professor at Christ University, touched upon the learning environment, the role of the learners, and teachers all leading up to the conclusion that “an informed approach can enable children in Indian classrooms to think and express themselves creatively.”

 

Dr. Madan explained that “creativity is possible for any student, in almost any discipline in almost all curricular practices.” Turning to concrete strategies and methods, he emphasized the importance of not compartmentalizing knowledge, but rather how the interdisciplinary approach to learning contributes to and enhances creativity.

 

Ultimately creativity is important because it helps individuals, or groups, find solutions to complex problems. Terms like analyse, evaluate, recognize, distinguish, explore and share help students think in a way that fosters creativity. Thinking can be broken down into three veins: synthetic (creating new ideas and solutions), analytic (asking questions, analysing situations) and practical.

The value of thoughtful, creative students is self-evident and given that students can be taught to think, the lingering question is “how”? What can the classroom teacher do to instil these habits and practices?

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Changing role of a Principal

Mr. Madhav Rao, CEO of Synergy School Systems, who has been the Principal of various Delhi Public Schools branches for several years, spoke on leadership, and in particular how the role of principals has changed over time, he explained that they have gone “from being a leader to that of becoming a servant leader”. As a result, there are numerous challenges they face today.

 

“In today's world, it is important that we involve students.” Since students come from various cultures and backgrounds, it is the principal's role to make sure that they become the part of the culture. When asked how can we make the value of education a part of the curriculum, he responded “We must make the students experience those values and help them fill the gap between what they read in the text book and what they see at home.” He emphasized the importance of leaders delegating their authority and processes in order to devote their time to long-term planning and larger school goals. Teachers, instead, can, and should, be given leadership roles.

 

When asked whether we should experiment with curriculum design, he reiterated that curriculum should be such that it “fosters creativity and imagination and that the foundation years can be experimented with curriculum.” He also said that every school should have an improvement plan for the next five years and which should be reviewed on a regular basis. He said the irony is that with all the holidays and vacations, we teach only for 100 days and expect our students to be world toppers!

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Challenging questions about school education in India

Launching into the conference, the first panel tackled the main theme of the conclave and touched upon achieving school excellence through joy, imagination and innovation.

 

Taking a macroscopic look at the role of teachers, Prof Raja Ram Sharma, Director of CIET and Head of DCETA & NCERT, posed thought provoking questions about what inspires people to enter the teaching profession. “What is it that inspires people to be teachers? They knowingly enter a field where they are tied in knots by seemingly repetitive tasks, a dumbed down syllabus and textbooks with which they may disagree.” Prof Sharma suggests people may become teachers for a number of reasons: a reaction to their own schooling-positive or negative, a confidence in or a love of a subject, or a belief that the individual has the power to change something for the better.

 

Moving to the perspective of the school head, Madhav Rao, CEO Synergy School System, compared his experience as a principal in India to his experience in Dubai. “In India, I stayed in my office and the parents stayed outside by the gate, but in Dubai, I stayed outside by the gate.” Rao, explained that in Indian schools today, “Principals spend 80% of their time on managerial tasks and only 20% on all instructional related tasks. In order to move forward, that ratio needs to switch.' He suggests that schools should shift to being accountable, integrated, dynamic institutions focused on instruction.

 

Voicing students' views, Ahmed of EduExcellence quoted students who described schools as “prison, depressing, military camps, interesting, stressful, second homes.” When asked what makes them happy about school, these students responded with: “friends, emotional connections and attachment to school, simple solutions to problems, good and smiling teachers, platform to showcase talents, freedom with responsibility.” Instead of merely mentioning the disconnect, Ahmed offered suggestions for how to engage students, help them enjoy being in school; and reaching the talk's title, “Creating Entertaining Schools”, he recommended that schools keep tradition and culture alive, help students connect within the classrooms and employ innovative communication methods. Other suggestions as fundamental as planning for free periods and encouraging student participation would make a world of difference in student perception about schools.

 

Exploring the interconnectedness of schools and society, Maya Menon gave a talk entitled “Social Norms Reflect Interaction in Schools.” Schools, as opposed to being shaped by the larger society, are in fact the spaces where society itself is shaped. If we want students to demonstrate certain traits outside of school, they must be taught and nurtured within the school. Just as students will reflect what they have been taught, they will also not embody what they have not been taught. Maya explained that too often schools do not help students demonstrate a respect for human dignity, and to settle for mediocrity, they are not encouraged to question or have deep authentic experiences and yet, as adults and citizens, we cannot expect them to do the same.

 

Maya asked, “Under these circumstances, how can we foster innovation or inventive thinking in a nation that doesn't give enough onus to imagination or risk taking?” In conclusion, she asked the group to attend the workshops and sessions over the three days, observe speakers who are creating new and exciting methods to help schools reach children, encourage them to develop into moral, ethical citizens who are risk takers and not satisfied with mediocrity.

 

Following, Ryan Pinto or Ryan International Group presented how scalability and quality can be integrated into a successful organization. Underlying the presentation was an emphasis on working with existing resources, persevering and remaining true to one's purpose and own values.

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Excellence in School Education Conclave is on!

After much anticipation, the Excellence in School Education Conclave: Leveraging Joy, Imagination and Innovation began on Saturday, 11 November 2011

 

Taking the stage for the inauguration of the event were Maya Menon, Director of The Teacher Foundation, Syed Sultan Ahmed, Director of EduExcellence, Prof. Harish Chaudry, IIT Delhi and Grace Pinto, Managing Director the Ryan International Schools.

 

Following the lighting of the lamp, a few common themes were touched upon by the speakers in their opening remarks. In particular, many spoke about the value of creating and fostering schools where the students themselves are successful and engaged participants, the sense of purpose and vision many teachers feel towards their work with students. However, at the same time, the speakers touched upon the room for growth and upcoming challenges in the way forward. Syed Sultan Ahmed asked the gathering “How can teachers educated in yesterday's schools educate students in today's work for an unknown future of tomorrow?” As the school system evolves how will the system negotiate its reach, inclusiveness and quality. Closing the welcoming remarks, Maya Menon spoke about the need to address the system's shortcomings, not from a cosmetic level, but from a foundational level that creates long-lasting change in the way children are taught. “We need to stop tinkering with superficial remedies, and get back to basics”

 

As the Conclave continues over the next three days, with delegates, speakers and guests from across the country, the question of infusing schools with joy imagination and innovation will be addressed. Among the discussions, debates and presentations, there may be answers and solutions to some of these lingering challenges.

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