Source: Experiential Learning
To enable students to find meaning through experiential learning, CBSE is promoting art integrated education to make learning joyful.
Joseph Immanuel, director, Academics, CBSE, says “Art integrated education is a pedagogical practice. For example, through Bharatanatyam, teachers can help students understand angles and degrees. These pedagogies make children connect learning with real life. It makes learning joyful and interesting. Art integrated education is not about perfection in art but how to use art to teach a subject.”
End goal
Syed Aliya, Narayana e- Techno School, Chennai, says that Art can be integrated with education in several ways, such as using Art to teach Math concepts or using it to teach about a certain period in History. Art integrated education can be beneficial for both students and teachers, as it can help engage students and make the teaching material more relatable.
Art integrated education is different from art education, adds Aliya. Art is a tool to teach other subjects. In the case of art integrated education, the end goal is to provide new ways of visualising and articulating the concepts. It can develop critical thinking, problem-solving skills, teamwork and better communication, she adds.
Holistic approach
“Using different art forms enables teaching abstract concepts with much ease and interest. Art integration learning helps in the quicker understanding of the topic and also increases the retention capacity of the students. Learning through arts caters to different students possessing different skills of intelligence –naturalistic, spatial, visual, musical, kinesthetic, etc. This will drive a holistic approach and the overall development of students,” says Deepa Rani, head of school, Ekya School BTM Layout, Bengaluru.
Art Education enables students to develop an appreciation of art. “Art education is generally the process of encouraging sensorial explorations involving artistic and creative expression, such as music, drawing, painting, singing, theatre, etc. This can be either scholastic or co-scholastic. It enables students to work with their ideas, and materials in a non-verbal form. In art integration, the various art forms become the centre of the curriculum. It breaks the monotony of teaching, and makes the class interactive and conducive to learning,” says Rani.
She adds that as the learning is more demonstrative in nature, it creates an eagerness to learn, enables students to become more independent and develops 21st-century skills such as expression, creativity, critical thinking, reasoning, problem-solving and collaboration, etc. It leads to the development of leadership, teamwork and competency skills in students allowing them to relate to real-world problems or situations.
“It provides an equitable learning environment for all learners. Every child may not be able to express themselves in the way we want. They can use art in their learning. Every occupation we pursue has the application of art as well as core subject concepts. Be it designing, technical drawing or architecture, marketing and advertisement, or even entrepreneurship, arts experiences boost critical thinking. So it’s time children are given the freedom to learn in the best way that suits them,” says Kavita Nagpal, Principal, Orchids The International School, Masjid Bunder, Mumbai.
Source: Training and Upskilling
The education industry is booming and we have witnessed a profound change in the field of education. Rapid development and skill enhancement for teachers are the need of the hour. Chalkboards have transformed into whiteboards and PowerPoint presentations. Access to new tools and technology has made education convenient across all the platforms. Hence, students have a plethora of material at the tip of their fingers. To provide quality education, students require a guide, and this is where the professional teacher comes into the picture. Teaching is an evolving skill because a good teacher needs to keep on upskilling herself to be able to engage the students productively in the class and ensure the intended outcome in our learners.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted education creating a huge learning gap among students and many teachers. Teachers had to adopt the latest technology and methods to teach online. It was difficult for them to connect with each student emotionally online and understand their problems. Nevertheless, all the teachers acted as saviours during the tough times and guided students adequately. Few initiatives that demonstrate effective teaching in the classroom which will lead to the overall development of Teachers and Students are:
Induction and Orientation Program
It is important to organize induction and orientation sessions for new and existing teaching faculty. The training is provided with an aim to upskill all teachers with the academic year’s priorities. Few key sessions to be included such as;
Continuous Learning Program
It is one of the pivotal parts of the teaching-learning process. Workshop emphasis on updating them with the latest research in the education field. Teachers should be given opportunities to develop their ways of teaching and learning throughout the year. Orientation programs are just a kick-start to this process. Under this, one can conduct various programs mentioned below;
The shortage of skilled and qualified teachers is a major problem that has plagued the education system. Skilled teachers are vital to ensure quality education, promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, and prepare students for a dynamic future. Nowadays, kid-to-professional learners have become smart and hence educators need to be one step ahead. Also, this will further help teachers come up with various teaching methods through the adoption of correct procedures to gain students’ confidence and help them to learn more effectively.
Teaching and learning go hand in hand
Great teachers identify students’ talent and encourage them for a better future. It enhances confidence and skills in the students for engaging with the teachers regularly. Providing workshops and inclusive training will make teachers more productive and give them more time to focus on the student instead of paperwork. Many teachers spend most of their time on student evaluations, curriculum development, and other paperwork in addition to the hours spent on classroom preparation.
Subject Enhancement & Management
Teachers should implement the latest developments related to their subject in their classrooms. For example, a math teacher can use upcoming technology to make learning fun in the classroom such as Globatoria, geometry pad, math playground, dragon box, etc. Tools make it easier for teachers to plan their lessons according to the sessions.
Source: Reading & Writing
An aspiring writer, Class 3 student’s stories are being featured by Singapore journal
While the pandemic affected children’s reading and writing skills as most of them became glued to their phones, for some, it was the contrary. Forced to stay indoors, many kids took up writing to pass the time, with wonderful results.
Eight-year-old Aaryan Vittal , a Grade 3 student of Ekya School , JP Nagar, got into writing stories during the pandemic and his creative story was selected to be republished by the international Borderless Journal , based in Singapore.
Aaryan said that his mother was his inspiration, as she reads a lot of books and also has a mini library in their house.
In the last two years, Aaryan has written five stories and one poem. The wizard who collected blessings’,’ Little fish’, ‘My memorable Vishu celebration’, ‘Ganesh Chaturthi - A letter to lord Ganesha ’, ‘Aachi thaatha - tell me about Pongal’, ‘My first camper van trip’ -- these were some of his creative works.
‘The wizard who collected blessings’ was Aaryan’s first story and it was published by Bookosmia . As the story went viral, it was eventually selected and published on Borderless, an online portal.
“As my mother reads and writes, I also inculcated the same habit. During the pandemic with no offline classes, I was free at home and began to read more and wanted to write. When my first story got published, it made me very happy and I decided to continue writing,” he said.
Borderless is an online journal based in Singapore and was started with a goal of connecting writers and readers beyond boundaries drawn by money, nationality, rituals and cultures.
Aaryan now aspires to become an author. “My favourite author is Liz Pichon , who wrote the Tom Gates series. I would love to be an author in the future like JK Rowling,” he said.
By Iffath Fathima
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