Resource Centers in Govt. Schools: One step closer to the vision

Deenabandhu Teacher Resource Center

Supported by Oracle, through CAF, India

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15 to 25 select Govt. primary schools from every district are awarded INR 25,000/- by the Central Government. This amount is expected to be utilized towards the production of teaching learning materials. All these Schools intend to create a resource center of their own.

Deenabandhu Teacher Resource Center is preparing low cost TLMs since 2006. It has so far produced more than 800 TLMs so far, in Science, Mathematics and Geography. It is also trying to empower Govt. Primary school teachers to create these TLMs on their own through TLM making workshop. These workshops not just focus on preparing TLMs but also elaborate about how and when these TLMs should be used in the classroom with respect to school curriculum. Deenabandhu has become popular in this regard promoting activity based learning not just in Chamarajnagara district but also in many districts around.

About 30 to 35 schools from the Chamarajnagara and Mandya districts have approached Deenabandhu seeking support in creating Low-Cost TLMs for them. Deenabandhu TRC team is actively supporting them in this endeavor. It is a vision of Deenabandhu to make learning in primary schools, an experiential and activity based one in the whole of Chamarajnagara District. We are grateful to this opportunity which will take us one step close towards this vision.

Deenabandhu has become the pole star in the district of Chamarajanagara for all schools and teachers who want to inculcate activity based learning in their teaching. We are happy to guide and support them in this regard to promote science and Maths education in and around Chamarajanagara.

Training teachers for the teachers supported by Azim Premji Foundation

Deenabandhu Teacher Resource Center
Supported by Oracle, through CAF, India
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Azim Premji Foundation has a program to train Govt. school teachers. One such institution is located in Mandya district near Mysore, Karnataka. Through this program the foundation is working towards improving primary school education throughout Mandya district which includes Mandya, Malavalli, Madduru, SriRangapatna, Pandavapura and K.R. Pete taluks.

Deenabandhu Teacher Resource Center is conduction teacher training program since a decade. Currently with the financial aid from Oracle, it is training 162 Govt. primary school teachers. Deenabandhu teacher training program/workshop is very appreciated and well received throughout Karnataka. Many private organizations and education institutions are also approaching Deenabandhu to conduct teacher training program for them in the subject Maths, Science and Geography.

One of the very respected organizations, Azim Premji foundation also approach Deenabandhu to train the Govt. primary teachers of Mandya district. Since June 2016 we have conducted five such workshops for them. Each workshops was for two days.

Apart from conducting workshops for 160 Govt. teachers from 140 different Govt. schools, we have conducted workshops for the following organizations on-demand since June 2016.

Sl. No.	Organization/School	Place	No. of teachers
1	Sri Rama Vidyakula	Yelavala, Mysore	20
2	Suprema Public School	Kalidasanagara, Mysore	25
3	Azim Premji foundation	Mandya	35
4	Azim Premji foundation	Malavalli	32
5	Azim Premji foundation	Madduru	38
6	Azim Premji foundation	Pandavapura	30
7	Azim Premji foundation	Nagamangala	23
8	Trained Graduate Teachers, DIET	Chamarajanagar block	30
9	Sri Ramakrishna Samagra Shikshana Kendra	Bangalore	10
10	Govt. Higher Primary School	Kerehalli, Chamarajanagar	16
11	Govt. Higher Primary School	Devangapete, Kollegal	20
12	Govt. Higher Primary School	Gundlupete block	35

Conclusion :

During these teachers training workshops, Deenabandhu not only enables teachers to prepare their own teaching learning materials (TLMs) but also guides them, how TLMs can be used in the classrooms with respect to the syllabus. This approach makes Deenabandhu teacher training workshops innovative, practical and helps teachers to make children experience concepts of Science and Mathematics. Hence these workshops are successful and Deenabandhu is conduction workshops for various organizations including Azim Premji Foundation.

When teacher blossoms into a resource person!

Deenabandhu Teacher Resource Center

Supported by Oracle, through CAF, India

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Deenabandhu is training Govt. primary school teachers in the district of Chamarajanagar since 2005. Deenbandhu has trained over 800 teachers since its inception. Currently Deenbandhu Teacher Resource Center (TRC) is working towards the professional development of 162 Govt. primary school teachers from Chamarajanagar district in Science and Mathematics. Earlier Deenabandhu TRC was supported by Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) and Navaj Bai Ratan Tata Trust (NRTT). Since April 2015, Deenbandhu TRC is completely supported by Oracle.

Currently 162 Govt. primary school teachers are being trained by Deenabandhu TRC through workshops, discussions, school visits and personal interactions. This story is about two teachers out of these 162 namely Sri Sunil Devkumar and Sri Manjunath.

Sri Sunil Devkumar works as a science teacher at Govt. Higher Primary School, Kesthooru, Yelanduru Taluk, Chamarajanagar. Sri Manjunath works as a science teacher at Kunthooru, Kollegal Taluk, Chamarajanagar. Both of them were introduce to Deenabandhu in 2015. They actively participated in all the workshops conducted by Deenabandhu. They kept continuous contact with Deenabandhu resource persons by visiting the center regularly. They also used to call whenever they needed any clarity with any Teaching Learning Materials (TLMs). They used to borrow TLMs from TRC to use in their schools. These young teachers who used to attend workshops as trainee are now invited by the educational department of Chamarajanagar as Resource persons to conduct similar workshops for other teachers.

Making every teacher a resource person himself is the vision of Deenabandhu. Examples like Sunil and Manjunath are making our visions and dreams come true. This is a very inspiring beginning and we can already see the cultural shift in education of Govt. schools in and around Chamarajanagar.

Changes ignited by the Deenabandhu Science Park

Deenabandhu Teacher Resource Center
Supported by Oracle through CAF, India
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Deenabandhu Science Park has become popular in the district of Chamarajanagar. Many schools keep visiting the park almost every week.

After seeing the success and realizing the usefulness and uniqueness of the Science Park, Deenabandhu has been asked to established similar Science Parks by different primary schools like Jnanasarovara International school, Mysore, Sri Ramakrishna Samagra Shikshana Kendra, Bangalore and Shishumandir, Bangalore at their premises. Boeing, India has also expressed its interest to support such Science Parks in Govt. schools around Chamarajanagar.

Science Park has so far attracted children and teachers from 66 schools since its inception in April 2016. So far science park has attracted 6867 visitors which includes 5481 children and 782teachers. It is attracting teachers and students alike so much that it has inspired other schools to establish their own science parks.

We cannot bring back their lost days but we all together can make their future brighter and safer

Deenabandhu is a charitable Not for profit organization located in Chamarajnagara, one of the very backward districts of Karnataka. Deenabandhu works towards the education and rehabilitation of orphan, destitute and estranged children. To know more about Deenabandhu please watch is 6 mins long video and visit www.deenabandhutrust.org. 

Today we want to share an inspiring story of two brothers, Ullasa and Ananda, who came under the care of Deenabandhu on 31^st December 2014. Ullas was 9 years old and his under sibling Anand was around 7 when they came.

On 23^rd July 2008, when the younger child Anand was just 2 years of age, their mother was gang raped and murdered. Their father who was unable to cop up with the situation committed suicide. Ullas and Anand had lost both of their parents at the tender age of 4 and 2 respectively.

However their paternal Aunt Neelamma and Uncle Nataraju, gave both of them to the custody of Bapuji Children’s Home, Mysore. They kept visiting the children often at Bapuji Children’s home. Due to the health problem of Neelamma, they were unable to visit the children for some time. In the mean time authorities of Bapuji Children’s home and Vatsalya Charitable Trust, Bangalore, with their mutual understanding planned and completed the procedure of inter-country adoption of the children to an Italian couple. Getting to know about this fact Neelamma and Nataraju fought with government and child welfare committee, Juvenile court and finally got the custody of the children. After this incidence children were put under the care of Government Certified school. From there the children were transferred to Deenabandhu.

Thinks started to change gradually with the love and acceptance of Deenabandhu home. Love, care, nutritious food, proper schooling, extra guidance with reading and writing, numerous extracurricular activities, trips, conversations with other children and staff created a huge impact in their minds and hearts. They adjusted very well to Deenabandhu home pretty soon.

 

Anand

Now both of them are one of the top performers in their class. Both picked up the skills to read and write Kannada very quickly. Much faster than average. They both proved to be bright and talented in many endeavors.

Ullas

At Deenabandhu, currently we have more than 73 children like Ullasa and Ananda. All of them have gone through hardships in their lives and here at Deenabandhu, they have all blossomed well. Deenabandhu is working since 1992 and have seen many of its children settle happily. Some are working as journalist, designers, engineers, singers, artists and drivers. Some are self employed and some are working for different industries and Corporates. Most of our alumni keep visiting us and every year they make sure to celebrate Deepavali with their younger siblings here at Deenabandhu home. It is a proof yet again that with love, care and acceptance even the hardest of the wounds can be healed. 

Please join hands with us. We will never be able to bring back their lost days but we all together can make their future brighter and safer. We can enable them to dream and help them to reach higher. Help a child to reach the sky!

 

Inspiring Activity Based Experiential Learning Culture in Rural Govt. Primary Schools.

Deenabandhu Teacher Resource Center

Supported by Oracle

 

Most schools approach teaching through rote learning. Children will not be able to develop conceptual clarity of any subject especially that of science and mathematics through this methodology. Lack in understanding of the concepts hampers the development of a child. Deenabandhu is working to inculcate child centric activity based experiential learning methodology in rural Govt. primary schools through professional development of teachers. 

 

Sri. Ravi with his school children

Science teacher, Sri Ravi Kumar of Govt. Higher Primary school, Arakalavadi, Chamarajanagara is the center of this story. He is working as a science teacher in this school since eight years.

Mr. Ravi was very much interested to teach innovatively. However he confessed that for initial three years after becoming a teacher, he had no guidance regarding, bringing the activity based experiential learning into his classroom. He was clueless about the methodology he should follow to reach and teach children more effectively. 

It was at this time, around five years back, Mr. Ravi was introduced to Deenabandhu TRC through teacher’s workshops. In workshops conducted by Deenabandhu, he not only learnt making various Teaching Learning Materials (TLMs) but also about the way they should be used to bring conceptual clarity in children. As these workshops are designed in-line with state syllabus, he was able to implement whatever he learnt in the workshops directly in his classroom. He could see that children were not only more interested to learn but also developed better clarity of the concepts. He was very much inspired by the teaching methodology followed by Deenabandhu and initiated his own science learning corner at his school. 

Sri Ravi and his resource centre at Govt. Primary School, Arakalavadi

In the previous five years, this science learning corner has developed into a resource center with a collection of more than 300 teaching learning materials. He himself has now developed into a resource person and keeps developing many new TLMs on his own. He is in constant touch with TRC and continues to attend all the workshops conducted by Deenabandhu.

 

Likewise, Deenabandhu has inspired many Govt. primary school teachers around Chamarajanagara, to develop their own learning corners / resource centers in their school. Like Mr. Ravi, most of these teachers are working in rural schools. These learning corners are changing teaching culture in these schools by replacing rote learning with activity based experiential learning. Also when these teachers are transferred to other schools, the same culture begins to blossom in other schools as well. Deenabandhu is indeed changing the culture of education in and around Chamarajanagara and is able to inspire many Govt. schools to follow activity based experiential learning methodology.

 

30th Aug 2016 Deenabandhu Science Park Inauguration

 

 

Deenabandhu Trust has a two acre plot close to Deenabandhu School where science park is established.. Now that Deenabandhu Primary school is upgraded into high school, the significance of Teacher Resource Centre and Science Park are increasingly felt. Deenabandhu Teacher Resource Centre was established in 2002 and has continued to grow. It has a research and development wing engaged and producing innovative Teaching Learning Material (TLM) and has produced over 700 unique TLMs.

Science Park is an extension of the same and consists of life sized play models. It is fun to play with them and at the same time they bring about clarity of the science concept behind the fun experience. This experience coupled with scientific interpretation is critical to the understanding of a science phenomenon.

On 30^thAugust 2016 the science park was formally declared open by Dr. Melli Annamalai, PhD, Principal Senior Product Manager, Oracle, USA. Several of these models were already in use and numbers of school children were given an opportunity to use these amenities.

The park was established with the kind financial support from Oracle The Oracle is also supporting Teacher Resource Centre which endeavours for professional development of teachers in select Government primary schools spread over four blocks of Chamarajanagara district. 160 such primary school science teachers are involved. Science Park consists of more than 25 life sized special science play amenities and children can play and experience the fun. We have play models to show the mechanical advantage of simple machines like lever, inclined plane, pulleys etc. We also have models connected with magnetic levitation and other magnetic phenomenon. There are models connected with optical illusions and persistence of vision and physics of sound. Models showing reflection and properties of light are also erected. All these models are fabricated by a local fabricator who is guided for scientific specificity and precision by TRC staff.

More than 1000 visitors from all parts of Chamarajnagara district visited the Science Park on this day. Over 800 of them were students from different primary and high-school in and around Chamarajnagara. Around 200 teachers and educators also visited the park and the fair. Children were very excited to play with all the models in the park and were equally eager to know why and how it worked!? Teachers were also equally engaged. It again proved that the experiential learning creates deeper curiosity and better ability to grasp.