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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
