Collaborative Learning Spaces in Schools – Merely being ‘Cool’?

Collaborative workspaces are fast becoming the norm across corporates and are slowly being imbibed within sectors like education and government across developed nations. The corner office privilege is gradually becoming obscure as companies realise the importance of designing spaces which allow more room for socializing, exchanging of free ideas in an environment more infused with trust and transparency. It’s about the empowering feeling that all are working together for a common purpose. 

Recently, an Australian school, as a first, unveiled a collaborative working space for Teachers which has led to a happier staff and a more conducive and collaborative environment (Refer - http://www.educatoronline.com.au/news/a-collaborative-working-space---for-teachers-201572.aspx). A lot of research has already been undertaken with striking observations on how such human-centred designed spaces have successfully bridged achievement gaps across systems globally. Hence, even as some of these visionary schools have borne unwarranted criticism on attempting to appear ‘cool’, fact remains that such spaces are the need of the hour given that we are grooming the next generation of entrepreneurs, thinkers, artists who need to work amongst each other to understand and deliver together new-age solutions and models.

  

The idea undoubtedly requires a paradigm shift in thinking – Instead of Teaching or Creating being a ‘Learnt’ skill, it needs to be brought about collaboratively. The essence should shift to Team Work and Creativity. And this needs to be ingrained since kindergarten! We have seen much of these benefits on holistic learning at our preschool, which if extended to other similar schools will benefit students to grow into collaborators. There are NO assigned traditional ‘classrooms’ for each division or grade which is in-line with the Kangaroo Kids Education vision of imparting holistic education, keeping in mind different learning styles - Auditory; Visual, Kinesthetic. 

Education is imparted through four ‘Developmental zones’ (Physical, Social Emotional, Cognitive & Language Development and Cooperative Zones) that cater to developmentally appropriate activities based on Brain development of Children. Physical activity Zone affects learning and movement which stimulates connections in the brain. Social/Emotional development is essential for self-awareness and development of healthy self-esteem which is a prerequisite to be a ‘successful’ person. The Cognitive & Language development zone impacts the way children think, develop understanding and apply these to reason and solve problems. The Cooperative learning zone focuses on how children apply the knowledge that they have acquired.

These four zones synergistically impart holistic learning for young minds in order to provide them with the right start early in life. It also leads to Collaboration among Children, Teachers and Amongst Themselves. Of course, for such spaces to thrive there needs to be an amalgamation of synced methodology and curriculum. Every aspect of schools - from infrastructure to activities needs to be designed within the framework of a globally benchmarked curriculum, to encourage diversity and globalisation. This can be achieved by designing an integrated, interdisciplinary and theme based curriculum, sequentially developed to increase in complexity – in the manner corporate workspaces are being designed to stimulate creativity and delve into complexity of tasks.

The focus must be on experiential learning rather than rote memorization to ensure learning is fun and is retained throughout life as happy memories are life-long. Learning, as a matter of fact, must not be limited to the ‘school space’. Activities like field trips, interaction with resourceful people or participating in performances, create episodic memory and emotions trigger the memory of episode. It thus helps learning and openness to receiving knowledge, training, and experiences in later working life – as a professional. Corporate workshops/seminars are devised increasingly to bring about learning together with activities like Learning centres and Circle time (by sitting in a circle everyone is visible to everyone like collaborative spaces where each one’s participation is important) which helps create an environment conducive to real consultation, shared responsibility and decision making. 

In fact most evolved preschools have already implemented such, understanding the importance of helping the future learners grow and contribute seamlessly as professionals. We then wouldn’t need to pump in so much money to retrain graduates, postgraduates to make them industry-ready! In this Conceptual Age, we need to ensure every learning space across K-12 and universities adapt to the collaborative-space designing model to effectively deploy and ingrain learning as do industries to tap learning at workspace. Else, we will keep reeling in the mismatch of the relevance of knowledge retained and the essential skill-sets required of an expert professional in the 21^st century.

Reviving Traditional Sports

In India, if one were to ask any child (or person) his/her favourite sport/game, the answer will usually be cricket (of course, now there are the likes of angry birds too in contention!). The recently concluded IPL mania is a testament to that fact. Cricket is almost a religion in India, having gained its status unfortunately though at the expense of other sports. Except for some sporadic feats, the country’s sporting progress over the last five plus decades has been dismal. In fact, various traditional Sports and Games (like khokho, kabbadi, malkham) that once had its roots entrenched within our country might soon just represent an obituary in the annals of our sporting legacy. 

It’s for this reason that we need to cheer the launch of the newly launched Pro Kabbadi League which will surely be a shot in the arm for improving awareness, re-establishing the status of such traditional sports while also acknowledging the skills of the sportspersons. Personally, it also touched a special chord with the sheer coincidence of the league being announced with our decision to introduce Kabbadi within the SPA curriculum at our preschool (placing us among a handful of leading preschools to do so, nationally). 

Perhaps it was a tryst with destiny that I attended a presentation by Charu Sharma, the co-founder of the Pro kabbadi league at the prestigious college of design – ISDI, while I was toying with the idea. My thoughts got wings and I decided to go ahead with introducing Kabbadi, a sport that is in our DNA, as Charu Sharma puts it.  

 

Kabaddi might not rank as the most popular sport but the skill sets required to play the sport extends beyond that required just during the game.  It is a combative team game and everyone is a part of winning and losing unlike some other sports where one or two players can help the team to win or lose. Also the use of 'Yog' - mind body, soul and self -control forms an important part of Kabbadi. 

In fact, such skills are best inculcated in young tots since it not only helps in the holistic development of the child but sharpens children's skills and will power. Since Yog is an integral part in Kabbadi, it helps in overcoming anxieties, developing focus, presence of mind, observing smallest details while inculcating the right spirit of playing the sport.  The benefits of Kabbadi are too many and often surpass other games/sports due to its nature of developing the mind, the body and the spirit. We have observed children have benefited tremendously in terms of developing controlled speed, presence of mind, stamina, team work, discipline, loyalty. For all its benefits, Kabbadi is extremely simple.  It is easy to comprehend rules and doesn’t require any sophisticated equipment. It is also very popular in developing nations and can be practiced by all. 

We had the challenge of course to change the mind-sets of parents and even teachers into believing in the benefits of traditional sports (we had introduced khokho in the last bit last year) but through persistent and constant interaction we have been successful in showing each stakeholder the value these kinds of games can have about for the children, our youth and our country. In the coming years, we will strive to spread the benefits of such sports and can only hope other schools also help in taking this forward collectively. We must all work toward that day when such jewels in our sporting legacy find the rightful place and well-deserved respect at international prestigious tournaments.

.

I Know What You Did Last Summer!

I recently overheard one young mother tell the other about the summer camp activities she had enrolled her 3.5 year old daughter in. ‘Thank god for the summer camp Trisha has been attending. What do they do whole day at home but watch TV or play with a smartphone?’ The other lady, who was strolling with her infant, seemed a tad mortified. ‘But where did we go to any such camps? Isn’t carefree playing also important? Won’t a two-month break from school actually help?’

I smiled to myself as I quickly darted across the street. Both mothers had a point which echoes in the mind of most parents. It is true. Summer vacations have assumed a different purpose and identity of its own! No longer is it synonymous with a complete break from school or idle pastime. It is almost the norm nowadays to enroll the child into a summer camp.  Even before the end of an academic year, announcements of various summer school activities have parents scurrying for the best choice. While for older children it would of course do good to heed to their preferences, how do you choose a good program for a pre-schooler? Or do you even opt for one?

Ideally, summer vacations must be best used for experiences that a child wouldn’t perhaps be accustomed to. A vacation, trips to the museum, spending time with other children or relatives, having idle fun, browsing through books, traveling in public transport, doing any activity of interest or plain lazing around. However, with increasing work pressure and enhancing lifestyles parents aren’t able to spend that quality time to direct their child’s interests or help in diffusing their energy. 

Children, especially younger ones, come with very short attention spans. They move on from one activity to the other in the blink of an eye.  Unfortunately, the only thing which perhaps keeps their attention while also (over)stimulating their minds and are readily available these days are tech gadgets. The iPhone/iPad or it is the television. This is perhaps the saddest outcome of the technology obsessed generation. The only cows or goats or horses we interact with are the ones played on Farmville on FB! Everything is digital. Unfortunately, the learning in only this form of media is extremely limited and sometimes even damaging.  Numerous research studies have proved it. 

I am not totally against using digital media and it has its benefits in learning when used judiciously and in a relevant manner, but learning through hands on experience is irreplaceable. When it comes to socialising with people or getting dirty to understand how a plant grows from a seed or playing with the flour to make dough or watching water metamorphose through its three stages. It is here that well-thought, developmentally appropriate and fun programmes come into the picture. 

I also cannot stress enough that even when selecting summer camps, it is imperative to take into account not just the child’s interests but also if the program is developmentally appropriate for the child. Having fun is absolutely essential but hygiene, safety and a good, researched framework against which such activities are designed are critical. 

Of course, it cannot be denied that there is no substitute for parental attention and involvement. That must be the number one priority. Skip the camp but get ready to get down on your knees, be a child and rediscover the world with your child again, and not just this summer!

When Preserving Sanity becomes a Privilege!

Last week, a professor of a Ghatkopar college shot himself dead on the campus. While the reasons haven’t been clearly stated, reports mentioning him to be withdrawn, aloof, not participating in any extra-curricular activities/events paint a melancholic personality; perhaps suffering from a depressive disorder. It is also notable that none of the students or faculty members sensed anything was amiss the day he took his life.

Mental health disorders are a silent killer. And especially in the teaching profession, such cases are on a rapid rise with stressful working conditions, poor paying scales, almost nil personal time and nonstop responsibilities especially with the corporatisation of the education sector. Ironically enough, the nature of job is also as such that teachers can’t afford to get depressed!

Students look up to teachers and respect a calm and confident exterior. Teachers are the primary guardians of the children at school with the most important role of shaping young minds. Their temperament needs to be humane, patient, encouraging. Each period or session needs to be delivered spot on since that it might be the only time the topic will be dealt in so much detail. If you are a preschool teacher, there is the added stress of looking out for communicating and relating to 20-25 odd children, each of whose communication skills and means vary! To add to this, there isn’t any fixed bracket of symptoms to ascertain if one is suffering from depression.

Depressive disorders come in different forms and are manifested differently. The 3 most common types are major depressions, dysthymia and bipolar disorder. Major depression is manifested by a combination of symptoms that interfere with the ability to work, study, sleep, eat and enjoy pleasurable activities once pursued. Not everyone depressed experiences every symptom. The severity of symptoms varies from person to person and also over time. Hence, spotting depression isn’t an easy task as spotting a fever or a cold or a headache! There are trained doctors and specialist counsellors who can spot one. And yet in India, we hardly acknowledge the need to visit a psychologist or psychiatrist, partly due to social stigma of being seen as ‘mad’.

Depression can also affect children. In such a situation, a child may pretend to be sick, refuse to go to school, cling to a parent, or worry that the parent may die. Older children may sulk, get into trouble at school, be negative, grouchy, and feel misunderstood. Because normal behaviours vary from one childhood stage to another, it can be difficult to tell whether a child is just going through a temporary "phase" or is suffering from depression. If there has been a marked change in behaviour and physical ailments have been ruled out, it would do good to get the child evaluated by a mental health professional.

A training session on Narrative therapy at Ummeed

As in the case of physical ailments, it is critical to catch a mental ailment early on since a simple depression can turn into a major one, later on in life. Schools must mandatorily check the mental health of teacher/staff regularly as we do for any health certificate. We must work actively not only to promote mental health awareness programmes, but it is the need of the hour for each school to appoint an in-house certified mental health professional or counsellor for students and teachers in each school. One of the ways to work on depression is to 'externalize' the problem, a technique used in narrative therapy which has often been associated with good humour & playfulness as well as careful & thoughtful practice. It is best summarised as 'The Person is not the problem but the problem is the problem'.

I have had the privilege of attending the one-of-its-kind ‘Mental Health Training Programme’, at Ummeed Child Development centre which is doing commendable work to train professionals from all fields of society like teachers, heads of institutions, professionals dealing with children, adults, doctors, developmental paediatricians, social workers. It’s a speck in the ocean but at least a START somewhere… Preserving sanity isn’t a privilege but is a necessity!

Saina, Sania, Shreya – The New Age Princesses

Yay! We have much reason to cheer the growing spotlight on the impact dynamic, feisty, young and empowered women are having on our society. Shreya singhal, a gritty 21 year old is being considered an international hero for her fight against a draconian law that allowed people to be jailed for online posts found to offend the so-called sensibilities of any moral or religious or national brigade. The Supreme Court just struck down section 66A of the IT Act and its achievement solely goes to Shreya who chose to do something about it rather than just rant on Facebook. The country also cheered Saina Nehwal on as she went on to be the first Indian woman to be ranked as the number one world woman badminton player. It was also the month when Sania Mirza grabbed her spotlight by bettering her world doubles ranking. 

Of course each of their victories isn’t an attribute of their gender and shouldn’t be showcased as one but it shows the remarkable times of the changing mind sets of viewing and defining the role of a woman. For any society to progress, each individual must contribute and must be empowered. How can any nation progress when half of its population is expected to lead a life in the background? We have been talking of inclusion since the time we achieved independence but we have yet to really take each child and walk ahead, make realise each family to support and take the other ahead.     

If there is a common thread that has undoubtedly helped Sania, Saina, Shreya and other such successful women reach their potential, it is their family – the support, encouragement, acceptance and understanding extended.  This isn’t rocket science of course. We have the privilege of witnessing the changing dynamics of rearing daughters at our school too. A confident child, especially a girl, come from the most encouraging and unbiased family set ups. You know that the parent values the child, her opinion, her dreams as against looking at her in terms of a liability. We now have parents who rejoice at hearing that they have been blessed with a girl, their princess, and leave no stone unturned to empower them. 

Our little princesses shone at our annual concert ‘A Twist in Time with Cinderella’. We also had a spectacular display of talent by the girls and boys of Teresa Humanity Foundation (an NGO teaching street children) with whom we have associated with. While we always ensure the children from TOHF participate in all our curriculum-related events ever since we partnered with them, this one was special since it was for the first time they got to share the stage with other students at such a huge platform. It wasn’t just their parents who cheered the most for them but each of our parents. And so, it is true that when we look at bringing about change, we need to look at every stakeholder and involve him/her in the process. It begins with every family. And I believe, the change has begun.

The notion of raising a daughter is changing. Now, we are looking at raising princesses who can slay dragons by themselves rather than rely on a shining armoured knight. These are our Sanias, Sainas, Shreyas of the future - who will propel a country, that revers the feminine energy not just in temples but at their own homes. Let’s get set to paint our towns ‘pink’! Let's rejoice this 'Twist in Time'!