Creative Notes

Here,at The British School,Sector 44,Chandigarh,after Delhi and Pune,she informs about the two-day training session she’ll be conducting for the teachers here in collaboration with Achievers Programme. “My emphasis is on identifying problems rather than jumping straight to the solution. One has to refect on what he/she is going to do and why. This will instill more thinking habits and help the students come out with creative answers,” she reasons,also talking about the importance of inculcating research skills in teachers so that they can engage in a ‘monitoring-evaluating-revising’ cycle of action rather than the tried and tested ‘chalk and talk’ method. “We need to find out what grips the student’s attention and for this there is no universal formula,for what may suffice for one class may fail in another,” points out Dr Lyle.

She feels that rather than snubbing students we need to help them question the assumptions and values. “And based on their feedback,data needs to be collected as and when required,” Dr Lyle also promotes sharing stories and documentation and that’s the reason,on the first day of workshop,she stresses on the “true meaning of learning — think,pair,share”. “We ask teachers to find their own activity. For instance,we have a photograph activity,wherein individuals will have to choose six photographs that can represent learning to them. The idea is to know how the group views learning,develop a common vocabulary about learning,demonstrate a research method and talk about three different models of learning — being taught,individual sense-making and knowledge as part of doing things with others,” chips in Mona Sethi,Director of the school,as Taranvir Guron of Achievers Programme nods in agreement. “The idea is to promote six R’s in teachers — resilience,robustness,reflection,reciprocity,respect and responsibility,and to bring technology and creative learning at one platform.” Are you prepared!