Crafting innovation

'New Education – New Directions' displays new methods that can be used to enhance the education system

The aim of every education system must ideally be to let the child learn, rather than teach him," says Ashwini Godse, training head at Grammangal NGO. The NGO has organised an exhibition of various innovative tools for learning and teaching aids called 'New Education––New Directions' at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch from November 19 to 22. The purpose of the exhibition is to create awareness about quality teaching and learning through tools that add an element of enthusiasm, fun and independent learning in the in the children. Art and craftworks done by the children as a part of their learning assignments are displayed in separate sections that are divided according to subjects.

Different stalls in the exhibition feature a variety of educational games and other interactive crafts. The exhibition hall buzzes with children pointing out their work or observing the work of their fellow students, all of whom were engaged in learning something new.

A drawing features a gorilla throwing a banana peel into a dust bin marked with the recycle symbol, shows how the idea of recycling is demonstrated to the children. Another picture drawn by the students shows the ways of road safety and how one must use zebra crossing to cross the road. "Once the children are given these projects, the idea stays with them and they tend to relate to it more deeply. Even though it is taught by their teachers, these activities of drawing and making something on your own helps them learn in their own way," says Godse.

There is another section titled 'Bal Nagri' where children are encouraged to use their imagination to build whatever they want with blocks and other objects provided to them in a huge box. A memory game designed for the children, enhances their sensory and mathematical abilities. A section of the exhibition showcases the work done by the NGO, and helps parents and teachers understand the concept of constructivism in education more comprehensively. "We work with children upto Class 10. We have displayed work done through various projects. In Vikas Ghar, a school support program, we organise two-hour classes for children who do not have a clear grasp over fundamentals concepts in mathematics, science and vernacular languages. We use interactive teaching aids and make it as fun as possible," he says.

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