ART INTEGRETATED LEARNING

IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION THROUGH CHILD PARTICIPATION ANDCREATIVE PROGRAMS.

INTACH

Jammu & Kashmir

Chapter

Project OutlineNational Curriculum Framework 2005 lays down the following guiding principles.

Connecting knowledge to life outside the school;

Ensuring that learning shifts away from rote method;

Teaching should aim at enhancing children’s natural desire to learn.

Knowledge needs to be distinguished from information, and teaching needs to be seen as a professional activity, not as coaching for memorisation or as transmission of facts.

Activity to be the heart of the child’s attempt to make sense of the world around him/her.

Enriching the curriculum so that it goes beyond textbooks.

Kashmir Scenario

The social infrastructure in Kashmir remained under tremendous stress due to disturbed conditions resulting in major disruption in the social fabric.

The children who were born and raised in this environment faced the brunt and remained at the mercy of the unsettling times.

The overall growth of the children as also the education system was hampered impacting their psychological, educational and physical processes of growth.

There was the loss of creative expression, self esteem resulting in lack of confidence in their prospects of life.

The children were also exposed to prevailing fear and anxiety in the society.

INTACH’s Initiatives

In 2009, INTACH, J&K implemented a pilot project in Kashmir valley in collaboration with the Directorate of School Education and University of Kashmir with 50 school children from Kashmir.

A residential workshop was organised aiming at exploring and enhancing the learning skills of the children through the medium of theatre, painting, creative writing, video and photography.

The participating children also undertook projects on the basis of the methodologies that were evolved in the workshop.

This project was a major success in achieving the purpose of learning outside the school/textbook system and encouraged to look for a more sustained engagement with the schools.

Outcomes

After deliberations with the experts, education professionals and the support institutions, a three year continuous engagement starting from June 2012 with schools has been proposed.

The project is supported in terms of knowledge and funding by Sir Dorabji Tata trust.

Project Goal

“The Project’s goal is to improve quality of learning opportunities available to childrenand enable them to broaden their horizons

and make schools a positive experience”

Project Objective

Development of new child centred creative learning methodologies.

Improved and creative environment in schools.

Development of life skills and self-confidence in children.

Increase participation of children in education and awareness on creative arts and education as a career option.

Flow of the Project

Preparatory activities: The project would take forward the gains from the pilot phase by working with selected government schools. The proposed phase covers 2 districts in Kashmir, namely Kupwara and Srinagar and 2 districts of Jammu division, Jammu and Rajouri.

In each district 25 schools have been selected where intensive activities have been planned. The project aims at coverage of 5000 children in the 4 districts.

Flow of the Project

Orientation workshop with school teachers to arrive at a work-plan. In addition, the curriculum, resource material is also formalized for feedback from teachers.

The training of teachers being undertaken by experts at the district level. A resource team constituted to undertake structured activities in consultation with school authorities.

First workshop for initialising the project (05 – 07 July 2012)

“Improving the quality of education through child participation & creative

programs”

Key Participants

Mr. M. Saleem Beg, Convenor INTACH Prof. Anita Rampal, Delhi University Mr. Vinod Raina; BGVS, Bhopal Mr. Anil Jain; Head Pedagogy, SSA J&K Mr. Nazir Ahmad Kanth Mr. Rafiq Ahmad, DIET Sgr Ms. Athar Zia, WS Asssistant Dr. Aziz Hajjni, Kashmir university Mr. Ghulam Mohammad Makroo Mr. Mohammad Amin Mr. Bashir Ahmad Dar, Education Department

Objectives of the Workshop Exposing the participants to the general problems

that are impacting the whole school system.

Faulty structuring of topics and non conformity of the local content in text books.

The objectives of National Curriculum framework and how these can be adapted.

Some case studies and experiences from the resource persons on the subject.

Identifying the inadequacies in the education system at the school level.

Comments from the experts

Vinod Raina:

Quoted Dr. B. D. Sharma, who facilitated the working of the program.

“ MP ke education ki haalat itni buri hai ki aur koi isse zyada kharab nahi kar

sakta…..”

….continued

Challenging the current examination pattern, Hoshanabad Science Teaching Program (HSTP) stressed on the need to innovate assessment programs which no longer become a test of memory, but understanding.

In 1994, ‘Learning without burden’, a committee was set up at NCERT. Mentored by Prof. Yash Pal, the report of the committee stressed on learning while simultaneously relieving children of psychological and physical burden.

….continued

Home and the environment are important for learning and must complement the school education. The void between the two creates a conflict.

The most important thing in learning is language. We should recognise the potential of a child who learns language at his home without any formal education. This potential is what needs to be fully harnessed.

….continued

A child should be the constructor of knowledge in cultural and linguistic background rather than just be the recipient of information.

Art and culture can be used as a powerful means to change the education system of J&K.

Impatience is not permitted in the process of teaching.

Learning has to be both on the part of teacher as well as the student, as the process go hand in hand.

Anita Rampal

Teachers frame syllabi as per their free will, and don’t understand what is it that a child wants to learn. Students are blamed for their rote learning methods.

Children should relate their experiences on a larger socio-cultural canvas. They should be exposed to concepts like inclusiveness, diversity, gender sensitization, marginalised communities. This is an essential life skill.

….continued

With the new NCF syllabi and textbooks we see various questions that demand personal answers. Thus, children immediately relate it to their lives and then construct their own knowledge.

In order to breakdown the deep sense of math anxiety, it is crucial to place mathematical concepts in a real life context as for example has been done in the class 4th (NCERT) chapter, “ Building With Bricks”

M. Shafi Rather

We have large percentage of students who are suffering from psychosomatic disorders because of the present education system.

The children prefer to stay and study at home as the schools have lost their esteem and position in a society.

Existing education system should first be demolished and then the process of reconstruction can begin.

Conclusions

Based on the interaction of the three days of the workshop, the

following conclusions were drawn.

It will be ideal that the program is implemented on continuous basis in each school. This will ensure that all aspects of the program are absorbed by the students and they are able to pick up and transact the skills acquired in the workshops;

The teachers are also expected to do their own follow ups on the basis of workshops and school training of the program.

Activities – Visual Art

Activity 1Collage  Step 1Ask the students to bring some newspapers or magazines from home. Step 2Select a theme for the students. Step 2Ask the students to cut the images from the magazines/newspapers

according to the theme. Step 3Now the students will paste the images on the drawing sheet and make a

composition. Step 4Discuss the composition with the students and enable them to

understand how it could be made better and more understandable. 

Activities – Visual Art

Activity 2 Wall painting

Step 1Students will choose a wall within school campus.

Step 2Clean the wall and ask the students to white wash the selected wall.

Step3Give the water proof paint of different shades to the students. Step 4Now ask them to paint collectively the wall without any preliminary

drawing.(Try to associate your strokes with other students in your group)

Activities – Visual Art

Activity 3 Stray Object

Step 1

Ask the students to collect the things which interest them, around their locality and bring them into the school campus.

Step 2 Each student will select some objects from the collected material

Step 3 Think of the possibilities and alter these objects into multiple forms/shapes, keeping in mind balance and harmony.

Step 4 Now display these sculptures in the campus.

Activities – Visual Art

Activity 4Installation Art with Trees

Trees as Natural Sculptures

Step 1 Ask the students to make groups. Step 2 Each group will select a tree.

Step 3 Each group will collect the material like- flowers, fruits, seeds, leaves, cloth, paper etc.

(Material associated with the tree.)

Step 4

Now decorate the tree with the selected material.

EARTHQUAKE

EARTHQUAKE

FOUR SEASONS OF KASHMIR

KITCHEN

MY SCHOOL

POVERTY

PROTESTS IN KASHMIR

STRIKE IN KASHMIR

TRADITIONAL BUILDINGS

TRAFFIC JAM

Activities – Theatre

Theatre of the oppressed by ArnoldA group of Children from different schools work on a ten (10)day program for 1 ½ hrs daily under the following segments:

Introduction to each other

Physical games / Stage Craft.

Mental Games or ice breaking session through different games.

Improvisation.

Discussions

Screen / Outdoor Practical:

Activities – Theatre

Session 1: Introduction through a game called Name & Impression Game

Session 2: Different Games related to theatre and Stage Craft like Mask-making will be taught to the students.

Session 3: Mental Games / Ice Breaking Session through different Games

Three Questions Game The Pocket/Purse Game The Talent Show Sense Games or Signal Games Circle of Friends Game

Activities – Theatre

Session 4: Improvisation / Play Building - all the students choose their topic from their different text books for musical exercises.

Session 5: Discussion - all the students share their experience of the day to day exercises.

Session 6: Screen/ Outdoor Practical: This session is for two days including a theatre day and outdoor day to observe the environment.

Activities – Creative WritingActivity 1 Your Heritage

Geography Are the rocks/stones found nearby How are rocks formed What material is used to construct the building

Architecture/Geometry What is the shape of building Draw sketch of the building Define Arch, Pillars, Brackets, Dome

Activities – Creative WritingHistory When was the building built? Who built it? Are there any stores associated to it?

Language Write a Biography of the Historical

Personality associated with it. Using historical facts and imagination to

write an essay on the life of people who lived when the building was built.

Activities – Creative WritingEnvironment What are the natural surroundings of the

building? What type of flowers, vegetation and

stones/rocks are found in the surroundings.

Undertake cleaning drive in the area.Art Are there any paintings and murals in

the building What are other Arts associated with it

Activities – Creative WritingActivity 2An open activity

Ask students to write on any topic of their choice and complete it within half an hour.

Interact with students individually regarding the topic they have selected.

Discuss with students regarding how their essay could be made more attractive and meaningful.

Discuss regarding modifications needed, if any, in their piece of writing.

Activities – Creative WritingActivity (3)Travel from Home to School

Ask students to write one or two pages on the topic.

Help the students by giving clues like: What they observe one the way to School. Are there any difficulties which they face regularly

or occasionally on way to School? What should be or/and what should not be there. What kind of facilities they want for students for

smooth schooling.

Activities – Creative WritingActivity (4)Interaction with a Friend

Ask students if they have been to a friend’s home in recent past.

What did they share/discuss during the meet? What was the main topic of discussion and why. What did the student enquired from his friend,

what was his reaction and vis-i-versa. Ask students to write down the whole

interaction.

Activities – Creative WritingActivity (5)Poetry

Give students 1st line of a simple verse from 3rd, 4th, or 5th primary book.

Ask them to write down 2nd line of the verse of their own that should.

Make a condition that the 2nd line of the verse should be different from that of book.

Help students by elaborating 1st line so that they will try to create 2nd line of the same thought.

Discuss main requirements of a verse or poem.

Activities – Creative WritingActivity (6)Visit to a Garden

Take students to a nearby garden. Let them roam for one hour. Ask students to observe each and every thing of

the garden very minutely. Gather the students at a central point within the

garden. Ask the students to pen down whatever they have

observed in the garden. Ask the students to try to write down their

observations in Poem/Prose forms.

Activities – Creative WritingActivity (7)Eid/Holy

Ask students to write down: What special they have planed for Eid/Holy? How they are going to celebrate this festival? What kind of dishes they will have to taste on

Eid/Holy? What do they feel most loving thing on this

day and why.

Activities – Creative WritingActivity (8)Traditional Utensils

Ask students to enquire from grand parents: What were the merits and demerits (if any)

of traditional utensils including clay pots. What types of traditional utensils are being

used at your home even today? What are the reasons that traditional

utensils are not common today.

Activities – Creative WritingActivity (9)Visit to a Heritage Building

1. Take students to a nearby Heritage building.

2. Take a class of all students there and tell them geographical, Historical, Environmental and artistic features of the said building.

3. Let them observe keenly every aspect of the building and write it down on notebook.

Activities – Creative WritingActivity (9)Visit to a Water body

The students may first identify the water body then choose to study.

How did it get its name? Has it always been called by the same name.

Next the students are to identify its source and the course of its travel, as in the case of rivers.

Discuss the role of this water body in present day life, its importance to animals, plants and local people.

Study with the students what has affected the water and its original natural habitat.

After discussing all the aspects ask students to write down one or tow pages n it.

Activities – Creative WritingActivity (10)Visit to a Museum

Share with students why it is important to visit Museums. Museums usually represent some of the finest creative

achievements of human beings that belong to every one. Museums offer direct experiences with objects that we

may otherwise see only in books. Museums contribute to our knowledge of who we are. Museums can foster the creative potential of a country. Museums offer an informal environment for learning.

Activities – Creative WritingActivity (11)Visit to a Handicraft Centre

Take the students to a handicraft centre. Make them watch the craft keenly while the craftsman

is on job. Ask students to enquire from the craftsman the

different stages of craft making. Ask students to enquire regarding infrastructure and

material required for the craft. Ask students to note the important points on a note

book. Next ask students to write down an essay on the said

handicraft.

Activities – Creative WritingActivity (12)My House

Ask students to enquire from elders of their families as follows:

How many years old is their house building. What type of material has been used to construct the

building. Ask students that how they use different parts or rooms of

their house. Ask students to observe specifications of their house and

surroundings. Ask students if they have Kitchen garden at home and who

look after it. Next ask students to write down the information they have

collected at home.

The implementation module for the proposed activities is as under

Creative Volunteers (Resource) Teachers trained at SIE & DIET of respective districts

INTACH/ School Education Deptt J&K

Fine Arts Educational

Theatre

Creative

Writing

Child

Psychology

Photography Career

Counseling

25 Schools x 4 Districts

Thank you