Signs of emerging pedagogy

It was Saturday and we had decided to learn some mathematics along with English on this day. I didn't had any maths topic to start with. I showed them a video of a pop-up house in my mobile which I thought they can make on the next day. It required to make four equilateral triangle to form a pyramid shape to make its roof. So this became the topic for the day: How to make an equilateral triangle and what is its basic property. Adil, one of the older child, knew how to make it which he had learnt in his school. He explained his method to me and did it using some geometric tools. Other students followed and tried to understand it. Some (of course) were not interested in this and they kept playing among each other. I wanted all of them to try making it as explained by Adil, since the next day's activity needed it. Two of them tried doing it. Other 3 - 4 weren't much interest.

Next day we started the activity. We decided to make one pop-up house among four children. This time they had to make the equilateral triangle perfectly. In Adil's group he took the initiative of making the triangle. Other's observed it. Other group member's couldn't do it since they were not much interested in it yesterday. But I taught the method again to them. This time they were more attentive. And I reminded them the need of learning maths I was teaching them yesterday. We used measurements in many other parts while making the toy. This was the first time we were precise in making toy and used measurements. Before this I allowed making them bad toys. I was happy that now they must have known the use of mathematics they learn in schools. And I thought I should be more happy that finally I saw the first sign of the pedagogy that I have been striving for from a long time. Of course, it is far from the ideal one which I have in my mind. But I should be satisfied that its process can now be started. 

A calm phase

Last two months seemed to go very slow with respect to any progress in the project. I hardly put much efforts to plan any new things or even the regular activities in the project due to the increasing pressure of academic requirements. Sometimes I couldn't even go to attend the class and was planned and handled entirely by the teacher.

It was satisfying to observe that children and the teacher planned new activities themselves and did it with the same level of enthusiasm as before. Some of my friends also visited the centre and took songs and other toy activities. I realised that I need not be the sole person to decide on the contents of the class. I am responsible more in structuring these activities into proper learning experiences by taking them in a certain manner, which requires a lot of thought and planning. It seems it cannot happen on its own. I was unable to do it and apparently there was no progress about this in the class.

The next steps are to be thoroughly in this direction. I lot of components such as artificial currency, tasks distribution among children had been discarded which I plan to start again with certain changes in them. I am still not sure how would the academic learning will start to take place among the children and what role the teacher will play in it. I think now its time to thoroughly work on the core part of the project i.e. the pedagogy.
Children's summer vacations are soon starting and many of them would be going to their villages they said. I haven't yet decided whether to add more children or not. So, many things are to be planned in coming days.

Some more creativity

Towards the main objective

It has been more than Four months and around fifty sessions with children of Vigyan Khel Ghar. It roughly goes to around 100 hours. I am not sure whether this should be called only the starting or now it has been long time. But I am still far from what I expect to achieve with the children. Though the center is called the 'Vigyan Khel Ghar' or Science Toy House, I haven't touched Science or Maths or any other subjects the way I intended. So I am experimenting different ways of implementing what I had in my mind.

Meanwhile the class size has now reduced to almost half due to various reasons. Some are not coming either due to their change in schedule and class timings not matching, while two have shifted their home to another community. Some seem to have lost the enthusiasm in the activities which they had earlier. Also it was decided that there would be a monthly fees of Rs. 15 for each child, which again made some to leave as they did not want to give the fees. So right now there are around 8 -10 children. Though it is quite possible to add new children, but I have decided not to add any more up to a month until I get free of my academic commitments.

Many things have happened since past month. Various management techniques used in sessions especially the use of artificial currency had been stopped since that seemed to create more chaos due to difficulty in managing them in a more organised way. Also lesser children did not needed such tool. Children had been planning to have a party with snacks, decorations and songs. It was decided to collect money for the same. But slowly due to reducing children and many of them not willing to contribute money it could not happen. However I had been working on another plan meanwhile. Though I can provide money for the party, I didn't wanted to do that and instead utilize this opportunity to motivate them to earn money by selling toys which they made. This ask them to make better and more perfect toys. Here comes the need to learn and apply mathematics concepts and know science wherever necessary. This was another experiment that I wanted to try to motivate since that forms the basis of incorporating hidden learning aspects of toys and is one of the main objectives of the project. With this aim, the children made their first toy of magic fan which was sold to a local balloon seller. Though we are still not sure whether it was sold since we could not meet the guy after that.

I am simultaneously working for training the teacher for managing the sessions. I am giving most of the planning and managing work to her such as deciding the activity and how to conducted it by giving required instructions. Due to lesser children, she is better able to manage and I give her inputs during the sessions itself. I have been able to communicate the learning objectives behind such activities which she wasn't aware earlier.

The focus right now is extracting the learning aspects of the activities by making better and better toys. Due to lesser children, it seems this objective is taking shape as seen from past few sessions. Children have started using measurements in their own way while working. Its now my responsibility to structure it in an organised way.

Children with the 'Magic Fan'