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Presentation by Ajith Basu at School Choice National Conference 2013
Citation preview
Sparking ‘creativity’ in rural India through hands-on Science education
www.agastya.org
1
SCHOOL CHOICE NATIONAL CONFERENCEDec 2013, New Delhi
Ajith Basu Chief Program Executive
ABOUT AGASTYA
MINDS-ON vs. HANDS-ON
or
MINDS-ON + HANDS-ON
shiksha . samskara . sansara
Which route?
3
“Education does not mean knowledge of the alphabet. This type of knowledge is only a
means to education. Education implies a child’s learning how to put his mind and all his senses to good use. That is to say, he really learns how to use his hands, feet and other organs of action
and his nose, ear and other organs of sense.”
(Gandhiji, Navajivan, 2 Jun 1929)
Gandhiji on Education!
4
“I would develop in the child his hands, his brain and his soul. The hands have almost atrophied.
The soul has been altogether ignored. I therefore put in a plea…. For correcting these
grave defects in our education.”
(Gandhiji, Young India, 12 March 1925)
Gandhiji on Education!
ABOUT AGASTYA
WHOLISTIC RESPONSE MECHANISM
shiksha . samskara . sansara
focus of education…?
THINKING RESPONSE …
vs.
ABOUT AGASTYA
shiksha . samskara . sansara
focus of education…?
WHOLISTIC
RESPONSE
MECHANISM
7
Introduction to‘Agastya’
Link:http://youtu.be/ZgDyZUObt5w
3 min. film
shiksha . samskara . sansara
AGASTYA VISION
Creators
Tinkerers
Solution - seekers
Humane
Anchored
Connected
Creative Rural India
AGASTYA VISION
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• Uninspiring
• Rote-based learning discouraging creativity
• Lack of hands-on methods of teaching & learning
• Lack of school labs & access to quality education
KEY PROBLEMS IN INDIAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM KEY PROBLEMS IN INDIAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
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KEY PROBLEMS IN INDIAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
A MOVEMENT TO TRIGGER
WHOLISTIC RESPONSE MECHANISM,
“NATURAL INTELLIGENCE”
IN A CHILD !
shiksha . samskara . sansara
UMA’S STORY
earning Rs. 3,000 (USD 75) per month
SELF RELIANTADULT
Higher income
Career in engineering, electronics, software…
UMA’S TRANSFORMATION
• Makes school visits to campus Creativity Lab• Participates in summer camp project-based learning• Engages in Mobile Lab sessions at her school• Participates as Young Instructor in Science Fairs• Becomes member of Young Instructor Leader program
Pursuing degree in Electronics & Communications Engineering
(first in her family to do so)
LOW INCOME FARMING FAMILY
Gutharlapalli School, A.P.(near Agastya Campus) – headmaster takes personal interest in her progress
“I will train and motivateother children in my village”
Recycles skills to her village
Sustainabledevelopment
Sparked curiosity Improved learning Increased confidence Interest in science Motivation to succeed
“ After my experience at Agastya I am not afraid to speak anymore”
87 % in Class Xschoolexams
PRESENT
FUTURE
(2013)
ATTENDS VILLAGE SCHOOL
ENTERS CITY COLLEGE
THE AGASTYA EXPERIENCE
3
1
2
45
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UMA’S STORY
YIL
5 million Schoolchildren, Dropouts
150,000 Teachers
Parents &Community
Government
Investors/Donors
Media
ResourcePersons
100 %0.2%
Young Instructors
2 % 3 %
NGOs
shiksha . samskara . sansara
Partners
AGASTYA’S STAKEHOLDERS
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AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESS
Mobile Lab
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Taking science to the village doorstep….
AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
Whydo things act a certain way?
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AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESS AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
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80 Mobile Labs
AGASTYA’S INFRASTRUCTURE
Lab-on-a-bike (Pilot)
Lab in a Box
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School teachers embracing hands-on learning
AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
How can I understand things I cannot see?
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AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
Science Center
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Resource hubs for the community
AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
How do I know if what I’m doing is right?
20
AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
30 SCIENCE CENTERS
Workshops
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Interactive, project-based activities
AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
How do I use what I know?
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AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
Science Fairs &Young Instructor
Program
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Leveraging peer-to-peer learning
AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
How can I spread to others, what I know?
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AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
AGASTYA KIDS WIN IRIS - Intel NATIONAL SCIENCE AWARDS
Agastya’s children win IRIS-INTEL national awards for scientific innovation
Rani and Roja
Supriya and Dharani
Hari and Murali
The Cooling Effect of Leaves (2008)
The Best Oil for Lamps (2009)
Conservation of Energy through Dry Leaf Pads
(2009)
Poornima & Nandini along with Prashanth & Ganashekar
Innovative Fire Extinguisher System & Renewable Energy to Increase Efficiency
of Solar Panel with Plant Extracts (2010)
COLLABORATORS AND ACHIEVEMENTSContd.
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Santosh Banakar
Poornima
Gunashekhar
AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
How do I change the world?
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AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
Innovation Fairs
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Seeking solutions to real-world problems
AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
How can I build things of value?
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AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
National
Platforms
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Commitment and effort towards long-lasting change
AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
Creativity Labs
ScienceActivity Centers
MiniScience Centers
Mobile Labs
STATE
DISTRICT
TALUK
20(1 per State)
600(1 per District)
3600(6 per District)
6000(10 per District)
Lab-in-a-Box
Present coverage – 12 statesNational-wide scale-up model presented to Prime Minister
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AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
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School System
School System
School System
Core ScienceCentre
School System
Mini Science Centers
Mini Science CentersMobile Labs
Mobile Labs
APEX Campus RAICHUR
50
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HUBLI-DHARWAD
SHIMOGA
Core ScienceCentre
Core ScienceCentre
BAGALKOT BIJAPUR
BIDAR
Core ScienceCentre
Pilot project - Ecosystem in Karnataka State
AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
Transforming Attitudes to Learning
‘Yes’ to ‘Why’ ‘Looking’ to ‘Observing’
‘Passiveness’ to ‘Exploring’ ‘Textbook-bound’ to
‘Hands-On’‘Fear’ to ‘Confidence’
33
AGASTYA’S EDUCATIONAL PROCESSContd.
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AGASTYA’S ACTIVITIES
ART PROJECTS – VESSEL MURAL, SCULPTING
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• Created biodiversity rich campus – sustainable in water
• Current achievements - Biodiversity taxonomy by children guided by researchers
from Indian Institute of Science - Ecology open lab - Preserve endangered species
• Future plans - Butterfly park and bird park
AGASTYA’S ACTIVITIES
ECOLOGY PROGRAM
Contd.
NIGHT COMMUNITY VISITS ENGAGE ENTIRE VILLAGE AGASTYA’S ACTIVITIES
NIGHT COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Contd.
BUILDING SKILLS USING COMPUTERS AND ROBOTICS AGASTYA’S ACTIVITIES
COMPUTER & ROBOTICS
Contd.
AGASTYA’S ACTIVITIES
600 DISCOVERY MODELS
Contd.
shiksha . samskara . sansara
AGASTYA SUPPORTERS INCLUDE EMINENT SCIENTISTS, EDUCATORS
President Abdul Kalam
Dr. Aatre & Prof. Balaram, IISc
Prof. CNR Rao
Dr. V. Kasturirangan
Cambridge UniversityHimachal Pradesh Dr. MS Swaminathan
National Knowledge Commission
Prof. VS Ramamurthy
COLLABORATORS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Best Practices Foundation study of 1348 children in Karnataka shows:
Increase in Awareness on alternative learning methods,
motivation to study science and curiosity
Increase in Creativity, Problem-solving and Leadership among
Young Instructor Leaders (YILs)
MHRD study of 2048 children in 256 schools:
70% + children and teachers welcome Agastya & demand increase of interventions
Enriches and fills gap in the curriculum and Increases interest in Science
Provides professional development for teachers
shiksha . samskara . sansara
AGASTYA AMONG TOP 11 INNOVATIVE NGOs COLLABORATORS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
41
KEY PROBLEMS IN INDIAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
AGASTYA’S
“SPARKING HUMANITY”
PROJECT !
15 Member Organizations from 8 countries working on 15 STEM based sandbox projects exploring one theme-
‘New Learner’“A student who has a personal learning network of people and
resources from formal, informal and non-formal institutions”
New Learner Consortium-HP catalyst
Initiative 42
New Learner Consortium (NLC)
Consortium led by
AGASTYA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION
Identification of Giftedness with Special Focus on Science and Mathematics
In association with
Office of Principal Scientific Adviserto the Govt. of India
&National Institute of Advanced Studies
DATE: 11th May 2012
Approach : 11 CRITERIA
shiksha . samskara . sansara
1.Considered outstanding as per feedback from teachers, Parents, Fellow students,
Community.
2. Highly apparent level of inquisitiveness and curiosity, questioning & perseverance.
3. Analytical ability: seeking depth, consequential thinking and problem solving.
4. Interdisciplinary thinking, consequential behavior.
5. Pattern recognition – creativity connected to patterns.
6. Exhibiting above normal capacity of memory, network memory and then retrieval.
7. Exhibiting divergent thinking, lateral thinking and extension thinking.
8. Innovative and creative.
9. Intuition – exposure & experience leading to a pattern intuition.
10. Expression, communication and articulation.
11. Deductive and Inductive Logic.
Approach :
Search Methods
Organized Opportunistic
Media & Public Agastya Events
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AGASTYA’S MISSION
…of unlocking the creative potential of disadvantaged children and teachers across India is being achieved through:• 75 Mobile Science Labs• 2 i-Mobile Labs (Blended Classroom)• 27 Science Centers• Arts Mobile Lab• Ecology Mobile Lab• Recommended by PM’s National Knowledge Commission
•Sparking creativity through hands-on science education
•A program of rural transformation
•World’s largest hands-on science education program
•Reached over 5 million children and more than 200,000 teachers
Global Collaborations with…
• Among top 100 in Rockefeller Foundation’s next century innovators awards.
• Agastya is the global leader for HP Catalyst Initiative’s New Learner consortium.
• Won a grant at World bank’s Development market place
• Recognized by Clinton Global initiative• Received grants from Dell, IBM, Agilent,
Synopsys, HP, United Way etc…
YOUNG INSTRUCTOR LEADERS and IRIS
• Children teach children• Enhance Self-belief, Leadership and Confidence• Over 5 years, Won 11 awards at the Intel IRIS competition• Won Awards at Design For Change
competition
AGASTYA MOBILE LAB
An instrument to revolutionize education at < 50 cents operating cost per exposure
• Up to 30,000 exposures p.a. • 150 + experiments• Mega Science fairs
ABOUT CAMPUS • 170-acre Creativity Lab [Campus]• Teacher training• Model making• Arts• Robotics• Eco restoration program• Media Arts Program• Astronomy Center(Planetarium)
THANK YOU!
shiksha . samskara . sansara
AGASTYA MISSION
Spark creativity through…
Experiential, hands-on science education
Teacher education
Scalable learning methods
Sustainable and environment friendly
Make learning
Fun!
Useful!
Accessible!
AGASTYA MISSION