Introduction Training: Cambridge Primary Combined
The Delhi Public School Society, HRDC organized a two-day Cambridge Primary (Combined) Introduction Training for Cambridge teachers on the 3rd and 4th July, 2024 to provide a deeper insight into the Cambridge approaches and methodologies. Teachers of DPS Vasant Kunj teaching the Cambridge curriculum and the Cambridge Coordinator also attended the training programme. The trainers from Cambridge, Ms. Alison Borthwick, Ms. Judith Amery, Mr. Alan Cross and Mr. Graham Astley provided the teachers with invaluable insights into the Cambridge Curriculum.
Some of the Key Learnings for our cohort are as follows-
● Better implementation of the Cambridge approaches.
● Deeper understanding of the strand structure of Cambridge and how to incorporate the skill strand to develop observational skills, practical skills, heuristic approach, logical & critical thinking and problem-solving skills in learners,
● Integrating the strands for better long-term, medium-term and short-term planning.
● Importance of creativity in Primary education and identifying the opportunities for developing learners' creativity through the Cambridge Primary Curriculum.
● Understanding of the technology-related subjects and approaches to digital wellbeing for Primary-aged learners.
● Identifying the opportunities to link the subjects and the assessment opportunities in the Primary Classroom.
The training provided an understanding of the Cambridge Education system and equipped the teachers with a lot of valuable skills that can be implemented in the classrooms to make the learning experience more engaging and holistic for the students.
Cambridge Training Programme
DPS Society organized a two-day Cambridge Training Programme to educate the teachers on integrating the globally accepted Cambridge curriculum and pedagogical approaches. Teachers of DPS Vasant Kunj teaching the Cambridge curriculum and the Cambridge Coordinator attended the training programme on 1st and 2nd July, 2024. The training was conducted by Cambridge trainers, Ms Alison Borthwick, Ms Judith Amery, Mr Alan Cross and Mr Graham Astley, who provided training in various Early Years and Primary Cohorts.
The teachers gained insight into applying the knowledge and skills to make positive differences in the young learners. They learnt to implement these learnings by trying to be an 'activator' rather than simply being a ' transmitter’ of knowledge. They were encouraged to promote enquiry-based active learning among students, which will increase their engagement and enable them to self-assess the success criteria of their knowledge. The activities conducted during the training taught the teachers to integrate creative education with mainstream subjects, making teaching more holistic and creating everlasting, lifelong experiences for the learners.
Physical Fitness
On 21 April, 2024, a workshop on Physical Fitness was conducted by Mr Azad Singh for the teachers in the Mini Auditorium. He emphasised the importance of physical fitness for everyone and elucidated how various factors such as stress, anxiety etc., can impact our physical health. He highlighted the need for a balanced diet and regular exercise to maintain physical fitness. Furthermore, Mr Azad also informed the teachers about some exercises that may be harmful due to their impact on the body’s biomechanics and stressed the importance of proper execution. He recommended incorporating a regular exercise routine, including yoga, swimming, cycling and backward walking. Additionally, he emphasised the importance of focusing on developing internal organs and building strength. The workshop was very informative and concluded with a question-and-answer session.
Art of Storytelling
“Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.”
A workshop on the Art of Storytelling was conducted by Ms Anubha Tiwary on 21 April, 2024 in the Mini Auditorium for the teachers. The workshop began with engaging teachers in warm-up exercises like Story Web and Pick an Animal. Ms Anubha then recounted an African folk tale, Fact and Fantasy, which kept the audience engrossed. She further underscored that the main purpose of a storyteller is to stimulate the listeners' subconscious mind and evoke their senses such as smell, visualisation and curiosity. She highlighted various elements of a story such as plot, characters and conflict, and techniques of narrating a story such as dialogue, use of gesture and facial expression, appropriate pace, repetition and dramatization. Finally, she explained that storytelling can be used as an interesting and captivating teaching tool, and can be easily implemented in classrooms for all grades and subjects. The session was informative and equipped the teachers with the art of storytelling.
RUBIK'S WORKSHOP
The colorful Rubik's cube intrigues the young minds, igniting their curiosity and eagerness to learn more. The SUNE- Cubing Club of DPS Vasant Kunj organized Rubik's Cube workshops for students of classes III and IV, on14th May 2024. Each workshop of two period duration was held in the Composite Science Lab. The event garnered an impressive participation of over 50 enthusiastic students for each class.
The workshop commenced with an engaging PowerPoint presentation, which captivated the student's; attention as it delved into the fascinating history of the Rubik's Cube and explained its basic principles. During the workshop, the students were given hands-on experience with the Rubik's Cube with the guidance and support of club members, making the learning experience interactive and enjoyable for the participants, enabling them to gain confidence in solving the Rubik's Cube.
Assessment at the Primary Level (Classes I-V)
An Online Session on Assessment at the Primary Level (Classes I-V) was organised on 1st May 2024 by HRDC. The session was conducted by Dr. Yukti Sharma, Professor of Education and Joint Director at the Institute of Life Long Learning, University of Delhi. The session was attended by Ms. Komal Goomer from DPS, Vasant Kunj.
According to NEP-2020, Assessment is the way of learning itself.’ NEP emphasises developing the competencies of the learner. Dr Yukti Sharma discussed different perspectives and possible strategies of assessment. She explained various assessment tools that teachers can use for assessment. She also highlighted the importance of Formative Assessments as these help in identifying the gaps and improve learning through varied approaches. She stressed maintaining the child’s portfolio systematically to understand their progress. Teachers must also provide a holistic assessment of the progress of a learner.
Webinar- Harmony and Webinar
A webinar was organised by HRDC, DPSS on the topic, ‘Harmony and Movement’ on April 29, 2024. The speaker of the webinar was Ms Imogen Buxton-Pickles, the Creative Head behind IMOVES. It was attended by Ms Eleena Bawa from DPS, Vasant Kunj.
Ms. Imogen Buxton-Pickles spoke about how enhancing learning through movement has truly resonated worldwide. She described that to up-skill and build confidence around primary dance, one needs to learn to -
- find the beat of the music
- build a theme using the six principles of dance, and
- create a successful performance using simple movements and ideas.
She also emphasised that harmony in movements helps children boost learning and enhances focus.
Webinar on Drama as a Communication Tool
The Human Resource Development Centre of DPS Society organised a webinar for teachers on April 24 and April 25, 2024. The topic of the webinar was ' Drama as a Communication Tool'. The spokesperson was Dr. Zulfia Shaikh, the Founder and Director of Bangalore School of Speech and Drama. The webinar was attended by Ms. Manjula Nirman from DPS, Vasant Kunj.
Dr. Zulfia, a veteran theatre practitioner, explained how drama can be included in teaching to make learning fun for students. She presented several methods for voice modulation and facial expressions that teachers can use in the classroom to engage their students. Dr. Zulfia incorporated various activities to make the session interactive for teachers.
Webinar - Crafted Expressions
A webinar on the topic ‘Crafted Expressions’ was organized by the Human Resource Development Centre on 19th April, 2024. Ms. Sujata Goel, a renowned artist and instructor, was the resource person, guiding participants through the creative process of crafting with clay and paper. It was attended by Ms. Ritika Rana from DPS, Vasant Kunj.
The webinar aimed at enhancing and exploring creativity through basic tools- paper and clay. Ms Sujata Goel, an expert in her field, taught the participants the intricacies of clay preparation using the right proportions and techniques for achieving the desired texture and consistency. This hands-on experience provided a solid foundation to explore creativity and experiment with various clay crafting projects.
Participants were taught how to create various items using handmade clay, including fridge magnets, showpieces, and wall hangings. Ms. Sujata Goel demonstrated step-by-step instructions, highlighting different techniques and design ideas to inspire participants in their crafting journey. She also introduced the art of paper crafting, teaching different techniques of flower-making using paper.
Under her expert guidance and hands-on practice, participants were able to acquire valuable skills in crafting with clay and paper, creating a diverse range of artistic expressions. The webinar fostered creativity and provided a platform to connect with like-minded individuals and share their passion for crafting.
Overall, the webinar was a testament to the power of artistic expression and the joy of creating something beautiful with one's own hands.
Workshop on Learning with Oral Narratives
The online workshop on Learning with Oral Narratives was organized by the HRDC, DPSS on 18th April 2024. It was conducted by Ms. Padmini Rangarajan, Co-founder and Director of Sphoorthi Theatre for Education Puppetry, Art and Craft, Bangalore. Ms. Lakshmipriya from DPS, Vasant Kunj attended the workshop.
Ms Padmini Rangarajan demonstrated enthralling and captivating performances using five different techniques of storytelling. The techniques were adapted from various folk arts, from different parts of India. She incorporated different styles and created her technique of storytelling, highlighting distinct folk art in each of the performances.
The different techniques she used were Harikatha from Tamil Nadu, Burra Katha and shadow puppetry from Andhra Pradesh, Chitra Katha from Karnataka and Kavad story box from Rajasthan.
The stories narrated by her in different folk styles were contemporary and showed the participants that these approaches can be easily incorporated into any subject to make learning interesting and captivating for young learners. It was indeed an informative workshop.
Webinar - Reading Aloud and Oral Skills
The Human Resource Development Centre of DPSS organized a webinar on Reading Aloud and Oral Skills on April 15, 2024, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Dr. Nina Hood, a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland, New Zealand was the resource person for the workshop. It was attended by Ms. Charu Khetarpal from DPS, Vasant Kunj.
The webinar aimed at apprising teachers about the specific pedagogical approaches that can be adopted in primary classrooms to develop the oral language skills of students as it is fundamentally important and is valued in all walks of life. Ms. Neena Hood also emphasized implementing reading aloud effectively in the classroom context.
Participants were also acquainted with the numerous benefits of reading aloud in the classroom including linguistic benefits, vocabulary and socio-emotional benefits, as well as development of background knowledge, higher-order thinking, and self-efficacy as a reader.
Ms Neena Hood, in her presentation, demonstrated Elkan’s Communication Chain explaining how both expressive language and receptive language are integral parts of communication. She further elucidated the importance of providing phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and syntactical understanding to students as these are crucial elements of learning to read. She also focused on incorporating appropriate pre-reading and post-reading activities to engage the students in the reading sessions. In the end, teachers were also informed of the strategies that they could use in the classroom to motivate reluctant readers.
The session covered all aspects of reading aloud and oral skills, making it inspiring and informative.