| ETC
at Ananda Shila, India December 2006 By Didi Anandarama |
| This year’s ETC was a step towards going deeper into the pedagogy of NHE and the art and practice of teaching along the lines of Neohumanism. |
|
|
| There was a presentation on the step by step
process Mediation that can be introduced in grade 6 to students to become
peer mediators in resolving their own problems and conflicts. (see notes
on Mediation in this issue). After presentation of the method, the participants
divided into 12 smaller groups and prepared a mediation skit to be demonstrated
for all. Unfortunately only one skit got the chance to be presented, but
it was a most significant skit of a real incident of a teacher beating a
child in school and the conflict between the parent and the school.
This model dilemma brought to our attention
again the issue of corporal punishment in the classroom. The general consensus
was to move away from physical punishment and mental abuse to developing
a classroom atmosphere where there is regular ‘Circle Time’
and where the children and teachers build a caring community. |
Our special guest was Dr. Anju Khanna who came all the way from Delhi to speak about her experiences in the classroom and what true education in action is all about. She was impressed by the vast compound of Ananda Shila and the great potential it has as a Neohumanist Education Centre. One afternoon there was an array of seven parallel workshops, such as rhymes, story sharing, dance and drama, |
 |
| mediation training, Circle of Love, NHE Introductory
Course and a miscellaneous group with our guest speaker Anju Khanna.
A class on ‘Common Errors in English’ was given by Ac Krsnakamalananda Avt which the participants could take back to present in their own schools. Avtk Ananda Anurakti Ac presented a workshop
on the “Practice of Neohumanist Education.” She brought examples
and demonstrated how to teach and capture the children’s attention
using local, natural and recycled material such as wood, plastic, wool
and other materials. Deservingly she received a prize for the best workshop. |
 |
Other interesting and practical workshops were on creating an aesthetic learning environment, how to write a story for children in book form, a special rhymes class by senior most Didi Ananda Giita, how to set up the school’s office room as a public reception place, communication skills, financial intelligence and how to make your own website. The workshops were presented by local and overseas Acaryas. |
| The highlight of the ETC was the last cultural
programme prepared during the ETC and presented to the villagers who came
from far and wide and stayed late into the night bearing the chilly cold.
The children of the local primary and high school enacted dances and dramas
and culminated with a special highlight of a pre-recorded educative story
with Prabhat Samgiita songs from Shiva’s life. At the conclusion of the ETC, participants were given the following assignments to complete over the course of the year: -Write a story of 16 pages and illustrate it
with the aim of publishing it in the local language and in English translation.
|