CDE and FRCH (Foundation for Research in Community Health)
have jointly developed this project to enhance the
science curriculum of 10 schools in Purandar Taluka,
Maharashtra by enriching the science teachers of the
school. These teachers will be trained in content
enrichment as well as participatory methodologies
and hands on experiences with an approach that seeks
to empower and not just follow the top-down approach.
The project works in partnership with Homi Bhabha
Centre for Science Education, Mumbai. The training
of teachers has already begun although this project
is awaiting funding. |
With
the experience of Global-ITE and Gardens for Life
projects – CDE conducts teacher education
programmes from time to time for the schools. We help
teachers to deal with issues like GM foods, climate
change, environment issues along with their school
curriculum which help in bringing about action and
changes in both themselves and their students. The
approach is unlike any other teacher education programme
that has a top-down approach that assumes that the
trainer has the expertise that has to be ‘passed on’
to the trainee/participant. The approach here used
is of action learning, which believes that the learner/participant
comes with skills, and experiences, which are useful
in finding own solutions to their own problems. The
aim is to provide a setting that will encourage teachers
to learn new skills that will enable them to perform
better and adapt their learning/teaching styles to
the changes in the environment. The programmes encourage
teachers to work within the existing curriculum by
making creative interventions, which make learning
more life-related and meaningful. |
