On February 27 (Tuesday), a specialized online teacher training program took place, accommodating over 150 teachers from diverse schools across the nation. Unlike regular meetings, these teachers weren’t interacting with their superiors or officials of the education department — they were exchanging thoughts with some of the top scientists in the country on how to make science education captivating for children.
The program themed ‘Fostering Experiential Learning in Science Education, Beyond the Textbook’ marked Knowledge and Awareness Mapping Platform’s (KAMP) fifth Continuous Professional Development program tailored for teachers in collaboration with the CSIR-NML.
For years, educationists and general public have been lamenting about the rote-learning approach preferred in our education system, which has arguably failed to provide innovators and inventors in proportion to our population in the world. With the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the government has been taking significant efforts to introduce experience-based learning in classrooms to enhance the quality of education in our schools. This initiative is one such attempt.
For years, educationists and general public have been lamenting about the rote-learning approach preferred in our education system, which has arguably failed to provide innovators and inventors in proportion to our population in the world.
Participating educators engaged in comprehensive training sessions conducted by subject matter experts, covering various dimensions of science education. Through this program, the teachers received the opportunity to interact and learn from prestigious scientists, Dr. Sandip Ghosh Chowdhury (Chief Scientist and Head of Materials Engineering Division at CSIR-NML), Dr. K. Gopala Krishna (Chief Scientist of Materials Engineering Division at CSIR-NML) and Dr. Animesh Jana (Senior Scientist and PI of Jigyasa, CSIR-NML).
The scientists delved into an array of subjects during their presentation, providing a comprehensive introduction to CSIR-NML. They highlighted major focus areas within CSIR-NML, such as materials, minerals, national priorities at government level, effective management of primary and secondary resources, among others.
In their insightful discussion, the scientists introduced innovative tools aimed at enhancing the learning experience. They emphasized strategies for effective learning, smart teaching methodologies, and the importance of experiential learning. Additionally, they presented hands-on examples to illustrate key concepts, focusing on topics such as the concept of primary colors and electromagnetic induction, including the intriguing aspect of contactless electricity transport.
They presented hands-on examples to illustrate key concepts, focusing on topics such as the concept of primary colors and electromagnetic induction, including the intriguing aspect of contactless electricity transport.
This multi-faceted approach not only broadened the understanding of the teachers but also provided valuable insights into fostering a dynamic and engaging learning environment for students.
Towards the end of the session, Mr. Aniket Arora (Outreach Coordinator, KAMP) expressed his gratitude to all the Speakers and participants present in the session. He also mentioned the importance of such events and how KAMP believes that such experiential learning is the key to fostering teachers and students’ deep interest in and understanding of science & other developments in India.
Additionally, he informed the teachers about the upcoming activities like the online Knowledge Sharing Sessions, Scientific Excursions for students as well as Continuous Professional Development for educators to explore, discover, and engage with various scientific disciplines in a real-world setting at various eminent CSIR laboratories/Research Organizations in India.
KAMP is an Initiative and Knowledge Alliance of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) – National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (NIScPR) and industrial partner M/S Nysa Communications Pvt. Ltd. (NCPL), and intends to develop creativity, meaningful learning, critical reading, and thinking skills that bring out the inherent abilities of the students.