CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP
(JANUARY 08, 2021)
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND ART INTEGRATED LEARNING
“One must learn by doing the thing, for though you think you know it-you have no certainty, until you try.” – Sophocles
David Kolb said that experiential learning was being actively involved in an experience, reflecting on the experience, conceptualizing the experience, and using the learning outcomes to make decisions and problem solve in order to apply new ideas gained from the experience. GDGPS, Sector 48 has always believed in being the trendsetter for new innovations and upgradations in the teaching learning process. Pursuant to this, a workshop was conducted, on January 08, 2021 through Google Meet, for the entire staff of GDGPS Sector-48, Gurugugram on the ways and means to incorporate experiential learning at all stages of K-12 education.
The workshop was conducted by the school principal, Ms Anuradha Handa, with mindful insights from the Headmistresses of the Junior and Middle Wings, Ms Srishti Bajaj and Ms Shalini Tandon, as well as the Senior Wing Coordinator, Ms Sarika Singh. The proceedings began with a recapitulation of the intensive workshop held in 2020 named “Swayam Se Vayam”. Ms Anuradha Handa took the participants through the stages of the mind. She reminded everyone that the mind controls actions and one can understand oneself by understanding the workings and growth of the mind.
Following this, the three in-charges made presentations on how experiential learning had been successfully integrated with various disciplines. The teachers were then divided into groups according to their disciplines and urged to create a lesson plan based on experiential learning. The groups had to come back with a presentation on the way they would integrate experiential learning with the existing curriculum. As they came back, the groups made several interesting, informative and innovative presentations on experiential learning in the present times. After a break for lunch, the participants came back for the second part of the workshop which was based on art integrated learning. Mandated by CBSE now, AIL has become an integral part of the teaching learning process under NEP 2020. Ms Anuradha Handa explained how GDGPS, Sector 48 has always been one step ahead through programmes such as ICLP which integrated music and dance with other disciplines. Once again the same groups went back to work on an art integrated module which would integrate the existing syllabus with various categories of art.
The workshop culminated with the AIL presentations by various groups with feedback and comments from the Principal. It was an interesting start to the new year because, as John Dewey said - “Experiential learning takes place when a person involved in an activity looks back and evaluates it, determines what was useful or important to remember, and uses this information to perform another activity”, and integrating art into the process makes it memorable and enjoyable.
