Katral Thiruvizha—Learning Festival in Pondicherry (22.01.18 – 24.01.18)
In this blog, we share our experience of the learning festival ‘Katral Thiruvizha’ organised by the Azim Premji Foundation in Pondicherry.
Students gathered for the festival
A government school in Indira Nagar, Pondicherry, became a vibrant place celebrating the learning festival called Katral Thiruvizha from 22 to 24 January. The festival offered hands-on mathematics learning through games and ICT apart from storytelling, painting, dance forms of Tamil Nadu and science in daily life. In this learning festival, around 2,000 government school students of primary and upper primary sections participated. We, Ruchi Kumar and Arati Bapat, CLIx mathematics team members participated in the festival by running a stall for upper primary students. Ruchi set up a mini-computer lab in the stall using a Wi-Fi router and four laptops connected by LAN. Using this LAN set-up, CLIx maths modules were made available for students. Students were excited to use the computers and complete activities on the CLIx platform. The maths team also performed hands-on activities and games with the students.
Discussion on the CLIx module Proportional Reasoning
Students ofa B.Ed. college in Pondicherry worked as volunteers for this event. They helped us in translating the session into Tamil as needed. Besides these volunteers, there were teachers accompanying student participants from their respective schools. We had an opportunity to talk to teachers about the online Reflective Mathematics Teaching course that CLIx has developed for mathematics teachers. A few teachers took the role of documenting the sessions. We had enriching conversations regarding teaching and learning of mathematics with them.
Students engaged in a paper-folding activity
We connected with many people who are working in the area of school education. Students from one of the schools in Tamil Nadu demonstrated preparation of herbal soap and herbal tea. It was wonderful to see students wearing the tags ‘Resource Person’ and conducting sessions for other students and teachers.
All the dimensions of learning were celebrated together in this learning festival!
படித்ததற்குநன்றி!
Arati Bapat, Research Associate and Ruchi Kumar, Assistant Professor, Mathematics team, CLIx
