Literacy Focus – June 2016
While we pat ourselves for the milestones we have crossed in our journey to meet the goal of Total Literacy & Quality Education during the Rotary Year, 2015-2016, we should now to strive to keep up our promises to eradicate the scourge of illiteracy through RILM’s T-E-A-C-H programme. Based on the evaluation of our work, we need to strategise our way forward for the upcoming Rotary Year. Our work reports will also enable us to seek grant from The Rotary Foundation (TRF).
Hence, it is a call to all Rotarians and Inner Wheel Club Members in India to upload the detailed reports of their accomplished work under each vertical of the ‘T-E-A-C-H’ programme. The steps are mentioned below:
- Visit www.rotaryteach.org
- Click on the ‘Member Zone’ tab at the top right corner
- Clicking on ‘Project Upload’ tab provides you with names of each vertical under T-E-A-C-H
- You can take a tour of each vertical to understand its utilisation and implementation.
- To ‘View Uploaded Projects’ for reference, fill up the required information related to the ‘Category,’ ‘Rotary District’ and ‘Rotary Club’ to check all details related to a project under a particular vertical of the programme at a certain location on the scheduled date.
- Click on ‘Project Upload’ and ‘New Project’ tabs to upload projects that you have not uploaded before.
To edit/modify your project, click on the ‘Update Project’ tab using your registered username and password.
Transparency in financing Asha Kiran children
You have all contributed generously for the education of the Asha Kiran children. RILM had committed to provide you with details of the children whom you have sponsored for undergoing the bridge course at our Asha Kiran centres until they are mainstreamed into government or government-aided schools. We have received sponsorships for 17,000 children till date, but unable to provide you with details of children that you have sponsored due to non-availability of your email-id and phone number. Enable us to assist you with details about your sponsored child/children under the ‘Child Development’ tab of www.rotaryteach.org by providing your DGs and Club Presidents with your contact details.
E-Learning for new-age learning
The condition of Wada region of Maharashtra that has been declared as ‘backward zone’ by the Maharashtra Government can never be fully imagined by those who are fortunate to be born in happy surroundings. The per capita income of the households populated by daily wagers, who work in the surrounding industrial area, is hardly sufficient to keep the kitchen fire burning.
In such a scenario, RC Bombay Pier, D 3140, took up the responsibility of making the learning experience at 112 schools fun, well understood and easily accessible for students by imparting lessons through audio-visual modules as envisaged under the E-Siksha or E-Learning vertical of RILM.
This is not a one-off case of Rotarians gifting new-age learning experience to school students. District 3051, led by PDG Ashish Desai, has already initiated e-learning classes at 3,610 schools. The modules created in local languages are installed in LCD projector as an integrated product. The audio-visual representation of lessons helps to grab the attention of learners and leave a lasting impression on their minds.
While these two Districts have started their journey on charting the path of new-age learning through RILM’s ‘e-siksha’ campaign this year, it’s time for other districts to join the expansion of this electronic network of teaching-learning experience across India by visiting the ‘e-learning’ tab of www.rotaryteach.org.
How to start teacher training
With Macmillan Publishers India Private Ltd entering into an agreement with RILM, Rotary Clubs can identify government/government-aided primary or elementary school/s in their area for conducting teacher training workshops, with the school principal/management’s approval. Rotary Clubs may also approach schools funded by Municipal Corporations, Zila Parishads and Village Panchayat.
Macmillan Publishers will build the capacity of government/government-aided school teachers and thereby, improve learning outcomes in students by conducting teacher training workshops. The activity-based interactive workshops for class XII-passed teachers will help to link India’s theoretical education with practical work and life skills by updating them with new pedagogies and subject development besides enhancing engagement with the curriculum. The agreement has come into effect from April 01, 2016.
Teacher-training camps to improve educational standard of out-of-school kids
RILM honed the teaching qualities of 40 teacher volunteers, who will spread the light of knowledge amongst out-of-school children between ages 7 and 14, with assistance of ‘Shikshamitras teachers’ training team’ at a four-day camp in Kolkata in May.
Having imbibed the finer nuances of teaching from four ‘Sikshamitras’ at the camp, these teachers will impart education to 1,035 children screened and selected by our NGO partners under RILM’s Child Development or Asha Kiran project.
Earlier, 28 volunteer teachers involved in imparting education to Asha Kiran children, participated in a training programme of Udayrampur Azad United Club and Sitarampur Vivekananda Seva Pratisthan. The three-day programme was organised at Udayrampur Azad United Club of South 24 Parganas in West Bengal.
Initiating Teacher Training
Vimala Oak, a teacher developer trained by the Royal Society of Chemistry, has trained over 600 science teachers in the past six months.
Nitya Gopalakrishnan, an educational officer with Sikshan Bharathi, Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, Kochi Kendra, focuses on generating awareness among teachers about the needs and requirements of children having special needs. During her tenure as the President of RC Tripunithura, she, along with fellow Rtn Thomas John, conducted workshops and seminars for around 4,000 teachers and parents of such children to spread awareness on children at risk and the support system required in schools located in and around Kochi. This District Chair, Child Development, RI District 3201, conducted ‘Master Training Programmes’ with the support of DG Kamlesh Raheja to train 75 teachers, special teachers, Rotarians and the parents of such children at RCs Tripunithura, Greater Cochin, Milan, and Trichur Central. The topics covered were — Basic characteristics of autism, cerebral palsy, hyper activity, Downs’ Syndrome and learning disability; signs and symptoms amongst the students.
RILM’s ‘Teacher Training’ vertical primarily focuses on developing the core skills of teachers comprising classroom management, leadership development, critical thinking, and innovative methods of teaching. Emphasis is also laid on education, pedagogy and communication skills, besides subject-based training, especially in Mathematics and Science, to assist the Central and States’ efforts to better the professional abilities and performance of teachers in government/government-aided schools.
RILM ties up with teacher training organisations and individual teacher trainers to positively impact the learning capabilities of children.
Activities of Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in India
- IWC Dombivli under D 314 created a happy school by painting walls and gates, classrooms with visual puzzles, donating e-learning modules, books for the library and sports equipment besides constructing water tanks.
- IWC Panipat Midtown created a happy school by investing Rs 1.5 lakh.
- Utkramit Prathmik Vidyalaya and Ghorabandha Madhya Vidyalaya, Telco, of Jamshedpur under D 325 were converted into happy schools by providing potable water facilities, constructing separate toilets for boys and girls, library, painting the classrooms, donating uniform and sports material to students, facilities for the school employees, besides initiating tree plantation on the school premises.
- IW District 308 has 15 Happy Schools
- HRD Minister Smriti Irani highlighted at the Parliament, the Happy School created by IWC Gangtok, D 324, and inaugurated by the Education Minister of Sikkim.
- PDC Dr Sayali Prabhu inaugurated 18 Happy Schools sponsored by IWC Sawantwadi.
