Arivu’s focus is on improving English reading and comprehension for children in Karnataka middle schools (Grades VI, VII and VIII). Unlike the traditional teacher led instruction, the focus of the programme is to introduce play based learning in schools.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) included the right “to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child” as one of the undeniable rights of children. This is in line with the views amongst many theorists from multi-disciplinary backgrounds, that play has a significant role in the development of children
The English curricula for students which has been designed by experts, is child-centered. Classes are activity based where students are encouraged to be creative, think out of the box and interact. Teachers play the role of facilitators and not just information providers
Source: Nurturing Early Learners,MoD,Singapore
When we see a child playing with a flower, or in the dirt or kipping or playing tag, we should remind ourselves that what we are looking at is the child-like result of a deep and irresistible urge to interact with and have knowledge of the world and everything in it.
We explore various games and videos in the Arivu-Disha class, which helps our minds grow.
Learning facilitated by tablets, is a unique feature of the progamme. Every content class is followed by a digital learning session where students are provided with tables to explore and learn from a range of selected e-content, games and videos.
Use of tablets aid in high rates of information retention, shorter learning time and greater engagement of students in class. The programme encourages a combination of digital content and facilitator led class in schools.
People remember 20% of what they see, 40% of what they see and hear and about 75% of what they see, hear and do simultaneously
Where the Arivu-Disha programme has been launched, it has been observed that students enthusiastically learn, participate, communicate and perform better in class
Focus on Life skills is integral to the Arivu- Disha programme.
Life skills @ Arivu
Life skills are abilities that help us to adapt and behave positively so that we can deal effectively with the challenges of everyday life.
Arivu’s English content has been designed keeping in mind the need to develop psychosocial skills – cognitive, affective and social skills, amongst students. It is been realised that such emotional and social skills play an important role in the holistic development of a child. When it gets ignored, it often leads to adults who strive to live in harmony with others.
Arivu curricula encourages freedom to think and speak, listen to others, group activities and discussions. This helps students to develop self-confidence, control over their emotions, attitude to respect others views and emotions etc.
Building life skills in children and adolescents and providing them with psychosocial support in schools and other community settings can help promote good mental health.
Life Skills @ Disha
Arming adolescents with required skills and guidance to help them choose a right career path is best done within the education system. ‘Disha’ career guidance programme is to create awareness amongst students about various vocation and academic opportunities.
In addition to this, Disha also provides exposure to options that will help in overall personal growth & development in student’s life.
Arivu programme is based on the belief that children learn the best when they are allowed to observe, explore and engage. This is well translated in Arivu classes where learning happens the fun way! Students are exposed to an environment where they learn through play, relate learnings to their everyday situations and create things out of their imagination.
Learning is made meaningful through interesting activities like games, stories, songs, visuals and props.
The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst
lovely things
The Arivu English learning curriculum has been designed by experts from Aarohi Life Education Trust, Hosur, Tamil Nadu; Snehadhara Foundation, Bangalore and Center for Research, Training and Education (CERTAD), Bangalore. Some of the distinct features of the curriculum includes child centric approach, blend of face –to-face classroom activities and digital learning, role of teachers as facilitators, situation oriented and activity based learnings, interactive and exploratory classes, among other things.
CONTENT DESIGN PARTNERS
Aarohi is a community of self-directed learners – children who decide what they want to learn, how they want to learn, when they want to learn and who use self-assessment. An open learning environment has been created at their campus in Hosur.
Ratnesh, the founder of Aarohi, has worked in the field of children’s education for several years.
These years of experience have taught him that children have an innate ability to learn, and each child learns differently.
Snehadhara Foundation works with children and adults who are differently-abled, their caregivers and families. It exclusively uses Art Based Therapy to work with these children and adults.
Their approach to education is very focused on the belief that learning is learner led. Since children are spontaneous learners, it obviously follows that there are numerous ways of educating children, than just through logical and linguistic learning. The role of an educator should just be that of facilitating the learning in children as they open themselves to learning as well.
Center for Research, Training and Education (CERTAD) is a design collective that seeks to create capacity for long term, social, economic and environmental change through participative methods and processes drawn from Art and Design.
The multi-disciplinary team, with diverse experiences engage with and empower spaces of public education such as museums, galleries, schools or informal learning centers. They work in collaboration with institutions of higher education and research, organizations in the areas of science, humanities, culture & heritage, and development institutions.
The core philosophy of CERTAD is to help engineer choices children make and to facilitate children beyond this phase. For CERTADeducation is the exploration of the multiple ways of being and expression, doing and making, developing core skills in reading, writing, numeracy and art and connecting oneself with both abstract information and knowledge ,the world and the lived experience.
Arivu-Disha is a 4-year digital literacy and life skills programme. It aims to improve English learning outcomes and career prospects of school children in Karnataka. As the name suggests, the programme has two significant components- ‘Arivu’ and ‘Disha’.
Arivu which means ‘Knowledge’ focuses on improving English reading and comprehension for children in Karnataka middle schools (Grades VI, VII & VIII). Disha means ‘Direction’ is a 2-Year Career Guidance programme for high school students (Grade IX & X) in Karnataka Government Schools. This programme launched in 2015, has been initiated by headstreams in association with Mphasis Pvt. Ltd. and supported by the Department of State Educational Research and Training (DSERT).
Objectives
To improve English language skills in listening, speaking and reading
To foster the joy of learning by making English language functional, relevant and meaningful
To develop life skills of students primarily affective, cognitive and social skills
To provide career guidance to students and enable them to make informed decisions in life
Arivu’s English content has been designed keeping in mind the need to develop psychosocial skills – cognitive, affective and social skills, amongst students. It is been realised that such emotional and social skills play an important role in the holistic development of a child. When it gets ignored, it often leads to adults who strive to live in harmony with others.
