[Jagriti55] Contents OR Container 🐣
You remember the story (which we shared in the first session) of the boy who claimed that he taught his dog how to sing. How everybody then waited to hear the dog to sing, But the dog did not and the audience got infuriated. Then the boy clarified that he had said that he had only taught the dog to sing, he never claimed that the dog had learned it.
It appears to us that the conventional education system is quite focussed on the contents (singing in our above story). Maybe the initial idea was that when we work on contents it will develop the container. But over a period of time - more and more people gave substantially more importance to contents (syllabus) - so much so that the container (child) is almost forgotten.
In fact the container (child) is judged on the basis of how well the child can answer questions related to content 😦.
Part of the problem is this whole idea of teaching. Invariably teachers end up teaching the contents instead of working with the container. Schools seek teachers who are expert on specific content (say Maths teacher) - obviously, the teacher is in love with the content - you see the problem?
The moment we disregard the content (curriculum), and regard the container as our main subject - we change the paradigm completely.
Now, we do not need to teach. Now, any content can help the container develop whatever he or she needs to develop - skills - self, social, physical, mental, logical, creative … whatever.
Just to take an example - I can be creative in anything - playing badminton, making ladoos, designing curtains, or just making people laugh.
When we remove our focus on contents, it also helps the child realise that the contents can change, contents are not the main thing, that he or she is the hero of his or her movie! Now the child has a million choices - for at the end of it - all contents are good to live by.
In fact, many of us seldom choose a career related to the contents or the subjects in school / in student life. Often what we love to do or would love to live are other contents, some never even touched in our curriculum. Many of us are living a life which requires knowledge and skills so different from what were the contents or curriculum of school/college. Pity the education focussed so much on some contents and missed helping us develop ourselves and our interests, our passions, our joy creators of life.
Would it not make sense if we could work with the container and leave it to decide the content. If we were to not fall in love with the content, rather fall in love with the container.
Share your thoughts in the telegram group.
warmly
Aditi & Ratnesh (Ph: +91-98450-45833)
Aarohi is an Open Learning Community for learners of all ages: Open to all kinds of interests, abilities, styles and content areas. Learning by doing what one wants, how one wants, and self reflection. Community to co-live, co-learn and co-support each other. Aarohi's Campus is in a village near Hosur in Tamil Nadu (55km fm Bangalore).
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