Hidden Talent & Knowledge Hyperlinks

 



"Can any of you draw?" I asked the dozen children assembled for the hour-long knowledge-sharing session at the impromptu classroom, converting the first-floor barren open space with pillars and nothing but a ceiling.

Up went the arm of front-seater Durgesh, the eldest of five siblings of the construction working parents at Antariksh Golf Links, Greater Noida.

No sooner did I give him a pen and notebook, than he began his task. He drew a range of hills, sun astride the sky viewed between two hills. A road at the valley level with a bus on it. 

His drawing gave enough fodder for me to get into the Socrates mode: ask questions and you will get answers. 

Does his village has hills near his home? 

No.

Then, was the picture he drew from his imagination or seen somewhere?

He: While traveling on a train, he has seen. Good observation.

Who drives the bus?

Driver. He replied in English. Not sarati, in Hindi! 

What do you call those traveling in the bus? 

Passengers, said some kid from the floor.

Train moves on what? 

Patri! (Rails).

Where does the train stops?

Railway station. 

This transportation discussion led to exploring other modes of transport on Day 2.

Can trains run on roads? 

No. 

Will buses run on rails (patri)?

No. 

What do you call those flying objects in the sky?

Helicopter. Not airplane.

Have you seen them?

Plenty. 

Where do airplanes, and helicopters stop?

Adda... Havai adda. Airport, I told them.

Any rivers near their home?

Yes. 

What runs on those waters?

Boats. I have to tell him.

Engage them constantly to keep their interest alive.

No monologues.

So far, so good.

Here's the video recording of Durgesh explaining his sketch.

https://youtu.be/FCUp1WRgiWY















Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 3 - Weekly Round Up

Image
  The first fortnight of acquaintance with the children of construction workers with no access to education in Greater Noida where their migrant parents engaged in building mansions/flats and villas for the better-to-do fellow Indians helped to build bonding with them.  The eldest kid, Pushparaj at 14 (he is doubtful of his age!) had been to school in Chattisgarh. He is not ready to reveal which class he was studying back home. It does not matter. A slow learner. On the other hand, 5-year-old Tejas and 6-year-old Dimple are sharp and have better grasping abilities. But the best student is Ekeswari. Intelligent. Quick grasp. She was studying class 4 before uprooted from Chattisgarh to Greater Noida on account of her parents' career in the building industry. Once the rapport was established, I began to focus on helping them improve their personal hygiene. They attend the daily 90-minute class after bathing and some food. But their dressing was not good. They wore dirty clothes....
Read more

Week 2 - Day 6 - You Need Bluetooth!

Image
  Out of the blue, Sangeeta said matter of factly: "You need a Bluetooth!"   Sangeetha? Bluetooth?  Why so much incredulity? Can't she possess a Bluetooth? Just because she is a construction worker, is it too much to hear her talking about such modern gadgets?  My challenge was: that the laptop speaker was not audible to the assembled children wanting to hear their favorite rhyme: Found A Peanut... I tried to increase the laptop speaker volume in vain. Still low sound.  That's when the early-thirties Sangeeta broached the subject of Bluetooth. "You have one?" I asked. She nodded.  She was seated on the wooden plank in the open hall where I hold my daily classes for the construction workers' kids. Significantly, she was instrumental in my decision to do this bit of "useful" work: educating the construction workers' children, who are missing school back home because their parents are migrant workers.  Daily she pays a visit to the class to se...
Read more

Day 1 - Rendezvous with the first dozen

Image
  The night before the first-day session, I was rolling in the bed trying to figure out what to "teach". But the die has been cast.  One thing, I was clear about: children should enjoy the session. Not pedagogy. I stuffed a notebook, a few pencils, eraser. Then, I remembered to tuck in two toffee pouches. After parking the car, as I walked towards the Tower under construction where I met Ram Narain, I noticed him walking a few yards ahead. He did not notice me till I "hello"ed him. "You go to the first floor where we met yesterday, I will send children," he said. I climbed the stairs and kept my belongings, including a sheaf of daily newspapers I carried from home (I have no idea why I carried that), and two bottles of chilled water on the sewing machine serving as the table. I sat on the wooden plank wondering how to begin the class. Suddenly, a burst of laughter and a thud of running I heard. I looked out of the wall-less veranda to notice a clutch of ch...
Read more