Learning Through Projects- A Handbook

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About the Author Mirambika is a Research Center for Integral Education and Human Values in India's capital, New Delhi. It was instituted in 1981 in response to a wide-felt need for teachers training in Integral Education. Four wings of education make up mirambika-a teachers training wing, a children's wing, a research wing and are source wing. All wings are housed together in a building that is wide open to the surrounding gardens and play- grounds. It offers ample space for the children, parents, teachers, trainee teachers, volunteers and visitors that together make up mirambika: a vibrant community committed to the Free Progress method of life-long learning.

Free Progress learning is based on the Integral Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo. It aspires to be a system of education that is guided by the soul. In other words, its aim is to help children develop their entire nature-physical, vital (emotional/volitional), mental, psychic and spiritual- and turn it into a fit instrument for their soul to express itself in the world. To make this possible, the work of mirambika always has two components. On the one hand, mirambika ties to facilitate the development of mastery and perfection in all these realms of human nature. On the other, it aspires to be a space in which both students and teachers can embark on their long and difficult journey towards the discovery of the innermost truth of their being.

As the qualities and capacities of the children differ from child to child, there is only a mini- mum common syllabus. The rest of the time at school, the children are free to concentrate on their own areas of interest, while the teachers are available to inspire and encourage, to guide and protect. A structure like this allows for an optimal development of each in- dividual child. It also helps children learn how to take responsibility for their own learning, a process in which the self-observation and reflective practices described in this book play a significant role. The results of it all is an environment that facilitates learning through direct experience and spontaneous discovery.

This book has come into being thanks to the love, commitment and efforts of all the mem- hers of mirambika and Mother's International school family.

Introduction The effort of publishing this book offered the facilitators of mirambika (Diyas) and The Mother's International School (MIS) the opportunity to re-visit the raison d'etre for the project-based approach to learning, from Nursery to Grade 8 in mirambika, and between grades 1 to 4 in MIS. This publication was an opportunity for the facilitators to re-evaluate the extent to which practices and principles of true teaching fundamental to integral education are incorporated in the projects taken up with the children of these schools. Our learning has been that project work can indeed be effectively carried out both in classes with an enrolment of 12 to 15 on average, as in mirambika and with an enrolment of 35, as in The Mother's International School (MIS). Further to this is the satisfaction of sharing integral education practices with the aspiring fraternity of the country and beyond.

Integral Education is based on the philosophy of Integral Yoga as propounded by Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. Integral Education sets its sight on integral living and being. In this living and being, all parts and planes of the individual, including the physical, mental and vital, are put through experiences that serve to perfect these parts and planes with the conscious participation of the individual. This is so that they may become the willing servants of a greater Force beyond our own which wants to express and manifest Itself in all its resplendence here on earth through these perfected instruments of man. Besides the three nature-bound planes of the physical, vital and mental are the subliminal planes of the Psychic and the Spiritual. The Psychic opening and Spiritual widening, both aid and to an extent are aided by the elevated working of the lower natures of the mental, vital and physical. The main aim of Integral education is therefore to take up these entities of nature and bring them to the highest state of perfection that is possible in man. The truest and deepest in the child, the soul, is invited to take its place in the forefront of existence and guide the unfolding of life in the individual towards its true purpose in life. This is the main reason that one cannot, underestimate the significance of the education of the facilitator or Diya in the whole scheme of things.

At this juncture, we will consider the word 'Diya'. It is an endearing term addressing the facilitators of mirambika. Combining the first syllable of 'Didi' or sister, which is 'Di' and the ending syllable of 'Bhaiya', which is 'ya, makes the word Diya. Diya also means the lamp, which gives the term another significance and serves as a constant reminder to the Diyas of the light they have to seek from within as they undertake this work of facilitation.

At this juncture, we will consider the word "Diya'. It is an endearing term addressing the facilitators of mirambika. Combining the first syllable of 'Didi' or sister, which is 'Di and the ending syllable of 'Bhaiya', which is 'ya', makes the word Diya. Diya also means the lamp, which gives the term another significance and serves as a constant reminder to the Diyas of the light they have to seek from within as they undertake this work of facilitation. In the free progress environment of mirambika, as well as in MIS in the younger classes, both the child and the facilitator share the common experiences of a learner; we are essentially co-travellers on a beautiful journey of self-awareness and discovery. The aim may be similar but the means and the processes take myriad shapes and forms and therein lies the beauty of such a practice in the learning space. Besides other practices, learning through the project method has been largely helpful in aspects of integral development in the learner, be it the child or the Diya. Focussing on integral development, in the physical, vital, mental, psychic and spiritual parts of the being can- not be envisaged without the integral involvement of the facilitator, who together with the child, allows each project to unfold itself. The facilitation of learning here is child- centred in that the child is the constant enquirer and decision maker at every step in the learning process. The facilitator is chiefly concerned with the creation of an environment needed for this unfolding and the flowering of the child as an individual, all of which are drawn out in the goal setting prepared at the beginning of the school year and allowed to evolve with the child's needs over the months. All goals are set with contributions from the child, the parents of children as well as by the facilitator. These go to- wards the realisation of the integral growth of the child. Facilitators work these goals into the projects during the project planning and execution stages. In addition, each project is looked at as a seamless whole. Hence, disciplinary demarcations are played down while attempts are made to view the project through various lenses such as the scientific, social, geographical, historical, and the literary. Projects taken up are sometimes at group/class level and at other times, individual, depending on the needs of the groups and each individual child. The significance of resources as aiding one's learning dawns in the children as each project is negotiated. The children are led to consider var- ied resources such as print, audio, visual, and the environmental resources including plants, animals and people in the immediate vicinity as well as distant resources.

**Contents and Sample Pages**