“The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn …and change” Education has a deeper impact when one tries different methods of learning, of grasping information and understanding deeper concepts. Afterall, the ultimate aim of education is to open our minds to new possibilities. One way to achieve this is by ‘taking education beyond the classroom’.
What is the meaning of “Education beyond Classroom”?
When you try to learn new things at every opportunity given to you or when you apply whatever you have learnt to real life, it means education beyond classroom.
Open up your mind– Education has many possibilities. Every day comes with an opportunity to learn something new. Every new person you meet allows you to see things through a different perspective. When we open up our minds to look at these different viewpoints and perspectives, life becomes an enriching experience.
Do you remember the movie “Slumdog Millionaire”? This movie is the perfect example of how you can achieve education beyond classroom. A simple chai wala who has never had any formal schooling could all the questions in the quiz show through sheer memory and presence of mind.
Most of us are fortunate enough to receive good education through our schools, teachers and tuitions. But very few are able to apply what they learn and co-relate it to everyday lives.
Question everything- A crucial aspect of education is to be able to analyse everything and not take things at face value. As humans, we have the cognitive abilities to think, reason, question, analyse, relate and decide. We all must use these abilities to the fullest.
Be close to Nature- Nature is the greatest teacher. Through nature we learn the sciences, we learn arithmetic and also philosophy. Therefore, spending more time in the lap of nature allows us to expand our minds and apply concepts learnt in school.
Meet different people- Meeting people from different walks of life helps us understand their professions. People with different perspectives help look at things differently.
Be experimental! – Being experimental does not mean spending long hours in a laboratory. You could get experimental with the food you eat, the clothes you wear, taking a different route to school, the possibilities are endless.
Being experimental not only makes you more creative, but helps you understand yourself better and find reasons behind most phenomenon. For Eg- A road which seems shorter but takes longer to take you to a destination, could mean that your speed is reduced because of bad roads or potholes. (Time= Distance/ Speed)
Things a School can do to make learning more relevant-
- Project – based learning– Projects such as presentations, surveys, model making help make concepts clearer and also allow kids to create something productive from the knowledge they already possess.
Arya Gurukul, the leading CBSE school in Ambernath employs the Project based learning methodology for maximum benefit of its students. - Field Trips- Visiting places of relevance helps students observe first- hand. It gives them an opportunity to connect with people, ask questions and get a real- life perspective of things. At Arya Gurukul, we follow up regular field trips with either a project or an activity for students to express their learnings.
- Focus on the Arts- Our students get ample opportunities to get in touch with their artistic side through Music, Art, Dramatics and other arts.
- Culture Study- The unique Chinmaya Vision Program is the backbone of Arya Gurukul’s philosophies. Our students are encouraged to learn Sanskrit chants and shlokas right from their pre- primary years.
Education is not the answer to the question. Education is the means to the answer to all questions. At Arya Gurukul, we seek to equip our students with the means so that they reach higher heights towards success.
