TIRUCHY: The State School Education Department's Illam Thedi Kalvi stall at the ongoing book fair here is attracting many a student and teacher alike, courtesy the programme's innovative teaching methods put out on display in the form of models.
Taking up two of the 160 stalls at the fair, they are named after the unique programme which was implemented to bridge the learning gap brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic among schoolchildren. Volunteers from 16 blocks in the district on each of the 10-day fair showcase the various innovative teaching methods Illam Thedi Kalvi employs, sources said.
Several teachers from private schools who visited the stall showed interest in knowing more about the educational models and the teaching methodology followed. Bhuvana, a private schoolteacher who visited the stall, averred the idea of converting a lesson or a topic into a visual model would indeed be fascinating for students.
“Our students who visited the stall were curious about a Kallanai dam model which illustrated the water inflow and outflow and the other techniques involved," she pointed. M Hema, a teacher at another private school, said, "There are several innovative models to teach children math and science.
They are very interactive and kindle the student’s interests. I would like to make similar models for my students to understand subjects better." Explaining how tweaking the way of teaching can help those students who lost interest in academics from the pandemic-induced closure of schools get comfortable with attending classes in person again, S Nivetha, a programme volunteer from Thuraiyur, added,
“Despite the time-consuming work involved in making these models, the results can be tangible once put into practice." Brinda, a Class 5 student who visited the stall, said she found the illustrative model for an English poem interesting. "I have never seen such things for poems in my school," she said.
Whatever the subject, understanding the concept of a topic makes students to learn it quickly. This can be implemented in all schools, said another volunteer, D Pramila, who designed the illustrative model for a poem. R Senthil Kumar, the district coordinator for Illam Thedi Kalvi, said the students enrolled in the programme are trained differently which helps them regain their interest and concentration in education.
"This way of teaching can be a good way to gain the student’s attention in normal classes too, for which the stall helps," he added.