Joy of Learning Foundation

• JLF has been designing sessions on specific topics of science since its inception. These are then tried, tested and refined with a diverse group of teachers in independent workshops, where people participate upon invitation.
  Over the next 3 years, we plan to design at least one session per month for fundamental topics at high school level in physics, chemistry and biology. There can be a few sessions of Math that support learning of science (like simple and quadratic equations, graphs etc.)

Designing and creation of such sessions involves the following
A. Research
B. Field testing

Partnering with Schools

JLF intends to develop partnerships with some specific schools, for the sake of consistent engagement with a fixed set of science teachers. This can have the following benefits

• It provides us an opportunity for a complete feedback loop. Teachers are first asked about their needs, sessions developed accordingly, then tested with them. Teachers are encouraged to apply ideas from the sessions in their classrooms, and come back with feedback on efficacy and applicability.
• It provides opportunities to reach innovations to the classroom level, to children and their usefulness and practicality in classroom situations can be gauged
• Possibility of observing long term impact on classrooms is opened up with consistent engagement
• Consistent engagement build a culture of learning of the kind that is envisioned by JLF. Culture building is a long term process, which also requires willingness of the partners- school principals, teachers and children.
• It allows JLF the opportunity for documentation of proof of concept
• The evolved sessions can slowly take the shape of a repertoire of topics in science that have the potential to develop as threaded courses for in-service science teachers over time. This whole process can be seen as the process of development of such courses.

Government / Private Institutions

Although, our mode of operation will largely remain the same for either kind of institution, since the government institutions have a potential for wider reach, we can offer the following exclusively for government institutions.

• Short courses for teacher-educators or master trainers, that can be customized as per the need of government institutions (if invited) Like RMSA, SSA, DIET’s etc.
• Eventually, over long term, sessions and course developed by us can be offered as an alternative for in-service teacher training of science teachers

Courses for practicing teachers

• We know that teaching and learning of science has been largely ineffective for teachers in their own schooling. This is also apparent from the lack of conceptual understanding as well as practical exposure among our teachers. It is therefore planned to provide in-service teachers with an opportunity to learn deeper nuances of science, in a holistic manner, through systematic design of courses.
• Courses have the potential to provide consistent engagement, coupled with a lot of peer learning. In order to truly learn something one needs to unlearn and relearn a few things; challenge the existing beliefs and provide a safe atmosphere to do all that. Courses can provide that kind of atmosphere without the fear of being judged or mocked. Since we all learn things at different pace, continuous engagement with a topic as a group provides every participant the time to concretize learning in a structured environment with a logical flow of ideas. Through these courses we also aim to build a community of people who have lived through this experience of learning science and are encouraged to generate a similar culture in their classrooms.
• Since we aim to offer a set of tried and tested science topics through these courses, we intend to create a benchmark for future work with our efforts and provide our system with an alternative for in-service science teacher training.

Designing and creation of courses

• JLF will make a list of important topics for high school level in Chemistry, Physics, Biology and environmental science
• Consistent engagement with some teachers in delhi will be used as an opportunity to evolve the design of a formal course. A part of it can be treated as trial course itself
• Two years’ time will be spent in creation and evolution of sessions, so that a comprehensive set of topics evolves across all of science
• In the third year, this will be formally launched as a Certificate course on teaching-learning of science for a cohort of 30-50 participants
• Depending on logistics and expenses involved the course’s fee structure and logistics will be decided (whether residential, or day school; whether only local people or outsiders; whether continuous or as a series of short workshops)
• Target group- primarily high school teachers, but if middle school teachers would want to attend, they would not be denied entry. They will automatically gain from these sessions
• To cater to utility and need of different streams of physics, chemistry and biology, JLF will offer a few common sessions (mandatory for all participants) e.g. matter, energy, particle nature of matter, cell theory etc. Rest could be optional or subject specific e.g. optics, ecosystems, periodic table etc.
• 24 sessions to be offered as part of the certificate course